Determining use of medication through radio frequency passive modulation

Abstract

An RF signal is provided by a base such as a smart phone. A remote is engaged with a medication container. The remote includes an RFPM, RF signal receiver, LO signal generator, and IF signal emitter. An energizer on the remote provides power only as medication is dispensed. While energized, the RFPM modulates the RF signal with an LO signal to produce an IF signal. The existence of the IF signal (characteristic of the RFPM, RF signal, and LO signal) thus indicates medication has been dispensed. The IF signal is detected in the base, and registered (recorded, displayed, communicated, etc.) as an indication that medication has been dispensed. The remote may be configured as a label applied to or a sleeve engaged with an otherwise “non-smart” container. This provides authenticated data regarding medication adherence, transparent to the user and requiring no additional user actions to register the data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a remote adapted to be engaged with a container, said remote comprising:
 a radio frequency passive modulator adapted to apply a frequency modification to an RF signal by frequency mixing an LO signal therewith so as to produce an IF signal characteristic of said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF signal, and said LO signal; 
 an RF receiver adapted to wirelessly receive said RF signal and provide said RF signal to an RF port of said radio frequency passive modulator; 
 an LO generator adapted to generate an LO signal and provide said LO signal to an LO port of said radio frequency passive modulator; 
 an IF emitter adapted to receive said IF signal from an IF port of said radio frequency passive modulator and wirelessly emit said IF signal; 
 an initiator adapted to be initiated by an action associated with dispensing a contents from said container; and 
 an energizer engaged with said initiator and in communication with said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF receiver, said LO generator, and said IF emitter such that when said initiator is initiated said energizer energizes said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF receiver, said LO generator, and said IF emitter. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said RF signal comprises an ambient signal.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said RF signal comprises a dedicated signal.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said container is a medication container, and said contents comprises a medication.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said remote comprises at least one control gate, said control gate comprising a negative state and a positive state;   wherein:   when said control gate is in said negative state said control gate inhibits said energizer from energizing at least one of said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF receiver, said LO generator, and said IF emitter; and   when said control gate is in said positive state said control gate does not inhibit said energizer.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said control gate comprises a cap sensor for a cap for said container, such that when said cap is engaged with said container said control gate is in a negative state, and when said cap is not engaged with said container said control gate is in a positive state.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein:
 said control gate comprises a short circuit within said cap, such that if said cap is engaged with said container said short circuit bypasses said energizer from energizing said at least one of said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF receiver, said LO generator, and said IF emitter, and if said cap is not engaged with said container said short circuit does not bypass said energizer.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said remote is integral to said container.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF receiver, said LO generator, and said IF emitter are disposed in at least one of:   a wall of said container;   a membrane fixedly adhered to said container; and   a sleeve of said remote adapted to removably accept said container therein.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said remote is adapted to be fixedly engaged with said container.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said remote is adapted to be removably engaged with said container.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said initiator comprises at least one of:
 a flexible region defined adapted to be deformed by a user squeezing said container so as to dispense said contents therefrom;   a rotary cap for said container adapted to be rotated by said user so as to open said container;   a movable cap for said container adapted to be moved by said user so as to open said container;   a frangible element adapted to be broken by said user so as to open said container;   an optical window adapted to pass light therethrough; and   an RF window adapted to pass radio frequency waves therethrough.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a base, comprising:
 a processor adapted to execute executable instructions; 
 an RF assembly, comprising at least one of:
 an RF generator adapted to generate an RF signal for a radio frequency passive modulator therein and an RF emitter adapted to receive said RF signal from said RF generator and wirelessly emit said RF signal; and 
 an RF receiver adapted to wirelessly receive said RF signal; 
 
 an IF receiver adapted to wirelessly receive an IF signal from said radio frequency passive modulator characteristic of said radio frequency passive modulator, said RF signal, and said LO signal and to provide said IF signal to said processor; 
 a registerer comprising at least one of:
 a data store in communication with said processor; 
 a communicator in communication with said processor; and 
 an outputter in communication with said processor; 
 
 a clock in communication with said processor; and 
 a base electrical supply adapted to energize said processor, said RF assembly, said IF receiver, said registerer, and said clock; 
   wherein:   said processor is adapted to compare said IF signal to an IF signal standard;   said processor is adapted to register via said registerer an event associated with said radio frequency passive modulator if said IF signal satisfies said IF standard;   
       said registering comprising at least one of:
 storing a presence of said contextual event and a time of said contextual event in said data store; 
 communicating said presence of said contextual event and said time of said contextual event to an external entity via said communicator; and 
 outputting said presence of said contextual event and said time of said contextual event via said outputter. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said RF signal comprises an ambient signal.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said RF signal comprises an electromagnetic wave from at least one of: mains electricity, transmission electricity, data line emissions, fluorescent lighting, broadcast radio, broadcast television, cellular communication, Wi-Fi®, BLUETOOTH®, and astronomical radio waves.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said IF signal standard comprises said RF signal, said LO signal, and at least one frequency mixing parameter for said radio frequency passive modulator.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said IF signal standard is at least one of:
 instantiated on said processor; 
 stored in said data store; and 
 obtained via said communicator. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said IF signal standard addresses a plurality of IF signals characteristic with a respective plurality of RF signals.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said base comprises a user interface.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said base comprises a portable electronic device.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said base comprises at least one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a game console, a smart watch, a Personal Data Assistant, and a head mounted display.