Apparatus, system and methods for dispensing products
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
a chain of bins in the housing;
a dispensing station on the housing;
an entry device for generating a dispense request;
a controller for producing control information in response to a dispense request and transaction information on products in the bins;
a mechanism in the housing coupled to the chain for moving the chain to place a bin at the dispensing station in response to the control information; and
, a door mechanism at the dispensing station for providing access to the bin in response to the control information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Products are dispensed from a dispensing apparatus in which products marked with transaction information are received in a chain of bins. In response to control information synthesized from transaction information on the products in the bins and a dispense request, the chain is moved to place a bin at a dispensing station on the dispensing apparatus. At the dispensing station, a mechanism is operated in response to the control information to provide access to the bin. A product in the bin may then be retrieved.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
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a housing;
a chain of bins in the housing;
a dispensing station on the housing;
an entry device for generating a dispense request;
a controller for producing control information in response to a dispense request and transaction information on products in the bins;
a mechanism in the housing coupled to the chain for moving the chain to place a bin at the dispensing station in response to the control information; and
,a door mechanism at the dispensing station for providing access to the bin in response to the control information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
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a housing;
a chain of bins in the housing;
a loading station on the housing for loading the bins with products marked with transaction information;
an entry device for receiving a dispense request including information identifying a recipient;
a controller for producing control information in response to information identifying a recipient and transaction information on products in the bins;
a mechanism coupled to the chain for moving the chain to place a bin at a dispensing location in response to the control information; and
,a door mechanism at the dispensing location having a first state blocking access to all bins at the dispensing location and a second state for providing access to the bin at the dispensing location in response to the control information. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for securely dispensing products, comprising:
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a housing;
an endless chain of bins in the housing;
a loading station on the housing for loading the bins with packages labeled with packaging information;
a dispensing station on the housing;
a device for providing a dispense request including information identifying a recipient;
an information sensor mechanism for sensing transaction information from products in the bins a controller coupled to the device and the sensor mechanism for producing control information in response to the identification information and to the transaction information;
a rotation mechanism coupled to rotate the endless chain to place a bin at the dispensing station in response to the control information; and
a door mechanism at the dispensing station for providing access to the bin in response to the control information. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A processor-executed method for dispensing products, comprising:
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loading products labeled with packaging information to a chain;
receiving a dispense request for a labeled product;
synthesizing control information in response to the transaction information and the dispense;
the control information identifying at least one product for the recipient; and
moving the products in response to the control information so that the at least one product is placed at a locked dispensing location. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A processor-executed method for securely dispensing products from an endless chain of bins, comprising:
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loading products labeled with transaction information to the bins;
displaying a list of recipients to receive at least one product in the bins;
receiving information identifying a recipient in the list;
synthesizing control information from the transaction information and the identifying information;
the control information identifying at least one bin containing a product for the recipient;
moving the endless chain in response to the control information so that the at least one bin is positioned at a locked dispensing location; and
providing access to the dispensing location in response to the control information.
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33. A storage medium containing software instructions for:
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receiving transaction information about packages loaded to an endless chain;
receiving information identifying a recipient of at least one package;
synthesizing control information from the transaction information and the identifying information;
the control information identifying at least one package for the recipient; and
causing rotation of the endless chain in response to the control information so that the at least one package is placed at a locked dispensing location. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A program product containing a program of software instructions for securely dispensing pharmaceutical products from an endless chain of bins, the program including instructions for:
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receiving transaction information from labels of packages containing pharmaceutical products loaded to the bins;
displaying a list of recipients to receive at least one package;
receiving a dispense request including information identifying a recipient in the list;
synthesizing control information from the transaction information and the identifying information;
the control information identifying at least one bin containing a package for the recipient;
causing movement of the chain in response to the control information so that the at least one bin is positioned at a locked dispensing location; and
unlocking the dispensing location in response to the control information.
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36. A dispensing apparatus, comprising:
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a housing;
a chain of bins in the housing;
a dispensing station on the housing;
an entry device for generating a dispense request;
a controller for producing control information in response to a dispense request and transaction information on products in the bins; and
a mechanism in the housing coupled to the chain for moving the chain to place a bin at the dispensing station in response to the control information. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification