REMOTELY AND INTERACTIVELY CONTROLLING SEMI-AUTOMATIC DEVICES

• US 20080306740A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Spano, Philip H. JR., Schuck, Joseph C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An apparatus, system, method and computer program product are provided for enabling a user to remotely and interactively control, using voice commands, the processing tasks of multiple pieces of equipment, such as semi-automatic medication storing, dispensing and packaging devices. In particular, an apparatus may be configured to provide a user with a voice prompt associated with a dynamically prioritized task. In response, the apparatus may further be configured to receive, a voice command from the use and to transmit an instruction associated with the voice command to one of the multiple pieces of equipment for performance of the prioritized task.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an input device configured to receive information associated with two or more tasks to be performed in relation to one or more semi-automatic devices;

an output device configured to communicate an instruction associated with at least one of the two or more tasks;

a processor in communication with the input and output devices; and

a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing the information associated with the two or more tasks, said memory further storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured, upon execution, to dynamically prioritize the two or more tasks based at least in part on a set of rules defining the relative priorities associated with the two or more tasks, the application further configured, upon execution, to automatically communicate, via the output device, an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks based at least in part on the dynamic prioritization.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more semi-automatic devices comprise one or more medication storing, dispensing and packaging devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of rules defining the relative priorities of the two or more tasks comprises one or more rules defining a relative priority associated with respective ones of a plurality of types of tasks.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the set of rules defining the relative priorities of the two or more tasks further comprises one or more rules defining a relative priority associated with respective semi-automated devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to prioritize one or more actions associated with respective tasks, such that an instruction associated with a task conveys the one or more actions associated with the task in an order corresponding to the prioritization.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to prioritize the one or more actions associated with respective tasks based at least in part on a probability that respective actions will be selected.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to determine the probability based at least in part on historical data representing a frequency with which respective actions are selected.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a receiver configured to receive the information over a network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a keyboard.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a transmitter, such that, in order to automatically communicate, via the output device, an instruction associated with one of the one or more tasks, the application is further configured to wirelessly transmit the instruction via the transmitter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to determine to which of two or more mobile devices to transmit the instruction.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a speaker configured to output an audible prompt associated with the instruction, and wherein in order to automatically communicate, via the output device, an instruction associated with one of the one or more tasks, the application is further configured, upon execution, to convert the instruction into the audible prompt.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a second input device configured to receive an audible command from a user operating the apparatus, said application further configured, upon execution, to convert the audible command into an instruction associated with one of the semi-automatic devices; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the instruction to the semi-automatic device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the input device comprises a microphone.

15. A system comprising:

one or more semi-automatic devices; and

an apparatus configured to receive and store information associated with two or more tasks to be performed in relation to the one or more semi-automatic devices, said apparatus further configured to dynamically prioritize the two or more tasks based at least in part on a set of rules defining the relative priorities associated with the two or more tasks, and to communicate an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks based at least in part on the dynamic prioritization.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further configured to prioritize one or more actions associated with respective tasks, such that an instruction associated with a task conveys the one or more actions associated with the task in an order corresponding to the prioritization.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured to prioritize the one or more actions associated with respective tasks based at least in part on a probability that respective actions will be selected.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine the probability based at least in part on historical data representing a frequency with which respective actions are selected.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

one or more mobile devices in communication with the apparatus, wherein in order to communicate an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks, the apparatus is further configured to transmit the instruction to at least one of the mobile devices over a network.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein in order to communicate an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks, the apparatus is further configured to determine to which of the one or more mobile devices to transmit the instruction.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the mobile device is further configured to convert the instruction into an audible prompt, and to output the audible prompt to a user operating the mobile device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile device is further configured to receive an audible command from the user, to convert the audible command into an instruction, and to wirelessly transmit the instruction to a corresponding one of the semi-automatic devices.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile device, and wherein in order to communicate the instruction associated with one of the one or more tasks, the mobile device is further configured to convert the instruction into an audible prompt for outputting to a user operating the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is further configured to receive an audible command from the user, to convert the audible command into an instruction, and to wirelessly transmit the instruction to a corresponding one of the semi-automatic devices.

25. A method comprising:

receiving information associated with two or more tasks to be performed in relation to one or more semi-automatic devices;

dynamically prioritizing the two or more tasks based at least in part on a set of rules defining the relative priorities associated with the two or more tasks; and

communicating an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks based at least in part on the dynamic prioritization.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein dynamically prioritizing the two or more tasks comprises evaluating the relative priority associated with respective tasks and ordering the tasks based on the evaluation.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

prioritizing one or more actions associated with respective tasks, such that an instruction associated with a task conveys the one or more actions associated with the task in an order corresponding to the prioritization.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein prioritizing the one or more actions associated with respective tasks comprises prioritizing the one or more actions based at least in part on a probability that respective actions will be selected.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

determining the probability based at least in part on historical data representing a frequency with which respective actions are selected.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein communicating an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks comprises transmitting the instruction over a network.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein communicating an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks comprises:

converting the instruction into one or more audible prompts; and

outputting the audible prompts.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

receiving an audible command;

converting the audible command into an instruction associated with one of the semi-automated devices; and

transmitting the instruction.

33. An apparatus:

an input device configured to receive an instruction associated with a task to be performed by one of a set of semi-automated devices, said instruction selected based on a dynamic prioritization of a plurality of tasks to be performed by the set of semi-automated devices;

an output device configured to output an audible prompt associated with the instruction;

a processor in communication with the input and output devices; and

a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured, upon execution, to convert the instruction into the audible prompt.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the instruction comprises one or more actions to be taken in relation to the task, said one or more actions prioritized based at least in part on a probability that respective actions will be taken.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising:

a second input device configured to receive an audible command, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to convert the audible command into an instruction associated with one of the semi-automatic devices; and

a second output device configured to wirelessly transmit the instruction.

36. A computer program product for remotely and interactively controlling one more semi-automated devices, wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving information associated with two or more tasks to be performed in relation to one or more semi-automatic devices;

a second executable portion for dynamically prioritizing the two or more tasks based at least in part on a set of rules defining the relative priorities associated with the two or more tasks; and

a third executable portion for communicating an instruction associated with one of the two or more tasks based at least in part on the dynamic prioritization.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the second executable portion is configured to evaluate the relative priority associated with respective tasks and order the tasks based on the evaluation.

38. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the third executable portion is configured to transmit the instruction over a network.

39. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the third executable portion is configured to:

convert the instruction into one or more audible prompts; and

output the audible prompts.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for receiving an audible command;

a fifth executable portion for converting the audible command into an instruction associated with one of the semi-automated devices; and

a sixth executable portion for transmitting the instruction.