US 11,705,236 B2
System and apparatus for item management
Duane S. Chudy, Lincolnshire, IL (US); Larry Montgomery, Butternut, WI (US); and James Spernow, Grayslake, IL (US)
Assigned to Chudy Group, LLC, Powers Lake, WI (US)
Filed by CHUDY GROUP, LLC, Powers Lake, WI (US)
Filed on Jul. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/872,588.
Application 17/872,588 is a continuation of application No. 17/735,679, filed on May 3, 2022.
Application 17/735,679 is a continuation of application No. 17/117,512, filed on Dec. 10, 2020, granted, now 11,348,675, issued on May 31, 2022.
Application 17/117,512 is a continuation of application No. 16/871,435, filed on May 11, 2020, granted, now 11,264,124, issued on Mar. 1, 2022.
Application 16/871,435 is a continuation of application No. 15/610,083, filed on May 31, 2017, granted, now 10,650,921, issued on May 12, 2020.
Application 15/610,083 is a continuation of application No. 13/841,724, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, granted, now 9,672,327, issued on Jun. 6, 2017.
Application 13/841,724 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/766,092, filed on Feb. 13, 2013, granted, now 9,002,510, issued on Apr. 7, 2015.
Application 13/766,092 is a continuation of application No. 12/033,957, filed on Feb. 20, 2008, granted, now 8,380,346, issued on Feb. 19, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2022/0359059 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G16H 20/60 (2018.01); G06Q 50/22 (2018.01); G16H 20/13 (2018.01); G06Q 10/08 (2023.01); A61J 7/00 (2006.01); G07F 17/00 (2006.01); B65B 5/04 (2006.01); G07F 11/62 (2006.01); G16H 20/10 (2018.01); B65G 1/02 (2006.01); G06F 17/00 (2019.01); G16H 40/20 (2018.01); A61J 1/03 (2023.01); A61J 7/04 (2006.01)
CPC G16H 20/60 (2018.01) [A61J 7/0069 (2013.01); B65B 5/04 (2013.01); B65G 1/02 (2013.01); G06F 17/00 (2013.01); G06Q 10/08 (2013.01); G06Q 50/22 (2013.01); G07F 11/62 (2013.01); G07F 17/0092 (2013.01); G16H 20/10 (2018.01); G16H 20/13 (2018.01); G16H 40/20 (2018.01); A61J 1/03 (2013.01); A61J 7/04 (2013.01); A61J 2205/10 (2013.01); A61J 2205/20 (2013.01); A61J 2205/60 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for management of medicament items enabling pharmacy personnel to rapidly and accurately perform repetitive manual tasks of hand-loading at least one type of medicament according to at least one prescription order, the system comprising:
at least one portable tray for transferring medicaments to an automatic dispensing machine, the at least one tray having a pattern of medicament-holding cells with upper and lower cell openings and a gate movable to open and close the lower openings;
a docking station, located apart from the automatic dispensing machine, to which the tray is temporarily docked in order to load the at least one medicament into the cells of the tray, the docking station including indicators proximate locations corresponding to the cells, the docking station further including circuitry which enables operation of the indicators between at least yes and no states to provide visible information indicating one or more location into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded; and
at least one controller operatively associated with the docking station to control operation of the indicator yes and no states according to the at least one prescription order.