System, method, apparatus and computer program product for capturing human-readable text displayed on a unit dose package

• US 8,009,913 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Greyshock, Shawn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mariam; Daniel G
• Application Number:
  US11/754,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/209, 382/218, 382/137, 382182-183, 382/306, 235/462.01, 235/462.05, 235/462.07, 235/462.08
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for capturing human-readable text displayed on a unit dose package. In particular, identification information associated with a unit dose package may be used to determine a location and/or a format in which human-readable text, such as an expiration date or lot number associated with the corresponding unit dose medication, is displayed on the unit dose package. Once the location and/or format of the human-readable text has been determined, this information can be used in order to scan the unit dose medication and translate the human-readable text into machine-readable text using, for example, optical character recognition.

Claims

1. A method of capturing human-readable text displayed on a unit dose package, said method comprising:

capturing identification information associated with a unit dose package;

determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which human-readable text is displayed; and

electronically capturing the human-readable text at the determined location,

wherein determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which human-readable text is displayed comprises accessing a mapping of the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages to information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing identification information comprises reading an identification code displayed on the unit dose package.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein reading the identification code comprises:

locating an edge of the unit dose package.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein reading the identification code further comprises:

capturing an image of the unit dose package; and

decoding one or more pixels of the captured image on a row-by-row basis in a predefined direction relative to the edge, wherein the predefined direction is selected from a group consisting of substantially parallel to the edge and substantially perpendicular to the edge.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

continuing to decode one or more pixels of the captured image on a row-by-row basis in the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located or substantially all of the pixels of the captured image have been decoded; and

where substantially all of the pixels of the captured image have been decoded and the identification code has not been located, decoding one or more pixels on a row-by-row basis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein reading the identification code further comprises:

scanning one or more optical signals across the unit dose package in a predefined direction relative to the edge, wherein the predefined direction is selected from a group consisting of substantially parallel to the edge and substantially perpendicular to the edge.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

continuing to scan the optical signals across the unit dose package in the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located or substantially the entire surface of the unit dose package has been scanned; and

where substantially the entire surface of the unit dose package has been scanned and the identification code has not been located, scanning one or more optical signals across the unit dose package in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the unit dose package is located in a carrier, and wherein locating an edge of the unit dose package comprises locating the edge based at least in part on a contrast in brightness between the unit dose package and the carrier.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the unit dose package is located in a carrier, such that the unit dose package is substantially flush with at least one side of carrier, and wherein locating an edge of the unit dose package comprises locating the edge based at least in part on the at least one side of the carrier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is selected from a group consisting of a medication type and a manufacturer associated with the unit dose package.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed comprises information describing the location relative to at least one edge of the unit dose package.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed comprises information describing the location relative to an identification code displayed on the unit dose package.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the unit dose package, wherein the mapping also associates the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages with information describing the format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the corresponding unit dose package.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the human-readable text comprises an expiration date or a lot number associated with the unit dose package.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically capturing the human-readable text comprises:

translating the human-readable text into machine-readable text using optical character recognition.

16. A system for capturing human-readable text displayed on a unit dose package, said system comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image of a unit dose package;

a

processor in communication with the image capture device; 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 determine, based at least in part on identification information associated with the unit dose package, a location on the unit dose package at which human-readable text is displayed and to decode the human-readable text at the determined location,

wherein the memory further stores a mapping of the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages to information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed, wherein, in order to determine, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed, the application is configured, upon execution, to access the mapping.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to capture the identification information associated with the unit dose package from an identification code displayed on the unit dose package.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein in order capture the identification information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to locate an edge of the unit dose package.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein in order to capture the identification information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

decode one or more pixels of the captured image on a row-by-row basis in a predefined direction relative to the edge, wherein the predefined direction is selected from a group consisting of substantially parallel to the edge and substantially perpendicular to the edge.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein in order to capture the identification information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to:

continue to decode one or more pixels of the captured image on a row-by-row basis in the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located or substantially all of the pixels of the captured image have been decoded; and

where substantially all of the pixels of the captured image have been decoded and the identification code has not been located, decode one or more pixels on a row-by-row basis in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located.

21. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a reader in communication with the processor, wherein, in order to capture the identification information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to direct the reader to scan one or more optical signals across the unit dose package in a predefined direction relative to the edge, wherein the predefined direction is selected from a group consisting of substantially parallel to the edge and substantially perpendicular to the edge.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein in order to capture the identification information, the application is further configured, upon execution, to direct the reader to:

continue to scan the optical signals across the unit dose package in the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located or substantially the entire surface of the unit dose package has been scanned; and

scan one or more optical signals across the unit dose package in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predefined direction relative to the edge until the identification code is located, where substantially the entire surface of the unit dose package has been scanned in the predefined direction relative to the edge and the identification code was not located.

23. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a carrier configured to hold the unit dose package, wherein, in order to locate an edge of the unit dose package, the application is configured, upon execution, to locate the edge based at least in part on a contrast in brightness between the unit dose package and the carrier.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed comprises information describing the location relative to at least one edge of the unit dose package.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed comprises information describing the location relative to an identification code displayed on the unit dose package.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to determine, based at least in part on the identification information, a format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the unit dose package, wherein the mapping also associates the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages with information describing the format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the corresponding unit dose package.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein, in order to decode the human-readable text, the application is further configured, upon execution, to translate the human-readable text into machine-readable text using optical character recognition.

28. An apparatus for capturing human-readable text displayed on a unit dose package, said apparatus comprising:

means for capturing identification information associated with a unit dose package;

means for determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which human-readable text is displayed; and

means for electronically capturing the human-readable text at the determined location,

wherein the means for determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed comprises means for accessing a mapping of the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages to information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the unit dose package, wherein the mapping also associates the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages with information describing the format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the corresponding unit dose package.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the human-readable text comprises an expiration date or a lot number associated with the unit dose package.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for electronically capturing the human-readable text further comprises:

means for translating the human-readable text into machine-readable text using optical character recognition.

32. A non-transitory computer program product for capturing human-readable text displayed on a unit dose package, 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 directing the capture of identification information associated with a unit dose package;

a second executable portion for determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which human-readable text is displayed; and

a third executable portion for directing the electronic capture of the human-readable text at the determined location,

wherein determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a location on the unit dose package at which human-readable text is displayed comprises accessing a mapping of the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages to information describing the location on the corresponding unit dose package at which the human-readable text is displayed.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer-readable portions further comprise:

a fourth executable portion for determining, based at least in part on the identification information, a format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the unit dose package, wherein the mapping also associates the identification information associated with one or more unit dose packages with information describing the format in which the human-readable text is displayed on the corresponding unit dose package.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the third executable portion is configured to translate the human-readable text into machine-readable text using optical character recognition.