Methods, Systems, and Apparatus for Determining and Automatically Programming Network Addresses for Devices Operating in a Network

• US 20120317251A1
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Owen, Gary M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/50 the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A method for configuring a network device includes activating a sensor of the network device to receive data. The data from the sensor is analyzed to determine physical location information indicated thereby. A network address is automatically assigned to the network device based on the physical location information indicated by the data from the sensor. Related methods, systems, and apparatus are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a network device, the method comprising:

activating a sensor of the network device to receive data;

analyzing the data to determine physical location information indicated thereby; and

automatically assigning a network address to the network device based on the physical location indicated by the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data represents an alphabetic and/or numeric character string, and wherein automatically assigning the network address comprises:

generating the network address for the network device from the character string using a predetermined algorithm; and

storing the network address in a memory of the network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the network address for the network device comprises:

extracting at least one alphabetic and/or numeric character from the character string; and

generating the network address to include a representation of the at least one alphabetic and/or numeric character such that the network address of the network device indicates the physical location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the network device comprises one of a plurality of communicatively coupled nodes in a system, and wherein the character string indicates the physical location in the system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system comprises a matrix including a plurality of rows and columns, and wherein the character string identifies a row and/or a column in the matrix corresponding to the physical location in the system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of nodes are arranged in a same row of the matrix, and wherein the character string comprises an alphabetic character that identifies a column of the matrix corresponding to a physical location of the network device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the system comprises an automated pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus including a plurality of bins configured to store filled prescriptions therein, wherein the plurality of bins are arranged along the rows and columns of the matrix.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the data is received from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed proximate the physical location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network address comprises one of a predetermined set of network addresses generated using the predetermined algorithm, and further comprising:

transmitting an activation command from a network controller to the plurality of nodes in the system based on the predetermined set of network addresses,

wherein activating the sensor of the network device is performed in response to the activation command.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

associating the network address assigned to the network device with the physical location in the system indicated by the character string; and

then

selectively transmitting a command from the network controller to the network device among the plurality of nodes to activate the sensor thereof to identify an item at the corresponding physical location.

11. A system, comprising:

a plurality of communicatively coupled network devices, the network devices respectively comprising;

a sensor that is configured to receive data, and

a processor coupled to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to activate the sensor, analyze the data to determine physical location information indicated thereby, and automatically assign a respective network address to its corresponding network device based on the physical location indicated by the data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data received at each of the sensors represents a respective alphabetic and/or numeric character string, and wherein each of the processors is configured to automatically generate the respective network address for its corresponding network device from the respective character string using a predetermined algorithm and automatically store the network address in a memory of its corresponding network device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the processors is configured to extract at least one alphabetic and/or numeric character from the respective character string and generate the respective network address of its corresponding network device to include a representation of the at least one alphabetic and/or numeric character such that the respective network addresses of the network devices indicate the respective physical locations.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a matrix including a plurality of rows and columns,

wherein each of the respective character strings identifies a row and/or a column in the matrix.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the network devices are arranged in a same row of the matrix, and wherein each of the respective character strings comprises an alphabetic character that identifies a column of the matrix corresponding to a physical location of one of the network devices.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the system comprises an automated pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus, and further comprising:

a plurality of bins configured to store filled prescriptions therein, wherein the plurality of bins are arranged along the rows and columns of the matrix.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data is received at each sensor from a respective radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed proximate the respective physical location and encoded with the respective character string corresponding thereto, wherein each of the respective character strings identifies the row and/or column of one of the plurality of bins to which the respective RFID tag is affixed.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the respective network addresses comprise ones of a predetermined set of network addresses generated using the predetermined algorithm, and further comprising:

a network controller coupled to the plurality of network devices and configured to transmit an activation command thereto based on the predetermined set of network addresses,

wherein the respective processors of the network devices are configured to activate the respective sensors thereof to receive the respective data in response to the activation command.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the network controller is further configured to associate the respective network addresses assigned to the corresponding ones of the plurality of network devices with the respective physical locations in the system indicated by the respective character strings, and then selectively transmit a command from the network controller to one of the plurality of network devices to activate the sensor thereof to identify an item at the corresponding physical location.

20. An automated pharmaceutical dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of bins configured to store filled prescriptions therein;

a plurality of communicatively coupled scanners, the scanners respectively comprising;

a sensor that is configured to receive data from one or more elements of the apparatus; and

circuitry that is configured to activate the sensor, analyze the data to determine physical location information indicated thereby, and automatically assign a respective network address to its corresponding scanner based on the physical location indicated by the data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data received at each of the sensors represents respective alphabetic and/or numeric character strings indicating respective physical locations in the apparatus of ones of the plurality of bins, and wherein the respective circuitry is configured to automatically generate the respective network address for its corresponding scanner from the respective physical location indicated by the respective character string and automatically store the respective network address in a memory of its corresponding scanner.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the respective circuitry is configured to extract at least one alphabetic and/or numeric character from the respective character string and generate the respective network address to include a representation of the at least one alphabetic and/or numeric character such that the respective network address of each scanner indicates the respective physical location of the one of the plurality of bins adjacent thereto.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plurality of bins are arranged in a matrix including a plurality of rows and columns, and wherein each of the respective character strings identifies a row and/or a column of one of the plurality of bins.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the data is received at each sensor from a respective radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed proximate the respective physical location of the one of the plurality of bins adjacent thereto, wherein each of the respective character strings identifies the row and/or column of the one of the plurality of bins to which the respective RFID tag is affixed.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of scanners are arranged in a same row of the matrix, and wherein each of the respective character strings comprises an alphabetic character that identifies a column of the matrix corresponding to a physical location of one of the scanners.