Bluetooth Smart Pill Box

Abstract

A Bluetooth smart pillbox with reminder features comprises a pillbox body, a microcontroller, a real-time clock module, a wireless communication module, multiple sensing modules, and a reminder module. This invention aims to address the problem of poor medication adherence in modern society, particularly for patients with chronic diseases requiring long-term use of multiple medications, elderly individuals with memory decline, and children who need reminders to take their medication on time. This design utilizes microcontroller (MCU), sensor technology, and wireless communication to create an automated, intelligent, and human-centered medication assistance system.

Description

Bluetooth Smart Pill Box Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox, and more particularly to a Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox that combines microcontroller, wireless communication, time control and sensing technology and its medication management method, which is suitable for medication reminders and management for the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, children or those who need to take medication for a long time. Prior Technology

[0002] With the advent of an aging society, the population requiring long-term use of multiple medications is increasing year by year. However, traditional pillboxes only have the function of dispensing medication and lack proactive reminders and medication confirmation mechanisms. Users often forget to take their medication, take the wrong medication, or take the wrong medication due to memory decline, busy lifestyles, or complicated medication schedules, which can affect the treatment effect or even endanger their health.

[0003] Existing reminder methods mostly use mobile phone alarms, notepads, or simple sound devices, which are only one-way reminders. They cannot confirm whether the user has actually taken the medication, nor can they form an effective closed loop for medication management. Caregivers still need to invest a lot of effort in monitoring.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a smart pillbox device that can proactively remind users, detect medication behavior in real time, and provide status feedback in order to improve medication safety and adherence. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a Bluetooth smart pillbox that establishes a closed-loop medication management system of "reminder-medication-confirmation" through wireless communication, real-time clock, sensing module and multi-sensory reminder mechanism, so as to solve the problem that existing technologies cannot confirm the actual medication status.

[0006] The secondary objective of this work is to simplify the user interface by transferring complex time calibration and scheduling settings to smart mobile devices, thereby improving the ease of use for the elderly or caregivers.

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the novel Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox includes:

[0008] A medicine box body, the medicine box body having multiple drug storage spaces formed within it;

[0009] A microcontroller is located inside the medicine box itself;

[0010] An instantaneous clock module is electrically connected to the microcontroller;

[0011] A wireless communication module is electrically connected to the microcontroller and is used to transmit data with an external mobile device;

[0012] Multiple sensing modules are respectively set at corresponding positions in each drug-containing space to detect whether the drug has been removed;

[0013] A reminder module, electrically connected to the microcontroller, includes at least one sound output element and at least one visual indicator element;

[0014] The microcontroller activates the reminder module at a preset time based on the time information from the real-time clock module and the medication scheduling data received via the wireless communication module, and determines whether the medication has been taken based on the detection results from the sensing module.

[0015] In one embodiment, the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth communication module.

[0016] In one embodiment, the real-time clock module is a clock module that can be time-calibrated via the wireless communication module.

[0017] In one embodiment, the sensing module is an infrared sensing module, which is disposed below or to the side of the drug accommodating space.

[0018] In one embodiment, the sound output element is a speaker, and the visual indicator element is a light-emitting diode.

[0019] In one embodiment, the reminder module activates an audio prompt at a preset medication time and simultaneously activates a visual indicator element corresponding to the medication storage space.

[0020] In one embodiment, the visual indicator element maintains an alert state when the sensing module does not detect the removal of the drug within a preset time interval.

[0021] In one embodiment, a display module is further included, disposed on the outside of the medicine box body and electrically connected to the microcontroller, for displaying the current time or system status.

[0022] In one embodiment, the display module is a seven-segment display module.

[0023] In one embodiment, the medication scheduling data is transmitted from an external mobile device via the wireless communication module and stored in the microcontroller. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0024] Figure 1: A three-dimensional view of the present invention. Figure 2: System block diagram of this novel invention. Implementation

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this novel Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox mainly consists of a pillbox body 10, a microcontroller 20, a real-time clock module 30, a wireless communication module 40, a complex sensing module 50, and a reminder module 60.

[0026] The medicine box body 10 has multiple medicine storage spaces 11 formed inside it;

[0027] The microcontroller 20 is disposed inside the medicine box body 10;

[0028] The real-time clock module 30 is electrically connected to the microcontroller 20; the real-time clock module 30 is a clock module that can be calibrated via the wireless communication module 40.

[0029] The wireless communication module 40 is electrically connected to the microcontroller 20 and is used to transmit data with the external mobile device 80; the wireless communication module 40 is a Bluetooth communication module.

[0030] A plurality of the sensing modules 50 are respectively disposed at corresponding positions in each of the drug accommodating spaces 11 to detect whether the drug has been removed; the sensing module 50 is an infrared sensing module 50, which is disposed below or to the side of the drug accommodating space 11.

[0031] The reminder module 60 is electrically connected to the microcontroller 20. The reminder module 60 includes at least one sound output element 61 and at least one visual indicator element 62. The reminder module 60 activates the sound prompt at the preset medication time and simultaneously activates the visual indicator element 62 corresponding to the medication storage space 11. The sound output element 61 is a speaker and the visual indicator element 62 is a light-emitting diode.

[0032] The microcontroller 20 activates the reminder module 60 at a preset time based on the time information from the real-time clock module 30 and the medication scheduling data received via the wireless communication module 40, and determines whether the medication has been taken based on the detection results from the sensing module 50.

[0033] It further includes a display module 70, which is disposed on the outside of the medicine box body 10 and electrically connected to the microcontroller 20, for displaying the current time or system status; the display module 70 is a seven-segment display module.

[0034] This invention allows users or caregivers to transmit network calibration time and multiple medication schedules to the internal storage of the microcontroller 20 via a Bluetooth communication module through a smart mobile device application. The schedule can be set according to time periods such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime.

[0035] When the current time provided by the real-time clock module 30 matches the preset schedule, the microcontroller 20 drives the reminder module 60 to emit a reminder sound and simultaneously activate the visual indicator light at the corresponding medicine box position.

[0036] The sensing module 50 continuously monitors the status of the drug storage space 11. If no drug is detected to be removed within a set time interval, the system maintains an alert status until the next medication cycle begins, thereby reminding the user that the medication has not been taken.

[0037] This invention can be widely used in home-based elderly care, chronic disease medication management, centralized medication monitoring in nursing homes and care centers, and remote medical and health management. It is suitable for the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, children, or those who need to take medication for a long time.

[0038] 10: Medicine box body 11: Drug storage space 20: Microcontroller 30: Real-time clock module 40: Wireless communication module 50: Sensing Module 60: Reminder Module 61: Sound output element 62: Visual indicator element 70: Display Module 80: External Mobility Device

Claims

1. A Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox, comprising: a pillbox body having a plurality of medication storage spaces formed therein; a microcontroller disposed within the pillbox body; a real-time clock module electrically connected to the microcontroller; a wireless communication module electrically connected to the microcontroller and used for data transmission with an external mobile device; a plurality of sensing modules respectively disposed at corresponding positions in each of the medication storage spaces for detecting whether a medication has been removed; and a reminder module electrically connected to the microcontroller, the reminder module including at least one sound output element and at least one visual indicator element; wherein, The microcontroller activates the reminder module at a preset time based on the time information from the real-time clock module and the medication scheduling data received via the wireless communication module, and determines whether the medication has been taken based on the detection results from the sensing module.

2. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth communication module.

3. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the real-time clock module is a clock module capable of time calibration via the wireless communication module.

4. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the sensing module is an infrared sensing module and is located below or to the side of the drug storage space.

5. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the sound output element is a speaker and the visual indicator element is a light-emitting diode.

6. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the reminder module activates an audio prompt at a preset medication time and simultaneously activates a visual indicator element corresponding to the medication storage space.

7. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the visual indicator element maintains an alert state when the sensing module does not detect that the medication has been removed within a preset time interval.

8. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 1, further comprising a display module disposed on the outside of the pillbox body and electrically connected to the microcontroller for displaying the current time or system status.

9. The Bluetooth smart reminder pillbox as described in claim 8, wherein the display module is a seven-segment display module.

10. The Bluetooth smart pillbox as described in claim 1, wherein the medication schedule data is transmitted from an external mobile device via the wireless communication module and stored in the microcontroller.

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