Mail manifest systems and methods

• US 10,332,061 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Robert E., Joplin, Jonathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda R
• Application Number:
  US15/358,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/00 Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops B65G37/00; stacking of articles B65G57/00; removing articles from stacks B65G59/00; loading machines B65G65/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include an outflow conveyor, and an injection conveyor to inject a package located thereon onto the outflow conveyor. The injection conveyor can be adjacent to the outflow conveyor and oriented substantially perpendicular to the outflow conveyor. The system can also include a monitoring system positioned to perform package monitoring of the outflow conveyor and to image the package on the outflow conveyor after the package has been injected onto the outflow conveyor. The monitoring system can be further configured to determine an intended destination of the package based on an identifier detected on the package in the image captured by the monitoring system. A routing device can be positioned to perform package routing of the package to an accumulation area for packages based on the determination of the intended destination of the package.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an outflow conveyor;

a staging conveyor;

an injection conveyor to inject a package located thereon into an open slot on the outflow conveyor by accelerating the package from a still position, the package advanced onto the injection conveyor from the staging conveyor, the injection conveyor being adjacent to the outflow conveyor and oriented substantially perpendicular to the outflow conveyor;

a monitoring system positioned to perform package monitoring of the outflow conveyor and to image the package on the outflow conveyor after the package has been injected onto the outflow conveyor, the monitoring system being further configured to determine an intended destination of the package based on an identifier detected on the package in the image captured by the monitoring system; and

a routing device positioned to perform package routing of the package to an accumulation area for packages based on the determination of the intended destination of the package.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the outflow conveyor includes a backstop positioned opposite the injection conveyor as a package injection barrier.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an inflow conveyor;

a station positioned adjacent the staging conveyor; and

an actuator associated with the inflow conveyor, the actuator being positioned for routing of the package to the station for placement onto the staging conveyor.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a second station positioned adjacent a second staging conveyor; and

a control device in communication with a level sensor positioned to monitor a volume of additional packages at each station, the control device controlling the actuator to route the package to the station with the lowest volume of packages.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system includes a camera having a resolution of at least 2048×

1088 pixels and configured to capture at least 150 frames per second.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system includes a scale to weigh an additional package, the monitoring system further configured to:

verify a weight of the additional package is within a predetermined amount from an expected weight of the additional package, and

flag the additional package as an exception when the weight of the additional package is not within the predetermined amount from the expected weight of the additional package.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the monitoring system is further configured to:

access data regarding expected pharmaceutical contents and additional materials within the package from a database based on the identifier on the package imaged by the monitoring system; and

determine the expected weight of the expected pharmaceutical contents and the additional materials within the package and the package itself.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor in communication with the injection conveyor and positioned for monitoring of the outflow conveyor,

the injection conveyor injecting the package into an open slot on the outflow conveyor when the sensor detects the open slot on the outflow conveyor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the outflow conveyor includes a scale conveyor, a camera conveyor, a cleated conveyor, or combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the injection conveyor includes a belt comprised of plastic, rubber, or combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the injection conveyor is operable to accelerate from still to approximately 10.4 inches per second in approximately 1 second.

12. A method comprising:

engaging a staging conveyor to advance a package located thereon onto an injection conveyor;

engaging the injection conveyor to accelerate the package on the injection conveyor from a still position to inject the package into an open slot on an outflow conveyor, the injection conveyor being oriented substantially perpendicular to the outflow conveyor;

capturing an image of the package on the outflow conveyor;

detecting an identifier on the package from the image;

determining an intended destination for the package based on the identifier; and

routing the package to an accumulation area for packages intended for the intended destination.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

routing the package on an inflow conveyor to a station via an actuator associated with the inflow conveyor, the station being positioned adjacent the staging conveyor, and the package being moved from the station to the staging conveyor for placement onto the injection conveyor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a volume of additional packages a plurality of stations; and

routing the package to a particular station among the plurality of stations when the particular station has a lowest volume of packages among the plurality of stations.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a weight of an additional package;

determining an expected weight of the additional package;

verifying that the weight of the additional package is within a predetermined amount from the expected weight of the additional package; and

flagging the additional package as an exception when the weight of the additional package is not within the predetermined amount from the expected weight of the additional package.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting an opening on the outflow conveyor via a sensor,

wherein engagement of the injection conveyor to inject the package onto the outflow conveyor occurs when the opening is detected.

17. A mail manifest device comprising:

an inflow conveyor;

a station including a slide extending between the inflow conveyor and the station, the slide configured to transfer a package from the inflow conveyor to the station;

a staging conveyor configured to receive the package from the station;

an outflow conveyor; and

an injection conveyor extending between the outflow conveyor and the staging conveyor, wherein the injection conveyor is configured to inject a package located thereon into an open slot on the outflow conveyor by accelerating from a still position, wherein the package is advanced onto the injection conveyor by the staging conveyor, and wherein the injection conveyor is oriented substantially perpendicular to the outflow conveyor.

18. The mail manifest device of claim 17, wherein the injection conveyor includes a conveyor belt made of a material having a coefficient of friction such that the injection conveyor may accelerate the package from still to approximately 10.4 inches per second in approximately one second.

19. The mail manifest device of claim 17, wherein the outflow conveyor includes a center divider positioned opposite the injection conveyor, and wherein the center divider is configured to act as a backstop to inhibit the package from overshooting the outflow conveyor when the injection conveyor injects the package into the open slot on the outflow conveyor.

20. The mail manifest device of claim 17, further comprising a sensor positioned to monitor the outflow conveyor and in communication with the injection conveyor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the open slot on the outflow conveyor.