Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8000836?dq=6,064,942
Timestamp: 2014-03-15 03:06:18
Document Index: 250473151

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 2533754', 'Application No. 04756405', 'Application No. 05825427', 'Application No. 04756405', 'Application No. 05825427']

Patent US8000836 - Random access and random load dispensing unit - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsThe present invention provides a random access and random load dispensing unit including a housing, at least one support located in the housing and defining a first axis, a plurality of platforms movable along the support along the first axis, a plurality of bins supported on the platforms, the bins...http://www.google.com/patents/US8000836?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8000836 - Random access and random load dispensing unitAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS8000836 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/777,181Publication dateAug 16, 2011Filing dateMay 10, 2010Priority dateJul 1, 2003Also published asCA2589530A1, EP1817249A2, EP1817249A4, US7783378, US7787986, US8195329, US20050192705, US20070162183, US20070162184, US20100268377, US20110046778, WO2006060448A2, WO2006060448A3Publication number12777181, 777181, US 8000836 B2, US 8000836B2, US-B2-8000836, US8000836 B2, US8000836B2InventorsLinda J. Pinney, John A. Beane, Angus R. Colson, Jr., David R. Williams, Keith Kopitzke, Keith W. Reynolds, Erik Howard BarnesOriginal AssigneeAsteres, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (101), Non-Patent Citations (161), Classifications (32), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetRandom access and random load dispensing unitUS 8000836 B2Abstract The present invention provides a random access and random load dispensing unit including a housing, at least one support located in the housing and defining a first axis, a plurality of platforms movable along the support along the first axis, a plurality of bins supported on the platforms, the bins being movable with the platforms, and a shuttle assembly movable along the first axis and further movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis between the plurality of platforms to access and retrieve products stored in the bins.
RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/688,189 filed on Mar. 19, 2007 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/001,110 filed on Nov. 30, 2004 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/880,269 filed on Jun. 29, 2004, which claims the benefit of prior filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/484,544 filed on Jun. 30, 2003 and 60/576,005 filed on Jun. 1, 2004, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/801,321 filed on Mar. 16, 2004, which claims the benefit of prior filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/484,544 filed on Jun. 30, 2003. The entire disclosures of these applications are considered as part of this application.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to dispensing units for dispensing items to individuals and, more particularly, to automated or computer-controlled dispensing units.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The typical pharmaceutical transaction entails a doctor ordering a prescription for a patient, the prescription being delivered to or filled at a pharmacy, and the patient/customer picking up the finished prescription from the pharmacy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides, in one aspect, a random access and random load dispensing unit including a housing, at least one support located in the housing and defining a first axis, a plurality of platforms movable along the support along the first axis, a plurality of bins supported on the platforms, the bins being movable with the platforms, and a shuttle assembly movable along the first axis and further movable along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis between the plurality of platforms to access and retrieve products stored in the bins.
Before any features of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and 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 or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of �including�, �having�, and �comprising� and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as, additional items. The use of letters to identify elements of a method or process is simply for identification and is not meant to indicate that the elements should be performed in a particular order.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an automated random-access and random-load dispenser or dispensing unit 100 which allows customers to purchase products, particularly prescription medicines. As shown in FIG. 1, the unit 100 includes a housing 102, means to communicate with the customer (e.g., a touch screen 104, or the like), means to identify the customer (e.g., a magnetic stripe card reader 105), and means to accept payment from the customer (e.g., a cash acceptor or a credit card reader 106). The credit card reader 106 can be utilized as the magnetic stripe card reader 105 to identify the customer. The unit 100 may alternatively or additionally include other identification readers, such as a barcode scanner 107 located at the front of the unit 100. The barcode scanner 107 may work in conjunction with customer identification cards (e.g., drivers licenses, etc.) and/or store cards (e.g., prescription drug cards, pharmacy discount cards, customer loyalty cards, etc.), which typically include a barcode to identify the customer. Further, other identification readers may be utilized, such as fingerprint readers and retinal scanners, for example, to identify the customer.
The unit 100 may also include a signature pad 304 on which the customer may record their signature to complete a purchase. Further, the unit 100 may include a printer 305 (see FIG. 3) to output a receipt (through dispense opening 306) to the customer for a record of the purchase. The unit 100 may also include a camera 308 to monitor and/or record customers' transactions with the unit 100. After a customer completes a transaction with the unit 100, the unit 100 may dispense a finished prescription to a dispense bin 310 (see�FIGS. 3-5), which is accessible by the customer through a retractable dispense bin lid 312 (see FIG. 1). The dispense bin 310 and operation thereof will be discussed in greater detail below.
A plurality of vertically-oriented, or �Y-axis� support members 202 a-202 d support a picker or shuttle assembly 208, such that the shuttle assembly 208 is allowed to travel or maneuver along a vertical axis (i.e., Y-axis 112) inside the housing 102. In addition, an �X-axis� support 222 or a carriage (also see FIGS. 8-10) allows the shuttle assembly 208 to travel or maneuver from side to side in the housing 102 (i.e., along X-axis 120). Further, �Z-axis� supports 204 or carriage supports (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 10) allow the shuttle assembly 208 to travel or maneuver from the front of the housing 102 to the rear, of the housing 102 (i.e., along Z-axis 116). The Y-axis supports 202 a-202 d, the X-axis support 222, and the Z-axis supports 204 combine to provide a support structure allowing the shuttle assembly 208 to travel to any defined location within the housing 102.
With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the shuttle assembly 208 also includes a positioning system or an �overtravel� system to detect the proximity of the shuttle assembly 208 to opposite end walls 318 of the X-axis support 222 (see FIG. 8). Such an overtravel system may interface with the controller 128 and the computer 124 to substantially prevent the shuttle assembly 208 from impacting the end walls 318 of the X-axis support 222. More particularly, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the overtravel system includes an activation rod 320 slidably supported in the shuttle assembly 208. The activation rod 320 is biased toward a central position by springs 322 on opposite sides of the shuttle assembly 208. The activation rod 320 includes cam surfaces 324 that are engageable by respective followers 326 coupled to respective overtravel switches 328.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shuttle assembly 208 includes a mechanism (e.g., hooks 410) for engaging corresponding openings or apertures 412 in the prescription bag 212 to remove the prescription bag 212 from the tray 214. With reference to FIG. 6, the hooks 410 are fixed to a single shaft (not shown) passing through the shuttle assembly 208. A hook drive motor 364 includes a pinion 366 coupled thereto to drivably engage a driven gear 368 fixed to the common shaft of the hooks 410. As such, rotation of the pinion 366 causes the hooks 410 to pivot about their common shaft between an �up� or raised position, and a �down� or lowered position. The hook drive motor 364 may interface with the controller 128, which may selectively activate the hook drive motor 364 when prompted by the computer 124. Alternatively, a multiple-gear gear train may be utilized between the pinion 366 and the driven gear 368 on the common shaft of the hooks 410. Further, other known drive structures may be utilized to pivot the hooks 410 between their up and down positions.
In some embodiments, when the pharmacy staff needs to load a bag into the unit 100, the pharmacy staff slides out trays of the unit 100 and deposits the bag into an empty slots in the unit 100. FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary loading process 3140. At block 3144, the pharmacy staff initiates an unlock sequence. A red light-emitting diode (�LED�) of the unit 100 is lit, and a motion system micro-controller (�MSM�) of the unit 100 sends a request access the unit 100 at block 3148. If the unit 100 is being used as determined at block 3152, the loading process 3140 sends a wait command to the MSM, and an LED is lit or flashes at block 3156. When the transaction is complete at block 3160, or when the unit 100 is not being used, the touch screen 104 display an �out of service� message at block 3164.
Furthermore, a prescription that continues beyond a year has to be rewritten by a physician in many states. After the prescription has been rewritten, the newly filled prescription is typically assigned a different prescription identification number. Because the rewritten prescription has a different prescription identification number, the rewritten prescription can sometimes be inadvertently considered as a new prescription that requires consultation. In such cases, t�e unit 100 can be configured to identify such a rewritten prescription, and to allow the rewritten prescription having a new prescription identification number to be dispensed to a consumer as if it were a refill without consultation. In some cases, after the prescription identification number has been assigned, the consumer may only have access to the original prescription number. However, the consumer typically will have to enter the new prescription identification number once the new prescription identification number has been assigned. In such cases, the unit 100 can be configured to allow the consumer to use either the original prescription number or the newly assigned prescription identification number such that the prescription can be dispensed. In some embodiments, the unit 100 can be configured to display both the original prescription number and the newly assigned prescription identification number along with the prescription name in the touch screen 104.
In many pharmacies, some over-the-counter (�OTC�) items are kept behind the counter for security purposes. These OTC items are generally non-prescription items such as, without limitation, expensive merchandise, and �easily stolen� or �walk away� items. In such cases, the unit 100 can also be configured to store these items such that these items are available to consumers with or without a registered account. Furthermore, the unit 100 can provide an ability to pay for and then receive these nonprescription items.
In some embodiments, purchases done on the unit 100 can be recorded in a point-of-sale (�POS�) system or financial accounting system associated with a store or a pharmacy. To record the purchases, an interface of the unit 100 is coupled to the POS of the store. FIG. 29 shows an information system 2910 that illustrates an exemplary computer and network system within a typical pharmacy location or a pharmacy store. The information system 2910 includes a pharmacy information system 2914 that is coupled to an interface engine 2918 and a POS system 2922 of the pharmacy or the store via an Ethernet connection 2926. In some embodiments, the interface engine 2918 is a software-based interface engine. In such cases, software used on the interface engine 2918 and the POS system 2922 can be created by a particular vendor or the store running a particular operating system such as Windows XP. The interface engine 2918 can interface the pharmacy information system 2914 to receive all pharmacy prescription and order data, and to transmit purchase information to the POS System 2922. The information system 2910 also includes a router or firewall equipment 2930 that shields the information system 2910 from other networks, and allows the information system 2910 to communicate with the other networks in a manner know in the art. In this way, the store or the pharmacy can have secure access to the Internet through the router or firewall equipment 2930 for remote diagnostics, support, maintenance, and the like. In some embodiments, the unit 100 uses virtual private network (�VPN�) technology to guarantee a secure point-to-point tunnel between the unit 100 and a central data processing center. Although an Ethernet is shown coupling items of the information system 2910, other networking systems can also be used. Operations of the information system 2910 will be discussed hereinafter.
In addition to the Ethernet 2926, other types of networking techniques such controller area network (�CAN�) bus internal to the system 2910 and the unit 100 can also be used. The unit 100 can also include other networked devices such as distributed, and networked micro-controllers to control the robotics and the picker assembly, for example. Other electronics of the unit 100 include, without limitation, a pulse-width modulated motor drive, motors with encoders, a feedback control of internal mechanisms such as speed and acceleration, a unique homing scheme in the unit 100 to minimize the use sensor bars or other elaborate position sensing, an intelligent distributed control with built in error recovery, a plurality of indicator lights and numeric readouts to notify pharmacy staff of machine status, on-board self diagnostics and error code readout, self diagnostics with intelligence to correct errors, efficient cabling, modular electronic design for rapid field service, magnetic door sensors, eStop and fail safe design, ability to email from internal electronics to internet email address, ability to reprogram firmware remotely, use of velocity, acceleration, and position sensing for intelligent feedback control, indicator lights on front of machine to improve communications to an end user, motor load sense and protection intelligence, and bag/product sensor and barcode scanner.
In some embodiments, the pharmacy information system 2910 can update prescription information without requiring the prescription be voided and refilled or rewritten. As a result, third party information such as insurer, the retail price, or the copay can also change. In such cases, the unit 100 generally queries the pharmacy information system 2914 via the interface engine 2918 for the most recent information regarding the prescription just prior to displaying the information to the consumer. In this way, the most current information is available to the consumer. Still furthermore, when a client uses a pharmacy information system 2914 from a vendor, it is often difficult and timely to get an interface written. In such cases, the existing interface engine 2918 can be adapted to interface with other systems such as bulk pill counters/dispensers, voice automated refill (�IVR�), instead of developing a new interface. In some cases, an IVR interface does not always provide sufficient data because the IVR interface is generally reactive. As a result, only information on a prescription is available when requested and some important fields like non-child resistant cap, and the co-payor the retail price are unavailable. The interface engine 2918 can be augmented with another interface of the vendor. In such cases, information going to the label printer can be captured and thus can be used to augment data missing from the IVR interface.
During the transaction, if the consumer selects to pay for the prescription with a credit card, the consumer can be prompted on the touch screen 104 to slide a credit card through the credit card reader 106. The transactions will then be reported from the unit 100 to the POS system 2922 and other financial institutions through the interface engine 2918. In some embodiments, the unit 100 can be configured to accept debit cards whose pin numbers can be entered on the keypad, and gift cards which can be read by the magnetic stripe reader 105. In embodiments where the consumer wishes to pay for the prescription with a radio-frequency (�RF�) based credit or debit token such a speed pass, the unit 100 can be configured to include an RF speed pass reader can be interfaced to the POS system 2922. If the consumer logins to the unit 100 with a credit card, the unit 100 can automatically use the credit card information as default payment information, or displays some options to the consumer with the touch screen 104, without requiring the consumer to stripe the credit card again. However, if the consumer selects to pay for the prescription with cash, the POS system 2922 accepts the cash with a cash acceptor, and prints a receipt for the transaction for the cash.
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No. 11/001,110.160Vending Pharmacy-Is the long-distance dispensing of drugs the remedy for patients in remote areas?, Drugtopics.com, Mar. 6, 2000, 3 pgs.161Vending Pharmacy�Is the long-distance dispensing of drugs the remedy for patients in remote areas?, Drugtopics.com, Mar. 6, 2000, 3 pgs.Classifications U.S. Classification700/241, 700/237, 700/242, 700/240International ClassificationG06F17/00, B65G59/00, G07F11/00, B65H3/44, B65H1/00, G06F7/00, B65D, G07F11/62Cooperative ClassificationG07F11/62, G07F11/60, G07F17/0092, G06Q50/24, G07F11/165, G07F9/026, G07F11/002, G07F9/02, G06F19/3462, G06Q50/22European ClassificationG07F9/02, G07F17/00P, G07F11/16B, G06F19/34L1, G07F9/02D, G07F11/60, G07F11/00B, G07F11/62, G06Q50/24, G06Q50/22Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 18, 2011CCCertificate of correctionMar 3, 2011ASAssignmentFree format text: CHANGE OF ADDRESS;ASSIGNOR:ASTERES, INC.;REEL/FRAME:025897/0433Effective date: 20110303Owner name: ASTERES, INC., CALIFORNIARotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google