WO2008058817A1 - Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur - Google Patents

Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2008058817A1
WO2008058817A1 PCT/EP2007/060752 EP2007060752W WO2008058817A1 WO 2008058817 A1 WO2008058817 A1 WO 2008058817A1 EP 2007060752 W EP2007060752 W EP 2007060752W WO 2008058817 A1 WO2008058817 A1 WO 2008058817A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
consumer
monitoring
activation
recording
motion sensor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2007/060752
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Scott James Grubb
Therese Louise Jones
David Martin Pooley
Richard Leslie Wright
Original Assignee
Unilever Plc
Unilever N.V.
Hindustan Unilever Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Unilever Plc, Unilever N.V., Hindustan Unilever Limited filed Critical Unilever Plc
Priority to EP07821120A priority Critical patent/EP2082367A1/fr
Publication of WO2008058817A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008058817A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to monitoring and recording the usage of consumer articles, particularly personal care articles, by a consumer during e.g. a consumer trial.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for accurately monitoring an subject's usage of a product in an unconstrained environment.
  • the invention provides a consumer article comprising a monitoring device for monitoring and recording consumer usage of the article, the monitoring device comprising:
  • a secondary activation device by which the device can be activated and/or deactivated remotely.
  • the invention provides a method of monitoring and recording consumer usage of a consumer article according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the steps
  • the invention provides a monitoring device for monitoring and recording consumer usage of consumer articles, the monitoring device comprising:
  • the monitoring device can located within the consumer article during manufacture, without monitoring/recording of this activity and other activities not relevant to consumer behaviour e.g. packaging and transportation, activities.
  • the device can be activated by operatives in the field (such as consumer research personnel) and the device then passed to consumers. The consumer may even be able to activate the device as will be clear below.
  • the motion sensor may be an accelerometer capable of sensing accelerations along one or more axis.
  • the accelerometer may be capable of sensing accelerations along three orthogonal axis.
  • a tri-axial accelerometer could be used or alternatively, two 2-axis ones mounted at right angles capable of sensing 3 dimensional acceleration data.
  • any other suitable motion sensor may be used.
  • the motion sensor may be analogue or digital.
  • the data storage device may incorporate erasable nonvolatile memory.
  • Erasable (rewritable) memory allows re-use of the device.
  • Non-volatile memory is advantageous because this means the memory is protected in case of a loss of power (e.g. in the case of battery powered devices, when the battery loses power) .
  • the first activation device comprising a timing device may be a real time clock.
  • the real time clock may be digital and/or produces a digital output signal.
  • the device may monitor and record acceleration data continually or for a predetermined number of events. Such events may be monitored may be time-linked in that they may be recorded for a predetermined period of time and/or events may be separated by predetermined time periods.
  • the device may monitor and record acceleration data only in response to the motion sensor sensing a predetermined or threshold' acceleration.
  • the interval of time may begin when the accelerometer senses a threshold minimum acceleration associated with consumer usage of an article e.g. at least 0.2 G.
  • the device may be contained discreetly within the consumer article, and preferably it is completely contained within the consumer article so that it is hidden from view (when viewed with the naked eye) .
  • the consumer article may include one or more hollow portions for housing the device, to prevent enlarging of the consumer device to fit in the monitoring and recording device.
  • All components may be selected so that they are small as compared with the consumer article.
  • the device may include a capacitor within the circuit.
  • the device may be programmed to record for discreet sequential time periods rather than continually to reduce the amount of recording time (and therefore the power needed) . This is particularly advantageous when monitoring the consumer usage of what are generally small products over extended periods of time.
  • the time periods may be 5 seconds (i.e. 5 seconds recording following by a non-recording period which may be also 5 seconds) . This would reduce the power required but still provide representative data for consumer activity.
  • Fig 1 shows a schematic diagram of the device according to the invention contained within a consumer article.
  • the device comprises a small electronic circuit board housed within a protective, sealed housing (not shown) concealed within a personal care product, here shown as a soap bar 1 for personal use.
  • the protective cover is made up of two plastic parts: a cap and a base. These will be sealed using a standard O-ring. A feature will be incorporated into the cap to facilitate easy removal. For inclusion within most consumer products the overall size of the complete assembly is approx. 44mm x 17mm x 10mm.
  • the PCB will be mechanically attached to the cap so that it can be easily removed for access.
  • the cap and base are made of polycarbonate, having a thickness of approximately lmm.
  • All of the electronics reside on a single printed circuit board.
  • the data storage device incorporates erasable non-volatile memory, allowing re-use of the device and protection in case of a loss of power (e.g. in the case of battery powered devices, when the battery loses power) .
  • the data storage device comprises flash memory : Atmel AT45DB321C ⁇ Dataflash' memory IC to provide non-volatile data storage.
  • the programmable computer comprises a PIC16LF876 microcontroller from Microchip.
  • the motion sensor comprises a Kionix KXM52-1050 Tri-axis accelerometer to sense acceleration.
  • the secondary activation device comprises a miniature reed (i.e. magnetically operated) switch which is used as a trigger signal for the other sensors.
  • a small magnet is attached to the product packaging and used to inhibit acceleration data recordal during transit. The magnet is removed by operatives in the field prior to consumer testing.
  • the device electronics are powered from a Lithium Manganese Dioxide (LiMnO 2 ) CR1225 coin cell. Since battery voltage can drop by as much as 0.3V during high-current activity (e.g. flash memory activity) . This may be sufficient to cause some ICs to malfunction, especially when the battery is near the end of its life.
  • a MAX1724 DC-DC converter is therefore be used to boost the battery voltage to a constant 3.3V.
  • the net battery life of course depends on the proportion of time the device spends in each state.
  • the device is connectable to a computing device e.g. PC, via standard connectors.
  • a mini-USB type connector is used in this embodiment for data communications. Although smaller connectors are available, the mini-USB type provides a good compromise between size, ease-of-use and lifetime (in terms of how many times the connector can be used) .
  • the physical interface comprises an RS232-type serial connection accessed via a 5-pin mini-USB connector mounted on the device circuit board.
  • a mini-USB to DB9 serial cable connects the logger to a PC.
  • the recorded data can be downloaded to a computer for analysis.
  • the battery is inserted and the device connected to the PC using the mini-usb cable.
  • the computer is then used to program the device parameters.
  • the timing device (first activation device) is used prior to installing in the consumer product, to delay recording of manufacturing/transportation acceleration data which would be superfluous .

Landscapes

  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Development Economics (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Secondary Cells (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un article de consommateur comprenant un dispositif de surveillance pour surveiller le consommateur et enregistrer l'usage de l'article, le dispositif de surveillance comprenant : un détecteur de mouvement (5); un dispositif de stockage de données pour stocker des données qui sont détectées par le détecteur de mouvement; un premier dispositif d'activation comprenant un dispositif de temporisation pour retarder l'activation du dispositif; et un dispositif d'activation secondaire (10) par lequel le dispositif peut être activé et/ou désactivé à distance.
PCT/EP2007/060752 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur WO2008058817A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP07821120A EP2082367A1 (fr) 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06124251 2006-11-16
EP06124251.7 2006-11-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008058817A1 true WO2008058817A1 (fr) 2008-05-22

Family

ID=38015284

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2007/060752 WO2008058817A1 (fr) 2006-11-16 2007-10-10 Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2082367A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2008058817A1 (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8424721B2 (en) 2008-10-06 2013-04-23 Conopco, Inc. Device and method for monitoring consumer test compliance
WO2013087520A1 (fr) * 2011-12-12 2013-06-20 Unilever Plc Contrôle d'utilisation de pain de savon
US10582764B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2020-03-10 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US10835028B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2020-11-17 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11043141B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2021-06-22 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11213120B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2022-01-04 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11361672B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2022-06-14 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6092726A (en) * 1997-08-21 2000-07-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Universal monitor for collecting data on consumable products
WO2002083257A2 (fr) * 2001-04-17 2002-10-24 Unilever N.V. Systeme de surveillance de l'usage d'une brosse a dent
US6536068B1 (en) * 1999-12-29 2003-03-25 Gillette Canada Company Toothbrushing technique monitoring
US20060028953A1 (en) * 2004-03-19 2006-02-09 Jensen James M Gathering data concerning publication usage

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6092726A (en) * 1997-08-21 2000-07-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Universal monitor for collecting data on consumable products
US6536068B1 (en) * 1999-12-29 2003-03-25 Gillette Canada Company Toothbrushing technique monitoring
WO2002083257A2 (fr) * 2001-04-17 2002-10-24 Unilever N.V. Systeme de surveillance de l'usage d'une brosse a dent
US20060028953A1 (en) * 2004-03-19 2006-02-09 Jensen James M Gathering data concerning publication usage

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8424721B2 (en) 2008-10-06 2013-04-23 Conopco, Inc. Device and method for monitoring consumer test compliance
WO2013087520A1 (fr) * 2011-12-12 2013-06-20 Unilever Plc Contrôle d'utilisation de pain de savon
US10582764B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2020-03-10 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US10835028B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2020-11-17 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11043141B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2021-06-22 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11213120B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2022-01-04 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11361672B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2022-06-14 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method
US11602216B2 (en) 2016-11-14 2023-03-14 Colgate-Palmolive Company Oral care system and method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2082367A1 (fr) 2009-07-29

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
WO2008058817A1 (fr) Surveillance et enregistrement d'utilisation d'articles par un consommateur
US6758006B1 (en) Fishing information device and method of using same
CN103096835B (zh) 牙刷使用监测
CN100466690C (zh) 检索设备
CN106163328A (zh) 个人修饰器具
ZA200903213B (en) Attachable device for pill container
CN101384237B (zh) 用于泡罩包装的容器
CN102448555A (zh) 运动手表
GB2408825B (en) Memory storage device with a fingerprint sensor and method for protecting the data therein
US6801123B2 (en) Electronic organizer and storage device
CN208677411U (zh) 便于检测血糖的智能手环
WO2003020349A2 (fr) Dispositifs utilitaires a memoire
CN104574036B (zh) 处理物品存储装置数据的方法和服务器
US20190001058A1 (en) Storage case with the capability of communication and medical data acquisition
JPH0968580A (ja) 携帯用電子機器
CN205795138U (zh) 一种医用、车载、家庭多用app控制智能电子药箱
US20170090601A1 (en) System and method for orientation-based object monitoring and device for the same
WO2011009725A1 (fr) Surveillance d’usage par un consommateur d’un réceptacle de lavage
EP3493688B1 (fr) Système pour la distribution régulée de cigarettes
Berlin et al. Low-power lessons from designing a wearable logger for long-term deployments
US7671722B1 (en) Pill storage system
WO2010055390A1 (fr) Compteur de bulletins de vote pour urnes électorales
CN105935341B (zh) 一种带有腕环的老年人模块化电子药箱
CN104720241A (zh) 一种电子卡包
CN204044913U (zh) 电子存钱筒

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 07821120

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

DPE1 Request for preliminary examination filed after expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed from 20040101)
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2007821120

Country of ref document: EP

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE