Package locating system

• US 10,552,578 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interlink AI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PerceptiMed, Inc.
• Inventors: Jacobs, Alan Jeffrey, Mostowfi, Darius, Jacobs, Jennifer A. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Racic, Milena
• Application Number:
  US14/630,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20150170097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 5654, 5639, 5644, 705 22, 705 2, 705 3, 235375
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/20 External fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/06 Handles forming part of the closing arrangement B65D33/16
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/16 End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices valves of valve bags B65D31/14 ; removable stoppers or caps B65D39/00, B65D41/00; closures of filled bags B65D77/10; closing filled bags in association with packaging B65B7/00, B65B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/02 Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure B65D41/32 takes precedence; protective covers for bottles B65D23/08; protective cap-like outer covers for bottle or jar closures B65D41/62; pressure-applying means B65D45/00; closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal of closures B65D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A prescription management system receives prescription information and manages containers filled with the prescription. The prescription is stored in the container and the container is attached to a tracking device storing prescription information. The tracking device is managed by the prescription management system. The tracking device is self-powered and activates an indicator when it receives a request from the prescription management system identifying the tracking device. The indicator permits a user, such as a pharmacist, to locate a desired prescription.

Claims

1. A system for locating customer orders, the system comprising:

a plurality of programmable tracking devices, each programmable tracking device comprising;

a housing for storing a product associated with the customer order, the housing coupling the programmable tracking device to the product;

a sensor coupled to the housing, the sensor configured for sensing an open state of the housing for receiving the product and a closed state of the housing for securing the housing and the product together;

a locking mechanism coupled to the housing, the locking mechanism configured to lock the housing in the closed state;

a storage device, within the housing, configured for storing an order identifier associated with the customer order;

one or more indicator sources coupled to the housing;

a wireless interface, within the housing, configured for receiving, via a communication channel in common with the plurality of programmable tracking devices, a broadcasted order identifier associated with a desired customer order to be retrieved from a storage area; and

a control unit, within the housing and coupled to the wireless interface and indicator sources, configured for;

storing the order identifier associated with the customer order to the storage device, and

responsive to receiving the broadcasted order identifier via the communication channel, determining a match between the broadcasted order identifier and the order identifier stored in the storage device, and in response to confirming the match, activating the one or more indicator sources;

wherein a transmission of the broadcasted order identifier to the common communication channel causes, in the plurality of programmable tracking devices, activation of the one or more indicator sources for a set of programmable tracking devices that store an order identifier matching the broadcasted order identifier;

a point-of-sale station comprising;

a customer verification module configured to access an order identifier stored on the set of programmable tracking devices, the customer verification module further configured to determine a match between the accessed order identifier and the order identifier associated with the desired customer order; and

a container communication module configured to read open and closed data from the sensor of the set of programmable tracking devices having one or more activated indicator sources, the container communication module further configured to send a lock or unlock command to the programmable tracking device based on the open and closed data from the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the order identifier stored in the storage device includes prescription identifying information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the prescription identifying information includes an expiration date, and wherein the broadcasted order identifier indicates a threshold expiration date, and wherein the control unit is configured to activate the one or more indicator sources responsive to determining the expiration date is past the threshold expiration date.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each programmable tracking device is configured, responsive to receiving a request to retrieve information, to transmit the prescription identifying information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more indicator sources include a first indicator source and a second indicator source, and wherein the control unit is configured for receiving a request for the first indicator source or the second indicator source to activate and is configured to activate that indicator source in response to the request.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism within the housing is configured to secure the product in a container holding the product for storage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism within the housing is configured to lock the programmable tracking device to the product.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is coupled to the product by a clip.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the clip includes a switch to activate the programmable tracking device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is attached to a container holding the product, and the housing is coupled to the product by being coupled to the container.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface is further configured to receive a programming command designating an order identifier, and the control unit is further configured to store the designated order identifier in the storage device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit an acknowledgment via the wireless interface after confirming that the broadcasted order identifier matches the order identifier stored in the storage device associated with the customer order.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein each programmable tracking device, responsive to a user input provided to the programmable tracking device, is activated to receive the order identifier for storage in the storage device.

14. A system for locating customer orders, the system comprising:

a plurality of containers, each container comprising;

a bag with an open end, the open end comprising two or more sides, the bag configured for storing a product associated with the customer order;

a handle that comprises;

a main closure mate and a complementary closure mate, each closure mate coupled with opposing sides of the open end of the bag, wherein closing the closure mates closes the bag;

a sensor coupled to the handle, the sensor configured for sensing an open state of the main closure mate and the complementary closure mate for receiving the product and a closed state of the main closure mate and the complementary closure mate for securing the product inside the bag;

a locking mechanism coupled to the closure mates, the locking mechanism configured to lock the closure mates in the closed state;

a hook attached to at least one of the main closure mate and the complementary closure mate; and

one or more indicator sources configured to indicate the location of the container to a user; and

a tracking device comprising;

a wireless interface, configured for storing an order identifier associated with the customer order and further configured for receiving, via a communication channel in common with a plurality of tracking devices attached to respective containers, a broadcasted order identifier associated with a desired customer order to be retrieved from a storage area, and

an interface connecting with the one or more indicator sources on the container, the tracking device configured to activate the indicator source responsive to receiving the broadcasted order identifier via the communication channel and confirming a match between the broadcasted order identifier and the stored order identifier, wherein a transmission of the broadcasted order identifier to the common communication channel causes, in the plurality of tracking devices, activation of the one or more indicator sources for a set of tracking devices that store an order identifier matching the broadcasted order identifier; and

a point-of-sale station comprising;

a customer verification module configured to access an order identifier stored on the set of tracking devices, the customer verification module further configured to determine a match between the accessed order identifier and the order identifier associated with the desired customer order; and

a container communication module configured to read open and closed data from the sensor of the set of tracking devices having one or more activated indicator sources, the container communication module further configured to send a lock or unlock command to the locking mechanism based on the open and closed data from the sensor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the order identifier includes a customer identifier.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the broadcasted order identifier includes an expiration date, and wherein the request to activate an indicator source indicates a threshold expiration date;

and wherein the tracking device is configured to activate the indicator source responsive to determining the expiration date is past the threshold expiration date.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the tracking device is configured, responsive to receiving a request to retrieve information, to transmit the stored order identifier.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more indicator sources includes a first indicator source and a second indicator source, and the request to activate the indicator source indicates the first indicator source or the second indicator source to activate.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the tracking device is removeably attached to the container.

20. The system of claim 14, the locking mechanism is configured to lock the main closure mate and the complementary closure mate when in the closed state.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein, responsive to a user input provided to the tracking device, the tracking device is activated to receive the order identifier for storage in the storage device.