Traditional Chinese medicine decoction piece automatic prescription machine front end material supply system and method

Abstract

This application discloses a front-end material supply system and method for an automatic Chinese herbal medicine (TCM) decoction piece dispensing machine, relating to the field of TCM pharmaceutical manufacturing. The method includes: a manual loading workstation for receiving an inbound list, allowing operators to sequentially load TCM decoction pieces into medicine baskets according to the listed varieties and corresponding quantities; a controller for predicting the daily demand for various TCM decoction pieces based on historical medication data, and classifying all TCM decoction pieces into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency categories according to daily demand, listing high-frequency and medium-frequency decoction pieces in descending order of daily demand on the inbound list; and the controller also controls a stacker crane in an automated warehouse to perform an outbound operation when the shortage signal indicates a shortage of high-frequency or medium-frequency decoction pieces, transporting the medicine baskets to the corresponding loading port of the automatic dispensing machine. This achieves automatic, accurate, and rapid replenishment of medium- and high-frequency consumable medicinal materials, improving the continuity of the dispensing process and overall production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing, and in particular to a front-end material supply system and method for an automatic traditional Chinese medicine decoction piece dispensing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Since the late 20th century, my country has been exploring automated technology for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dispensing. After years of development, it has evolved from early semi-automatic weighing equipment into automated systems integrating drug storage, weighing, dispensing, packaging, and information management. Existing automated TCM dispensing machines generally adopt a modular design, typically including multiple drug storage units, an electronic weighing system, a control system, and a software management platform. They can interface with hospital information systems or prescription systems to achieve automatic reading of prescription data and automatic weighing and framing of medicinal materials. However, current automated TCM dispensing machines still have shortcomings in practical applications. There are numerous types of TCM decoction pieces, with approximately four hundred commonly used varieties. A single automated dispensing machine production line requires at least four hundred storage units. In large pharmaceutical companies with multiple production lines operating in parallel, the total number of storage units can reach thousands, making it difficult to ensure a stable supply of materials.

[0003] Currently, material supply mainly relies on manual methods: operators need to select the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine pieces from the warehouse based on the inventory information of the dispensing machine's hopper, load them into the material basket, and then manually transport them to the automatic dispensing machine's feeding port. Each production line typically requires multiple handling workers for this purpose. However, Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions are highly personalized, with a strong element of randomness in medication use, making it difficult to match the capacity of each storage unit in the automatic dispensing machine with actual consumption. For frequently used herbs such as astragalus and angelica, an entire basket needs to be replenished every few minutes on average. The manual handling method is slow to respond and cannot meet such high-frequency and timely supply demands. As a result, the dispensing machine often fails to complete the dispensing process due to material shortages, causing production line shutdowns or reliance on manual emergency replenishment, severely restricting overall production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a front-end material supply system and method for an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine, which can solve the problem of "inability to meet high-frequency and timely material supply needs".

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a front-end material supply system for an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine, comprising:

[0007] The manual loading workstation is used to receive the warehousing list, so that the operator can load the Chinese medicinal materials into the medicine basket in sequence according to the types of medicinal materials listed in the warehousing list and the corresponding warehousing quantities.

[0008] An automated warehouse for storing the medicine baskets;

[0009] The conveying mechanism includes an inbound conveyor line, an outbound conveyor line, and a loading elevator. The inbound conveyor line is used to transport the medicine basket from the manual loading workstation to the inbound port of the automated warehouse. The outbound conveyor line is used to transport the medicine basket from the outbound port of the automated warehouse to the loading elevator, so that the loading elevator can transport the medicine basket to the corresponding loading port of the automatic dispensing machine.

[0010] The controller is used to predict the daily demand for various types of Chinese herbal medicines based on historical medication data, and to classify all the Chinese herbal medicines into high-frequency medicines, medium-frequency medicines and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand, so as to include the high-frequency medicines and the medium-frequency medicines in the inventory list in descending order of the daily demand.

[0011] The controller is also used to receive a material shortage signal from the automatic formulation machine. When the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is the high-frequency drug or the medium-frequency drug, the controller controls the stacker crane in the automated warehouse to perform an outbound operation, so as to transport the corresponding medicine basket stored in the automated warehouse to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formulation machine via the outbound conveyor line and the feeding elevator.

[0012] The system also includes a green channel feeding conveyor line. The controller is used to control the corresponding low-frequency drug to be conveyed through the green channel feeding conveyor line and the feeding elevator to the feeding port of the automatic formula machine when the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is the low-frequency drug.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inbound conveyor line includes an inbound conveyor line segment and an inbound buffer island. The inbound conveyor line segment starts at the output end of the manual loading workstation and is responsible for receiving the already loaded medicine baskets. The inbound buffer island is used to temporarily store medicine baskets to be put into storage.

[0014] The outbound conveyor line includes an outbound conveyor segment and an outbound buffer island. The outbound conveyor segment starts at the output end of the outbound buffer island and is responsible for conveying the medicine baskets that have completed the outbound operation to the loading elevator. The outbound buffer island is used to temporarily store the outbound medicine baskets taken out of the automated warehouse.

[0015] In one embodiment, the controller is used to classify the Chinese herbal medicine pieces whose daily demand is greater than a first preset threshold as high-frequency medicines, the Chinese herbal medicine pieces whose daily demand is less than or equal to the first preset threshold and greater than or equal to a second preset threshold as medium-frequency medicines, and the Chinese herbal medicine pieces whose daily demand is less than the second preset threshold as low-frequency medicines.

[0016] In one embodiment, the manual loading workstation further includes a display screen for displaying an inbound list containing the types of medicinal slices and their corresponding inbound quantities, to guide the operator in picking and loading the slices.

[0017] In one embodiment, the manual loading workstation further includes a barcode scanning device, which is used to scan the identification code of the medicine basket and the corresponding information code of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces during the loading process, and bind the information of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces to the medicine basket so as to update the remaining quantity of the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine pieces on the display screen in real time.

[0018] In one embodiment, the inbound conveyor line is equipped with a dynamic weighing section and an infrared height detection section;

[0019] The dynamic weighing section is used to detect the weight of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces in each of the medicine baskets, and the infrared height detection section is used to detect the filling height of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces in each of the medicine baskets.

[0020] When the weight or filling height is detected to be higher than a preset threshold, the medicine basket is determined to be unqualified, and the controller triggers an interception mechanism to prevent the unqualified medicine basket from continuing to be transported.

[0021] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to determine, after performing the outbound operation, whether the stock of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces outbound from the automated warehouse is lower than a preset replenishment threshold. If it is lower than the replenishment threshold, a replenishment command is triggered to the manual loading workstation.

[0022] Secondly, this application also provides a method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine, comprising:

[0023] Receive the inventory list so that the operator can pack the Chinese medicinal herbs into the medicine basket in sequence according to the types of medicinal herbs and the corresponding inventory quantities listed in the inventory list.

[0024] The medicine baskets are stored in an automated warehouse.

[0025] Upon receiving a material shortage signal from the automatic formulation machine, if the material shortage type determined by the material shortage signal is high-frequency or medium-frequency drug, the stacker crane in the automated warehouse is controlled to perform an outbound operation to transport the corresponding drug basket stored in the automated warehouse to the corresponding loading port of the automatic formulation machine via the outbound conveyor line and the loading elevator.

[0026] When the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is low-frequency drug, the corresponding low-frequency drug is controlled to be transported to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formula machine through the green channel feeding conveyor line and feeding elevator.

[0027] The step of generating the inventory list specifically includes: predicting the daily demand for various types of Chinese herbal medicines based on historical medication data, and classifying all the Chinese herbal medicines into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand, so as to include the high-frequency and medium-frequency medicines in the inventory list in descending order of the daily demand.

[0028] Thirdly, this application also provides a computer device, including: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that the processor executes the computer program to implement the above-mentioned method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine.

[0029] Fourthly, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the aforementioned method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic dispensing machine for Chinese herbal medicine.

[0030] According to the specific embodiments provided in this application, the following technical effects are disclosed:

[0031] This application provides a front-end material supply system and method for an automatic Chinese herbal medicine (TCM) decoction piece dispensing machine. Based on historical medication data, the system predicts the daily demand for various TCM decoction pieces, categorizing them into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency drugs. For high-frequency and medium-frequency drugs, an automated warehouse inventory is used. When the automatic dispensing machine sends a shortage signal, the system automatically identifies the shortage type. If it is a high-frequency or medium-frequency drug, it immediately controls a stacker crane to retrieve the corresponding medicine basket from the automated warehouse. The medicine is then quickly delivered to the corresponding loading port via an outbound conveyor line and a loading elevator, achieving automatic, accurate, and rapid replenishment of high-frequency and medium-frequency consumable herbs. This effectively overcomes the problems of slow response and machine downtime associated with existing manual feeding methods, significantly improving the continuity of the dispensing process and overall production efficiency. Simultaneously, this application also includes a green channel loading conveyor line. This conveyor line is independent of the automated warehouse's inbound and outbound paths, transporting medicine baskets to the corresponding loading port of the requesting automatic dispensing machine. This allows for on-demand supply of low-frequency drugs without occupying the automated warehouse's storage and scheduling resources. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of the front-end material supply system of an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the actual layout of the front-end material supply system of an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the automated warehouse outbound task allocation event program of the front-end material supply system of the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a task scheduling flowchart of the front-end material supply system of an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic herbal medicine dispensing machine according to an embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0039] Figure label:

[0040] 10 - Manual loading workstation; 11 - Display screen; 12 - Manual loading conveyor line; 20 - Automated warehouse; 30 - Conveying mechanism; 31 - Inbound conveyor line; 311 - Inbound conveyor segment; 312 - Inbound buffer island; 32 - Outbound conveyor line; 321 - Outbound conveyor segment; 322 - Outbound buffer island; 33 - Loading elevator; 40 - Automatic formula machine; 41 - Loading port; 50 - Green channel loading conveyor line. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0043] See Figure 1 This application provides a front-end material supply system for an automatic Chinese medicine decoction piece formulation machine, including a manual loading workstation 10, an automated warehouse 20, a conveying mechanism 30, a controller, and a green channel loading conveyor line 50.

[0044] In this embodiment, the manual loading workstation 10 receives the warehousing list, allowing operators to sequentially load the Chinese medicinal herbs into the medicine baskets according to the varieties and corresponding quantities listed on the list. The manual loading workstation 10 serves as the starting point for the system's material supply, receiving the warehousing list issued by the controller. The warehousing list specifies the varieties of Chinese medicinal herbs to be stored in the automated warehouse 20, the planned quantity of each variety, and is sorted by priority from highest to lowest according to the daily demand.

[0045] Specifically, see Figure 2 The manual loading workstation 10 also includes a display screen 11, which displays an inbound list containing the types of medicinal slices and their corresponding quantities to guide operators in picking and loading. The display screen 11 intuitively displays the inbound list information, improving the standardization and response speed of the loading operation.

[0046] Specifically, the manual loading workstation 10 also includes a barcode scanning device. The barcode scanning device is used to scan the identification code of the medicine basket and the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine information code during the loading process, and bind the Chinese herbal medicine information to the medicine basket so as to update the remaining quantity of the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine on the display screen 11 in real time.

[0047] In the manual loading workstation 10, the operator performs the loading and loading steps as follows: The inventory list issued by the controller is displayed on screen 11, clearly listing the types of medicinal herbs to be loaded, their quantities, and their priority order. Following the list, the operator selects the corresponding medicinal herbs from the back-end storage area. The herbs are then loaded into standard-sized medicine baskets, and the identification code on the basket is scanned using a barcode scanner to complete the electronic binding of the medicinal herb information with the basket information. This binding information is synchronized to the system database in real time. Simultaneously, the "remaining inventory quantity" for the corresponding type of herb on screen 11 is updated to remind the operator of the remaining quantity of medicinal herbs of that type that still needs to be loaded. After loading and barcode scanning confirmation, the operator places the medicine basket on the manual loading conveyor line 12, which then sends the basket into the subsequent automated process.

[0048] In this embodiment, the automated warehouse 20 is used to store medicine baskets. As a storage unit of the system, the automated warehouse 20 can pre-store high-frequency and medium-frequency medicines in this area to ensure rapid response and supply when the automatic dispensing machine 40 issues a demand. For example, the automated warehouse 20 adopts a high-density racking design and is located on one side of the inlet of the automatic dispensing machine 40. Its specific specifications are: 6 columns × 5 layers × 18 compartments, providing a total of 540 standard storage locations. In this application, the automated warehouse 20 can also be configured with other specifications according to actual needs, without specific limitations.

[0049] The automated warehouse 20 is equipped with a stacker crane, which is the execution equipment for automated storage and retrieval operations within the warehouse 20. Under the control of the controller, it can run along preset aisles to complete the transfer of medicine baskets. For example, the automated warehouse 20 has three aisles, and a stacker crane can be placed in each of the three aisles to improve the transfer efficiency of medicine baskets.

[0050] In this embodiment, there are an inbound conveyor line 31, an outbound conveyor line 32, and a loading elevator 33. The inbound conveyor line 31 is used to transport the medicine baskets from the manual loading workstation to the inbound port of the automated warehouse. The outbound conveyor line 32 is used to transport the medicine baskets from the outbound port of the automated warehouse to the loading elevator, so that the medicine baskets can be transported to the corresponding loading port of the automatic dispensing machine 40 by the loading elevator 33.

[0051] The inbound conveyor line 31 is equipped with a dynamic weighing section and an infrared height detection section. The dynamic weighing section is used to detect the weight of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces in each medicine basket in real time, and the infrared height detection section is used to detect the filling height of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces in each medicine basket. When the detected weight or filling height exceeds a preset threshold, the medicine basket is determined to be unqualified, and the controller triggers an interception mechanism to prevent the unqualified medicine basket from continuing to be conveyed. Thus, through online real-time detection and automatic interception mechanisms, overloaded or abnormally filled medicine baskets are prevented from flowing into subsequent stages from the source. For example, dynamic weighing and infrared height detection can be implemented by setting up weighing sensors and infrared sensor arrays, respectively. Weighing by weighing sensors and height detection by infrared sensors are common existing technologies, so they will not be described in detail.

[0052] Specifically, see Figure 2 The inbound conveyor line 31 includes an inbound conveyor segment 311 and an inbound buffer island 312. The inbound conveyor segment 311 starts from the output end of the manual loading workstation and is responsible for receiving the already loaded medicine baskets. During the conveying process, it integrates dynamic weighing and infrared height detection functions to verify the compliance of the medicine baskets. The inbound buffer island 312 is used to temporarily store medicine baskets waiting to be stored, buffering differences in production cycle time and ensuring that the medicine baskets enter the automated warehouse 20 in an orderly and smooth manner.

[0053] The outbound conveyor line 32 includes an outbound conveyor segment 321 and an outbound buffer island 322. The outbound conveyor segment 321 starts at the output end of the outbound buffer island 322 and is responsible for conveying the medicine baskets that have completed the outbound operation to the feeding elevator 33. The outbound buffer island 322 is used to temporarily store the outbound medicine baskets taken out of the automated warehouse, buffer the difference in production cycle, and ensure that the medicine baskets can be fed to the formula machine in sequence and stably.

[0054] In this embodiment of the application, the controller is used to predict the daily demand of various Chinese herbal medicine pieces based on historical medication data, and to classify all Chinese herbal medicine pieces into high-frequency medicines, medium-frequency medicines and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand, so as to include high-frequency medicines and medium-frequency medicines in the inventory list in descending order of daily demand.

[0055] Specifically, the clinical prescription dosage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction pieces exhibits a cyclical pattern. For example, the dosage on the same day each week is often similar, while it can also fluctuate significantly due to external factors such as weather and season. To more accurately predict the daily demand, this method takes the dosage Di of the same type of TCM decoction piece on the same day of the previous week and the average daily dosage 7Avgi of the same type of TCM decoction piece over the seven days prior to the prediction date. The arithmetic mean of these two values ​​is taken as the daily demand Ki for that type of TCM decoction piece. The prediction formula is as follows:

[0056] Ki = (Di + 7Avgi) / 2

[0057] Furthermore, to ensure efficient utilization of the storage space in the automated warehouse 20, the inbound quantity of each type of Chinese herbal medicine is determined as follows: Based on the average daily total number of medicine baskets M used over the previous 7 days and the total capacity J of the automated warehouse 20, the predicted inbound coefficient J / M is calculated; then, the daily demand Ki for that type of Chinese herbal medicine is multiplied by the inbound coefficient, and the result is rounded to obtain the planned inbound quantity of that type of Chinese herbal medicine. .

[0058] In this embodiment, the controller classifies Chinese herbal medicines with a daily demand exceeding a first preset threshold as high-frequency medicines, those with a daily demand less than or equal to the first preset threshold but greater than or equal to a second preset threshold as medium-frequency medicines, and those with a daily demand less than the second preset threshold as low-frequency medicines. The automatic dispensing machine 40 then classifies the types of Chinese herbal medicines it needs to supply (typically 400-500 types) into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency medicines. The values ​​of the first and second preset thresholds can be set according to actual conditions and are not specifically limited.

[0059] When the medicinal herbs are put into storage, they are put into storage in order of their frequency of use from high to low until the storage is full. This is to ensure that the herbs with the highest usage are put into storage first, so as to guide the operators of the manual framing workstation 10 to complete the framing of key herbs in a sequential and efficient manner.

[0060] In this embodiment of the application, the controller is also used to receive a material shortage signal from the automatic formulation machine. When the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is high-frequency drug or medium-frequency drug, the controller controls the stacker crane in the automated warehouse 20 to perform an outbound operation, so as to transport the corresponding medicine basket stored in the automated warehouse 20 to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formulation machine 40 via the outbound conveyor line and the loading elevator 33.

[0061] Since high-frequency and medium-frequency drugs are used much more frequently than low-frequency drugs, their material shortage risk and production interruption impact are correspondingly greater. This application uses an automated warehouse 20 to store these two types of drugs, which can accurately match their high turnover and time-sensitive needs, thereby minimizing the downtime of the formulation machine caused by the delay in the supply of core materials, and fundamentally ensuring the efficient and continuous operation of the production line.

[0062] In this embodiment, the system further includes a green channel feeding conveyor line 50. The controller, when the shortage signal indicates a shortage type of low-frequency drug, controls the corresponding low-frequency drug to be conveyed through the green channel feeding conveyor line 50 and the feeding elevator 33 to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic dispensing machine 40. Low-frequency drugs have low usage frequency and highly random demand. Storing them in the automated warehouse 20 would occupy limited storage space. This application, through the green channel feeding conveyor line 50, avoids the ineffective use of resources in the automated warehouse 20, enabling concentrated transportation capacity to serve the rapid response of medium- and high-frequency drugs, while also achieving on-demand supply of low-frequency drugs.

[0063] When a shortage signal from the dispensing machine is identified as a low-frequency drug, the green channel supply process is initiated: the operator selects and frames the corresponding low-frequency drug at the manual loading workstation 10 according to the type of Chinese herbal medicine slices corresponding to the shortage signal. The medicine basket is then placed directly onto the green channel conveyor line 50. This conveyor line is independent of the inbound and outbound paths of the automated warehouse 20, and can directly transport the medicine basket via the loading elevator 33 to the corresponding loading port 41 of the requesting automated dispensing machine 40. This achieves on-demand supply of low-frequency drugs without occupying the storage and scheduling resources of the automated warehouse 20.

[0064] This application may also include a transfer elevator, located at the starting end of the green channel loading conveyor line 50 and the warehousing conveyor line 31, for transferring medicine baskets from the manual loading workstation 10 to the green channel loading conveyor line 50 or the warehousing conveyor line 31.

[0065] In this embodiment, the controller is further configured to determine, after executing the outbound operation, whether the inventory of Chinese herbal medicine slices out of the automated warehouse 20 is lower than a preset replenishment threshold. If it is lower than the replenishment threshold, a replenishment command is triggered to the manual packing workstation 10. This triggers a packing task for the medicine, thereby achieving dynamic and automated maintenance of the inventory level of the automated warehouse 20 and ensuring the continuous supply of medicines in the automated warehouse 20.

[0066] For example, the replenishment threshold setting of the automated warehouse 20 adopts a strategy based on the frequency of drug usage: the replenishment threshold for high-frequency drugs is fixed at 5 baskets to ensure supply security under high turnover; the replenishment threshold for medium-frequency drugs is dynamically calculated based on the corresponding daily demand Ki, the total capacity J of the automated warehouse 20, and the average daily total number of medicine baskets used M over the previous 7 days, specifically as follows: The result is rounded up, so that the inventory level of the automated warehouse 20 is matched with the overall demand and warehouse capacity.

[0067] In a specific example, the system workflow is as follows:

[0068] Before the formula machine starts work each day (e.g., before the end of the previous day's workday or before the start of the current day's workday), the system initiates the warehousing process of the automated warehouse 20 based on the predicted warehousing list. This warehousing list is displayed on the screen 11 of the manual loading workstation 10. The operator, according to the order of the warehousing list, selects the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine pieces from the warehouse and loads them into medicine baskets, then scans the binding information using a barcode scanner. After scanning, the medicine basket is placed at the designated loading point on the conveyor belt, and the system simultaneously adds a record for that medicine basket to the database, decreasing the quantity of that type of Chinese herbal medicine pieces on the screen 11 by 1. If the medicine basket is detected to be overfilled or abnormally filled, the barrier on the conveyor belt automatically rises to intercept the medicine basket and sounds an alarm, awaiting manual intervention. If the inspection is successful, the medicine basket continues forward, and the system assigns it a designated warehousing buffer island number. Before the medicine basket reaches its assigned warehousing buffer island 312, the barcode scanner identifies a matching number, the corresponding barrier rises, and the medicine basket is temporarily stored in the corresponding warehousing buffer island 312, waiting in line to enter the automated warehouse 20. When the medicine basket is queued to the end of the inbound buffer island 312 (i.e. ready to be stored), the system triggers the corresponding stacker crane operation program to remove it from the buffer island and store it in the predetermined storage location of the automated warehouse 20.

[0069] The operator loads the materials into boxes according to the inventory list on display screen 11 until all items on the list are loaded. The automatic formula machine 40 monitors the real-time inventory in each hopper and automatically sends a material shortage message when replenishment is needed. This message is sent to the front-end material supply system via a communication protocol (such as MQTT).

[0070] Upon receiving a material shortage notification, the system automatically triggers the outbound task allocation event program in the automated warehouse 20, and further schedules a stacker crane or robotic arm to perform the corresponding outbound operation based on the task logic. (See also...) Figure 3 The outbound task allocation event procedure of the automated warehouse 20 is as follows: After receiving a shortage signal from the automatic dispensing machine 40, the system queries the database to see if there is any inventory record of the required Chinese herbal medicine pieces. If the query result is no inventory, manual processing is performed; if the query result is in stock, the first matching shelf number of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces is obtained. Subsequently, the corresponding outbound task is generated based on the obtained shelf number, driving the stacker crane or robotic arm to complete the picking and outbound operation.

[0071] Further, see Figure 4This application prioritizes outbound requests. Inbound and outbound requests are handled as a task queue. Upon receiving a task, the system first checks if there are any incomplete outbound tasks. If so, the corresponding outbound operation is executed; otherwise, the inbound task queue is checked and the corresponding task operation is executed. Before storing Chinese herbal medicine slices, the system first checks if there is a usable storage space. If so, they are stored; otherwise, they wait for outbound requests before being stored.

[0072] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine 40. The solution provided by this device is similar to the solution described in the above method. Therefore, the specific limitations of one or more embodiments of the method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine 40 provided below can be found in the limitations of the front-end material supply device for the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine 40 described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] See Figure 5 A method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine, comprising:

[0074] S100: Based on historical medication data, predict the daily demand for various types of Chinese herbal medicines, and classify all Chinese herbal medicines into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand. Then, list the high-frequency and medium-frequency medicines in the inventory list in descending order of daily demand.

[0075] S200: Receives the inventory list so that the operator can load the Chinese medicinal herbs into the medicine basket in sequence according to the types of medicinal herbs and the corresponding quantities listed on the inventory list.

[0076] S300: Medicine baskets are stored in the automated warehouse 20.

[0077] S400: Receives a material shortage signal from the automatic formulation machine 40. When the material shortage signal indicates that the material shortage type is high-frequency or medium-frequency medicine, it controls the stacker crane in the automated warehouse 20 to perform an outbound operation, so as to transport the corresponding medicine basket stored in the automated warehouse 20 to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formulation machine 40 via the outbound conveyor line 32 and the loading elevator 33.

[0078] S500: When the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is low frequency drug, control the corresponding low frequency drug to be transported to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formula machine 40 through the green channel feeding conveyor line 50 and the feeding elevator 33.

[0079] In one exemplary embodiment, a computer device is provided, which may be a server or a terminal, and its internal structure diagram may be as follows. Figure 6As shown, this computer device includes a processor, memory, input / output (I / O) interfaces, and a communication interface. The processor, memory, and I / O interfaces are connected via a system bus, and the communication interface is also connected to the system bus via the I / O interfaces. The processor provides computational and control capabilities. The memory includes non-volatile storage media and internal memory. The non-volatile storage media stores the operating system, computer programs, and databases. The internal memory provides the environment for the operating system and computer programs stored in the non-volatile storage media to run. The I / O interfaces are used for exchanging information between the processor and external devices. The communication interface is used for communicating with external terminals via a network connection.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 6 The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the present application is applied. Specific computer devices may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0081] In one exemplary embodiment, a computer device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0082] In one exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0083] In one exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0084] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with relevant regulations.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the computer program can include the processes of the embodiments described above. Any references to memory, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can take many forms, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM).

[0086] The databases involved in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one type of relational database and non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, blockchain-based distributed databases. The processors involved in the embodiments provided in this application may be general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processing units, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, quantum computing-based data processing logic devices, etc., and are not limited to these.

[0087] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0088] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A front-end material supply system for an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine, characterized in that, include: The manual loading workstation is used to receive the warehousing list, so that the operator can load the Chinese medicinal materials into the medicine basket in sequence according to the types of medicinal materials listed in the warehousing list and the corresponding warehousing quantities. An automated warehouse for storing the medicine baskets; The conveying mechanism includes an inbound conveyor line, an outbound conveyor line, and a loading elevator. The inbound conveyor line transports the medicine baskets from the manual loading station to the inbound port of the automated warehouse. The outbound conveyor line transports the medicine baskets from the outbound port of the automated warehouse to the loading elevator, which then transports the medicine baskets to the corresponding loading port of the automatic dispensing machine. The inbound conveyor line is equipped with a dynamic weighing section and an infrared height detection section. The dynamic weighing section detects the weight of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces in each medicine basket, and the infrared height detection section detects the filling height of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces in each medicine basket. When the detected weight or filling height exceeds a preset threshold, the medicine basket is deemed unqualified, and the controller triggers an interception mechanism to prevent the unqualified medicine basket from continuing to be transported. The controller is used to predict the daily demand for various types of Chinese herbal medicines based on historical medication data, and classify all the Chinese herbal medicines into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand. The high-frequency and medium-frequency medicines are then listed in the inventory list in descending order of daily demand. Specifically, classifying all the Chinese herbal medicines into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand includes: classifying Chinese herbal medicines with a daily demand greater than a first preset threshold as high-frequency medicines; classifying Chinese herbal medicines with a daily demand less than or equal to the first preset threshold but greater than or equal to a second preset threshold as medium-frequency medicines; and classifying Chinese herbal medicines with a daily demand less than the second preset threshold as low-frequency medicines. The controller is also used to receive a material shortage signal from the automatic formulation machine. When the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is the high-frequency drug or the medium-frequency drug, the controller controls the stacker crane in the automated warehouse to perform an outbound operation, so as to transport the corresponding medicine basket stored in the automated warehouse to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formulation machine via the outbound conveyor line and the feeding elevator. The system also includes a green channel feeding conveyor line. The controller is used to control the corresponding low-frequency drug to be conveyed through the green channel feeding conveyor line and the feeding elevator to the feeding port of the automatic formula machine when the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is the low-frequency drug.

2. The front-end material supply system of the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inbound conveyor line includes an inbound conveyor line segment and an inbound buffer island. The inbound conveyor line segment starts at the output end of the manual loading workstation and is responsible for receiving the already loaded medicine baskets. The inbound buffer island is used to temporarily store medicine baskets to be put into storage. The outbound conveyor line includes an outbound conveyor segment and an outbound buffer island. The outbound conveyor segment starts at the output end of the outbound buffer island and is responsible for conveying the medicine baskets that have completed the outbound operation to the loading elevator. The outbound buffer island is used to temporarily store the outbound medicine baskets taken out of the automated warehouse.

3. The front-end material supply system of the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The manual loading workstation also includes a display screen, which displays the inbound list containing the types of medicinal slices and their corresponding inbound quantities to guide the operator in picking and loading the slices.

4. The front-end material supply system of the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The manual loading workstation also includes a barcode scanning device, which is used to scan the identification code of the medicine basket and the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine information code during the loading process, and bind the Chinese herbal medicine information to the medicine basket so as to update the remaining quantity of the corresponding Chinese herbal medicine on the display screen in real time.

5. The front-end material supply system of the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also used to determine whether the stock of the Chinese herbal medicine pieces that have been taken out of the automated warehouse is lower than a preset replenishment threshold after the outbound operation is performed. If it is lower than the replenishment threshold, a replenishment command is triggered to the manual loading workstation.

6. A method for supplying front-end materials to an automatic Chinese herbal medicine decoction piece dispensing machine, using the front-end material supply system for the automatic Chinese herbal medicine decoction piece dispensing machine according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: Receive the inventory list so that the operator can pack the Chinese medicinal herbs into the medicine basket in sequence according to the types of medicinal herbs and the corresponding inventory quantities listed in the inventory list. The medicine baskets are stored in an automated warehouse. Upon receiving a material shortage signal from the automatic formulation machine, if the material shortage type determined by the material shortage signal is high-frequency or medium-frequency drug, the stacker crane in the automated warehouse is controlled to perform an outbound operation to transport the corresponding drug basket stored in the automated warehouse to the corresponding loading port of the automatic formulation machine via the outbound conveyor line and the loading elevator. When the material shortage signal determines that the material shortage type is low-frequency drug, the corresponding low-frequency drug is controlled to be transported to the corresponding feeding port of the automatic formula machine through the green channel feeding conveyor line and feeding elevator. The step of generating the inventory list specifically includes: predicting the daily demand for various types of Chinese herbal medicines based on historical medication data, and classifying all the Chinese herbal medicines into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency medicines according to the daily demand, so as to include the high-frequency and medium-frequency medicines in the inventory list in descending order of the daily demand.

7. A computer device, comprising: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that the processor executes the computer program to implement the front-end material supply method for an automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine as described in claim 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the front-end material supply method of the automatic Chinese herbal medicine dispensing machine as described in claim 6.

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