Computerized stock control system

• US 6,393,339 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1999
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biovend Limited
• Original Assignee: Biovend Limited
• Inventors: Yeadon, William Sydney
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/445,119
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/237, 700/241, 700/242, 700/243, 700/244, 221/2, 221/150.R
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A computerized stock control system having a refrigerated carousel dispensing station. The dispensing station includes a user identification device, an article identification output device to provide identification of articles to be dispensed, and an article identification input device to provide identification of restocking articles prior to the dispensing process. The user must enter user identification data through the user identification device and be acknowledged by the dispensing station as an authorized user prior to the dispensing process. The user must also enter identification data of the article to be dispensed through the article identification output device which then clears the system for dispensing the requested article. The dispensing station logs the user identification data and the identification data of article(s) to be dispensed and conveys the data to a central computer. The central computer also provides reports via the output device concerning article dispensing.

Claims

1. A computerized stock control system having:

a) a central computer device for controlling a central part of the system

b) at least one dispensing station where stock can be dispensed,

c) an output means from which reports can be generated concerning stock,

d) a software program controlling said computer device for controlling the central part of the system;

said at least one dispensing station including user identification means, and stock identification output means to provide identification of stock to be dispensed from said dispensing station and stock identification input means to provide identification of stock which is passed into said dispensing station for subsequent dispensing, dispensing station computing means connected with said user identification means and said input means, and a software program for controlling said dispensing station computing means, said dispensing station computing means being coupled with said central computer device to pass stock and user data therebetween;

said system operating such that when stock is passed into said dispensing station, said stock identification input means is used to obtain data relating to the stock being passed, and when stock is required to be dispensed a user must enter user identification data through said user identification means and be acknowledged by the dispensing station computing means as an authorized person to dispense stock to and said user must also enter identification data of stock to be dispensed through said stock identification output means which then clears the system for dispensing the requested stock,

said dispensing station computing means logging the user identification data and the identification data of stock to be dispensed and conveying that data to said central computer device, said central computer device processing that data and providing a report via said output means concerning stock dispensing,

said at least one dispensing station being a refrigerated cabinet for holding a variety of stock that needs to be maintained refrigerated, said at least one dispensing station having a motor driven carousel on to which a variety of individual stock items can be stored, said dispensing station computing means controlling said motor driven carousel and a selecting means for selecting stock to be dispensed, so that following selection of stock from said variety of stock, both said motor driven carousel and said selecting means will be operated to dispense the selected stock.

2. A stock control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said user identification means must be activated by a person adding stock to said dispensing station so that data identifying that person can be acknowledged by the dispensing station computer means as an authorised stock adding person in order that the system will accept data from said input means which identifies stock being passed into said dispensing station.

3. A stock control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dispensing station is a manual dispensing station where an authorised attendant manually picks stock to be dispensed in response to the system being cleared to dispense stock.

4. A stock control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user identification data is used to check against authorization records to determine particular stock that is allowed to be dispensed to that user and to determine stock that is not allowed to be dispensed to that user.

5. A stock control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dispensing station user identification means comprises a reader means for reading user identification code on a user carried card.

6. A stock control system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said user carried card contains not only a record of the user identification but data of budget amounts for that user, and said software at said dispensing station is able to interrogate said card to extract that data of budget amounts and calculate if requested stock is within the budget amount and to update the card with the remaining balance against budget after dispensing the requested stock.