ADAPTIVE INTERFACE FOR PRODUCT DISPENSING SYSTEMS

• US 20070208454A1
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Forrester, Curtis, Broussard, Brian, Remis, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/006 Details of the software used for the vending machines

Abstract

An adaptive interface is provided that is capable of brokering requests from a diverse set of customer host systems to a diverse set of backend servers (or backend device or backend automation system) controlling product dispensing devices and/or systems. The interface may be fully configurable and extensible (i.e., there is a lot of control over the behavior, and the interface can support future features without requiring code changes). Two areas of extensibility of the interface may be adapting to new message formats from the same or new host systems, and supporting new backend services.

Claims

1. An interface comprising:

a memory configured to store;

one or more host definition files corresponding with a respective one or more host systems, said one or more host definition files defining one or more aspects of interacting with the corresponding host systems;

one or more backend definition files corresponding with a respective one or more product dispensing stations, said one or more backend files defining one or more aspects of interacting with the corresponding product dispensing stations; and

a configuration file comprising information regarding the one or more host systems and the one or more product dispensing stations of a product dispensing system; and

a processor in communication with the memory for accessing the one or more host definition files, the one or more backend definition files and the configuration file, and further for managing communication between and/or amongst the one or more host systems and the one or more product dispensing stations of the product dispensing system.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein the configuration file is specific to a particular installation of the product dispensing system.

3. The interface of claim 1, wherein the configuration file comprises an identification associated with respective host systems of the product dispensing system, an identification of the host definition files to use for interacting with the host systems, and an identification of the product dispensing stations of the product dispensing system.

4. The interface of claim 1, wherein respective host definition files comprise a description of a communication method to and from the corresponding host system.

5. The interface of claim 4, wherein the description comprises at least one of a message format layout, a description of how to implement a special handling script, or a pattern to recognize a type of message.

6. The interface of claim 4, wherein respective host definition files further comprise a mapping between a host message field and a backend message object.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein respective backend definition files comprise a description of a communication method to and from the corresponding product dispending station.

8. The interface of claim 7, wherein the description comprises at least one of a message object definition, a command definition, or a backed service definition.

9. A product dispensing system comprising:

one or more product dispensing stations;

one or more host systems configured to communicate with the one or more product dispensing stations; and

an adaptive interface configured to manage communications between and/or amongst the one or more product dispensing stations and the one or more host systems, wherein the adaptive interface comprises one or more host definition files corresponding with respective one or more host systems and one or more backend files corresponding with respective one or more product dispensing stations, such that said one or more product dispensing stations and said one or more host systems can be altered, added or removed without requiring a change to any remaining host systems.

10. The product dispensing system of claim 9, wherein the adaptive interface further comprises a configuration file comprising information regarding the one or more host systems and the one or more product dispensing stations of the product dispensing system.

11. A product dispensing system comprising:

a controller;

one or more dispensing stations in communication with the controller; and

one or more validation devices also in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the one or more dispensing stations and the one or more validation devices via an adaptive interface comprising one or more host definition files corresponding with a respective one or more host systems and one or more backend files corresponding with respective one or more product dispensing stations, such that said one or more product dispensing stations and said one or more host systems can be altered, added or removed without requiring a change to any remaining host systems.

12. The product dispensing system of claim 11, wherein the one or more dispensing stations comprise one or more automated dispensing devices and one or more non-automated dispensing devices.

13. The product dispensing system of claim 11, wherein the one or more validation devices comprise some combination of a scale, a barcode scanner, an RF scanner and a quality control device.