Apparatus and Method for Determination of Medication Location

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program stored on a non-volatile computer readable storage medium for confirming a pill in the mouth of a user. The computer program causing a general purpose computer to perform the steps of capturing one or more images of a user by an image capture device, confirming the position of the face of the user within the captured image by measuring a size of the face, and setting a predetermined portion of the face of the user to be a region of interest. An open mouth of the user is confirmed within the region of interest, and the open mouth of the user is classified as one of a mouth with a pill therein and a mouth without a pill therein.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for confirming a pill in the mouth of a user, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the mouth of the user is open; and   classifying the open mouth of the user as one of a mouth with a pill therein and a mouth without a pill therein.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of confirming proper positioning of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of guiding the user to properly position their mouth, if it is determined that the proper positioning of the mouth of the user cannot be confirmed. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of confirming proper positioning of the mouth of the user is performed in accordance with measuring the size of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of confirming proper positioning of the face of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of guiding the user to properly position their face, if it is determined that the proper positioning of the face of the user cannot be confirmed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of confirming proper positioning of the face of the user is performed in accordance with measuring the size of the face of the user. 
     
     
         8 . A system for confirming a pill in the mouth of a user, comprising:
 an image acquisition device for acquiring an image of a user; and   a processor for determining whether the mouth of the user is open, and for classifying the mouth of the user as one of a mouth with a pill therein and a mouth without a pill therein.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor further confirms proper positioning of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a display for displaying one or more images:
 wherein the processor causes to be displayed on the display guidance to the user to properly position their mouth, if it is determined that the proper positioning of the mouth of the user cannot be confirmed.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the processor confirms proper positioning of the mouth of the user in accordance with measuring the size of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor further confirms proper positioning of the the of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a display for displaying one or more images:
 wherein the processor causes to be displayed on the display guidance to the user to properly position their face, if it is determined that the proper positioning of the face of the user cannot be confirmed.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the processor confirms proper positioning of the face of the user in accordance with measuring the size of the face of the user. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program stored on a non-volatile computer readable storage medium, the computer program causing a general purpose computer to perform the steps of:
 capturing one or more images of a user by an image capture device;   confirming the position of the face of the user within the captured image by measuring a size of the face;   setting a predetermined portion of the face of the user to be a region of interest;   confirming an open mouth of the user within the region of interest; and   classifying the open mouth of the user as one of a mouth with a pill therein and a mouth without a pill therein.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of guiding the user to properly position their mouth if it is determined that the proper positioning of the open mouth of the user within the region of interest cannot be confirmed. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program of  claim 16 , wherein the step of confirming proper positioning of the open mouth of the user within the region of interest is performed in accordance with measuring the size of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of guiding the user to properly position their face, if it is determined that the proper positioning of the face of the user cannot be confirmed. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of tracking the pill in the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of identifying the tracked pill in the mouth of the user.