Home stock management system

Abstract

To provide a home stock management system, a medication stock management system and a method of patient home management of a patient treatment plan that are usable for the monitoring of consumable packaged items in the house or for monitoring and managing the stock and use of medication in a patient home or residence.SOLUTION: A home stock management system comprises: a stationary data collection module 10 configured to wirelessly collect data from one or more tagged items 11 and to transmit the collected data to a processing module 12, where the packaged items include a wireless tag; a processing module for receiving, storing and processing the collected data from the collection module; and notification means 13. The data is collected from the one or more packaged items present in the home without user intervention. The processing module processes the collected data to determine status information, and the notification means transmits the status information to one or more authorized users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inventory management system using electronic communication elements such as labels or tags. The communication elements can be based on backscatter technology. More specifically, the present invention relates to a home inventory management system for consumables or drugs, and to communication elements such as radio frequency identification (RFID) technology-based labels or tags attached to consumables or drugs for use in identifying, recognizing, and registering such consumables in a home environment.

Background Art

[0002] Automation of the home environment has become more widespread in today's homes. For example, certain electronic devices within the home are remotely operable. In many cases, such remote management of in-home operations is made possible through the use of wireless or electrical communication methods, including the use of a smartphone to connect different types of devices within the home. The use of such electronic devices provides additional functionality in the management of home-based electronic devices, such as whether the device or equipment is operating correctly. Through these developments, the ease of use of electronic devices in today's home environment has been increasing. However, all access to such devices requires the intervention of the home owner to establish a connection between the remotely operated device and a communication device such as a smartphone. Moreover, such systems do not enable inventory management of the items used in the home.

[0003] Inventory management often involves, for example, tracking the presence and / or location of items within storage facilities. Typically, in order to efficiently monitor demand and respond to it, it is important to have accurate and up-to-date information about any inventory items, for example, within a storage facility or a retail store. Tracking the availability of any such items and checking such information can be done manually, but the use of wireless communication methods is increasingly replacing or simplifying the inventory management systems utilized in these environments.

[0004] In many cases, such wireless communication involves the use of electronic tags, such as radio frequency (RF) tags, to track the presence of such stored items. However, such RF tags have a limited range, and thus when an individual approaches an item, it is necessary to scan all the items present with a suitable reader, which requires multiple readers to be positioned throughout the monitored environment or, alternatively, a mobile reader that can move throughout the monitored environment. Alternatively, it is also possible to position suitable readers at strategic locations within the monitored space, for example, at the entrance / exit gates, only to track the entry or exit of the items to be monitored within the monitored space. This is inconvenient for individuals within a home environment who are interested in a convenient way to monitor the inventory of consumables within the home.

[0005] Similar to storage facilities and retail stores, it is important for pharmacies and hospital pharmacies to accurately manage the available medications. It is also extremely important to track and manage the availability of all the necessary items within kits used by healthcare workers, so-called pharmacy kits, not only for all available medications in general. Similar to the case of items stored within storage facilities, it is possible to affix electronic tags, such as RF tags, to such packaged medications or items within a pharmacy kit and wirelessly track their presence using a suitable reader. The same drawback is seen here as in the case of storage facilities where it is necessary for the reader user or the reader itself to be in the vicinity of the single or multiple tagged items.

[0006] Thus, one of the drawbacks of these inventory management systems for use at home to conveniently manage consumable inventories is that due to the limited reach of RF tags, a mobile reader is required to fully cover the entire home. Another drawback of many remote home operating systems that use connected electronic devices is that user intervention is required to operate or initiate the use of these systems. For example, wireless communication using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi would seem to require the home resident to perform operations for communication pairing or other initiation. Thus, there is a need for a convenient inventory management system for use within a home to manage the presence and availability of connected consumables.

[0007] Furthermore, the use of electronic tags on packages or consumables that are not conventional RFID tags would seem to increase the cost of any system for home inventory management. Such an electronic home inventory management system for consumables needs to be relatively inexpensive, widely applicable, and have a reach sufficient to cover an individual's entire home. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0008] Thus, there is a need for an affordable home inventory management system that can effectively manage availability without user intervention or provide the user with sufficient information to manage the availability and status of consumables, such as the user's medications, within the user's home. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0009] The present invention overcomes many of the above-mentioned drawbacks of inventory management systems and provides an affordable and convenient solution for a home inventory management system. What is provided herein is a home inventory management system for packaging items that includes: a) a stationary data collection module configured to wirelessly collect data from one or more packaging items and transmit the collected data to a processing module, wherein the packaging items include wireless tags; b) a processing module for receiving, storing, and processing the collected data from the collection module; and c) notification means. The home inventory management system is such that the data collection module is configured to collect data from one or more packaging items present within the home without user intervention; the processing module is configured to process the collected data to determine status information; and the notification means is configured to communicate the status information to one or more authorized users.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for managing the inventory of one or more packaging items including wireless tags within a home using a home inventory management system is provided.

[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, a home medication inventory management system including a home inventory management system where the packaging item is a medication container is provided.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, in a method for managing a patient's home treatment plan: determining the amount of medication available for the patient's treatment at the patient's home; reminding the patient of upcoming events related to the medications as provided within a predefined patient treatment plan; and notifying the patient that it is necessary to replenish the available amount of medication according to the patient treatment plan or that the appropriate medications are present and available for use at any time. The method is such that the amount of medication available for the patient treatment plan at the patient's home is determined using a medication inventory management system.

[0013] The present invention advantageously provides an affordable and convenient home inventory management system that is convenient for use in a home environment. Further, the inventory management system can be used for home inventory management of medications for a patient, and advantageously can manage and provide relevant status information regarding its use to the patient and / or the patient's caregiver or other authorized individual, taking into account the patient's medications and treatment plan.

[0014] The above-described home inventory management system according to any of the embodiments and a method of using such a home inventory management system or a medication inventory management system within the home (of a patient) are of an affordable price using disposable wireless tags. These disposable wireless tags include communication elements that do not require any human intervention to initiate or activate communication within the inventory management system described herein. Such systems and methods described herein are not only affordable but also easy to use. This is extremely important for the inventory management system within the home environment considering that the residents within the home may not always be able to properly initiate or activate the communication between the package having the wireless tag and the central data processing module. For example, a patient using a medication inventory management system may have such obstacles that they cannot perform any steps to initiate the communication of the package having the wireless tag, such as pairing the tag with any device within the patient's home.

[0015] The above and other advantages and objects of the present invention will become more apparent and the present invention itself will be better understood by referring to the following description of embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

[0017] Throughout the several figures, corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts. The drawings represent one embodiment of the present invention, but are not necessarily to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated or omitted in some of the drawings to better illustrate and explain the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of inventive concepts are described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings where applicable. These embodiments are presented as illustrative examples and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the inventive concepts.

[0019] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a home inventory management system. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a home inventory management system including a stationary data collection module (10), a processing module (12), and a notification means (13) within a home environment (1) is shown, where the data collection module (10) is configured to collect data from one or more packages (11) present within the home environment. The package (11) includes a wireless tag (15) (see, for example, FIG. 3A) that communicates with the data collection module (10) without human intervention. Such a data collection module (10) is configured to wirelessly collect data from one or more of the packages (11) and transmit the collected data to the processing module (12).

[0020] As described, the data collection module (10) is configured to collect data from one or more packages (11) via wireless communication. In most other cases, such wireless communication requires an operator, i.e., a resident within the home environment here, to activate (enable) the wireless communication with each wireless communication element within the wireless tag (15). Often, this requires multiple steps, such as pairing the data collection module (10) with the wireless communication element (on the tagged package), for example. However, in the present invention, there is no user intervention in the wireless communication between the tagged package (11) and the data collection module (10). Thus, in the present invention, an individual using the system, i.e., a resident of the home environment, does not need to initiate or activate any wireless communication or perform any active steps to initiate the transfer of data from any or all of the tagged items (11) to the data collection module (10) or any subsequent transfer of data, for example, from the data collection module (10) to the processing module (12) or the notification means (13). Thus, there is no user intervention in the wireless communication within the system.

[0021] For example, the wireless tags (15, 21) shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B can include any wireless communication element (20) (such as those shown in FIG. 4) that can establish wireless communication with the collection module (10). RF wireless communication offers the possibility of establishing a wireless connection without pre-activating or pairing the device / element. Unfortunately, most of the currently used conventional RFID technologies can only operate at short distances of less than about 2m. This distance is too short to cover an entire home. For example, communication technologies based on low-cost RF technology, such as those described in PCT European Patent No. 2018 / 085985, which is an "improved RFID technology", can establish accurate wireless communication at longer distances, such as up to about 100m. In a preferred embodiment, the wireless tags (15, 21) include a communication element (20) having such modified RFID technology. Alternative low-cost RF technologies can further include Bluetooth Low Energy technology, ZigBee, or LoRa.

[0022] A communication element (20) having such modified RFID technology may be in the form of an electronic label, tag, or module that is operably connected to the package (11) and optionally connected to one or more sensors (26) (see, for example, FIG. 3B). A communication element connected in such an operable form can be attached to or form part of such a package and can register any change to such a package. Such a change can be associated with the usage amount of what is stored in the package or, for example, a change in status such as temperature.

[0023] As illustrated in Figure 4A, one embodiment of such a communication element (20) includes an RF antenna (22), optionally a receiver (23) (a "downlink") for receiving data transmitted by the data collection module (10), a modulator for modulating an incident RF signal using backscattering on the RF signal transmitted by the collection module (10) to modulate the data, and a processing unit (25) for interpreting the data received from the collection module (10) and generating a signal for modulating back to the data collection module (10). The processing unit (25) may, in one embodiment, include a direct spectrum spread modulator for modulating the data for the purpose of transmitting it back to the data collection module (10) as a backscattered RF signal. The communication element (20) may similarly include a power source used to power the communication and processing system. The communication element (20) may similarly also include a memory (27) configured to store sensor data measurements from different sensors as described above and provide connections for the sensors and indicators. The memory (27) may be in the form of a printed memory and / or a silicon semiconductor-based memory, such as an integrated memory or a memory chip on the communication element.

[0024] Figure 3B shows an exemplary embodiment of a pharmaceutical container with a wireless tag (21) including a communication element (20) as described above. In this embodiment, the tagged pharmaceutical container (21) is a blister pack. Such a tagged pharmaceutical container (21) includes a communication element (20) (including the processing unit (25) and the memory). Also included are a power source (24) and one or more sensors (26). These sensors can obtain status information of the pharmaceutical container (21), such as temperature, humidity, or exposure light intensity, for example. These sensors (26) can further include sensors that detect changes (or peeling) in the physical shape of the pill pocket seal (28). Further, the tagged pharmaceutical container (21) can include a status indicator (29) that can be an LED or a piezoelectric buzzer, for example, to provide feedback to the user / patient to indicate whether the pharmaceutical container is ready for use.

[0025] In combination with the communication element (20), in one embodiment of the present invention, the data collection module (10) includes (as shown in FIG. 4B) at least one antenna (44), a transmitter (46) configured to transmit an RF signal to the communication element (20) via the antenna (44), and a receiver (48) configured to receive a backscattered RF signal from the communication element (20). The data collection module (10) further includes self-interference mitigation means selected from one or more of the presence of at least two RF antennas in the data collection module (10), analog carrier cancellation, digital carrier cancellation, and the use of a high-pass filter to minimize the interference between the transmitted signal and the received signal in the data collection module (10). In one embodiment, the data collection module (10) also includes a processing unit (50) for demodulating, processing, and protocol handling of the received signal, in particular. If the signal received from the communication element (20) is modulated by a direct spectrum spread modulator, the demodulation can be a despreader.

[0026] Communication between the communication element (20) included in the wireless tag (11) and the stationary data collection module (10) can be achieved through an air interface protocol that uses a continuous wave (CW) burst at the start of transmission from the data collection module (10) for the purpose of powering the communication element (20) and stimulating the generation of an internal clock signal within the communication element (20). Following the CW burst, a command code transmitted as AM (amplitude modulation) on the carrier by the data collection module (10) follows. The communication element (20) responds by load modulating the antenna by applying ASK (amplitude shift keying) or PSK (phase shift keying) on the incident CW signal from the data collection module (10) to process the command and generate a feedback signal. In an advantageous embodiment, the communication element (20) may further include a binary amplitude phase shift keying phase modulator or a binary phase shift keying phase modulator for phase modulation of the RF signal.

[0027] The processing module (12) can receive, store, and process the collected data from the collection module (10). The processing of the collected data can take the form of comparing the collected data, such as usage data, with the data stored within the processing module (12) to determine the status of the packaging (11) present within the home or residence (1). The status can include, for example, the remaining units of the packaging (11), expiration date (or past expiration), temperature, etc. The collected data can similarly be compared, for example, with a preset medication regimen when the packaging (11) is a drug container (30). Likewise, the collected data regarding the consumable packaging (11) can be compared with the preset or established usage of such consumables. Based on the results of such comparisons, the processing module (12) can initiate feedback to the home owner or patient regarding the status of the packaging (11) via the notification means (13). The processing module (12) can be any computer-controlled processing unit and can be understood to reside, for example, on the cloud or be an external server outside the home environment. In some embodiments of the present invention, the processing module (12) is part of the data collection module (10). Thus, the stationary data collection module (10) and the processing module (12) are local (in-home) data collection and processing hubs.

[0028] The notification means (13) can be any user interface, such as a smartphone, smart tablet, personal computer, an integrated screen on the data collection module, or an integrated display on a wireless tag (21) or on the packaging (11). Thus, this notification means (13) can be integrated with the data collection module (10) and the processing module (12) to form a single stationary hub located with the home or residence (1). The notification means (13) can not only send a preset message to the user of the home inventory management system but can also display status information.

[0029] As described in this specification, status information includes, for example, information on the presence, identification, expiration date, authentication, quantity on hand, quantity used, and storage conditions of packages (11) within a home or residence (1).

[0030] It is possible to regulate authorized users of the home inventory management system, identify a preset group of authorized users at the time of initial installation or startup of the system, and be able to modify it from time to time. Such authorized users are, for example, the home residents and / or one or more users authorized by the home residents to access the collected data and status information.

[0031] The home inventory management system of the present invention can determine the status of packages (11) at regular time intervals or can be prompted to determine the status of packages (11) in the home or residence (1). The determination of the status of any existing packages (11) is carried out by the home inventory management system of the present invention without human intervention. Thus, the home resident does not need to initially pair or continuously pair the various articles brought into the home or residence (1). The home inventory management system scans the home for packages (11) and records the presence (or absence) of any (new) packages (11) within the home or residence (1) at the end of the next time interval. Such time intervals are regular time intervals for data collection, ranging from every 5 seconds to once a day. In one embodiment of the present invention, the regular time intervals are from every 1 minute to every 4 hours. Preferably, the regular time intervals are from every 1 hour to every 4 hours.

[0032] Furthermore, the wireless tag (15) includes information loaded onto the tag using a computer interface to load data onto the tag, for example, at the time of purchase or when obtaining the packaging (11) at a pharmacy or the like, from information obtained from one or more sensors (26) in communication with the communication element (20) or via any other optional input means. In some embodiments, the wireless communication tag (15) is programmable using information stored in its memory (27), such as information on where the packaging was obtained (e.g., the packaging distribution point such as a pharmacy) and information on which individual user within the home the packaging should be assigned to. This is extremely advantageous when the user is a resident within a home with multiple occupants using a home inventory management system (e.g., a patient within a home with multiple patients).

[0033] In embodiments where the packaging (11) is a drug container, the home inventory management system is used as a patient drug inventory management system. In such cases, the home can be a residence where one or more patients reside, such as a patient's home or a nursing home, clinic, long-term care facility, or hospital. In some embodiments, the drug inventory management system can also be used at a pharmacy. In any of such embodiments where the home inventory management system is a drug inventory management system, the packaging (11) can be a blister pack, vial, syringe, drug delivery device, or pill bottle.

[0034] In such a drug inventory management system described in this specification, the collected data relates to data for identifying the drug in the drug container and data on the storage and use of the drug. In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to compare the collected data regarding the drug with a predefined drug administration schedule for a patient residing in a home who has received a prescription and is taking the drug, to determine patient drug status information. The patient drug status information includes one or more of presence, identification, expiration date, authentication, frequency of use, dosage taken, storage conditions, and drug availability information. Further, the drug availability information includes information about the availability of the drug that the patient should take according to the predefined drug administration schedule.

[0035] Furthermore, the wireless tag (15) can be programmed using drug-specific information, such as prescription information, prescription creation date, and taboos regarding the prescription at the pharmacy. Thus, the wireless tag (15) also includes drug name, product code, dosage, batch number, lot number, expiration date, storage temperature, relative humidity, manufacturing date, light intensity during storage, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the wireless tag (15) is further interfaced with one or more sensors (26). These sensors (26) acquire relevant data regarding the status of the drug, such as temperature data.

[0036] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the wireless tag (15) is further configured to receive and display the status information of the drug. Such a display of the status information is, for example, via output means such as an LED light, alphanumeric or graphic display, or piezoelectric buzzer. Alternatively, the status information is received via input means such as a user feedback button or via a physical shape change of the packaging. Such a physical change of the packaging can be, for example, the peeling off of a strip or an opening of the packaging. The user can activate such input means to provide the status information of the drug or to request a response regarding the status information of the drug.

Example

[0037] Example 1 Exemplary embodiments related to pharmaceutical home inventory management include automated monitoring of pharmaceuticals within a patient's residence / home. A patient has placed an order for a pharmaceutical as part of their multi-dose treatment. The pharmaceutical packaging material stores a pharmaceutical container with an intelligent packaging solution as described herein, i.e., a radio tag. After receiving a prescription from a healthcare provider, the patient visits a pharmacy to obtain the first few doses of the pharmaceutical. The pharmacist scans the patient's order for a specific pharmaceutical unit and the pharmaceutical package assigned to the patient. The assignment and order information is shared with an online service provider. At the same time, the authenticity and expiration information of the pharmaceutical is verified (the service provider tracks the uniqueness and status of each individual pharmaceutical unit). The service provider will now know which pharmaceuticals have been supplied to the patient and when the patient should take a pharmaceutical dose. Optionally, during the scan, the order information is also recorded within the intelligent packaging, i.e., stored in the memory of the radio tag / communication element. If there is no direct communication channel between the pharmacy and the service provider, a secondary information exchange channel is provided to the service provider.

[0038] The patient enters their home equipped with the solution described herein, carrying the pharmaceuticals obtained from the pharmacy. A stationary unit or hub (i.e., the stationary data collection module (10)) detects the presence of the pharmaceuticals and shares the unique ID of each individual detected pharmaceutical unit with the service provider. The service provider can track the number of pharmaceutical units currently available in the patient's residence / home and perform a cross-check if the service provider has already received information from the pharmacy. It is verified whether there are any missing pharmaceutical units and whether the pharmaceutical units are those assigned to the patient.

[0039] The stationary unit continuously monitors the status of the detected drug unit and provides this information to the processing module of the service provider that interfaces with the patient when applicable. The monitored status information and provided services include the following: · Monitoring of environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity: If outside the acceptable range, the service provider notifies the patient and proposes storing the drug in a different location. · Expiry date check: If an unlikely situation occurs where the drug is about to reach its expiry date, or if a recall is in progress for this drug, the patient is notified and requested to return the drug to the pharmacy for replacement. · Presence detection: When the stationary unit can no longer detect the drug unit, it notifies the service provider, who can then request further clarification from the patient. Additionally, the service provider can notify the patient when the drug has been used up and / or can automatically arrange for a new drug supply. · Usage status monitoring: Physical state changes of the package indicating potential use of the drug are detected by the stationary unit and recorded by the service provider. This state change is matched with the purchase reservation information. Further, in case of inconsistencies (no expected status change is recorded at all, an unexpected status change is detected), the service provider requests further clarification from the patient. A summary of the recorded information can be provided to the patient by the service provider and / or automatically shared with the healthcare provider.

[0040] Furthermore, the provided services can similarly include, for example, asset management, anti-counterfeiting, data insights for the producer of consumables or drugs, compliance monitoring for healthcare professionals (HCPs), and automatic inventory management and forecasting for vendors and pharmacies, etc.

[0041] Example 2 One exemplary embodiment related to home inventory management also includes monitoring of consumables within a residence / home. A home owner decides to cover a room in the house with a new coat of paint. After arriving at the paint store, the home owner realizes that there may be leftover paint from the last time the room in the house was painted. Instead of simply purchasing more paint, the home owner uses a smart phone to connect to a home inventory inventory service. The inventory service connects to a stationary data collection module installed within the home and instructs it to perform a complete scan. The hub reads the information of each detected intelligent package (i.e., a package or consumable containing a wireless tag) and returns it to the service provider. The service provider searches for and identifies the product ID associated with the paint, checks in its database when the package was opened (this event was recorded when the paint was first used), and verifies that the shelf life of the opened container does not exceed the recommended shelf life in the instructions for use.

[0042] At this time, the home owner is notified of a status such as, for example, the leftover paint was last used over a year ago, and thus the inventory service recommends purchasing new paint. After returning home, the hub (i.e., the stationary data collection module) detects the new paint can and notifies the service provider to add it to the inventory. A few days later, the home owner decides to apply the first coat of paint and opens the can. The hub detects the opening event and instructs the service provider to record it. The home owner forgets to read the instructions for use that clearly state that in order to obtain optimal results, a second coat of paint should be applied within 24 - 26 hours after the first coat when the relative humidity is 80%. The home inventory management system included a reminder service. This reminder service tracks the elapsed time between the opening of the paint can (assuming the home owner started applying the first coat immediately after opening) and the relative humidity in this case, which is slightly higher than 80% in the bathroom (with the condition that the can remains in the room being painted).

[0043] Finally, approximately 25 hours after opening the paint can (24 hours + correction in relation to RH), the homeowner receives a reminder from the reminder service on their smartphone, suggesting to apply the next paint layer.

[0044] The invention has been illustrated and described as having preferred designs and features, but the invention may be modified within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.

Claims

1. In the Home Inventory Management System for packages: a. a stationary data collection module configured to wirelessly collect data from one or more packages and transmit the collected data to a processing module, the packages including wireless tags; b. a processing module for receiving, storing and processing the collected data from the collection module; c. Notification means; A home inventory management system comprising: the data collection module is configured to collect data from the one or more packages present within the home without user intervention; the processing module configured to process the collected data to determine status information; said notification means being configured to communicate said status information to one or more authorized users. Home inventory management system.

2. The home inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the collection module collects data from the one or more packages present within the home at regular time intervals.

3. A home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the one or more authorized users are the current home resident and / or one or more users authorized by the current home resident to have access to the collected data and status information.

4. A home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the notification means is a user interface selected from a smart phone, a smart tablet, a personal computer, an integrated screen on the data collection module or an integrated display on the wireless tag or the package.

5. The home inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection module, the processing module and the notification means are integrated into a single stationary device.

6. A home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the status information includes presence, identification, expiry date, authentication, quantity present, quantity used and storage condition information of the packages within the home.

7. The home inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein the data collection module collects the data from the one or more packages present within the home via wireless communication.

8. 8. The home inventory management system of claim 1, wherein the wireless tags are configured for enhanced spread spectrum backscatter RF wireless communication and the data collection module includes a despreader.

9. 9. The home inventory management system of claim 8, wherein the enhanced spread spectrum backscatter RF wireless communication is an enhanced direct spread spectrum backscatter RF wireless communication.

10. The home inventory management system of claim 8 or 9, wherein the data collection module further comprises a low phase noise signal source.

11. The home inventory management system of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the data collection module further comprises one or more of a two-antenna configuration, a high pass filter, and carrier cancellation self-interference mitigation selected from analog and digital.

12. 12. The home inventory management system of claim 8, wherein the communication element further comprises a modulator configured to modulate the enhanced spread spectrum backscattered RF signal by modulation using binary phase shift keying or binary amplitude shift keying on the reflected enhanced spread spectrum backscattered RF signal.

13. A home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the wireless tag is a printable tag.

14. The home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the wireless tag is a disposable tag.

15. A home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the wireless tag is interfaced with one or more sensors.

16. A home inventory management system according to any preceding claim, wherein the wireless tag is interfaced with one or more user input and / or output means.

17. The home inventory management system of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the wireless tag includes identification information selected from a product code, a batch number, a lot number, an expiration date, a storage temperature, a relative humidity, a manufacturing date, and combinations thereof.

18. 18. Use of the home inventory management system of any one of claims 1 to 17 to manage the inventory of one or more packages in a home, wherein the packages include wireless tags.

19. A home drug inventory management system comprising the home inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the package is a drug container.

20. 20. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of claim 19, wherein the pharmaceutical container is selected from among a blister pack, a vial, a syringe, a pharmaceutical delivery device, and a pill bottle.

21. 21. The drug inventory management system of claim 19 or 20, wherein the home is selected from a patient's home, a pharmacy, a nursing home, a clinic, a long-term care facility, and a hospital.

22. 22. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the home is a home inhabited by one or more patients.

23. 23. A drug inventory management system according to claim 22 for use in managing the drug inventory for one or more patients residing within the home.

24. 24. The drug inventory management system of claim 19, wherein the collected data includes data identifying the drug container and the drug in the storage unit and usage data of the drug.

25. 25. The drug inventory management system of any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the processing module is further configured to compare the collected data with predefined drug dosing schedules for patients residing within the home who take the medication to determine patient medication status information.

26. 26. The drug inventory management system of claim 19, wherein the patient drug status information includes one or more of presence, identification, expiration date, authentication, frequency of use, dosage used, storage conditions and drug availability information.

27. 27. The medication inventory management system of claim 26, wherein the medication availability information includes information about the availability of medications to be taken by the patient according to the predetermined medication regimen.

28. 28. The system of claim 19, wherein the wireless tag is programmable with medication specific information such as prescription information, a date the prescription was filled, contraindications for the prescription at the pharmacy, etc.

29. the wireless tag includes identification information selected from a drug name, a product code, a dosage, a batch number, a lot number, an expiration date, a storage temperature, a relative humidity, a manufacturing date, and combinations thereof; The drug inventory management system according to any one of claims 19 to 28.

30. 30. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of any one of claims 19 to 29, wherein the wireless tag is further interfaced with one or more sensors.

31. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of claim 30, wherein the wireless tag includes sensor derived data such as temperature data.

32. 32. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of any one of claims 19 to 31, wherein the wireless tag is further configured to receive and display status information.

33. 33. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of claim 32, wherein the display of the status information is via an output means such as an LED light, a button on an alphanumeric or graphic display, or a piezoelectric buzzer.

34. 33. The pharmaceutical inventory management system of claim 32, wherein the status information is received via an input means such as a button for user feedback or a change in the physical shape of the package (e.g., tearing off a strip or opening in the package).

35. In the Patient Home Management Methodology of the Patient Treatment Plan: a. determining the amount of said drug available for treatment of a patient in the patient's home; b. reminding the patient about upcoming events related to the medication as provided within a predefined patient treatment plan; c. notifying the patient that the available drug amount according to the patient treatment plan needs to be replenished or that adequate drug is present and ready for use; wherein the amount of drug available for a patient treatment plan in a patient's home is determined using the drug inventory management system of any one of claims 19 to 34.

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