Dispenser with means for alerting a user

A pill dispenser with means is provided for alerting a user when medication must be taken. The dispenser includes a housing having a top face with at least one compartment formed therein and a lid having a first orientation for allowing access to the corresponding compartment and a second orientation for precluding access thereto. A real time clock is situated within the interior space of the housing for tracking a present time. Memory is included for storing a plurality of medication time. Further provided is a selector mechanism including a plurality of buttons for allowing the entering and storage of a plurality of medication times within the memory by a user. A plurality of alarm mechanisms are included and adapted to alert a user upon the actuatin thereof. Finally, a control mechanism is included for actuating at least one selected alarm mechanism upon the matching of the present time and at least one of the medication times within the memory.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a pill dispenser with means for alerting a 
user and more particularly pertains to reminding a user when medication 
must be taken and further preventing unauthorized access to such 
medication. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of pill dispensers is known in the prior art. More specifically, 
pill dispensers heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of 
dispensing various medications are known to consist basically of familiar, 
expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad 
of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed 
for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,453; U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,200,891; U.S. Pat. Des. No. 279,551; U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,024; 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,514; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,875. 
In this respect, the pill dispenser with means for alerting a user 
according to the present invention substantially departs from the 
conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing 
provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of reminding a 
user when medication must be taken and further preventing unauthorized 
access to such medication. 
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a 
new and improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user which can 
be used for reminding a user when medication must be taken and further 
preventing unauthorized access to such medication. In this regard, the 
present invention substantially fulfills this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of pill 
dispensers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an 
improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user. As such, the 
general purpose of the present invention, which will be described 
subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved pill 
dispenser with means for alerting a user which has all the advantages of 
the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a housing 
having a top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween 
defining an interior space. The top face has a plurality of compartments 
formed therein. Each of the compartments is equipped with a lid hingably 
coupled adjacent thereto. As such, each lid is adapted for pivoting 
between a raised orientation for allowing access to the corresponding 
compartment and a lowered orientation for precluding access thereto. To 
selectively preclude access to the compartments, a plurality of solenoids 
are each situated within the housing adjacent to an associated one of the 
compartments. In use, the solenoids serve to maintain the lid in the 
lowered orientation thereof upon actuation and further allow the lid to be 
pivoted to a raised orientation upon the deactuation thereof. Next 
provided is a real time clock situated within an interior space of the 
housing for tracking a present time. For a purpose that will become 
apparent hereinafter, a display is situated on the top face of the housing 
to depict a plurality of alphanumeric characters. Also situated on the top 
face of the housing is a matrix of push buttons for entering a code 
sequence upon the sequential depression thereof. Also included is a 
plurality of alarm means. Such alarm means includes a buzzer situated on 
the top face of the housing for emitting an audio signal upon actuation. 
Associated therewith is a light situated on the top face of the housing 
for illuminating upon actuation. For vibrating the housing upon actuation, 
a vibrator means is situated within the interior space of the housing. To 
accomplish such a task, the vibration means preferably includes a motor is 
a disk-shaped weight eccentrically coupled to a rotor thereof. Lastly, a 
transmitter is situated within the interior space of the housing. During 
operation, the transmitter is adapted to transmit via free space an 
activation signal upon actuation. As shown in FIG. 6, memory means is 
situated within the interior space of the housing. The memory means 
functions to store a plurality of medication times and a plurality of box 
codes associated therewith. To allow a user to the enter and store a 
plurality of medication times within the memory means, a selector means is 
provided. It should be noted that the selector means further allows the 
storage of a box code with each medication time. As shown in FIGS. 3 & 4, 
the selector means includes a plurality of buttons. During operation, the 
display functions to facilitate the entering of the medication times and 
box codes. Control means is situated within the housing and connected to 
the solenoids, clock, display, push buttons, buzzer, light, vibrator 
means, transmitter, memory means, and selector means. In use, the control 
means has a plurality of modes governed by a selector dial. In each mode, 
the control means is adapted to actuate one of the alarm means upon the 
matching of the present time and at least one of the medication times 
within the memory means. For example, the control means has a first mode 
of operation wherein the buzzer is actuated, a second mode of operation 
wherein the light is actuated, a third mode of operation wherein the 
vibrator is actuated, and a fourth mode of operation wherein the 
transmitter is actuated. The control means is further adapted to effect 
the continuous actuation of the solenoids except upon the matching of the 
present time and at least one of the medication times and the receipt of a 
proper code sequence. When such criterion is met, the only solenoid that 
is deactuated is that associated with the compartment which corresponds to 
the box code that accompanies the medication set time that matches the 
present time. Finally, a portable receiver is provided having a speaker 
connected thereto for transmitting an audio signal upon the receipt of the 
activation signal via free space. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user which has all the 
advantages of the prior art pill dispensers and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
pill dispenser with means for alerting a user which may be easily and 
efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user which is of a 
durable and reliable construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user which is 
susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and 
labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to 
the consuming public, thereby making such pill dispenser with means for 
alerting a user economically available to the buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user which provides in 
the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages 
thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages 
normally associated therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to remind a user when 
medication must be taken and further prevent unauthorized access to such 
medication. 
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user when medication 
must be taken. The dispenser includes a housing having a top face with at 
least one compartment formed therein and a lid having a first orientation 
for allowing access to the corresponding compartment and a second 
orientation for precluding access thereto. A real time clock is situated 
within the interior space of the housing for tracking a present time. 
Memory is included for storing a plurality of medication time. Further 
provided is a selector mechanism including a plurality of buttons for 
allowing the entering and storage of a plurality of medication times 
within the memory by a user. A plurality of alarm mechanisms are included 
and adapted to alert a user upon the actuation thereof. Finally, a control 
mechanism is included for actuating at least one selected alarm mechanism 
upon the matching of the present time and at least one of the medication 
times within the memory. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several 
views of the drawings. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, a 
new and improved pill dispenser with means for alerting a user embodying 
the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally 
designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described. 
The present invention, the new and improved pill dispenser with means for 
alerting a user, is comprised of a plurality of components. Such 
components in their broadest context include a housing, a plurality of 
compartments, a plurality of alarm means, & control means. Such components 
are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so 
as to attain the desired objective. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the system 10 of the present 
invention includes a housing 12 having a top face, a bottom face, and a 
periphery formed therebetween defining an interior space. The top face has 
at least one compartment 14 formed therein. Each of the compartments is 
equipped with a lid 16 hingably coupled adjacent thereto. As such, each 
lid is adapted for pivoting between a raised orientation for allowing 
access to the corresponding compartment and a lowered orientation for 
precluding access thereto. Ideally, each lid is equipped with a arcuate 
double lip 17 or the like for precluding the lid from being pried open. 
See FIG. 1. 
Options which may be incorporated with the housing include a compartment 18 
for an inhaler. Further, various mounting mechanisms such as a pile 
fastener 19 may be employed to mount the housing in various locations. As 
yet a further option, the housing may be formed from a transparent 
material for allowing a medication summary log sheet situated therein to 
be viewed from an exterior of the housing. 
As shown in FIGS. 1-4, various housing types may be utilized for various 
purposes. FIGS. 1 & 2 depict a housing with a single large compartment 20 
adapted to contain a plethora of pills. FIG. 3 depicts an alternate 
embodiment of the housing which has a plurality of linearly aligned 
compartments 22 each having a day indicia printed thereon. As an option, 
the indicia may be supplemented with braille lettering. Such embodiment is 
ideal for use with mediation that must be taken during the course of a 
week. Finally, yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, includes a 
plurality of compartments 26 with an annular configuration and a day 
indicia printed thereon. This embodiment is adapted for dispensing pills 
or medication on a monthly basis, such as birth control pills. 
To selectively preclude access to the compartments, a plurality of 
solenoids 30 are each situated within the housing adjacent to an 
associated one of the compartments. In use, the solenoids serve to 
maintain the lid in the lowered orientation upon actuation and further 
allow the lid to be pivoted to a raised orientation upon deactuation. To 
accomplish the foregoing function each lid preferably has a closed loop 32 
formed on a bottom thereof through which a transducer of the solenoid may 
pass. 
Next provided is a real time clock 34 situated within the interior space of 
the housing for tracking a present time. It should be noted that in the 
present description, a present time may include a day and a week. For a 
purpose that will become apparent hereinafter, a display 36 is situated on 
the top face of the housing to depict a plurality of alphanumeric 
characters. Also situated on the top face of the housing is a matrix of 
numeric push buttons 40 for entering a code sequence, or PIN, upon the 
sequential depression thereof. 
Also included is a plurality of alarm means. Such alarm means includes a 
buzzer 42 situated on the top face of the housing for emitting an audio 
signal upon actuation. Associated therewith is a light 44 situated on the 
top face of the housing for illuminating upon actuation. For vibrating the 
housing, a vibrator means 46 is situated within the interior space of the 
housing. To accomplish such a task, the vibration means preferably 
includes a motor with a disk-shaped weight eccentrically coupled to a 
rotor thereof. Lastly, a transmitter 48 is situated within the interior 
space of the housing. During operation, the transmitter is adapted to 
transmit via free space an activation signal upon actuation. 
As shown in FIG. 6, random access memory means 50 is situated within the 
interior space of the housing. The memory means functions to store a 
plurality of medication times and a plurality of box codes associated 
therewith. A proper code sequence, or PIN, is also stored in the memory 
means. To allow a user to the enter and store a plurality of medication 
times within the memory means, a selector means 52 is provided. It should 
be noted that the selector means further allows the storage of a box code 
with each medication time. To accomplish this, a plurality of buttons 54 
including a hour button, day button, set button, an enter button, and a 
PIN button are provided. During operation, the display functions to 
facilitate the entry of the medication times and box codes. It should be 
noted taut the various forgoing buttons may also be utilized to change the 
PIN and the present time. Such operation is similar to that employed in 
the art of clock radios. 
The method associated with the entry and editing of the medication times 
and proper code sequence is shown in FIG. 5. As shown, when editing the 
medication times, the user is given the choice of removing or adding 
entries. When adding entries in the form of a mediation time and box code, 
the solenoid of the compartment associated with the box code is 
temporarily deactuated for filling of the compartment with pills. When 
editing the PIN, the selector means requires that the previous PIN be 
entered. As an option, the selector means may further require the entry of 
the PIN when adding and removing the medication times. 
Control means 56 is situated within the housing and connected to the 
solenoids, clock, display, push buttons, buzzer, light, vibrator means, 
transmitter, memory means, and selector means. The control means is 
further connected to at least one battery 58 which has a low power 
detection means 60 associated therewith for reliable powering purposes. To 
alert a user of a low power condition, a light emitting diode 61 is 
provided. A push and lock power switch 62 is also included. Such switch 
prevents the inadvertent deactuation of the device. It should be 
understood that when the present invention is powered down, all functions 
except those associated with the selector means are still implemented. The 
method of which the control means governs the operation of the forgoing 
components is shown in FIG. 8. 
In use, the control means has a plurality of modes governed by a selector 
dial. In each mode, the control means is adapted to actuate one of the 
alarm means upon the matching of the present time and at least one of the 
medication times within the memory means. For example, the control means 
has a first mode of operation wherein the buzzer is actuated, a second 
mode of operation wherein the light is actuated, a third mode of operation 
wherein the vibrator is actuated, and a fourth mode of operation wherein 
the transmitter is actuated. 
The control means is further adapted to effect the continuous actuation of 
the solenoids except upon the matching of the present time and at least 
one of the medication times and the receipt of a proper code sequence. 
When such criterion is met, the only solenoid that is deactuated is that 
associated with the compartment which corresponds to the box code. It 
should be noted that such box code accompanies the medication set time 
that matches the present time. As shown in FIG. 8, the control means is 
adapted to require the depression of a discreetly positioned reset button 
upon the entry of at least three improper code sequences. 
Finally, a portable receiver 70 is provided having a speaker 72 connected 
thereto for transmitting an audio signal upon the receipt of the 
activation signal via free space. The receiver thus serves to alert a user 
distanced from the housing that it is time to take medication. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further 
discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.