An active foodware system includes dining plates having visual stimulating, sensing, and wireless communication components. A visual stimulating component emits light to provide information or entertainment. The sensing component detects characteristics of the food received in the dining plate, such as weight or temperature. Data related to the food may be displayed on the visual stimulating component, or sent by the wireless communication component to a computer or mobile communication device. Computer software may display nutrition information on the visual stimulating component before, during, and after dining, or provide visual and auditory encouragement for children to eat.

A bottle having a water volume measuring function comprises a bottle-lid, a bottle-body, and a measure module disposed in the bottle-lid which comprises at least a micro controller unit, a memory unit and a sound wave transceiver unit. The memory unit stores a lookup table with corresponding relationships between a plurality of frequencies and remained water volumes in the bottle-body. The sound wave transceiver unit emits sound waves with sweeping frequencies towards the bottle-body and receives reflected waves. The micro controller unit determines if any frequency of the sound waves is an air-resonance frequency according to the energy level of each of the reflected waves. When a sound wave frequency is determined as an air-resonance frequency, the micro controller unit obtains the corresponding remained water volume by checking with the air-resonance frequency in the lookup table and users can view the remained water volume without opening the bottle-lid.

An alarm clock device is provided that includes a cup portion and a component housing. The component housing is coupled to a lower edge of the cup portion. The component housing includes a circuit board, a micro controller mounted on the circuit board, an orientation sensing component in communication with the micro controller and detecting movement of the alarm apparatus, and a speaker in communication with the micro controller emitting an audible alarm at a time designated by a user. A light ring is in communication with the micro controller and coupled to the alarm clock device between the cup portion and the component housing. The light ring illuminates the cup portion at the time designated by the user.

A drinking vessel or container equipped with a mechanism or module configured to determine the number of drinking events during a drinking session is provided. The drinking vessel includes an orientation sensor configured to determine an orientation of the drinking vessel, a visual indicator operatively coupled to the drinking vessel, and a controller that is configured to receive signals from the orientation sensor. The controller is configured to determine whether the sensed orientation is indicative of a drinking event and provide a control signal to the visual indicator representative of the number of sensed drinking events during a given period.

The present invention is a multipurpose bottle that comes with multiple features and functions, such as: insulation to keep the water cool for a longer period of time, a smartphone holder, a smart phone charger, a Bluetooth speaker, an optional fragrance tab and storage space for personal items such as keys, credit cards, money, etc. The present invention provides advantages to people traveling to or from the gym or work, as this multipurpose bottle can keep water cooled, charge the smartphone and hold it, play music through the Bluetooth speaker, and provide aroma therapy while drinking and still store various important personal belongings.

An activity and volume sensing beverage container cap system for a beverage container including a cap that couples with the beverage container, a processor, a timer and at least one activity level sensor, such as an inclinometer, coupled with the processor. The activity level sensor detects container orientation. When the container is tilted, the timer measures an amount of time in an orientation. Based on the current and previous orientation and the amount of time the container is in different orientations, the processor determines an amount of time of activity of the user, and a level of activity of the user, such as number of steps or moves per time. The inclinometer is also used to determine the amount of volume dispensed from the container when tilted over a threshold indicative of drinking. Thus one inclinometer may be utilized as both to determine activity level and volume of fluid dispensed.

The invention relates to a set of interaction techniques for obtaining input to a computer system based on methods and apparatus for detecting properties of the shape, location and orientation of flexible display surfaces, as determined through manual or gestural interactions of a user with said display surfaces. Such input may be used to alter graphical content and functionality displayed on said surfaces or some other display or computing system. The invention also relates to interactive food or beverage container with associated computing apparatus inside its body, and a curved multitouch display on its surface, associated interaction techniques for curved multitouch displays, methods of use, and apparatus for refilling said electronic food or beverage container.

A drinking vessel monitor in the form of a lid with a protective disc of rigid material and a depending skirt. A key operated mechanical linkage is connected to contact members underlying the protective disc. Springs cause the contact members to pivot outwardly upon removal of the lid from a drinking vessel. Without the key to operate the mechanical linkage, the contact members hidden within the skirt cannot be retracted sufficiently to place the lid back on the drinking vessel. Optionally, an electrical circuit can be added with a signal generator which generates a visual or audible signal if tampering has occurred.

A musical drinking cup storage device comprising a liquid storage member having a detachable compartment for holding items such as food or medicine and an integrated speaker with audio recording and playback capabilities. The detachable compartment and integrated speaker may be used with or separately from the liquid storage member.

The invention discloses a method of filling beverage into a beverage vessel, comprising the following steps: selecting at least one beverage by a program running on a personal electronic device having a personal electronic device processor by a user, wherein the at least one beverage is represented by at least one beverage parameter set and wherein the at least one beverage parameter set is stored in beverage data; positioning the beverage vessel in the proximity of the personal electronic device by the user; emitting an RF field by an antenna of the personal electronic device; transmitting the beverage data from an the antenna of the personal electronic device in a radio message to an antenna of the beverage vessel by near field communication controlled by the personal electronic device processor after presence of the beverage vessel in the proximity of the personal electronic device has been detected by the personal electronic device by near field communication; extracting electric energy from the RF field by the vessel antenna; storing the beverage data in a memory of the beverage vessel controlled by a vessel processor after receiving the beverage data by the antenna of the beverage vessel; positioning the beverage vessel in the proximity of a beverage dispenser by a user; transmitting a RF field from an antenna of the beverage dispenser; after detecting the beverage vessel in the proximity of the beverage dispenser by near field communication, transmitting by near field communication under control of a dispenser controller by the beverage dispenser a request command from an the antenna of the beverage dispenser to the antenna of the beverage vessel requesting to transmit beverage data in a radio message; extracting electric energy from the RF field by the vessel antenna; in response to receiving the request command by the beverage vessel, reading the beverage data from the memory of the beverage vessel and transmitting the beverage data by the antenna of the beverage vessel to the antenna of the beverage dispenser by near field communication under control of the vessel processor; and in response to receiving the beverage data by the antenna of the beverage dispenser outputting one of the at least one beverage defined by the beverage parameter set in the beverage data into the beverage vessel under control of the dispenser controller, wherein the portable beverage vessel comprises a container comprising a bottom portion forming the lower end of the container and a wall extending from the bottom portion in an essentially vertical direction; a magnetic coupling element arranged at the container; and a control device having a complementary magnetic coupli