Multi-line parallel scheduling method and system for drug dispensing

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic drug dispensing, in particular to a multi-line parallel scheduling method and system for drug dispensing, and the method comprises the steps: conveying a container into an entrance of a drug supplementing region in an upstream process, reading the identity information of the container through a recognition module, and obtaining prescription information bound with the container and corresponding to-be-supplemented decoction piece information; according to the information of the to-be-supplemented decoction pieces and the decoction piece inventory configuration of the current prescription supplementing table group, whether the container needs to be subjected to medicine supplementing operation on the current prescription supplementing table group or not is judged; and if the medicines do not need to be supplemented in the current prescription supplementing table group, dispatching the container to an overtaking line, and skipping the current prescription supplementing table group. According to the invention, the overtaking line is arranged in parallel in the lateral direction of the complementing line, and the complementing table groups sharing the decoction piece library are arranged along the conveying direction of the complementing line, so that the complementing demand is obtained based on pre-reading the label information of the container, the conveying of the container on the complementing line or the overtaking line is dynamically adjusted, the on-line waiting time is shortened, and the overall circulation period is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated drug dispensing technology, specifically to a multi-line parallel scheduling method and system for drug dispensing. Background Technology

[0002] Automated drug dispensing systems have been widely used in hospital pharmacies and smart pharmacies in recent years. These systems utilize robotic arms, weighing modules, and conveyor lines to automatically grasp, weigh, and dispense medicinal herbs, significantly improving dispensing efficiency and accuracy. However, in practical applications, some special medicinal herbs (such as powdered, viscous, or expensive herbs) are difficult to process fully automatically by the main dispensing equipment due to their physical characteristics or operational complexity, and still require manual replenishment.

[0003] The refilling process in existing drug dispensing systems typically employs a single-line, sequential flow through all refill stations. Specifically, after the upstream process delivers the container bound to the electronic prescription to the refilling area, the container must pass through each refill station sequentially. Each refill station is equipped with an independent herbal medicine library, and the types of herbal medicines are unique between stations. When a container arrives at a refill station, the system reads its prescription information. If it contains the herbal medicines stored at that station, the refiller manually adds them; otherwise, the container passes through empty and continues to the next station. Therefore, a large number of containers, which do not need to be refilled at the current station, are forced to queue, occupying conveyor belt resources and time, resulting in low overall efficiency. Furthermore, the single-line design lacks a diversion mechanism, making it prone to container accumulation, conveyor stagnation, and even process interruptions during peak hours.

[0004] In summary, the existing design mode of a single line and sequential flow through all replenishment stations is difficult to schedule because the containers are limited to single-line transportation. As a result, the containers need to queue up and pass through all replenishment stations in sequence, which has an adverse impact on the overall flow efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-line parallel scheduling method and system for drug dispensing, so as to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the scheduling of containers is difficult due to the limitation of single-line transportation, which causes containers to have to queue up and pass through all replenishment stations in sequence, thus adversely affecting the overall circulation efficiency.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention specifically provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A multi-threaded parallel scheduling method for drug dispensing includes the following steps:

[0008] The upstream process delivers the container to the entrance of the medicine replenishment area, and reads the identity information of the container through the identification module to obtain the prescription information and the corresponding medicine pieces to be replenished bound to the container;

[0009] Based on the information of the medicinal herbs to be replenished and the current medicinal herb inventory configuration of the current prescription replenishment station, determine whether the container needs to be replenished in the current prescription replenishment station.

[0010] If medication is not needed in the current medication replenishment station group, the container is dispatched to the overtaking line to skip the current medication replenishment station group; if medication is needed in the current medication replenishment station group, the container is dispatched to the replenishment line of the corresponding medication replenishment station group and enters the buffer area of ​​that replenishment line to wait.

[0011] After the container enters the prescription line and before it reaches the prescription station group, the information of the herbal pieces to be supplemented is sent to the corresponding prescription station group in advance so that the herbal supplementer can prepare in advance.

[0012] After the container completes the manual medication replenishment operation at the prescription replenishment station group, it queries its prescription information again to determine whether it needs to continue replenishing medication at the next prescription replenishment station group, and accordingly dispatches the container to the prescription replenishment line or overtaking line of the next prescription replenishment station group.

[0013] Once the container has completed all the drug replenishment operations, it is dispatched to the outlet line and sent to the downstream process.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the supplementary platform group is idle, a container is selected from the buffer area of ​​the supplementary line or the overtaking line and scheduled to the supplementary platform group.

[0015] When both the supplementary line and the overtaking line have containers to be processed, containers from the overtaking line are scheduled first.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, before scheduling the container to the fill line or overtaking line, it is determined whether the buffer area or the transport channel of the target line is full.

[0017] If the buffer or transport channel of the target line is full, a waiting mechanism is triggered, causing the container to be temporarily stored at the entrance or buffer until an idle workstation becomes available on the target line before scheduling is executed.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supplementary prescription platform group includes multiple supplementary prescription platforms, and at least some commonly used medicinal slices are repeatedly deployed in multiple supplementary prescription platform groups;

[0019] When the medicinal herbs that need to be replenished are in stock in multiple replenishment stations, the scheduling algorithm selects the optimal replenishment station for replenishment based on the current load status, queue length, or estimated processing time of each replenishment station.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, before the container enters the filling platform, the identification module at the filling platform reads the container's identity information again and performs a consistency verification with the identity information read at the entrance.

[0021] If the verification fails, an exception handling process is triggered, prohibiting the container from continuing to replenish medication.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, containers from the overtaking line are preferentially scheduled, and the containers are preferentially fed into the overtaking line for transportation;

[0023] When there are no containers to be processed on the overtaking line of the current supplementary platform group, the first container in the buffer area of ​​the supplementary line of the supplementary platform group is automatically scheduled to enter the supplementary platform.

[0024] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the container is dispatched to the refill line and before it enters the refill station, the system pushes the name, specifications and quantity of the herbal pieces to be refilled to the display terminal of the corresponding refill station, so that the refiller can prepare the medicine in advance.

[0025] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supplementary line and the overtaking line are physical transport lines arranged in parallel. The container is switched between the supplementary line and the overtaking line by a transplanting machine, and the switching is driven by the central control equipment according to the scheduling algorithm instructions.

[0026] Furthermore, at least one of the supplementary line and the overtaking line is provided to form a multi-line parallel transportation architecture.

[0027] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention further provides the following technical solution:

[0028] A multi-threaded parallel scheduling system for the aforementioned multi-threaded parallel scheduling method for drug dispensing includes:

[0029] Multiple replenishment station groups are set up from the upstream process to the downstream process. Each replenishment station group contains one or more replenishment stations. Each replenishment station is equipped with a stock of medicinal slices, and at least some commonly used medicinal slices are repeatedly deployed in different replenishment station groups.

[0030] The conveying mechanism includes one or more parallel replenishment lines and overtaking lines. The replenishment lines are used to transport containers that need to be replenished to the corresponding replenishment station group, and the overtaking lines are used to allow containers that do not need to be replenished in the current replenishment station group to skip that group.

[0031] Multiple identification modules are respectively set at the upstream process exit, the entrance of each of the prescription replenishment station groups and each of the prescription replenishment stations, for reading the identification tags carried on the containers to obtain the associated prescription information and the demand for the herbal medicine pieces to be replenished;

[0032] A buffer area is set at the entrance of each of the aforementioned filler lines to temporarily store containers waiting to enter the corresponding filler platform group;

[0033] A central control device is communicatively connected to the identity recognition module, the conveying mechanism, the replenishment platform, and the buffer area, and the central control device is configured to perform the following operations:

[0034] When the container is exported from the upstream process, its prescription information and medication needs are obtained through the identification module.

[0035] Based on the demand for tonics and the current inventory of medicinal herbs in the prescription group, determine whether it is necessary to replenish the medicine in the current prescription group;

[0036] If no medication is needed, the control conveyor will guide the container to the overtaking line; if medication is needed, it will be dispatched to the corresponding replenishment line and enter the buffer area to wait.

[0037] After the container enters the replenishment line and before it reaches the replenishment station, the information of the medicinal slices to be replenished is pushed to the display terminal of the corresponding replenishment station.

[0038] When the replenishment platform is idle, a container is selected from the buffer of the replenishment line or the overtaking line and scheduled to the replenishment platform, with priority given to containers from the overtaking line.

[0039] After receiving the signal that the medication has been replenished, the prescription information is checked again to determine whether the medication needs to be replenished in the next prescription station group, and the container is then dispatched to the next prescription line or overtaking line accordingly.

[0040] After the container has completed all the drug replenishment operations, it is controlled to be sent to the downstream process via the replenishment line or the overtaking line.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0042] This invention sets up a supplementary feeding platform group with multiple shared medicinal slices warehouses in parallel on the side of the supplementary feeding line and along the conveying direction of the supplementary feeding line. Based on the pre-reading of container label information to obtain the supplementary feeding demand, the invention dynamically adjusts the conveying of containers on the supplementary feeding line or the overtaking line, thereby reducing the waiting time on the line and shortening the overall circulation cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the multi-line parallel scheduling method for drug dispensing provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a multi-line parallel scheduling system for drug dispensing provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a multi-line parallel scheduling method for drug dispensing, comprising the following steps:

[0048] The upstream process delivers the container to the entrance of the medicine replenishment area, and reads the container's identity information through the identification module to obtain the prescription information and corresponding medicine pieces to be replenished associated with the container;

[0049] Based on the information on the medicinal herbs to be replenished and the current inventory configuration of the medicinal herbs in the current prescription replenishment station, determine whether the container needs to be replenished in the current prescription replenishment station.

[0050] If replenishment is not required in the current replenishment station group, the container will be scheduled to the overtaking line and skip the current replenishment station group; if replenishment is required in the current replenishment station group, the container will be scheduled to the replenishment line of the corresponding replenishment station group and enter the buffer area of ​​that replenishment line to wait.

[0051] After the container enters the refill line and before it reaches the refill station group, the information of the herbal pieces to be refilled is sent to the corresponding refill station group in advance so that the refill staff can prepare in advance.

[0052] After the container completes the manual medication replenishment operation in the prescription replenishment station group, its prescription information is checked again to determine whether it needs to continue to replenish medication in the next prescription replenishment station group, and the container is dispatched to the prescription replenishment line or overtaking line of the next prescription replenishment station group accordingly.

[0053] Once the container has completed all the drug replenishment operations, it is dispatched to the outlet line and sent to the downstream process.

[0054] The present invention aims to reduce online waiting time and shorten the overall circulation cycle by setting up overtaking lines in parallel to the side of the replenishment line and setting up multiple shared herbal medicine storage replenishment station groups along the conveying direction of the replenishment line. Based on the pre-reading of container label information to obtain replenishment demand, the container is dynamically adjusted to be conveyed on the replenishment line or overtaking line.

[0055] Specifically:

[0056] First, when the upstream process (such as dispensing or verification) delivers the container containing the medicine to the entrance of the refill area, the system automatically reads the identification information attached to the container through the identification module at the entrance, thereby obtaining the prescription information uniquely bound to that container, as well as the list of medicinal herbs that need to be replenished for that prescription (i.e., herbs to be replenished). The system then compares this information on herbs to be replenished with the medicinal herb inventory configured in the current refill area (i.e., the current refill station group). Based on the comparison result, it determines whether the current container needs to be refilled in this refill station group.

[0057] If the determination result is "not needed," the control system will initiate scheduling logic to guide the container to the overtaking line for transport. The purpose of the overtaking line is to allow the container to pass quickly through the current supply station group without any stops, thereby saving time. If the determination result is "needed," the system will schedule the container to a dedicated line serving the current supply station group, i.e., the supply line, and have it queue in the buffer area set up at the front end of the supply line.

[0058] To improve the efficiency of refilling staff, the system sends the required medicinal herbs (such as name, quantity, and specifications) to the corresponding refilling station's operating terminal in advance after the container enters the refilling line but before it reaches the physical location of the refilling station. This allows the refilling staff to pre-select the necessary herbs from inventory and quickly complete the manual refilling operation once the container arrives.

[0059] After replenishing the current prescription set, the system will query the prescription information of the container again. Based on the remaining required medicinal herbs, it will determine whether the container needs to be replenished in the next prescription set downstream. According to this determination, the system will use scheduling logic to direct the container to the next prescription set's replenishment line (if replenishment is needed) or the bypass line (if no replenishment is needed). This process can be repeated across multiple prescription sets. Finally, when a container has replenished all the required medicinal herbs according to the prescription, the system will schedule it to the exit line for subsequent downstream processes such as packaging or dispensing.

[0060] In this method, in order to further optimize the work scheduling of the supplementary station group, when the supplementary station group is idle, a container is selected from the buffer area of ​​the supplementary line or the overtaking line and scheduled to the supplementary station group.

[0061] When both the fill lane and the overtaking lane have containers to be processed, containers from the overtaking lane will be scheduled first.

[0062] Specifically, when a replenishment station in a replenishment station group is idle and can receive containers for replenishment, the scheduling system needs to select one container from two sources to send to that replenishment station: one is a container waiting in the replenishment line buffer corresponding to the current replenishment station group, and the other is a container being transported from the overtaking line. To optimize the overall process, reduce the total dwell time of containers in the system, and prevent congestion on the overtaking line, the system sets a priority rule (a dynamic priority strategy based on avoiding overtaking line backlog): when both the replenishment line and the overtaking line have containers waiting to be processed, containers from the overtaking line are prioritized for scheduling to the idle replenishment station. This ensures that containers that do not need to be replenished in the current group can pass through as quickly as possible, and also frees up fast channel resources for containers that may need to be replenished in the current group later.

[0063] In this method, to ensure the stable operation of the conveying system and avoid container accumulation or system deadlock due to line congestion, the system monitors the current status of the target line in real time before scheduling a container to enter a specific line (supplementary line or overtaking line). That is, before scheduling a container to the supplementary line or overtaking line, it determines whether the buffer area or conveying channel of the target line is full.

[0064] If the buffer or transport channel of the target line is full, a waiting mechanism is triggered, causing the container to be temporarily stored at the entrance or buffer until an idle workstation becomes available on the target line before scheduling is executed.

[0065] Specifically, the system determines whether the buffer or physical transport channel of the target line has reached its capacity limit (i.e., "full"). If the target line is full, the system triggers a waiting mechanism: the container currently awaiting scheduling will not be immediately sent to that line, but will temporarily remain at the entrance or the previous buffer. The system continuously monitors the status of the target line, and once it detects that an idle workstation (capacity available) appears on the line due to a container being removed or moving forward, it immediately releases the waiting mechanism, executes the scheduling command, and sends the temporarily stored container to the target line. This flow control mechanism ensures the smooth and safe operation of the transport line.

[0066] In this method, in order to improve the system's processing power and flexibility, the supplementary prescription platform group includes multiple supplementary prescription platforms, and at least some commonly used medicinal slices are repeatedly deployed in multiple supplementary prescription platform groups.

[0067] When the medicinal herbs that need to be replenished are in stock in multiple replenishment stations, the scheduling algorithm selects the optimal replenishment station for replenishment based on the current load status, queue length, or estimated processing time of each replenishment station.

[0068] Specifically, in terms of the herbal medicine inventory allocation strategy, the system will repeatedly deploy at least a portion of commonly used and high-demand herbal medicines in multiple different replenishment station groups, meaning that the same herbal medicine is in stock in multiple station groups. When a container needs to replenish a herbal medicine that is in stock in multiple replenishment station groups, the scheduling algorithm will not simply send it to the first corresponding station group it encounters, but will initiate an optimization selection algorithm. This algorithm can comprehensively consider multiple dynamic factors, such as the current load (busyness) of each candidate replenishment station group and the queue length of containers in front of each replenishment line. Based on these factors, the system calculates and selects an "optimal" replenishment station group, and schedules the container to the replenishment line of that group, thereby achieving load balancing and shortening the overall processing time.

[0069] In addition, to ensure the high accuracy and safety of medication dispensing operations and to prevent errors caused by misdelivery of containers or incorrect reading of identification information, the system has set up multiple verification steps. That is, before the container enters the dispensing station, the identification module at the station reads the container's identification information again and verifies its consistency with the identification information read at the entrance.

[0070] If the verification fails, an exception handling process is triggered, prohibiting the container from continuing to replenish medication.

[0071] Specifically, before the container is scheduled and finally enters the refill station for medication, its identity information is read again by the identification module located at the station. The system then verifies the consistency of this newly read identity information with the information initially read at the area entrance. If the two reads match perfectly, the verification passes, and the medication refill operation is allowed. If the verification fails (information mismatch or read failure), the system immediately triggers an exception handling procedure. This procedure includes, but is not limited to: issuing an audible and visual alarm on the operating terminal, locking the refill station, guiding the container to the exception handling area, and simultaneously notifying management personnel for manual intervention, strictly prohibiting the container from continuing any medication refill operations at the current refill station.

[0072] In the aforementioned method, the priority scheduling rule (priority overtaking lane containers) is not a fixed, rigid rule, but a dynamic priority strategy set to avoid congestion on the overtaking lane. That is, containers from the overtaking lane are prioritized for scheduling, and containers are preferentially delivered to the overtaking lane for transport.

[0073] When there are no containers waiting to be processed on the overtaking line of the current replenishment platform group, the first container in the buffer area of ​​the replenishment line of that replenishment platform group is automatically scheduled to enter the replenishment platform.

[0074] Specifically, the system monitors the overtaking line segment corresponding to the current replenishment station group in real time. As long as there are containers waiting to be processed on the overtaking line, an idle replenishment station will prioritize serving them. Conversely, when the system detects that there are no containers waiting to be processed on the overtaking line of the current replenishment station group (i.e., the overtaking line is idle), the scheduling logic automatically switches, selecting the first container (i.e., the "first") from the replenishment line buffer corresponding to that replenishment station group and sending it to an idle replenishment station for replenishment. This strategy dynamically balances the traffic on the two lines.

[0075] Specifically, each container in circulation is equipped with or affixed with a unique identifier (ID), or stores a direct prescription number and medication requirement information; more commonly, the label only stores the ID, which is associated with the complete prescription number and its detailed medication requirement information in the background system. When the container passes through the reader's sensing area, the reader can instantly read the label information, and the system can quickly retrieve all relevant data, achieving synchronization between information flow and logistics.

[0076] Furthermore, to further improve the efficiency and accuracy of refillers, the information push process has been refined. After the container is dispatched to the refill line and before it enters the refill station, the system pushes the name, specifications, and quantity of the herbal medicine to be refilled to the display terminal of the corresponding refill station, allowing refillers to prepare the medicine in advance.

[0077] Specifically, once a container is dispatched to a refill line, before it actually arrives at the refill station, the system not only sends the refill request to the backend but also directly pushes and displays detailed information about the herbs to be refilled (including but not limited to the herb name, specific specifications, and quantity required) on the display terminal (such as a computer screen or electronic tag screen) of the corresponding target refill station. This allows the refill operator to see the upcoming refill task in advance, giving them time to select the correct herbs from the medicine cabinet behind them and prepare the corresponding quantity, greatly reducing the container's waiting time at the refill station.

[0078] Furthermore, in this method, the filling line and the overtaking line are physical transport lines set in parallel. The container is switched between the filling line and the overtaking line by the transplanter, and the switching is driven by the central control equipment according to the scheduling algorithm instructions.

[0079] Furthermore, there should be at least one supplementary track and one overtaking track to form a multi-track parallel transportation architecture.

[0080] Specifically, the replenishment line and the overtaking line are two (or more) physically parallel independent conveyor lines. To enable flexible switching of containers between the two lines, the system is equipped with a transplanting machine (such as a multi-directional conveyor belt, lateral push rod, lifting and turning mechanism, etc.). The line assignment of a container at a key decision point (such as the entrance of the replenishment platform group) is determined by the central control equipment based on a real-time scheduling algorithm, which calculates the instruction and drives the transplanting mechanism to execute the switching action.

[0081] Transplanter: Composed of a blocking mechanism and a reversing mechanism. When the container is transported along the overtaking line or the filling line to the corresponding position of the filling platform conveyor line to be entered, the control equipment first drives the blocking mechanism to rise and block the container at the predetermined position; then, the reversing mechanism rises, lifts the container and changes its conveying direction, so that it is transferred along the reversing mechanism to the vertical conveying line and sent into the filling platform conveyor line.

[0082] In addition, the system architecture is scalable, with at least one supplementary line and one overtaking line, thus forming the most basic multi-line parallel transport architecture; the number of supplementary lines can be increased according to actual capacity needs to form a more complex multi-line parallel network.

[0083] like Figure 2 As shown, based on the above-mentioned multi-threaded parallel scheduling method, a multi-threaded parallel scheduling system is provided, including:

[0084] Multiple replenishment station groups are set up from the upstream process to the downstream process. Each replenishment station group contains one or more replenishment stations. Each replenishment station is equipped with a stock of medicinal slices, and at least some commonly used medicinal slices are repeatedly deployed in different replenishment station groups.

[0085] The conveying mechanism includes one or more parallel replenishment lines and overtaking lines. The replenishment lines are used to transport containers that need to be replenished to the corresponding replenishment station group, and the overtaking lines are used to allow containers that do not need to be replenished in the current replenishment station group to skip that group.

[0086] Multiple identification modules are set at the upstream process exit, the entrance of each prescription station group, and each prescription station, respectively, to read the identification tags carried on the containers to obtain the associated prescription information and the demand for the herbal medicine pieces to be replenished;

[0087] The buffer area is set at the entrance of each filler line and is used to temporarily store containers waiting to enter the corresponding filler platform group;

[0088] The central control device is communicatively connected to the identification module, the conveying mechanism, the replenishment platform, and the buffer area, and is configured to perform the following operations:

[0089] When the container is exported from the upstream process, its prescription information and medication needs are obtained through the identification module.

[0090] Based on the demand for tonics and the current inventory of medicinal herbs in the prescription group, determine whether it is necessary to replenish the medicine in the current prescription group;

[0091] If no medication is needed, the control conveyor will guide the container to the overtaking line; if medication is needed, it will be dispatched to the corresponding replenishment line and enter the buffer area to wait.

[0092] After the container enters the replenishment line and before it reaches the replenishment station, the information of the medicinal slices to be replenished is pushed to the display terminal of the corresponding replenishment station.

[0093] When the replenishment platform is idle, a container is selected from the buffer of the replenishment line or the overtaking line and scheduled to the replenishment platform, with priority given to containers from the overtaking line.

[0094] After receiving the signal that the medication has been replenished, the prescription information is checked again to determine whether the medication needs to be replenished in the next prescription station group, and the container is then dispatched to the next prescription line or overtaking line accordingly.

[0095] After the container has completed all the drug replenishment operations, it is controlled to be sent to the downstream process via the replenishment line or the overtaking line.

[0096] Multiple refill station groups: These refill station groups are arranged sequentially from upstream to downstream along the drug processing flow. Each refill station group contains one or more specific refill stations (workstations). Each refill station is configured with inventory of specific medicinal herbs. The system employs an intelligent inventory configuration strategy, ensuring that at least some commonly used medicinal herbs are in stock in different refill station groups, i.e., repeatedly deployed, to increase scheduling flexibility.

[0097] Conveying mechanisms: The replenishment line is specifically used to transport containers that need to be replenished in this group to the corresponding replenishment station; the overtaking line serves as a fast lane, allowing containers to skip the current replenishment station group.

[0098] Multiple identification modules are deployed at key nodes, including the exit of the upstream process, the entrance of each prescription refill station group, and each prescription refill station itself. These modules automatically read the identification tags carried on the containers to obtain and verify the container's identity and its associated prescription and refill needs in real time.

[0099] Buffer area: Located at the entrance of each filler line, it is a buffer area used to temporarily store containers waiting to enter the corresponding filler platform group, and plays a role in queuing and flow buffering.

[0100] The central control equipment maintains communication connections with all the aforementioned identification modules, conveying mechanisms (including motors, transplanters, etc.), terminal devices of the replenishment platform, and sensors in the buffer area via wired or wireless networks. Internally, this central control equipment runs a scheduling control program configured to automatically execute a series of operations. Its functional logic covers all steps of the aforementioned scheduling methods, including: information acquisition and judgment, line scheduling decision-making, advance information push, priority-based container selection, completion judgment and relay scheduling, and final output control, thereby achieving fully automated and intelligent multi-line parallel scheduling.

[0101] Specifically, the multi-threaded parallel scheduling method and system of the present invention achieves the following:

[0102] Load balancing design: By repeatedly deploying frequently used medicines across multiple replenishment stations and implementing a load balancing algorithm based on the real-time status of the replenishment stations, single-point overload is avoided. The specific load balancing algorithm works as follows: When a container needs to replenish a certain herbal medicine, the scheduling algorithm prioritizes directing it to the nearest replenishment station group that has that herbal medicine; if all replenishment stations in that group are busy, it is then scheduled to another group that has that herbal medicine and has available replenishment stations, thus achieving dynamic load balancing.

[0103] Multi-line intelligent diversion algorithm: This algorithm uses a parallel design of multiple lines (similar to the relationship between "main road" and "auxiliary road"), including "replenishment lines" and "overtaking lines" (at least one), with a common vertical conveyor line in front of each replenishment station. Combined with transplanting machines installed at nodes, this enables dynamic switching between the two lines for containers. Specifically, at key nodes (such as when entering from an upstream process, after replenishment at each replenishment station, and when passing the vertical conveyor line in front of each replenishment station), containers undergo identification. The scheduling algorithm then determines their subsequent replenishment needs in real time: if they do not need to enter the next replenishment station, the transplanting machine moves them to the overtaking line for rapid passage; if they need to enter a subsequent replenishment station group, they are moved to the replenishment line. This mechanism ensures that containers only enter the replenishment line (auxiliary road) at stations requiring replenishment; otherwise, they always travel on the overtaking line (main road), eliminating unnecessary waiting at the source and improving overall flow efficiency.

[0104] Full-process status monitoring and waiting mechanism: Real-time monitoring of line buffer and replenishment station status, triggering dynamic waiting logic to ensure process stability and avoid congestion or equipment conflicts. Specific method of container transfer: Containers are transferred between the replenishment line and replenishment stations through the coordinated operation of the conveyor mechanism and the transplanting machine. The specific process is as follows: When a container reaches the exit position of the replenishment line, the system detects an available replenishment station in the replenishment station group. The conveyor mechanism then delivers the container to the transplanting machine station; the transplanting machine then transfers the container to the conveyor mechanism of the replenishment station group, and finally, the conveyor mechanism accurately transports the container to the available replenishment station station.

[0105] The specific process of dynamic waiting logic is as follows: When the scheduling algorithm determines that the target line (supplementary line or overtaking line) of the container is full, or that there are no idle workstations in the target supplementary station group, the dynamic waiting logic is triggered, and the container will be temporarily stored at its current position. The system periodically checks the status of the target line and supplementary stations. Once the passage conditions are met, the waiting state is released and scheduling is executed in sequence according to the preset priority rules (supplementary station releases container > overtaking line transfers container > supplementary line queued container), thereby optimizing the flow order at the system global level and effectively preventing congestion.

[0106] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The scope of protection of this application is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to this application within its substance and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for multi-line parallel scheduling of a pharmaceutical dispensing, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: An upstream process sends a container to an entrance of a supplementary medicine area, and an identification module reads the identity information of the container to obtain prescription information and corresponding to-be-supplemented decoction pieces information bound to the container; According to the to-be-supplemented decoction pieces information and the decoction piece inventory configuration of a current supplementary prescription bench group, it is determined whether the container needs to be supplemented in the current supplementary prescription bench group; If the container does not need to be supplemented in the current supplementary prescription bench group, the container is dispatched to an overtaking line, and the current supplementary prescription bench group is skipped; if the container needs to be supplemented in the current supplementary prescription bench group, the container is dispatched to a supplementary prescription line of the corresponding supplementary prescription bench group, and waits in a buffer area of the supplementary prescription line; Before the container enters the supplementary prescription line and reaches the supplementary prescription bench group, the to-be-supplemented decoction pieces information is sent to the corresponding supplementary prescription bench group in advance to prepare for a supplementary medicine staff; After the container completes the manual supplementary medicine operation in the supplementary prescription bench group, the prescription information of the container is queried again to determine whether the container needs to continue to be supplemented in a next supplementary prescription bench group, and the container is dispatched to a supplementary prescription line of the next supplementary prescription bench group or an overtaking line according to the determination result; When the container completes all the supplementary medicine operations, the container is dispatched to an exit line to be sent to a downstream process.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the supplementary prescription bench group is idle, a container is selected from the buffer area of the supplementary prescription line or the overtaking line and dispatched to the supplementary prescription bench group; when the supplementary prescription line and the overtaking line both have containers to be processed, the container from the overtaking line is preferentially dispatched.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein before the container is dispatched to the supplementary prescription line or the overtaking line, it is determined whether the buffer area or a conveying channel of a target line is full; if the buffer area or the conveying channel of the target line is full, a waiting mechanism is triggered, and the container is temporarily stored at the entrance or the buffer area until an idle station of the target line appears, and then the dispatching is performed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the supplementary prescription bench group comprises a plurality of supplementary prescription benches, and at least part of the commonly used decoction pieces are repeatedly deployed in the plurality of supplementary prescription bench groups; when the decoction pieces to be supplemented by the container are stored in the plurality of supplementary prescription bench groups, a dispatching algorithm selects an optimal supplementary prescription bench group according to the current load state, the queue length or the predicted processing time of each supplementary prescription bench group to perform the supplementary medicine operation.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein before the container enters the supplementary prescription bench, the identity information of the container is read again by an identification module at the supplementary prescription bench, and consistency verification is performed on the identity information read at the entrance; if the verification fails, an abnormal processing procedure is triggered, and the container is prohibited from continuing the supplementary medicine operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the container from the overtaking line is preferentially dispatched, and the container is preferentially sent to the overtaking line; when the overtaking line of the current supplementary prescription bench group has no container to be processed, a first container in the buffer area of the supplementary prescription line of the supplementary prescription bench group is automatically dispatched to the supplementary prescription bench.

7. The multi-line parallel scheduling method for drug dispensing according to claim 6, characterized in that, After the container is dispatched to the refill line and before it enters the refill station, the system pushes the name, specifications, and quantity of the herbal medicine to be refilled to the display terminal of the corresponding refill station, so that the refiller can prepare the medicine in advance.

8. The multi-line parallel scheduling method for drug dispensing according to claim 7, characterized in that, The replenishment line and the overtaking line are parallel physical transport lines. The container is switched between the replenishment line and the overtaking line by a transplanter, and the switching is driven by the central control equipment according to the scheduling algorithm instructions. Furthermore, at least one of the supplementary line and the overtaking line is provided to form a multi-line parallel transportation architecture.

9. A multi-line parallel dispatch system for use in a multi-line parallel dispatch method of claim 8, wherein, include: Multiple replenishment station groups are set up from the upstream process to the downstream process. Each replenishment station group contains one or more replenishment stations. Each replenishment station is equipped with a stock of medicinal slices, and at least some commonly used medicinal slices are repeatedly deployed in different replenishment station groups. The conveying mechanism includes one or more parallel replenishment lines and overtaking lines. The replenishment lines are used to transport containers that need to be replenished to the corresponding replenishment station group, and the overtaking lines are used to allow containers that do not need to be replenished in the current replenishment station group to skip that group. Multiple identification modules are respectively set at the upstream process exit, the entrance of each of the prescription replenishment station groups and each of the prescription replenishment stations, for reading the identification tags carried on the containers to obtain the associated prescription information and the demand for the herbal medicine pieces to be replenished; A buffer area is set at the entrance of each of the aforementioned filler lines to temporarily store containers waiting to enter the corresponding filler platform group; A central control device is communicatively connected to the identity recognition module, the conveying mechanism, the replenishment platform, and the buffer area, and the central control device is configured to perform the following operations: When the container is exported from the upstream process, its prescription information and medication needs are obtained through the identification module. Based on the demand for tonics and the current inventory of medicinal herbs in the prescription group, determine whether it is necessary to replenish the medicine in the current prescription group; If no medication is needed, the control conveyor will guide the container to the overtaking line; if medication is needed, it will be dispatched to the corresponding replenishment line and enter the buffer area to wait. After the container enters the replenishment line and before it reaches the replenishment station, the information of the medicinal slices to be replenished is pushed to the display terminal of the corresponding replenishment station. When the replenishment platform is idle, a container is selected from the buffer of the replenishment line or the overtaking line and scheduled to the replenishment platform, with priority given to containers from the overtaking line. After receiving the signal that the medication has been replenished, the prescription information is checked again to determine whether the medication needs to be replenished in the next prescription station group, and the container is then dispatched to the next prescription line or overtaking line accordingly. After the container has completed all the drug replenishment operations, it is controlled to be sent to the downstream process via the replenishment line or the overtaking line.

Images