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 loading station on the housing for loading the bins with products;
a dispensing location on the housing;
an entry device for generating a dispense request including information identifying a recipient;
a product information reader in the housing adjacent the loading station configured to read product information on products after the products are in the bins;
a controller coupled to the entry device and to the reader configured to produce control information in response to information identifying a recipient and the product information;
a mechanism coupled to the chain for moving the chain to place a bin at the 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.
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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 two-dimensional array of moveable bins. In response to control information synthesized from transaction information on the products in the bins and a dispense request, the array is operated 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.
15 Citations
13 Claims
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1. 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; a dispensing location on the housing; an entry device for generating a dispense request including information identifying a recipient; a product information reader in the housing adjacent the loading station configured to read product information on products after the products are in the bins; a controller coupled to the entry device and to the reader configured to produce control information in response to information identifying a recipient and the product information; a mechanism coupled to the chain for moving the chain to place a bin at the 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 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for dispensing products, comprising:
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reading product information from products when the products have been loaded to a chain; storing the product information in a data structure in which the product information is associated with the locations in the chain where products are loaded; receiving a dispense request for at least one product in the chain including information identifying a recipient; synthesizing control information in response to the product information in the data structure and the dispense request, the control information identifying a location of at least one product in the chain for the recipient; and moving the chain in response to the control information so that the location with the at least one product is placed at a locked dispensing location. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A storage medium containing instructions for:
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receiving product information read from packages when the packages have been loaded to an endless chain; storing the product information in a data structure in which the product information is associated with the locations in the endless chain where products are loaded; receiving information identifying a recipient of at least one package; synthesizing control information from the product information in the data structure and the identifying information, the control information identifying a bin location in the endless chain of at least one product for the recipient; and causing rotation of the endless chain in response to the control information so that the bin location is placed at a locked dispensing location. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification