The following relates generally to the field of intelligent medical treatment and healthcare using Internet of Things, in particular to an intelligent medicine box with timing, prompting and medicine-taken monitoring functions and dynamically connectable and detachable sub-medicine boxes.
So far, a well-known electronic medicine box has a limited number of undetachable medicine bins, however different medicines and medicine-taking time might require more or fewer medicine bins inside the box when a user uses the medicine box. The user has to take out the entire medicine box even they don't need all the medicine bins for their medicines; or in some cases, the user may buy another medicine box if the medicine bins are unmatched with their needs. Both caused inconvenience for users.
Some conventional medicine boxes however are connectable and are detachable into several sub-medicine boxes, they have no functions such as timing, prompting, medicine-taken monitoring that electronic medicine boxes have, and this also caused inconvenience for users. The following aims to provide an intelligent extension medicine box system that is freely connectable and detachable.
An aspect relates to an intelligent extension medicine box system including a main control box and more than one sub-medicine box. A main controller is arranged in the main control box, wherein a main connector is arranged on one side of the main control box, and the main controller is connected with the main connector. The sub-medicine box includes of a box body and a box cover, wherein the inner part of the box body is divided into a medicine storage chamber and a sub-control chamber from top to bottom. A medicine bin with an inverted semi-conical bottom is arranged in the medicine storage chamber, wherein a medicine box light-emitting device and a detection device are arranged on the bottom of the medicine bin, and the detection device is used for detecting the medicine state in the medicine bin. A left connector and a right connector are arranged at the two sides of the sub-control chamber, wherein the left connector can be connected to the main control box or the right connectors of other sub-medicine boxes through the main connector. A sub-controller is arranged in the sub-control chamber, and can control the detection device and the medicine box light-emitting device and transmit information of the detection device that analyzed to the main controller as connected with the main connector through the sub-connector.
The main controller is integrated with a central control chip, a radio transmitter, a clock chip, and a connection detector. A sound maker, a vibrator, a control box light-emitting device, and a position balance sensor are arranged in the main control box. Control keys are arranged on the upper surface of the main control box;
The radio transmitter, the clock chip, the connection detector, the control keys, the sound maker, the vibrator, the control box light-emitting device, and the position balance sensor are connected with the central control chip.
The sub-controller is integrated with the sub-control chip and the sub-connection detector; the sub-control chip is directly or indirectly connected with the central controller of the main control box and receives the instruction from the central controller later, the sub-control chip can analyze information of the detection device and transmit to the central controller and also can control the medicine box light-emitting device on the bottom of the medicine bin; the sub-connection detector is used for detecting whether other sub-medicine boxes are connected with it or not, and detection information of the sub-connection detector is transmitted to the central controller through the sub-control chip after analyzed.
The right connector of each sub-medicine box has a switch for controlling a power source connected to the sub-medicine box on its right side. When the main control box is connected with several sub-medicine boxes, the sub-controller of the first sub-medicine box connected with the main control box applies to the central control chip for a unique marker that is used for marking the first sub-medicine box. After getting the address, the first sub-medicine box turns on the switch of its right connector, and the right connector is connected with the left connector of the second sub-medicine box. After powered on, the second sub-medicine box applies to the main controller for the address, and its right connector's switch is turned on after receiving the address. Switches of the other sub-medicine boxes are turned on similarly. In this way, the other sub-medicine boxes can only apply for the addresses after the former sub-medicine box is distributed with the address, and logic of the sub-medicine boxes is guaranteed to be consistent with physical connection orders.
The detection device is an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver or a pressure sensor; the infrared transmitter is mounted on the bottom of the medicine bin, and the infrared receiver is mounted on the top of the corresponding medicine bin or under the box cover, or vice versa; the pressure sensor is arranged on the bottom of the medicine bin.
The intelligent terminal is provided with a management system, and the management system comprises a wireless connection module, a user interface module, a medicine type database, a medicine box information synchronizing module, a medicine-taking reminding module and a medicine-taking state recording module;
The user interface module is used for inputting and outputting interface and displaying. Medicine-taking type and time could be input and selected through the touch screen of the intelligent terminal, and the sub-medicine boxes are filled with specified medicine as instructed by the intelligent terminal through graphic interface;
The wireless connection module could be a 2.4G wireless module or a Bluetooth module of the intelligent terminal, and the Bluetooth module could use the low-consumption 4th generation technology.
The medicine bins are made of transparent or semi-transparent materials, the box body of the sub-medicine box is made of opaque materials, and the box cover is made of transparent or semi-transparent materials.
The medicine box light-emitting device is a light-emitting diode.
The intelligent extension medicine box system has the advantages that: the intelligent extension medicine box allows a user to assemble or disassemble the sub-medicine boxes according to needs. For each sub-medicine box has the same structure and the function, the user only needs a main control box and buys a certain number of sub-medicine boxes. In doing so, the user can feel convenient. The medicine box detects the medicine state inside in real time and information can be transmitted to the intelligent terminal. The intelligent terminal informs the user of medicine taking time and type in time through setting. With simple operation, the medicine box is applicable to all groups of people and helps medical specialist to monitor patients' medicine taking process and improve their therapy.
Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and the embodiments.
The central controller 101 is integrated with a central control chip 102, a radio transmitter 103, a clock chip 104, and a connection detector 105.
The radio transmitter 103 is used for connecting the medicine box with the intelligent terminal like the smart cellphone through wireless data transmission.
The connection detector 105 is used for detecting whether the sub-medicine boxes are connected with the medicine box or not.
The sound maker 106, in the form of a sound-making buzzer, is used for making sound to remind users of taking medicine at a specified time or to remind users as wireless connection is off.
The vibrator 107 is used for reminding users of taking medicine at a preset time or prompting when wireless connection is disconnected through vibration.
The position balance sensor 108 is used for sensing whether the medicine box is leveled or not and transmitting to the controller in the medicine box, so as to check medicine and usage.
The control box light-emitting device 109, in the form of a light emitting diode, is used for indicating connection and disconnection states of wireless connection and prompting users of low battery or replacement or charging the battery.
The control keys 110 are mounted on the upper surface of the main control box 100 and connected with the central controller 101, and are input devices used for confirming wireless connection and cancelling specified confirmation of users at the specified time.
The connector 111 is mounted on the right side of the main control box 100 and connected with the central controller 101. It sets up connection with the left connector, and serves as a device for fixing connection between the main control box and the sub-medicine boxes, an accessory helping the central controller detect the connection state of the sub-medicine boxes, and a bridge linking data communication between the central controller and the sub-controllers of the sub-medicine boxes.
The sub-controller 121 is integrated with a sub-control chip 122 and a sub-connection detector 123. The sub-control chip 122 is directly or indirectly connected with the central controller 101 of the main control box through the left connector and then receives the instruction from the central controller 101. The sub-control chip 122 transmits information from the detection device 124 to the central controller 101 after analyzing it, and controls the medicine box light-emitting devices 125 at the bottom of the medicine bins. The sub-connection detector 123 is used for detecting whether the other sub-medicine boxes are connected with it or not. The sub-control chip 122 can transmit the detection information of the sub-connection detector 123 to the central controller 101 after analyzing it.
Each medicine bin 131 has an inverted semi-conical bottom, so as to ensure that medicine in the medicine bin will firstly fill up the bottom area due to gravity and there is enough space in the medicine bin for storing different medicines that common users take each time when the medicine box is horizontally arranged. Each medicine bin 131 is made of materials that are semi-transparent and hygienic, so that the medicine inside can be poured into a hand and taken directly.
The detection device 124 is arranged at the bottom of the medicine storage chamber 130 and used for detecting the medicine state in the medicine bins 131. The detection device can be an infrared sensor, or a pressure sensor.
The medicine box light-emitting device 125 is arranged in the sub-control chamber 120 and near the bottom of the medicine bins 131, generally in the form of the light-emitting diode, and is used for prompting users of refilling or taking medicine into the specific medicine bin. The medicine bins are made of transparent or semi-transparent plastic, the box body of the sub-medicine boxes is made of opaque materials, and the box covers are made of transparent or semi-transparent materials, so that the users can easily see the light-emitting diode through the medicine bins.
The left connectors 126 are arranged on the left sides of the sub-medicine boxes and are directly connected with the main control box or indirectly connected with the main control box through the right connectors 127 of the sub-medicine boxes connected with the main control box.
The right connectors 127 are arranged on the right sides of the sub-medicine boxes and are connected with the left connectors 26 of the other sub-medicine boxes, as the bridge linking the other sub-medicine boxes with the main control box. The sub-controller 121 controls the power source of the sub-medicine box on the right side through the right connectors 127. The sub-controller 121 detects whether or not there are sub-medicine boxes connected on its right side through the right connectors 127.
As the sub-medicine boxes are connected to the main control box one by one, each sub-medicine box can communicate with the main control box one by one through a wired data transmission protocol according to the connection sequence. Therefore, the main control box can acquire the number and the sequence of the sub-medicine boxes connected, so as to communicate the medicine box and the specific sub-medicine box precisely. The specific embodiment is described as follows.
In order to make sure normal operation of the integral intelligent extension medicine box system, the main control box and each sub-medicine box can detect whether or not there is a sub-medicine box connected on their right sides, so as to decide whether to disassemble the sub-medicine boxes. The specific embodiment includes:
The intelligent extension medicine box system can handle the case that one or several sub-medicine boxes are accidentally detached.
Each medicine bin in the sub-medicine boxes has an inverted semi-conical bottom, so as to make sure that medicine first covers the bottom center area when the medicine box is horizontally set, and to improve accuracy of the subsequent medicine monitoring. The detailed embodiment is:
The main control box and the sub-medicine boxes are powered by two batteries, and can work for more than three months.
The intelligent terminal is provided with a management system. The management system comprises a wireless connection module, a user interface module, a medicine type database, a medicine box information synchronizing module, a medicine-taking reminding module and a medicine-taking state recording module, wherein the wireless connection module is used for searching the main control box of the designated intelligent extension medicine box system and is connected with the radio transmitter on the main controller through radio signals; the user interface module is used for inputting and outputting interface and displaying. Medicine-taking type and time could be input and selected through the touch screen of the intelligent terminal, and the sub-medicine boxes are filled with specified medicine as instructed by the intelligent terminal through graphic interface; the medicine type database is preset for option, and can be updated through the application server and store new medicine as required by users; the medicine box information synchronizing module is used for recording medicines in the medicine bins of the sub-medicine boxes, synchronizing monitoring records of the medicine state in the medicine bins, and reminding users of refilling the medicine according to settings; the medicine-taking reminding module is used for reminding users according to preset medicine-taking time, displaying the specified sub-medicine boxes where to-be-taken medicine is located through graphs, transmitting information to the intelligent extension medicine box system, and showing users the specified medicine bin through the medicine box light-emitting device of the sub-medicine box; the medicine-taking state recording module is used for recording medicine-taking time and other information and transmitting the records to the assigned address through the wireless connection module.
The intelligent medicine box and the intelligent terminal transmit data through wireless connection to download the medicine taking time preset by the intelligent terminal to the medicine box. Information about medicine and usage in the medicine bins of the medicine box can be uploaded to the intelligent terminal for analysis.
The intelligent terminal is preset with application programs controlling the intelligent medicine box. Firstly, the application programs of the intelligent terminal start searching the designed intelligent medicine box wirelessly such as Bluetooth, and sets up connection and binding. Secondly, the application programs of the smart cellphone starts settings of the medicine box, including medicine selection, medication, refilling of the medicine box and confirmation, setting of medication time, and confirmation download of medication time to the intelligent medicine box control chip. After setting, the users can determine which medicine box to be bound with the cellphone, and when going out, the users have to carry the cellphone and the medicine box together so as to avoid forgetting to take medicine and loss. The users can easily bind their cellphones with the medicine box, this generally helps the third party to set for the patients who completely depends on the prompting function of the intelligent medicine box. The volume of the intelligent medicine box can be adjusted according to actual needs (three days, a week or longer).
After setting, operation can be:
The intelligent terminal can sufficiently use the Internet service to have additional functions, such as:
Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.
For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of ‘a’ or ‘an’ throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and ‘comprising’ does not exclude other steps or elements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201410033471.2 | Jan 2014 | CN | national |
This application claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/CN2015/071011, having a filing date of Jan. 19, 2015, based off of Chinese Application No. 201410033471.2, having a filing date of Jan. 24, 2014 the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2015/071011 | 1/19/2015 | WO | 00 |