Patent Publication Number: US-2021192602-A1

Title: Cabinet Electronic Requisition System

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/950,540 filed on Dec. 19, 2019, the application of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to devices and techniques for ensuring that a first aid cabinet is safely stocked with supplies. More particularly, this disclosure relates to systems which employ automatic processing and electronic devices to monitor first aid cabinets and to order and resupply first aid items. 
     SUMMARY 
     Briefly stated, an integrated first aid cabinet comprises a first aid cabinet with a multiplicity of first aid items and a requisition module mounted to or located at the cabinet. Compliance cards are associated with the first aid items. The first aid kit is transformable between an opened and a closed position. The requisition module comprises a scanner, an electronic unit in communication with the scanner for transmitting data for remote processing and a power supply for the scanner and the electronic unit. Upon opening the first aid cabinet, the scanner and the electronic unit are powered up. A compliance card is scanned by the scanner. Data from the compliance card is remotely transmitted from the module. 
     The requisition module is preferably fixed at the bottom of the cabinet. The module has one or more LEDs which indicate whether a scan by the scanner is acceptable or not acceptable. In one embodiment, the requisition module has an audio device which generates an audio signal indicating a scan by the scanner is acceptable or not acceptable. 
     The compliance cards may be affixed with a barcode or a QR code. In one preferred embodiment, the compliance cards may be affixed with an RFID tag. 
     A method for requisitioning first aid supplies for a first aid kit comprises removing a compliance card from the first aid kit. The method includes scanning the compliance card at a scanner located at the first aid kit and transmitting scanned data to a remote location. The method further comprises processing the data at a central requisition management unit and compiling a requisition order for first aid supplies. 
     The step of scanning may further comprise scanning a compliance card with a barcode, a QR code or an RFID tag. 
     A requisition system for first aid supplies of a first aid cabinet employs a compliance card with an RFID tag associated with the items of the first aid cabinet and comprises reading the RFIDs of the compliance cards for each of the associated items. The requisition system, in one embodiment, involves removing a compliance card from the first aid cabinet. The requisition system further comprises reading each of the RFIDs remaining in the cabinet. The reading data is processed to identify any RFID compliance card that has been removed from the cabinet. A requisition order for first aid supplies based on the data is compiled. 
     The requisition system, in one embodiment, comprises forwarding supplies identified in the requisition order to a facility where the first aid cabinet is located. The requisition system may also involve reading of the RFIDs for the compliance cards at pre-established times. In one preferred embodiment, reading the RFIDs for the compliance cards occurs upon opening the cabinet and at a pre-established later time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a frontal perspective view of a first aid cabinet with an integrated electronic requisition module, the cabinet being illustrated in an opened position; 
         FIG. 1B  is a frontal elevational view of the first aid cabinet and integrated requisition module of  FIG. 1A , the cabinet being illustrated in a closed position; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the first aid cabinet and integrated requisition module of  FIG. 1A  further illustrating the operation of the electronic requisition system; 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  together constitute a functional flow diagram for the electronic requisition system which employs the module of  FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a functional flow diagram illustrating a scanning and requisition process for the requisition system; 
         FIG. 5  is a functional flow diagram for a battery employed in the requisition module of  FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a first aid cabinet and a second embodiment of a requisition module illustrating the operation of a second embodiment of an electronic requisition system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the figures, a cabinet electronic requisition system  10  employs an internet of things (IOT) device in the form of a scanner module  20  that is mounted to and integrated with a first aid cabinet  12 . The scanner module  20 , as will be described below, functions to obtain first aid supplies inventory data at the cabinet and communicates the data via a customer specific application programming interface (API) key to a portal of a first aid supply management system  40 . The electronic requisition system provides for customer managed device access, as well as customer controlled access to the device settings and configuration. The cabinet electronic requisition system integrates with and seamlessly complements pre-existing inventory techniques and processing and overall management to provide a system for ensuring the safety and integrity of the first aid cabinet. 
     The electronic requisition system provides a secure scanner module which seamlessly integrates with a supply management system  40  (such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,580,060) to provide centralized management and tracking and to allow a customer to seamlessly integrate the requisition system with pre-existing cabinets as well as new cabinets as required for a given organization. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 , an electronic scanner module  20  is mounted at the underside of a first aid cabinet. The module  20  includes a compact housing  22  which houses three principal units. A main circuit board  24  which preferably has dimensions on the order of 5×3×2 inches contains all of the electronics for the requisition module. The main circuit board connects to a battery pack  26  via a cable. The battery pack is preferably on the order of 4×4×2 inches and employs a series of 1.5 or 9 volt batteries to power the requisition module. The main circuit board  24  also connects via a cable with a scanner  30  which is a small footprint LED scanner preferably of a non-laser configuration and may have dimensions of approximately 2×2×1 inches in size. 
     The front of the unit is affixed with indicia  28  indicating the location of the scan window of the scanner  30  for external scanning. LEDs are also located at the front of the module. LED  32  indicates that the power is on. LED  34  indicates that the wireless connection is okay. LED  36  indicates that the power is low. LED  38  is a scan status indicator wherein a green LED illumination indicates a good (acceptable) scan and a red LED indicator indicates a bad (unacceptable) scan. 
     The module  20  also preferably emits three core sounds to indicate that a scan is acceptable, a scan is not acceptable and a boot song when the module is powering up. 
     In a preferred environment, the cabinet  10  is secured to a wall (not illustrated) in an accessible area for the client. The cabinet, and specifically the electronic requisition module, is located in a Wi-Fi accessible network (802.11b/g)  50 . It is preferred that the client have a laptop computer  60  to configure the data of the cabinet. The client will also be provided an enterprise code. Each module also has a cabinet validated UPC code. The cabinet is pre-registered via the external management system application  40 . 
     Once the cabinet with the requisition module is installed, the requisition system immediately launches a configuration mode upon boot up. The mode can be accessible at a USB connection from the computer  60  directly to the scanner module  20 . The USB port can only be accessed at the back of the module. Once activated, the system requires the following information which can be entered in the computer  60  to enable the requisition system:
         1. The serial number of the cabinet which is preferably listed on the side door of each cabinet;   2. Wireless information including the network name and the network password; and   3. The customer enterprise code which is provided by the supplier organization.       

     The cabinet-to-application integration keys are accessible via an application programming interface (API), user name and an API password. The client sets an access password for future USB access to the scanner module  20 . 
     Pre-existing requisition systems involve refill tags  14  which are typically yellow tags with a barcode  15  or QR code. When the supplies are sufficiently diminished, the refill tag is visible and is removed from the cabinet. In prior systems, the refill tag is then either remotely scanned or forwarded for processing so that the first aid item in question may be replaced. 
     The present system also allows for a card  16  with an RFID  17  to be removed and scanned by locating the scanner  30  directly at the cabinet  12 . The compliance tags  14  or  16  may be efficiently removed and immediately scanned by the scanner  30  at the cabinet  12 . 
     The module  20  also provides for automatic low battery alerts and automatic cabinet status updates. In addition, the cabinet preferably has a feature which requires periodic cabinet checks, such as every seven days, so that the cabinet may be effectively monitored in a consistent manner. 
     With reference to the overall system of  FIGS. 3A-3C , the requisition process in a brief functional block diagram  100  takes place as follows:
         1. The user opens the cabinet  12  with the scanner module  20 .   2. The system automatically turns on, and a barcode light is illuminated at the bottom of the module.   3. The user scans any missing items as evidenced by the scanning compliance card  14  or  16  on the scanner  30 .   4. The scanner module  20  beeps to record each item.   5. Each scanned item is recorded.   6. The items scanned are compared to the table of re-orderable items in that cabinet.   7. Valid requisitions are then transmitted to the back end management system  40 .   8. The back end requirements API or email or Excel file is adapted to support the scanned requisition. Once an input is received, the system then surveys for any existing requisition for the item scanned. If the item is determined to be a new item, then a requisition is placed. If an existing requisition is found, an alert is then transmitted that the item is already on a backorder and the existing requisition is expedited.   9. The requisitions are then ultimately managed according to each customer&#39;s existing workflow (namely, emailed, downloaded daily, picked up via ERP, etc.) and shipped via a container or package  80  to the cabinet facility. This includes any approval workflow the customer may use to limit small order requests.       

     The back end management system  40  then functions to process the scanned items as illustrated by diagram  200  in  FIG. 4 . The scan is received at  210 . The scanned tag is sent to the back end management system  40  at  220 . The scan opens a requisition file at  230 . If there is no match at  240 , a new requisition is created at  250 . If there is a match at  250 , an updated status is flagged to expedite the requisition at  270 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the electronic requisition module employs a battery check process as illustrated by diagram  300 . The cabinet is opened and the power is on at  310 . The battery is checked at  320 . If the battery is okay at  322 , no further action is employed at  324 . If the battery is low at  326 , a low alert message is transmitted at  328 . When the cabinet is in the ready state at  330 , the cabinet is left open at  332 . A closed cabinet alert is sent at  334 . When the cabinet is closed at  340 , a tag is scanned at  342  and the requisition is made as required at  344 . When no tag is pulled at  346 , the status report is transmitted to indicate that the status check is okay at  348 . 
     The electronic requisition system requires that the devices, e.g., scanner modules  20  be pre-registered at the back end management app  40  prior to going on site. The administrator creates the IOT device at a laptop computer  60  and registers the cabinet  10  before the requisition scanner module  20  is placed in service. 
     It is important that cabinets that use the requisition system are configured to require a status check every thirty days. This provides a backup to the standard battery check process and helps identify any Wi-Fi or connectivity issues. If a cabinet is not reported after thirty days, an alert is sent to the designated contacts at the facility for the cabinet as well as to the administrator of the back end management system  40 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , a second embodiment of an electronic scanner module  20 A is mounted at the underside of a first aid cabinet. The module  20 A includes a compact housing  22 A which houses three principal components: a main circuit board  24  which contains all the electronics for the requisition module. The main circuit board connects to a battery pack  26  with a cable, as previously described. The main circuit board  24  also connects via cable with a scanner  30 A in the form of an RFID reader which is configured so that it reads compliance card RFIDs  117 A,  117 B,  117 C,  117 D . . . which are associated with each of the items at the interior of the cabinet. The reader reads each of the RFIDs  117 A,  117 B,  117 C,  117 D . . . and transmits same via WI-FI  50  to the requisition supply management system. 
     When a compliance card  116 N with an RFID  117 N is removed, such as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the system records the removal of the RFID card  116 N for the associated item via the reader  30 A and data concerning same is sent via WI-FI  50  to the requisition supply management system  40 . In all other significant aspects, the requisition system  12 A is the same as previously described for requisition system  12 . The scanner or reader  30 A may read all RFIDs in the cabinet at pre-established intervals or upon opening the cabinet and at a subsequent time interval thereafter. 
     With the installation of the requisition module, the cabinet indicates that this is a self-ordering unit and requires the cabinet model, the serial number and the location detail. The requisition user module itself is created as a virtual user which requires assuming the same roles as someone ordering the app including tracking requisitions by devices. Each of the requisition modules  20  and  20 A preferably use a format which includes a name, a location and client location, and an email address for the specific modules. 
     While preferred embodiments of the foregoing have been set forth for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.