IP Library Granted Patent US 11,021,306
Granted Patent B2
US 11,021,306 · App. 16/847,033 · Granted Jun 1, 2021

Enhanced product packaging

Inventors: Dennis Michael McNannay (Beaverton, OR); Dewey Nigma, Jr. (Beaverton, OR); William Carroll (Beaverton, OR); Steven D. Baker (Beaverton, OR)
Assignee: CURADITE, INC.
B65D75/367H04B5/0062H04W4/80H05K1/0269H05K1/18B65D2203/10H05K2201/09918H05K2201/10098H05K2201/10151
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,021,306
App. No.
16/847,033
Granted
Jun 1, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A packaging system comprises: a package forming a set of discrete compartments; and a film portion interfacing with the package. The film portion includes a set of one or more electrically conductive traces in which each electrically conductive trace is associated with a respective compartment of the set of discrete compartments. Each electrically conductive trace of the set of electrically conductive traces forms a respective circuit loop that has a terminal end that terminates within an interface region of the film portion to collectively form a termination pattern. At least one of the package or the film portion have two or more alignment ports defined therein that are arranged according to an alignment pattern, each alignment port passing through at least one of the package or film portion.

Claims (46)

1. A packaging system, comprising:

a communication module, including:

a module body; and

electronic components mounted to the module body, the electronic components including:

a module-side set of electrical contacts arranged in a contact pattern configured to interface with a second set of electrical contacts of a sensor-based accessory;

a wireless transmitter, and

a logic subsystem programmed with instructions executable by the logic subsystem to:

receive an identifier of an electronic component of the accessory;

retrieve a pin-out profile for the second set of electrical contacts of the accessory based on the identifier;

associate each electrical contact of the second set of electrical contacts with a corresponding function identifier of a sensor of the accessory based on the pin-out profile;

measure a state of the accessory, via the module-side set of electrical contacts interfacing with the second set of electrical contacts of the accessory, based on an electrical property of one or more of the second set of electrical contacts for one or more of the function identifiers; and

transmit wireless communications indicating the state to a remote computing system via the wireless transmitter.

2. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory is removable from the communication module.

3. The packaging system of claim 2 , wherein the module body has two or more alignment posts arranged according to an alignment pattern in which each alignment post passes through an alignment port formed in an accessory body of the accessory.

4. The packaging system of claim 3 , wherein the module body is formed from a first body portion and a second body portion; and

wherein the two or more alignment posts are formed on the first body portion, pass through the two or more alignment ports, and are secured to the second body portion.

5. The packaging system of claim 3 , wherein the two or more alignment posts are located on opposite sides of the module-side set of electrical contacts.

6. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the state of the accessory includes a compartment-breach state of each compartment of a set of discrete compartments of the accessory.

7. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the state of the accessory includes a temperature state, an air temperature state, a humidity state, a light state, a battery state, a blood-pressure state, or a filter state.

8. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the logic subsystem is further programmed to:

transmit wireless communications indicating the identifier to the remote computing system via the wireless transmitter.

9. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the pin-out profile is retrieved from the remote computing system.

10. The packaging system of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is received via the module-side set of electrical contacts or at a wireless receiver of the communication module via a near-field wireless link.

11. The packaging system of claim 1 , further comprising the accessory.

12. A mobile computing system, comprising:

a logic subsystem; and

a data storage subsystem having instructions stored thereon executable by the logic subsystem to:

receive an identifier of an electronic component of a sensor-based accessory;

retrieve a pin-out profile for a set of electrical contacts of the accessory based on the identifier;

associate each electrical contact of the set of electrical contacts with a corresponding function identifier of a sensor of the accessory based on the pin-out profile;

measure a state of the accessory based on an electrical property of one or more of the set of electrical contacts for one or more of the function identifiers; and

transmit wireless communications indicating the state to a remote computing system via a wireless transmitter.

13. The mobile computing system of claim 12 , wherein the accessory is removable from the mobile computing system.

14. The mobile computing system of claim 13 , wherein the mobile computing system has two or more alignment posts arranged according to an alignment pattern in which each alignment post passes through an alignment port formed in an accessory body of the accessory.

15. The mobile computing system of claim 12 , wherein the state of the accessory includes a compartment-breach state of each compartment of a set of discrete compartments of the accessory.

16. The mobile computing system of claim 12 , wherein the state of the accessory includes a temperature state, an air temperature state, a humidity state, a light state, a battery state, a blood-pressure state, or a filter state.

17. The mobile computing system of claim 12 , wherein the logic subsystem is further programmed to:

transmit wireless communications indicating the identifier to the remote computing system via the wireless transmitter.

18. The mobile computing system of claim 12 , wherein the pin-out profile is retrieved from the remote computing system.

19. The mobile computing system of claim 12 , wherein the identifier is received via the set of electrical contacts or at a wireless receiver via a near-field wireless link.

20. A method performed by a mobile computing system, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier of an electronic component of a sensor-based accessory;

retrieving a pin-out profile for a set of electrical contacts of the accessory based on the identifier;

associating each electrical contact of the set of electrical contacts with a corresponding function identifier of a sensor of the accessory based on the pin-out profile;

measuring a state of the accessory based on an electrical property of one or more of the set of electrical contacts for one or more of the function identifiers; and

transmitting wireless communications indicating the state to a remote computing system via a wireless transmitter.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2026
From: MCNANNAY, JODY
To: SENTIENT PACKAGING
Reel/Frame 075756/0720 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2025
From: CURADITE, INC.
To: MCNANNAY, JODY
Reel/Frame 070953/0067 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2020
From: MCNANNAY, DENNIS MICHAEL; NIGMA, DEWEY, JR.; BAKER, STEVEN D.; CARROLL, WILLIAM
To: CURADITE, INC.
Reel/Frame 052380/0813 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16515976 · Jul 18, 2019
Provisional Application 62700139 · Jul 18, 2018
Related Publication 20200361685A1 · Nov 19, 2020