Automated Product Cabinet for Inventory Management

Abstract

An exemplary automated product cabinet includes a housing defining a storage area configured to receive products and a surface. The cabinet includes a plurality of slots, each configured to receive a respective unit of product, and a plurality of visual indicators configured to indicate the location of the units of product. The cabinet includes a scanning bar configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing and a data capture device attached to the scanning bar and configured to capture information about the products. The cabinet includes a controller operably coupled to the data capture device. The controller is configured to inventory the products based at least in part on the information about the products and to activate one or more of the visual indicators associated with desired units of the product.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 409,903, filed May 13, 2019, entitled “AUTOMATED PRODUCT LOCKER FOR INVENTORY MANAGEMENT,” the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present disclosure relates to automated product lockers and cabinets for ophthalmic lenses, and more particularly to an automated product locker and cabinet for dispensing ophthalmic objects, recording and tracking patient information, determining different lenses for patients, and distributing ophthalmic lenses within an eye care professional's office. Inventory list The present invention relates to a system for tracking and managing. [Background technology]

[0003] In a typical office of an eye care professional or ECP, many different ophthalmic lenses are stocked for distribution to patients who walk into the office. retention Typically, a patient will determine whether corrective lenses are needed and, if so, will undergo an eye examination, e.g., if the patient desires contact lenses. To dispense such lenses, an ECP will first test whether a particular lens is suitable and then stock a number of lens dispensers in the office to provide a sufficient quantity for the patient until a full order can be sent. Stock held Additionally, in surgical settings, many different intraocular lenses are available for distribution to patients undergoing surgery. Maintained in inventory .

[0004] Manual and Automatic distribution machine is known, and or Used to dispense a wide variety of items ranging from hot meals to health-related items such as certain non-prescription medications It has been These Most of the dispensers are for retail use.Dispensers and vending machines are available in many areas, but they are not widely used in the medical market. In the eye care field, for example, eye care professionals still dispense trial contact lenses from drawers that are manually stocked by themselves and the lens manufacturer's sales representatives. These drawers require manual inventory management and simply hold contact lenses. Furthermore, a system for manually stocking lenses needs to be developed. Different stock keeping units or SKUs are separated by attributes such as power; wear regimen, such as daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly wear; lens manufacturer; and lens material. It has been This requires the use of many drawers that are not completely full to keep track of what is in stock and to more easily locate the preferred lens when selecting for a patient. Similarly, in surgical settings, intraocular lenses are manually stored and dispensed from inventoried storage locations. .

[0005] However, providing such professionals with real-time access to a wide variety of contact lenses (or intraocular lenses) is To the patient As a support tool, with the means and methods to provide timely eye health care of A system that can be used by professionals of There is a need for such The machine is also , which must be kept in stock using automated inventory management Many lenses and SKU Can be used to better manage population growth Such machines and systems may also be used by manufacturers of such lenses to provide ready access to lenses that fit the needs of each particular individual patient. It would have been Additionally, the system can deliver product information and perform data analysis to better offer new products that better meet the needs of such patients. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The embodiments of the present disclosure are Addressing a Need Apparatus and methods are provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In this application: An exemplary automated product cabinet is It is listed Automatic product cabinets are used for storage. area and a housing defining a surface, area is configured to receive the product It has been Automatic Product Cabinet teeth, Multiple slots arranged in the enclosure Each of the plurality of slots a plurality of slots configured to receive respective units of the product; and a housing configured to indicate respective positions of the respective units of the product within the housing. It has been A plurality of visual indicators; Also includes Furthermore, cabinet a scan bar configured to be slidably repositioned along a surface of the housing; and a data capture device attached to the scan bar and configured to capture information about the product. include. Automated product cabinets are operationalized for data capture devices join The controller may further comprise a controller configured to determine whether the product is selected based at least in part on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of configured to activate one or more of the visual indicators associated with the desired unit of the product. It has been .

[0008] In this application: Another example of automatic product cabinet Also listed The automated product cabinet is configured to receive the product. A housing defining a storage area and a plurality of slots disposed within the housing. It can include, Each of the plurality of slots is configured to receive a respective unit of the product. .product Each of Each unit can contain a smart tag. stores information about each unit of the product. Automatic Product Cabinet teeth, The respective positions of each unit of the product within the housing Show Multiple visual indicators configured to and a controller.The controller may include receiving information about each unit of the product from each smart tag and determining a product number based at least in part on the information about each unit of the product. Create an inventory list of , may be configured to activate one or more of the visual indicators associated with the desired unit of product.

[0009] In this application: An exemplary automated production system is also It is listed The system is configured to receive the product. Enclosure that defines the storage area and a plurality of slots arranged in the housing. Includes You can, Each slot is configured to receive each unit of the product It has been Furthermore, the system includes an imaging device and a projector. an imaging device and a projector, each of which is disposed in a spaced relationship with respect to a housing; The imaging device may include a controller. It may be configured to capture The controller receives information about the product from the imaging device and determines a product based at least in part on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of , the projector, the desired product in the housing Each It may be configured to illuminate the location.

[0010] The above The technical content is A computer controller, a computer process, a computing system, or a computer Readable It should be appreciated that the present invention may be implemented as an article of manufacture, such as a storage medium.

[0011] Other systems, methods, features and / or advantages will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features and / or advantages are intended to be included within this description and protected by the accompanying claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and the same reference numbers refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary operating environment for implementations described herein. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 3A] 3A, 3B, and 3C show front and side views, respectively, of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein. [Figure 3B] 3A, 3B, and 3C show front and side views, respectively, of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein. [Figure 3C] 3A, 3B, and 3C show front and side views, respectively, of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 5A] 5A and 5B are isometric views of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, with magnified windows showing the storage area of ​​the drawers, and FIG. 5B is an isometric view of a portion of one of the drawers shown in FIG. 5A. [Figure 5B] 5A and 5B are isometric views of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, with magnified windows showing the storage area of ​​the drawers, and FIG. 5B is an isometric view of a portion of one of the drawers shown in FIG. 5A. [Figure 6A] 6A and 6B are top and side views of a set of visual indicators 105 according to implementations described herein. [Figure 6B] 6A and 6B are top and side views of a set of visual indicators 105 according to implementations described herein. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 8A] 8A-8C are front views of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, each showing a different drawer configuration. [Figure 8B] 8A-8C are front views of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, each showing a different drawer configuration. [Figure 8C] 8A-8C are front views of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, each showing a different drawer configuration. [Figure 9A] 1 illustrates exemplary labeling that may be included in a product package. [Figure 9B] 1 illustrates exemplary labeling that may be included in a product package. [Figure 9C] 1 illustrates exemplary labeling that may be included in a product package. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates multiple product packages, each having a label according to an implementation described herein. [Figure 11A] 11A and 11B are isometric views of a portion of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, with FIG. 11A showing a front view of the automated product locker without side panels, and FIG. 11B showing a side view of the automated product locker without side panels. [Figure 11B] 11A and 11B are isometric views of a portion of an automated product locker according to implementations described herein, with FIG. 11A showing a front view of the automated product locker without side panels, and FIG. 11B showing a side view of the automated product locker without side panels. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 13A] 1 illustrates an example process for using an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 13B] 1 illustrates an example process for using an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 13C] 1 illustrates an example process for using an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 13D] 1 illustrates an example process for using an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device. [Figure 15] 1 is another exemplary operating environment for implementations described herein. [Figure 16]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automated product locker in accordance with implementations described herein. [Figure 17A] 17A and 17B show an automated product cabinet according to implementations described herein, in which FIG. 17A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, FIG. 17B shows the automated product cabinet of FIG. 17A including a door, and FIG. 17C shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of FIG. 17A with products stored inside. [Figure 17B] 17A and 17B show an automated product cabinet according to implementations described herein, in which FIG. 17A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, FIG. 17B shows the automated product cabinet of FIG. 17A including a door, and FIG. 17C shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of FIG. 17A with products stored inside. [Figure 17C] 17A and 17B show an automated product cabinet according to implementations described herein, in which FIG. 17A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, FIG. 17B shows the automated product cabinet of FIG. 17A including a door, and FIG. 17C shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of FIG. 17A with products stored inside. [Figure 18A] 18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 18A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 18B is a diagram illustrating the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A with a vertical displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 18C is a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A, and Fig. 18D is a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A. [Figure 18B] 18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 18A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 18B is a diagram illustrating the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A with a vertical displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 18C is a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A, and Fig. 18D is a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A. [Figure 18C]18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 18A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 18B is a diagram illustrating the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A with a vertical displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 18C is a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A, and Fig. 18D is a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A. [Figure 18D] 18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 18A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 18B is a diagram illustrating the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A with a vertical displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 18C is a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A, and Fig. 18D is a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 18A. [Figure 19A] 19A and 19B show an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 19A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 19B shows the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A with a horizontal displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 19C shows a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A, and Fig. 19D shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A. [Figure 19B] 19A and 19B show an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 19A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 19B shows the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A with a horizontal displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 19C shows a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A, and Fig. 19D shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A. [Figure 19C] 19A and 19B show an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 19A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 19B shows the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A with a horizontal displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 19C shows a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A, and Fig. 19D shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A. [Figure 19D]19A and 19B show an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein, in which Fig. 19A is an isometric view of the automated product cabinet, Fig. 19B shows the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A with a horizontal displacement of the scanning bar, Fig. 19C shows a side view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A, and Fig. 19D shows a front view of the automated product cabinet of Fig. 19A. [Figure 20] 1 illustrates automated product cabinets of different sizes according to implementations described herein, A, B, and C housing 300, 304, and 507 products or product packages, respectively. [Figure 21A] 21A-21B show modular slots for use with the automated product cabinets described herein, with Fig. 21A showing a unit of product loaded into the slot and Fig. 21B showing an empty slot. [Figure 21B] 21A-21B show modular slots for use with the automated product cabinets described herein, with Fig. 21A showing a unit of product loaded into the slot and Fig. 21B showing an empty slot. [Figure 22] 1A-1C illustrate exemplary slots for use with the automated product cabinets described herein. [Diagram 23] FIG. 2 illustrates an automated product cabinet according to another implementation described herein. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 illustrates an automated product system according to yet another implementation described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Original Application In the description and claims therein: Terms such as "about" The change is a process or device (Device) indicates that the listed values ​​may be modified somewhat without causing non-compliance with the The term "about" refers to a variation of ±0.1%. With respect to other factors, the term "about" may be used interchangeably. ±1% or ±10 %also can refer to the variation of any point therein.

[0014] As used herein, "Substantially" or "Substantially" Terms such as is an act, Features ,Characteristics,State,Structure, item or in negative notation to indicate a complete or near-complete lack of results. Even if it is For example, a surface that is "substantially" flat can be perfectly flat or Near-flat, where the effect is the same as if it were completely flat .

[0015] As used herein Terms such as "a," "an," and "the" are not intended to refer to a singular entity only, but include the general category for which a specific example may be used for illustration.

[0016] As used herein , defined in the singular It has been Terms are intended to encompass plural defined terms and vice versa.

[0017] In this specification, "one embodiment," "One embodiment," "some embodiments," or "embodiments" When referring to, etc. It is listed The embodiment (Multiple options are possible) are specific features or features, all embodiments may include the same or similar features as those described herein. Features In addition, phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, the phrases may refer to the same embodiment, regardless of whether they are explicitly stated. Regardless , the impact of such features, structures, or characteristics on other embodiments is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. "Top", "Bottom" ”, “Right”, “Left”, “Vertical”, “Horizontal”, “Top”, “Bottom” Terms such as , and their derivatives may be used in the drawings. Directed by The present invention relates to the above-mentioned technical solutions. "Overlap", "Top", "Positioning" Or " Positioning at the top "and Went The term refers to a first element present on a second element, Intervening elements Between the first and second elements Connected to "Direct contact" or " "It is installed."The term refers to a two-element The connection is made without any intermediate elements at the interface. This means that...

[0018] Original Application Any reference to a numerical range in Encompassed by range Explicitly include each numerical value (including fractions and integers). Exemplary In the present specification, "at least 50 」 or "At least about 50 」 Range Reference to teeth, Includes whole numbers such as 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, and fractions such as 50.1, 50.2, 50.3, 50.4, 50.5, 50.6, 50.7, 50.8, 50.9. For further explanation, the term "50 less than" Or "About 50 less than " Scope References to include whole numbers such as 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, etc., and fractions such as 49.9, 49.8, 49.7, 49.6, 49.5, 49.4, 49.3, 49.2, 49.1, 49.0, etc. Includes.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure. As used herein, and as used in the appended claims, the terms "having" and variations thereof are used synonymously with the terms "including" and variations thereof. It is an open and non-restrictive term. As used herein, the terms "optional" and "optionally" Then The features described, An event or situation may or may not occur; The features in question, This is meant to include instances where an event or situation occurs and instances where it does not occur. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that these implementations are not limited to the above. , automatic products for storing other types of products In the locker The applicability is It should be clear .

[0020] In this application: automatic product storage Lockers are listed Such automatic products locker Tracks products such as contact lenses / Make that inventory list For example, Original Application Listed Auto Products locker (i) Storage of products taken from unit (ii) keeping track of inventory; Inform users of the need for , (iii) Automatically order products(iv) all regularly prescribed lenses; Includes storage space and / or (v) during a power outage. To work on Includes.

[0021] Now referring to Figure 1, The present application An exemplary operating environment for the implementation is shown in FIG. 、 Client device 102 、 and the remote system 104 is connected to one or more networks 200 To So it can be operated join It can be done. Below, Automated Product Locker 100 The following will be described in detail. 102 may be a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, or the like. Computing Devices (For example, in Figure 14 The computing device 700 may be The remote system 104 may include a server or the like. Computing Devices (For example, in Figure 14 Computing device 700). To some implementation In this example, the remote system 104 may be a cloud-based system, for example, a client device 102 that may Allocated to meet a need One or more computer system resources, such as processors and data storage devices. A cloud-based system Technical Field Known in Because , more detailed below No explanation Some implementation Now, the remote system 104 has a database 104 A Contains or that Alternatively or additionally, the remote system 104 may have access to electronic Medical Records (EMR) 104 B Contains or And can be accessed.

[0022] As described above, the automated product locker 100 、 Client device 102 、 and the remote system 104 is connected to one or more networks 200 To Therefore, connection can beThis disclosure contemplates that network 200 is any suitable communications network. The networks may be similar to one another in one or more respects. Alternatively, or in addition, the networks may differ from one another in one or more respects. Network 200 may include a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a virtual private network (VPN), or the like, including portions or combinations of any of the above networks. Automated Product Locker 100 、 Client device 102 、 and the remote system 104 is connected to the network 200 via one or more communication links. connection This disclosure contemplates that the communications link may be any suitable communications link. For example, the communications link may be implemented by any medium that facilitates data exchange, including, but not limited to, wired links, wireless links, and optical links. Exemplary communications links include a LAN, a WAN, a MAN, Ethernet, the Internet, or WiFi. 、 WiMax 、 This includes, but is not limited to, any other wired or wireless link such as 3G, 4G, or 5G.

[0023] The present disclosure relates to No. 6,399,623, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. , entitled "DISTRIBUTION AND INVENTORY SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME" As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 222,819, filed Dec. 17, 2018, it is contemplated that the automated product locker 100, client device 102, and remote system 104 can interact to perform inventory and shipping / delivery functions. for example, Explained below In this manner, the remote system 104 may Locker 100 Products stored inside (e.g. contact lenses) Inventory list The network 200 may manage / maintain a database 104A that reflects the of By exchanging messages via the Locker 100 from Latest product inventory list The remote system 104 can also receive a message having locker 100 and / or client device 102 from In response to the request of inquiry The present disclosure also provides a method for allowing a user (e.g., a medical professional such as an eye care professional (ECP)) to access a client device 102. of It is contemplated that the client device 102 may use a web browser to interact with the automated product locker 100 and / or the remote system 104. For example, the client device 102 may use a web browser to Run the application and / or Automated product locker 100 and / or remote system 104 Interface It is possible.

[0024] Referring now to Figure 2 2. An automated product locker using the implementations described herein. A block diagram of the 100 is shown. locker 100 includes a housing 101 and one or more drawers 103 of It can include: drawer 103 that These are, A storage area (e.g., the storage area of ​​FIG. 5A-FIG. 5B ) configured to receive the product. Area 104) can be defined. As described herein, each drawer 103 may be slidably received within the housing 101. In other words, the drawer 103 is For example, to provide you with access to our products It can be pulled out from the housing 101 (See, for example, Figures 7, 13B and 13C). Meanwhile, the drawer 103 may be housed within the housing 101 (for example, FIG. 4, shown in Fig. 5A and Fig. 13A) .

[0025] Automatic Products The locker 100 further includes a storage area The automated product may include a plurality of visual indicators 105 configured to indicate respective positions of respective units of the automated product. locker 100 is disposed within a housing 101 and configured to capture information about a product. Machine Vision Systems It may contain 107. Machine Vision Systems 107 may include a data capture device. As described below, the data capture device may be any for, Barcode scanner or imaging Device In addition, the automatic product locker 100 is a housing 101 Inside The controller 109 may include a controller 109 disposed in Computing Devices (For example, in Figure 14 Computing Devices700). One exemplary controller for use with the automated product locker 100 can be the Raspberry Pi Foundation ( UK Raspberry He is a PI.

[0026] The present disclosure relates to Machine Vision Systems 107 and controller 109 may be operable via one or more communication links, for example. join It is contemplated that the communication link may be any suitable communication link. In addition, the visual indicator 105 and the controller 109 may be operatively connected via one or more communication links, for example. join For example, the communication link may be implemented by any medium that facilitates data exchange, including, but not limited to, a wired link, a wireless link, and an optical link. This allows the controller 109 to: Machine Vision Systems 107 and / or visual indicator 105 and Data can be exchanged.

[0027] any There are several implementations So, automatic products locker 100 is a housing 101 Inside For example, the automated product locker 100 may be powered by grid power (e.g., Home / Office Supply to It has been The present disclosure relates to a power source 111 that can be configured to connect to an automated product in response to a disruption (e.g., a power outage). locker It is contemplated that the power supply 111 can be configured to provide power to the 100. optional Alternatively, the power supply may be a battery.

[0028] any for , some implementation So, automatic products locker 100 is disposed in a housing 101 and includes a drawer 103 of The locking device 113 may include a locking device 113 configured to lock the Locks can be electronic, passcode, keycard, radio frequency identification (RFID), or biometric (e.g., authentication)-operable release mechanism. do The client device 102 receives automated product orders via the network. locker It should be understood that authentication information can be transmitted to the automated product locker 100. Authentication can be performed at the automated product locker 100. Locally , and / or on a remote system. remote Alternatively, the locking device 113 may be a mechanical lock, physical A key operable release mechanism secures the drawer 103.

[0029] any for , some implementation So, automatic products locker 100 is drawer 103 of The device may be configured to detect movement. It has been like, Machine Vision Systems 107 is drawer 103 of Some of the implementation Then, the controller 109 Machine Vision Systems 107 Using The device may be configured to detect movement of the drawer 103. locker 100 is drawer 103 Inside Placed in Machine readable The position strip may include a location strip including a code. The location strip may include partition may be located along or adjacent to one or more of Partition 400 in Figures 5A-5B). Machine-readable The position codes correspond to each slot in the drawer that receives a unit of the product. It can be provided Please understand that in this implementation, Machine Vision Systems 107 (eg, an imaging device or a barcode scanner) may be configured to read / decode the location strip. information is controller 109 Sent to may be received, Controller 109 is informed Configured to detect movement of drawer 103 can be Alternatively or additionally, an automated product locker 100 is a housing 101 ToThe drawer 103 may further include a position detector 115 configured to sense the position of the drawer 103 relative to the drawer 103. For example, the position detector 115 may include: Complete notice It may also be a beam photoelectric sensor. This implementation In the example, a plate having a through hole is installed in an automated product locker 100. It may be provided within The drawer 103 is a housing 101 To When the plate is moved relative to the move The photoelectric sensor detects the light beam Each through hole Detects when the The information may be sent to and received by the controller 109, which determines the relative position of the drawer 103. may be configured to track 。 any for ,Auto Products locker 100 is a drawer housing Entering and exiting A drawer cushion for speed stabilization may be included.

[0030] Here, the figure 3A~Figure 3C See The automated product locker 100 according to the implementation described herein Front view (Figure 3A), side view (Figure 3B), and Isometric view (FIG. 3C) is shown. A housing 101 and a number of drawers 103 are shown. 3A~Figure 3C As shown in do. Drawer 103 is made up of four relatively small drawers (e.g. 4 top drawer) and four relatively large drawers (e.g. 4 lower Drawers) 103 drawers of different sizes but , may be provided to accommodate products of different sizes. For example, 4 top Drawers are a pair (1p) of may be sized to accommodate a contact lens package; 4 lower Drawers are available in pairs of 3 (3p) or 5 (5p) of It may be sized to accommodate contact lens packages. It should be understood that the number, size, and / or arrangement of drawers 103 is provided by way of example only and that other configurations are possible.

[0031] Now refer to Figure 4 Therefore, the implementation described in this application 1 shows an isometric view of an automated product locker 100 according to the present invention. The locker 100 includes a housing 101 and a number of drawers 103. is shown in Figure 4Drawer 103 is made up of three relatively small drawers (e.g., three Top drawer) and three relatively large drawers (e.g. Bottom Drawer As mentioned above, the drawers 103 of different sizes but ,Accommodates products of different sizes may be provided for .for example, Three upper Drawers are a pair (1p) of may be sized to accommodate a contact lens package; 3 Lower Drawers are available in pairs of 3 (3p) or 5 (5p) of It may be sized to accommodate contact lens packages. It should be understood that the number, size, and / or arrangement of drawers 103 is provided by way of example only and that other configurations are possible.

[0032] Automated Product Locker 100 、 A visual indicator (eg, visual indicator 105 of FIG. 2) may be included. Each visual indicator LEDs and other Light emitter It could be. It should be understood that the light emitter is provided by way of example only. The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting a visual indicator comprising: graph Including display this As mentioned above, the visual indicator (e.g., visual indicator 105 of FIG. 2) may be operatively connected to a controller (e.g., controller 109 of FIG. 2). join The visual indicator can be Locker 100 of the desired product Location Users (e.g., eye care professionals (ECPs) medical care Provided to inform experts The present application describes Like, visual indicator is an automatic product locker of 100 Outer surface On a surface (e.g., on and / or adjacent to a drawer) and / or on an automated product Inside the storage area of ​​Locker 100 (e.g., adjacent to product packaging) It can be provided The controller will Where is it located? (for example, Which Withdrawals and / or withdrawals Inside Position of The user To inform One or more of the visual indicators An actuation signal can be sent to Described in this application So the controller is an automatic product locker Outside of 100 be One or more visual indicators may be activated and / or one or more visual indicators within the drawer may be activated. In some embodiments, the visual indicators may, for example, change color to alert a user to a change in condition. Change , blinking do or Otherwise The visual indicator may also indicate an error by changing the state of the product in the locker. When loading To, User It may guide a user (eg, an ECP, a staff member, an employee, a third party, or another user) to an available location within the locker. be In an embodiment, the visual indicator comprises: To whom is the guide directed? A different image, color, or other indicator may be displayed to designate whether the Device Each user of graph In the case of a display, it may be associated with a particular icon, graphic, or text. L In the case of ED or other luminescent visual indicators, specific User is operatively associated with the locker Software Applications For a given color or blink sequence, and may be associated, such that multiple users To the correct place in the locker Assigned colors on visual indicators can be simultaneously directed to each desired product by tracking .

[0033] Here, the figure 5A to 5B See The implementation described in this application Automated Products by locker 100 is shown. FIG. 5A shows a drawer 103 Storage area Automotive products with magnifying window showing 104 locker 100. An isometric view of a housing 101 and a number of drawers 103. but In Figure 5A As shown Drawer 103 has two relatively SmallWithdrawals (e.g. Two upper drawer) and three relatively large drawers (e.g. Bottom Drawer As mentioned above, the drawers 103 of different sizes but ,Accommodates products of different sizes may be provided for .for example, Two upper Drawers are a pair (1p) of may be sized to accommodate a contact lens package; 3 bottoms Drawers are available in pairs of 3 (3p) or 5 (5p) of It may be sized to accommodate contact lens packages. It should be understood that the number, size, and / or arrangement of drawers 103 is provided by way of example only and that other configurations are possible.

[0034] Further, the drawer 103 shown in FIG. that These are the outer 103A top In FIG. 5A, the visual indicator 105 is located at the external surface 103A (e.g., on or near the handle of a drawer). The placement of visual indicator 105 shown in FIG. 5A is provided by way of example only. It has been I want you to understand that. Described in this application Thus, the visual indicator 105 indicates the location of the desired product. User Notify In order to , the visual indicator 105 is User (e.g., when activating) a particular drawer 103 for the benefit of Emphasize For withdrawal above and / or nearby Anywhere Thus, the present disclosure provides: A visual indicator 105 Drawer 103 In contrast to the outer surface 103A of , adjacent to the outer surface 103A of the drawer 103 It may be optionally provided In FIG. 5A, one of the visual indicators 105 , i.e. ,Auto Products Locker 100, second from the top Visual Indicators of 105 is activated (e.g. illuminated) ).this By , the desired product is in this particular drawer 103 Inside Located in The user is notified .

[0035] The magnified window in FIG. 5A shows drawer 103 Storage within Area 104 is shown. Storage Area 104 , please understand that you will receive the product. Original Application In the described embodiment, the product is a contact lens. for , one or more product packages 300 (e.g., box , cartons, wrappers, and other containers May be included .for example, Product Package 300 is One or more of Contact lenses Automotive Products locker 100, 300 multiple product packages 、 In FIG. 5A, the product package 300 is a storage Area 104 Lined up inside Arranged in a row In other words, the product package 300 ( In this application, "unit of product" "), sometimes called Arranged in a single row between partitions .In addition, A set of Visual Indicators 105 may be provided in the storage area 104. Each visual indicator 105 is attached to a product package 300. that Adjacent to each It is provided In the enlarged window As shown So, there are two product packages: 300 (i.e., removed from storage area 104 product packaging) Each visual indicator 105 adjacent to (For example, lighting It has been ). This allows the desired product to be Storage Area 104 Located at these specific locations within The user is notified .

[0036] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. As shown An isometric view of a portion of one of the drawers 103. is As shown in FIG. 5B, the drawer 103 is Storage Area 104 Multiple partition 400. Additionally, the drawer 103 may further include a plurality of trays 420 configured to receive products, 420 per tray The adjacent partition is 400 Each tray is placed between 420The visual indicator 105 may include a number of slots 440 for receiving units of a product (e.g., product package 300). As shown in FIG. Each set is Each Partition 400 The visual indicators 105 may be arranged along the slots 440 such that one visual indicator 105 is aligned with each slot 440. is located adjacent to like, partition Linear arrangement along 400 can be In FIG. 5B, a set of visual indicators 105 are illustrated by dashed boxes. Thus, the visual indicators 105 are positioned on the product package 300. of One of them Each side is located adjacent to Operated for the user (For example, lighting (It is said that Highlight the specific location of the desired unit on the product.

[0037] Here, the figure 6A-6B, the implementation described herein by , a set of Visual Indicators 105 On A front view (FIG. 6A) and a side view (FIG. 6B) are shown. Described in this application like, A set of Visual Indicators 105 A partition (For example, in Fig. 5B partition 400). implementation So, the visual indicator 105 is partition They are arranged linearly along the line. 6A to 6B In the illustrated embodiment, the visual indicators 105 are evenly spaced because the slot sizes are the same. This disclosure contemplates that the visual indicators 105 may be unequally spaced, for example, if the slot sizes are different. indicator 105 has one visual indicator 105 adjacent to each slot. may be sized and / or spaced to accommodate It should be understood that the number, size, and / or spacing between the visual indicators 105 are provided by way of example only and that other configurations are possible.

[0038] Referring now to FIG. The implementation described in this application7 shows an isometric view of an automated product locker 100 according to the present invention. Shown is a housing 101 and a number of drawers 103. In FIG. 7, one of the drawers 103 has The product is pulled out from the housing 101, exposing it to the user. .

[0039] Here, the figure 8A-8C, the implementations described herein 1 shows a front view of an automated product locker 100 according to the present invention. 8A to 8C 8A shows a one pair (1p) pull-out configuration. of Two drawers sized for contact lens packaging, three pairs (3p) of One drawer sized for contact lens packaging, and five pairs (5p) of For contact lens packaging Sized to FIG. 8B shows a configuration with one drawer. of Contact lens packaging For size It was decided FIG. 8C shows a configuration with six drawers. of 4 drawers sized for contact lens packaging, 3 pairs (3p) of One drawer sized for contact lens packaging, and five pairs (5p) of Contact lens packaging Sized for A configuration having three drawers is shown, it being understood that the number, size, and / or arrangement of drawers is provided by way of example only and that other configurations are possible.

[0040] Described in this application like, Machine Vision Systems (For example, in Fig. 2 Machine Vision Systems 107) provides information about the product capture The present disclosure contemplates that such information may be associated with the product packaging and / or the product itself. For example, the product packaging may include a bar code (1D, 2D, or 3D), unified product The label may include a unique identifier (UNIT) such as a one-time program code (UPC), and / or a stock keeping unit (SKU). 9A to 9C See ToIllustrated are exemplary labeling that may be included in the product packaging. implementation Now, the label 500 is attached to the product package 300. (Figures 9A to 9C (see ). FIG. 9A to FIG. 9C In the example, the label 500 includes a 2D barcode (e.g., a QR code). implementation In this case, the label 600 is printed directly on the product package 300. It has been (See FIG. 9C.) In FIG. 9C, label 600 is a UPC. implementation In the embodiment, the label may be included on and / or affixed to the product itself (not shown). Additionally, the present disclosure contemplates that information about the product may be included on and / or affixed to the product packaging or the product itself. The attached text (e.g. brand name, product name, manufacturer Elegance It is contemplated that the design may be in the form of a logo (e.g., a logo), a description (e.g., a logo), and / or a graphic (e.g., a brand logo, a product logo). (See Figures 9B to 9C Information relating to the products may be generated using machine learning algorithms, optical character recognition (OCR), or other methods as described in more detail herein. It has been Other options Using , Computer Vision Systems The present disclosure relates to an automated product. Stored in Locker 100 Product Package Each may contain a label FIG. 10 shows the label 500 of 300 multiple product packages It shows Product package 300 includes: In the automated product locker described herein may be stored in Machine Vision Systems Label 300 of By reading / decoding it is possible to capture information about the product.

[0041] Here, the figure 11A to 11B See 1, a portion of an automated product locker 100 according to the implementation described herein. An isometric view of a storage device is shown. A housing 101 and a number of drawers 103 are shown in the figure. 11A to 11B. FIG. 11A shows the side panel does not have Automatic Products Front side of locker 100 11A shows a view from the outside. One of the exterior drawer faces is transparent in FIG. 11A for visibility. FIG. 11B shows the side panel Does not have an automatic product locker 100 from a side view. 11A to 11B 101 Machine vision system located within Figure 1 shows the 11A to 11B of the machine vision system a data capture device 107A; and a light reflecting device 107B (collectively referred to as the "machine vision system" in FIGS. 11A-11B). The data capture device 107A may be a barcode reader or a digital camera. Optical devices such as imaging devices One of many suitable cameras includes the E-Consystems model 3CAM_CU135_TC. The digital camera includes a lens, a sensor, and an image processor. Because it is known in the art , more detailed below No explanation Data capture devices also include radio frequency (RFID) scanners. Device It can take the form of: The embodiment described in relation to Figs. 11A to 11B In the present disclosure, data capture device 107A is an image capture device. But other types It should be understood that the present invention contemplates the use of a data capture device that can capture light reflections, such as: Device 107B is, Storage Area The light reflected from at least a portion of the Capture device 107A Configured to orient can be For example, light reflection Device Examples of such a reflector include, but are not limited to, a mirror, a prism, a lens, etc. As shown in Figs. 11A to 11B ,Data capture Device 107A and light reflection Device 107B is drawer 103 of The light reflecting device 107B is arranged on both sides of the data capture device 107A. of Positioned at an angle so that it is oriented downwards relative to the axis It has been In this way, the light reflecting surface 107B of the drawer Light reflected from a portion of the storage area Data Acquisition Device 107A Orient towards , whereby the data capture device 107A Units of product in storage area The data capture device 107A and the light reflection Features of Device 107B It should be understood that the size and / or placement of the image field may depend on the desired image field. Machine Vision SystemsAs mentioned above, this is determined by the desired image field. It has been In addition, the present disclosure provides Machine Vision Systems may include only one or more data capture devices 107A (i.e., a light reflecting surface 107B This is intended to be, for example, storage Area size, data capture device Features , the number of data capture devices, etc.

[0042] Here, Figure 12 With reference to the implementation described in this application, Automated Products by locker 1 shows an isometric view of a storage device 100. The storage device 100 includes a housing 101 and a number of drawers 103. is shown in Figure 12 FIG. 12 shows the drawer 103. of Automotive products without an outer surface Front side of locker 100 The figure from Fig. 12 is shown. Machine Vision Systems Data capture device 107C of include. Data capture Device 107C may be a barcode scanner. Barcode Scanner is printed Machine readable Code (e.g. barcode) Read Take, Computing Devices It can be output. Barcode Scanner As for the following: Laser scanner , charge coupling element (CCD) scanner and omnidirectional Scanner These include, but are not limited to: Barcode Scanner teeth, technology Known in the field Because ,below I won't go into further detail here. .

[0043] Described in this application So, automatic Storage Locker 100 is a plurality of drawers and a plurality of Machine Vision Systems It can contain several implementation So, each Machine Vision Systems (for example, In FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B Data capture device 107A / optical reflection Device 107B Alternatively, a data capture device 107C (FIG. 12) may be provided for each drawer. In other words, each withdrawal Unique Machine Vision System Optional There are several implementations So, Machine Vision Systems 107 is a single data capture device (e.g., As shown in Figs. 11A to 11B, one unit per drawer (including the camera) can.

[0044] Referring again to Figure 2 To The controller 109 determines a product based at least in part on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of , may be configured to activate one or more of the visual indicators 105 associated with the desired unit of the product. 13A to 13D An exemplary process will be described in relation to: Figure 13A Now, a user (e.g., an ECP) ​​accesses a client device 102. of Use the desired unit of the product Enter your request The client device 102 is connected to a network (see FIG. 13A to 13D (not shown) to select the desired unit of the product. Request for Automated Product Locker It can be sent to 100. A controller for the automated product locker 100 (not shown in FIGS. 13A-13D ) ) is the desired unit of the product of Further, the controller may be configured to communicate a request for a desired unit of the product to a remote system via a network. (Not shown in Figures 13A to 13D) may be further configured to transmit As described in this application Thus, a remote system (e.g., remote system 104 of FIG. 1) may include an inventory database. , and and / or have access to the remote system. Automated Product Locker 100 Desired units of product in Query the database to determine the location(s) of The remote system can send a response over the network to the controller, which in turn can In the storage area Desired units of product (Multiple options possible) Contains the location(s) of A response can be received Such a location(s) may be: Specific drawer(s) and / or within a drawer It should be understood that this may include a specific location or locations. Described in this application Thus, the controller sends a signal to provide a visual indicator (see Figure 1). 13A to 13D) is operated, Drawer 103 Inside Desired units of product (Multiple options possible) The position(s) of The user Helping to Identify It can be configured as follows. Optional is described in this application. So the controller is in the drawer 103 of Can be unlocked. Open drawer 103 teeth, A visual indicator 105 that is activated (e.g., illuminated) by the controller This is also shown in Figures 13B to 13C. These visual indicators are: User For the product desired Unit Location Emphasis on Figure 13D So , drawer 103 is in the housing The method described in this application has been returned. Thus, this movement (e.g., from the housing 101 of Drawer 103 of Withdrawals, and / or Returning the drawer 103 to the housing 101 ) is an automatic product Locker 100 For example, Machine Vision Systems and / or a position detector. This allows the controller to: Machine Vision Systems Start the process. Machine Vision Systems By starting the automatic product locker 100 is the unit of the product and Associated Machine readable The labels (e.g., barcode, UPC, SKU, text, graphics) can then be read / decoded. Each unit of product is then In the storage area Each position of and It can be associated. Each unit of the product The respective positions of the products can be transmitted by the controller to the remote system. In other words, the controller can transmit the updated product information over the network. Inventory list to a remote system and the database can be updated accordingly. is described in this application. So the controller is in the drawer 103 of Can be locked.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, the automated product locker 100 may include: Easy refilling For example, User (e.g. ECP) Open one or more drawers and store in the storage area. By placing the product package in any empty slot of Refill products Conventional Storage SystemUnlike, for example, by prescription, power, type, etc., you can choose the storage in any way. Need to organize No. Instead, the product packaging will say, storage When the drawer is closed, the controller Machine Vision Systems can be started. Machine Vision Systems By starting the automatic product locker 100 is the unit of the product and Associated Machine readable The labels (e.g., barcode, UPC, SKU, text, graphics) can then be read / decoded. Each unit of product is then In the storage area Each position of and It can be associated. Each unit of the product The respective positions of the products can be transmitted by the controller to the remote system. In other words, the controller can transmit the updated product information over the network. Inventory list to the remote system and the database can be updated accordingly.

[0046] Referring again to Figure 2 To , some implementation Now, the controller 109 is of Depending on the situation alarm may be configured to provide. Many conditions are recognized by computer vision systems. (like) upside down, etc. The product It has been inserted incorrectly Including , may function to trigger an alarm. As another possible alarm condition, the controller 109 may, for example, User In order to notify the user that the drawer 103 has been open for longer than a preset period of time, Remain (e.g., half-open) Depending on alarm In addition, the controller 109 may provide In the storage area Depending on the environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity, etc.) alarm The present disclosure contemplates that the drawer 103 may include various sensors for detecting environmental conditions.

[0047] Described in this application like, Machine Vision Systems The data capture device 107C of 107 captures 1D barcodes, UPCs, SKUs, etc. Machine readable It may be a barcode scanner (see FIG. 12) that is capable of reading and decoding the product identifier. Machine readable The product identifier is Described in this application on the product packaging and / or the product itself. affixed, and and / or directly printed. Thus, the product may be at least partially based on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of The process uses a barcode scanner to read each product identifier associated with each unit of product. thing and decoding a respective product identifier associated with each unit of product. After reading / decoding the respective product identifier, the respective unit of product is In the storage area The present disclosure may be associated with a respective location of either the controller 109 and / or a remote system (e.g., the remote system 104 of FIG. 1). Toko The present invention intends to carry out the above mentioned related matters.

[0048] Described in this application like, Machine Vision Systems The data capture device 107A of 107 is 1D barcode , 2D barcode, 3D barcode, UPC, or SKU, etc. It may be an imaging device such as a digital camera (see FIGS. 11A-11B) that can capture an image of the machine-readable product identifier. The imaging device also Machine readable Text and / or graphic images that can serve as product identifiers capture For example, the text and / or graphics may include, but are not limited to, brand names, product names, product descriptions, logos, etc. In these implementations, Machine readable Decode the product identifier Image processing techniques can be used to Therefore, based at least in part on the information about the product, Create an inventory list of The step of receiving an image of the product captured by an imaging device. 、 Each unit of the product Associated with Identify each product identifier Analyzing product images to determine the Each unit Associated with Decode each product identifier It may include After analyzing / decoding each product identifier, each unit of the product is In the storage area The present disclosure may be associated with a respective location of either the controller 109 and / or a remote system (e.g., the remote system 104 of FIG. 1). Toko The present invention intends to carry out the above mentioned related matters.

[0049] any for , some using imaging devices implementation Based at least in part on the information about the product, Create a product inventory list The process is to Cropping The image may be Cropping By doing so, it is expected to contain a product identifier. It has been You can focus on parts of the image. Cropped Analyze the parts and each unit of the product and The controller 109 is further configured to transmit the image of the product to a remote system (e.g., the remote system 104 of FIG. 1) over a network. can be In these implementations, the images may be stored by a remote system for backup purposes, or Image processing (in part or in whole) may be offloaded from the controller 109 to a remote system. Alternatively or additionally, the controller 109 may To memory It may be configured to store an image of the product. implementation In this case, the image is temporarily (e.g., to allow image processing) only The products are then stored in an automated product locker 100. To To minimize storage requirements Overwritten Good too.

[0050] any for , some using imaging devices implementation Based at least in part on the information about the product, Create a product inventory list The process is associated with a missing, unrecognized, or unreadable product identifier. storage Identifying one or more of each location in the area Analyze product images toIt further includes. for The controller 109 may be configured to distinguish between a missing unit of product and a unit of product having an unrecognized / unreadable product identifier. replenishment It is okay to The latter is a machine vision system. Accurately identify the product for reading by To be able to give direction It may be repositioned (e.g., inverted) has been relabeled, rotated, or relabeled ) that may be associated with missing, unrecognized, or unreadable product identifiers using machine learning algorithms. In the storage area Does one or more of the locations in the product contain a unit of the product? No or no The present disclosure provides: Some implementations use traditional vision systems (e.g., pattern recognition) but machine learning algorithms By controller 109 Other implementations may be implemented. So, machine learning algorithms but It may be performed by a remote system (i.e., an automated production system). locker From 100 Being offloaded The machine learning algorithm is Missing Machine learning algorithms can be trained using existing datasets to perform a specific task, such as identifying unrecognized or unreadable product identifiers. Because it is known in the art , more detailed below No explanation Exemplary machine learning algorithms include: technology Known in the field Open Source Machine TensorFlow, a learning algorithm in TensorFlow is a machine learning algorithm An Example This disclosure is merely a description of neural networks, Support Vectors It is contemplated that other machine learning algorithms may be used, including, but not limited to, nearest neighbor algorithms, supervised learning algorithms, and unsupervised learning algorithms.

[0051] any for , some using imaging devices implementation We have determined that the product is based, at least in part, on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of The process uses machine learning algorithms to Each unitIt may further include analyzing the images of the products to determine their respective sources. This may be the case, for example, when a product is sourced from multiple vendors or manufacturers. It has been In other words, the automated product locker 100 is particularly useful in Products from the source (e.g. contact lenses from different manufacturers) of As mentioned above, the imaging device may be a camera or other imaging device. The machine vision system 107 is a machine-readable Codes (barcodes, UPC, SKU) and images, both text and graphics may be used to capture Decode the product identifier Image processing techniques can be used to The present disclosure provides a method for identifying machine learning algorithms associated with different vendors or manufacturers. Machine readable It is contemplated that a machine learning algorithm may be used to identify the code, thereby enabling the automated product locker 100 to select the appropriate decryption rules. Alternatively or additionally, a machine learning algorithm may be used to identify the code. (even in the absence of machine-readable code) ) Identify the source of a unit of a product based on text and / or graphics can be used for This disclosure relates to several implementation In this case, the machine learning algorithm is executed by the controller 109. Other implementations may be possible. So, machine learning algorithms but It may be performed by a remote system (i.e., an automated production system). Being offloaded from the locker The machine learning algorithm is To perform a specific task, such as identifying the source of a unit of a product, Train using an existing dataset It can be done. Machine learning algorithms are Because it is known in the art , more detailed below No explanation Exemplary machine learning algorithms are provided above. It has been .

[0052] Regarding the various figures Described in this application The logical operations are: (1) (1) a sequence of computer-implemented acts or program modules (i.e., software) executing on a computing device (e.g., a computing device depicted in FIG. 14); The interconnected machine As a logic circuit or circuit module (i.e., hardware); and / or (3) Computing Devices Software and hardware combinations It will be appreciated that the above may also be implemented as .therefore, Logical operations described in this application Hardware and software For certain combinations too Implementations include, but are not limited to: Computing Devices It is a matter of choice depending on the performance and other requirements of the Described in this application Logical operations are actions and structures device, act Variously referred to as , or modules It has been These actions and structures Device ,Acts and modules are software, firmware, specific purpose It may also be implemented in digital logic, logic circuits, and any combination thereof. As shown and described herein It should also be understood that more or less operations may be performed. These operations may also include The present application may be performed in a different order than that shown.

[0053] Figure 14 Referring to FIG. 1, the method described herein is carried out An exemplary embodiment that can be Computing Devices 700 is shown. The computing device 700 is adapted to perform the methods described herein. It should be appreciated that this is merely one example of a suitable computing environment that may be used. Included in the computing device 700 may be a personal computer, a server, a handheld or laptop device, a multiprocessor system, a microprocessor-based system, a networked personal computer (PC), a minicomputer, a mainframe computer, an embedded system, and / or any of the above systems or devices. any Of multiple Distributed computing environments, including The computing system may be any of the well-known computing systems, including but not limited to: The distributed computing environment may be connected to a communications network or other data transmission medium. Remote Computing Device In a distributed computing environment, program modules, applications, and other data may be stored on local and / or remote computer storage media.

[0054] In its most basic configuration, Computing Devices 700 typically includes at least one processing unit 706 and a system memory 704. of include. Computing DevicesDepending on the exact configuration and type of memory, system memory 704 may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.), or the It may be any combination of the two. This most basic configuration is shown by dashed line 702 To Thus, as shown in FIG. Computing device 700 It may also be a standard programmable processor that performs the arithmetic and logical operations required for the operation of the The computing device 700 also includes The system may also include a bus or other communication mechanism for communicating information between the various components.

[0055] Computing device 700 may have additional features / functionality .for example, Computing Devices 700 is a magnetic disk or an optical disk or including but not limited to tapes, Removable Storage 708 and Non-removable Storage Additional storage devices such as 710 may also be included. The computing device 700 , a network connection 716 that allows the device to communicate with other devices. Furthermore It may include. The computing device 700 , keyboard, mouse, touch screen, and other inputs Device 714 Furthermore Outputs such as displays, speakers, printers, etc. The device 712 further Additional The apparatus includes a computing device 700 In order to facilitate the communication of data between the components of the device, all of these devices may be connected to a bus. Technique It is well known in the art and is described herein. Explain in detail There is no need.

[0056] The processing unit 706 is a tangible computer Readable The computer-implemented method may be configured to execute program code encoded on the medium. Readable The medium is Computing Devices 700 (i.e. machine ) to operate in a particular fashion. ReadableA medium may be utilized. Exemplary tangible Computer Storage Media As is a computer Readable Implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. This includes, but is not limited to, volatile media, non-volatile media, removable media, and non-removable media. . System Memory 704 , removable storage 708, and non-removable storage 710 are all , tangible computer storage media Example An exemplary tangible computer Readable Examples of recording media include integrated circuits (e.g., field programmable gate arrays or application specific ICs), hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, holographic storage media, solid state devices, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programs, Read Dedicated memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) or other optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage devices, or other magnetic storage devices. These include, but are not limited to: .

[0057] One Example Implementation In this case, the processing unit 706 accesses the system memory 704. To The stored program code may be executed. carries data to the system memory 704 , the processing unit 706 From system memory 704 Receive command And run The data received by the system memory 704 may be for , processing unit 706 To Before or after execution by Removable Storage 708 or Non-removable Storage 710.

[0058] The present application The various techniques may involve hardware or software, or, where appropriate, 、 this Both may be implemented in conjunction with any combination of It will be understood that the method and apparatus of the present technical subject matter , or certain aspects or portions thereof, may be stored on a floppy diskette, CD-ROM, hard drive, or any other Machine-readable storage medium Tangible items such as mediumThe program code embodied in That is , instructions), and the program code may be Computing Devices For machines such as Therefore load and is being implemented and, The machine is the technical content of this application Apparatus for carrying out and become. On a programmable computer When executing the program code in the computing device, the computing device includes a processor, a processor-readable storage medium (including volatile and non-volatile memory), , and and / or a memory element), at least one input Device , and at least one output Device The one or more programs may include, for example, an application programming interface (API), Reusable By using controls, etc. Technical Content of the Application The process described in relation to execution Such programs may use high level procedures to communicate with a computer system. Again is an object-oriented programming language execution However, if desired, the programs may be written in assembly language or Run in machine language In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardware implementations.

[0059] In this application: Automated product cabinets It is listed Such an automatic product cabinet teeth , intraocular lenses and other products It can be used to create an inventory. Next, refer to FIG. 15. 2. Exemplary Operating Environment 10 is a perspective view of an automated product cabinet 1000. 、 Client device 102 、 and the remote system 104 is connected to one or more networks 200 To So it can be operated join Automated Product Cabinet 1000 , client device 102,and remote system 104 is connected to network 200 via one or more communications links (eg, any suitable communications links). Can be combined Client device 102 、 Remote System 104 、 1. For example, the client device 102 and / or the remote system 104 may Computing Devices (For example, in Figure 14 Computing Devices 700). Some implementation Now, the remote system 104 has a database 104A or EMR104B Additionally, network 200 may include or have access to any suitable communications network. Below, Automated Product Cabinet 1000 of In detail explain The present disclosure contemplates that multiple automated product cabinets 1000 may be included within an operating environment. User teeth, Inventory list To store To There may be multiple automated product cabinets 1000 within an office.

[0060] The present disclosure relates to No. 6,399,623, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. , entitled "DISTRIBUTION AND INVENTORY SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME" Filed on December 17, 2018 US Patent Filing 16th / 222,819 issue As described above, it is contemplated that the automated product cabinet 1000, the client device 102, and the remote system 104 can interact to perform inventory and shipping / delivery functions. for example, Described in this application Thus, the remote system 104 may be connected to an automated product cabinet 1000. Inside Products stored in Inventory list The network 200 may manage / maintain a database 104A that reflects the of By exchanging messages via the mosquito and others Latest product inventory list The remote system 104 may also receive a message having the automated product cabinet 1000 and / or the client device 102. mosquitoIn response to requests from inquiry The present disclosure also provides a method for allowing a user (e.g., a medical professional such as a surgeon or ECP) ​​to access a client device 102. Using It is contemplated that the client device 102 may interact with the automated product cabinet 1000 and / or the remote system 104. For example, the client device 102 may use a web browser to: Run the application and / or Automated product cabinet 1000 and / or remote system 104 Interface It is possible.

[0061] Here, Figure 16 With reference to the implementation described in this application, 1 shows a block diagram of an automated product cabinet 1000 according to the present invention. too For example, Fig. 17A to 19D As shown by 。 The automated product cabinet 1000 is a storage unit for receiving products. area The housing 1001 may include a housing 1001 that defines a do In the embodiment, the product is stored in an automated product cabinet 1000. It has been The product is an intraocular lens. for , one or more product packages (e.g., box , cartons, wrappers, and other containers May be included For example, product packaging: One or more The automated product cabinet 1000 can store multiple product packages, i.e., multiple units of a product, in its Storage Area For example, the automated product cabinet 1000 may include a housing 1001. Inside 1003, the slots 1003 being arranged in Each slot 1003 is configured to receive each unit of the product The user is the housing 1001 of Through the surface storage In this embodiment, the surface of the housing 1001 includes: User The enclosure 1001 is open to the environment for easy access to the product by the doorThe container may be fully or partially closed via a drawer, drawer, or other cover, and may be transparent or opaque as desired. for , slot 1003 (hence, storage Units of manufactured product) In the storage area They can be arranged in rows and / or columns (e.g., See Figures 17A to 19D ). It should be understood that the automated product cabinet 1000 can receive products other than intraocular lenses, including, but not limited to, other types of ophthalmic lenses and / or surgical tools.

[0062] The automated product cabinet 1000 also includes an enclosure 1001 Inside The automated product cabinet 1000 may include a plurality of visual indicators 1005 configured to indicate the respective positions of the respective units of the product. of The automated product cabinet 1000 may also include a scanning bar 1007 configured to be slidably repositioned along a surface. The automated product cabinet 1000 may also include a data capture device attached to the scanning bar 1007 and configured to capture information about the products. Device It can include 1009. Described in this application Thus, the data capture device 1009 may capture a 1D barcode, UPC, or SKU, etc. Machine readable It may be a barcode scanner capable of reading and decoding the product identifier. Machine readable The product identifier is Described in this application on the product packaging and / or the product itself. affixed, and and / or may be printed directly. Described in this application Thus, the data capture device 1009 may capture a 1D barcode, a 2D barcode, a 3D barcode, a UPC, or an SKU, etc. Machine readable Product Identifier Image capture Digital cameras and other devices that can capture images It can be a device The imaging device also Machine readable Text and / or graphic images that can serve as product identifiers captureFor example, the text and / or graphics may include, but are not limited to, brand names, product names, product descriptions, logos, etc. In an imaging device implementation, Machine readable Decode the product identifier Image processing techniques can be used to .

[0063] Additionally, the automated product cabinet 1000 includes a controller 1111 of It can include several implementation So, the controller 1111: optional 2, Case 1001 Inside The controller 1111 may be disposed in Computing Devices (For example, in Figure 14 Computing Devices 700). One exemplary controller for use with the automated product cabinet 1000 can be the Raspberry Pi Foundation ( UK Raspberry The present disclosure contemplates that the data capture device 1009 and the controller 1111 may be operatively coupled, for example, via one or more communication links. In addition, the visual indicator 1005 and the controller 1111 may be operatively coupled, for example, via one or more communication links. join This disclosure contemplates that the communication link is any suitable communication link. For example, the communication link may be implemented by any medium that facilitates data exchange, including, but not limited to, a wired link, a wireless link, and an optical link. This allows the controller 1111 to: Data capture Device 1009 and / or visual indicator 1005 and Data can be exchanged.

[0064] any for , some implementation In the automated product cabinet 1000, a housing 1001 Inside For example, the automated product cabinet 1000 may include a power supply 1113 disposed in G Lid power (e.g., Supplied to homes / offices Configured to connect to standard alternating current (A / C) power can beThe present disclosure relates to a power supply 1113 that is configured to Self It is contemplated that the power supply 1113 can be used to power the moving product cabinet 1000. optional Alternatively, the power supply may be a battery.

[0065] any for , some implementation In the automated product cabinet 1000, a housing 1001 of The scanning bar 1007 may further include a position detector 1115 configured to sense the position of the scanning bar 1007 relative to the surface. For example, the position detector 1115 may include: Complete notice It may also be a beam photoelectric sensor. This implementation In the example, a plate having a through hole is mounted on an automatic product cabinet 1000. It may be provided within The scanning bar 1007 is connected to the housing 1001. of When moved relative to the aperture plane, the light beam On the plate The photoelectric sensor detects whether the light beam Each through hole Detects when the The information may be sent to and received by the controller 1009, which Scanning bar 1007 of Configured to track relative position It is possible. Beam photoelectric sensor provided as an example only It has been It should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the position detector 1115 may be any other type of sensor, including, but not limited to, a magnetic sensor. A type of sensor may be used. It is intended to do so.

[0066] Here, the figure Referring to Figures 17A to 19D 1, an exemplary automated product cabinet 1000 is shown. did So, the automatic product cabinet 1000 is A housing 1001, Multiple Slots 1003 and , a plurality of visual indicators 1005 and, Scanning bar 1007 of The housing 1001 may include a surface 1002 and storage Area 1004 of To define. The user 1002 of You can access the product via As mentioned above, the storage area 1004 is configured to receive a product such as an intraocular lens. It has been.figure In Figures 17A to 17C, the storage area The first part is designated by reference number 1004A. Labeling The dashed box is also high Storage area The second part is designated by reference number 1004B. Labeling and highlighted with a dashed box Storage Area is defined herein as Collectively, "storage It is called "Area 1004". Storage Area 1004 is a diagram 17A to 17C To As shown More parts than (e.g., three, four of It should be understood that the compound may include more than one moiety (e.g., one moiety) or fewer moieties (e.g., one moiety). Change , Slot 100 3. Each is included in the product packaging (e.g., box configured to receive respective units of a product that may be contained within a container such as a container, carton, wrapper, etc. It has been 17A and 17B show the product There is no inventory list for (i.e. the product is in slot 1003 Not loaded 17C shows a perspective view of the automated product cabinet 1000. There is an inventory list of (i.e. The product In slot 1003 Loaded) Shown is a front view of an automated product cabinet. for , the client device 102 is connected to an automated product cabinet 1000 Stored with The automated product cabinet 1000 may be mounted and / or attached to a housing 1001. of A door 1006 configured to cover the surface 1002 Optional This can include teeth Figure 17B As shown in The present disclosure relates to a door 1006 that is hinged, Pivot Type , or a sliding door. for , the door 1006, when the door 1006 is closed, User The automated storage cabinet 1000 may be transparent to allow a user to view products stored within the automated storage cabinet 1000.

[0067] Automated Product Cabinet 1000 、A data capture device such as a barcode scanner or an imaging device and a controller (Figure 17A to 19D (not shown in too Can contain 。 The data capture device captures information about the product. capture The scanning bar 1007 may be attached to the scanning bar 1007 so that the Described in this application So, automatic storage The units of product stored in the cabinet 1000 are Machine readable Within product packaging that has a label (e.g., barcode, UPC, SKU, text, graphic) May be included Or the product The unit is machine readable As opposed to being included in the product packaging having a label on it Machine-readable labels Direct application May be Therefore, the data capture device Machine readable The label is placed within the field of view of the data capture device. It can be attached to a scanning bar 1007 In addition, Fig. As shown in Figs. 17A to 19D , slot 1003 is In storage area 1004 They may be arranged in rows and / or columns. for ,Auto Product Cabinet 1000, Scanning bar 1007 a plurality of data capture devices mounted on the For example, each data capture device is the housing 1001 Inside A single slot 1003 located in line Thus, as described below, scanning bar 1007 corresponds to surface 1002. To Repositionable by sliding along It is said that , slot 1003 line Or the row is within the field of view of each data capture device. Can enter . Automated product cabinet 1000 size (e.g. storage area The number of rows and / or columns of slots 1003 in 1004) is provided as an example only. It has been It should be understood that the present disclosure is directed to the size (e.g., storage area 1004) is the number of rows and / or columns of slots 1003 in FIG. It is contemplated that the configuration may vary from that shown in Figures 17A-19D. For example, Figure 20A to 20C Different sizes of automatic product cabinets Showing .

[0068] The scanning bar 1007 is configured to be slidably repositioned in a first direction and a second direction along the surface 1002 of the housing 1001. can be The present disclosure provides a method for allowing a user to move the scanning bar 1007 Direction and manually repositionable in a second direction. In the first direction and the second direction is Opposite Relative For example, the first Direction and the second direction is Like above and below respectively It may be vertical. teeth Figure 18B As shown in For example, some implementation Now, the scanning bar 1007 is User The scanning bar 1007 is manually moved vertically. Sliding The vertical position of the housing 1001 can be adjusted to Inside the truck It can be fixed to any for ,other implementation So, Scanning Bar 1007 is attached to the scanning bar 1007 using a pulley system. Combined The counterweight and pulley system can be adjusted for balance by the counterweight. Inside Or you can hide it in the first Direction The first and second directions may be vertical directions, such as left and right, respectively. is shown in FIG. For example, some implementation Now, the scanning bar 1007 is User The scanning bar 1007 is manually moved horizontally. Sliding The horizontal position of the housing 1001 is Inside the truck It can be fixed to some implementation So, automatic products locker Optionally, multiple scanning bars 1007A and 1007B ( As used herein, the term "scanning bar 1007" is used collectively. Each scanning bar 1007A and 1007B may include a housing 1001 of The present disclosure provides scanning bars 1007A and 1007B that are configured to be slidably repositioned along surface 1002. BIt is contemplated that each may include one or more data capture devices. The scanning bars 1007 are fixed in spaced apart relation. can be For example, Figure As shown in Figs. 17A to 17C , the first scanning bar 1007A is storage A first portion of area 1004A (e.g., storage 1002 of the housing 1001 relative to the upper half of the housing 1001. Can be , the second scanning bar 1007B is storage A second portion of area 1004B (e.g., storage 1002 of the housing 1001 relative to the lower half of the housing 1001. can be In this manner, each scanning bar 1007 is of Only half of the face 1002 needs to be traversed. The number of scanning bars 1007 in FIG. 17A to FIG. 17C (e.g., two) ) are provided as examples only It is important to understand that This disclosure relates to automatic storage The cabinet 1000 is shown in FIG. 17A to 17C. More scan bars than the one shown (e.g., three, four Scanning bars such as ), or few It is contemplated that a scan bar (eg, one scan bar) may be included. In addition, FIGS. 17A to 17C The positioning and / or movement direction of the scanning bar 1007 (e.g., It should be understood that above / below) is provided as an example. figure As shown in Figures 19A-19D, scanning bar 1007 can be positioned so that the scanning bar moves in a side to side direction.

[0069] As mentioned above, the automated product cabinet 1000 includes a visual indicator 1005 of The visual indicator 1005 is disposed in the automated product cabinet 1000. Inside of desired products Location A user (e.g., a surgeon or ECP) medical care To inform the experts To be established The visual indicator 1005 is Outer surface On the surface and / or in storage area In 1004 (e.g., adjacent to slot 1003) establish The controller can Where is it located? (for example, Which Cabinets and / or Inside the cabinet Position of The user To inform An activation signal is sent to one or more of the visual indicators 1005. For example, FIG. 17C To As shown, the housing 1001 includes an outer frame 1001A. of The visual indicator 1005A may include an external frame 1001A or on it The visual indicator 1005A may be disposed adjacent to the teeth The desired product is illuminated and placed in the automated product cabinet 1000. Inside Used to indicate that the can be This means that User can identify the cabinet in which the desired product is stored; This can be especially useful when products are stored in multiple cabinets. In addition, each visual indicator 1005B indicates a respective slot 1003 On top of each slot Inside or Each slot 17C. As shown in So, 6 of slot 1003 but , the desired product is placed in the automatic product cabinet 1000 Within can be used to indicate the slot in which 、 Visual Indicator 1005B is illuminated by This means that User Automated Storage Cabinet 1000 In the storage area of the desired product place The arrangement of visual indicators 1005 in FIG. 17C is provided by way of example only. It has been It should be understood that the visual indicator 1005 is used to locate the desired product. To notify users , the visual indicator 1005 is User For this purpose, the housing 1001 and / or the slot 1003 and / or Anywhere nearby It can be arranged.

[0070] Visual Indicators 100 5th Each of them is a light-emitting diode (LED) Light emitter It could be. It should be understood that the light emitter is provided by way of example only. The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting a visual indicator comprising: graph Including display this As described above, the visual indicator (e.g., visual indicator 1005 of FIG. 16) may be operatively connected to a controller (e.g., controller 1111 of FIG. 16). join The controller may: Sending an activation signal to one or more of the visual indicators to notify the user where the desired product is located It is possible. Described in this application Thus, the controller is external to the automated product cabinet 1000. be Activating and / or storing one or more visual indicators 1005 area One or more visual indicators 1005 in 1004 can be activated. In some embodiments, the visual indicators can change color, for example, to alert a user to a change in condition. Change, blink, or otherwise The visual indicator may also indicate an error by changing state, etc. When loading to users (e.g., ECPs, staff members, employees, third parties, or other User ) to an available location in the cabinet. be In an embodiment, the visual indicator comprises: To whom is the guide directed? A different image, color, or other indicator may be displayed to designate which user of the cabinet is currently in use. For example, each user of the cabinet may be In the case of a graph display , can be associated with a particular icon, graphic, or text. LED or other luminous visual indicator, specific A user may be associated with a given color or blink sequence in a software application operatively associated with the cabinet, such that multiple users may be simultaneously directed to their desired products by following the assigned color on the visual indicator to the correct location within the automated storage cabinet 1000.

[0071] Here, the figure 21A-22, slots for receiving the product units are shown. .figure 21A~Figure 21B is, line 20 shows a plurality of slots 2005 arranged in a row; Each slot 2005 Product 2010 of Each unit is housed in a slot. load 21B shows an empty slot 2005. of Shown. 21A~Figure 21B is 8 columns and 10 rows Module (8 x 10 modules) show The size of the module (e.g. the number of slots line and / or number of columns) are provided as examples only It has been It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the size of the module (e.g., the number of slots). line and / or number of columns) are shown in Fig. 21A to 21B. It is intended to be different from what is shown. The module shown in FIGS. 21A-21B is In the automated storage cabinet mentioned above in relation to It can be provided .

[0072] Alternatively or additionally, FIG. 21A to 21B. One or more of Slot 2005 Product 2010 In other words, different sized slots can accommodate different sized products and / or product packages. For example, as shown in FIG. The slot 2005 is connected to the ejection mechanism 2020 and the ejection member. It may include 2022. squirt The mechanism 2020 and the protruding member 2022 are inserted into the slot 2005 Inside Configured to fix the unit of the product 2010 located in It can be. The Mechanism 2020 is optional. for , the unit of the product 2010 is a protruding member 2022 To Fixed It has been The unit of product 2010 may be spring loaded (i.e., include a spring) such that the unit of product 2010 is attached to the edge of the unit of product 2010 and the protruding member 2022. and This allows the slot 2005 to be opened by disengaging the first line For products with dimensions unit Alternatively or additionally, the slot 2005 can accommodate a plurality of opposing resilient members 2024. of The opposing resilient members 2024 may include a slot 2005. Inside The opposing resilient members 2024 may be configured to contact both sides of the unit of the product 2010 located at Stretched, The second one with different width etc. line For products with dimensions Contact with the unit Alternatively or additionally, the automated product cabinet 1000 may optionally include slot sensors disposed in one or more of the slots. Included The slot sensor may be configured to sense the presence of a unit of the product. can be For example, the slot sensor can include a light emitter and a light detector (eg, a light curtain). Light Curtain teeth, Transmitter (e.g., a light emitter such as an infrared light emitter) and Light receiving element (e.g., photocells). Product Units When an object such as breaks the emitted light beam, the photodetector , indicating the location of the object Sends a signal to the controller do. Products in slots of To detect the relative position of the units, multiple Light Curtain (e.g., spaced apart within a slot) can be used. The light emitter and light detector are provided only as exemplary slot sensors. It has been It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to mechanical switches, pressure sensors, or other product presence sensors. Includes But not limited to these: Other types of slot sensors Product in slot of automated product cabinet unit Detect the presence of For It is intended to be used. In Figs. 21A to 22 The number, size and arrangement of slots 2005 in It should be understood that this is provided as an example only. .

[0073] Again, Figure 16 To refer to The controller 1111 may determine a product based at least in part on the information about the product. Make an inventory list , the controller 1111 may be configured to activate one or more of the visual indicators 1005 associated with the desired unit of the product. A signal to activate the Visual Indicators 1005 At least one of An exemplary process is now described: A user (e.g., a surgeon or ECP) ​​may use a client device (e.g., client device 102 of FIG. 15) to request a desired unit of a product. Enter your request The client device may then receive a request for a desired unit of the product via a network (e.g., network 200 of FIG. 15). ofThe request can be sent to the automated product cabinet 1000. The controller 1111 is configured to receive a request for a desired unit of product. can be Additionally, the controller 1111 is further configured to transmit a request for the desired units of the product over the network to a remote system (e.g., the remote system 104 of FIG. 15). As described herein, Thus, the remote system includes an inventory database. , and and / or have access to the remote system. Automated Product Cabinet 1000 Position of the desired unit(s) of the product within Query the database to determine The remote system can send a response over the network to the controller 1111, which In the storage area Desired units of product A response containing the location(s) of the Such a position(s) But the desired unit of the product It should be appreciated that the number of slots may include the particular slot(s) 1003 in which the number of slots is located. Described in this application Thus, the controller 1111 Send a signal to activate visual indicator 1005 for automatic storage Cabinet 1000 Assisting a user in identifying the location(s) of a desired unit(s) of a product within This can be configured as shown in FIG. To Activating visual indicators 1005A and 1005B as shown. May include These visual indicators are: User For the product desired Unit Location Emphasize some implementation Then, the controller 1111 controls the scan bar 1007 of In response to the movement, the automated product cabinet 1000 may be further configured to initiate the data capture device 1009. By initiating the data capture device 1009 based on the movement, the automated product cabinet 1000 may be configured to Machine readable The labels (e.g., barcode, UPC, SKU, text, graphics) can then be read / decoded. Each unit of product is then In the storage area Each position of and Then, the product Each unit'sEach location can be transmitted by the controller 1111 to a remote system. In other words, the controller can transmit the updated product location over the network. Inventory list to the remote system and the database can be updated accordingly.

[0074] Automated Product Cabinet 1000 Easy refilling For example, User (e.g., surgeon or ECP) ​​may In the storage area By placing the product in any empty slot 1003 of replenishment It is possible to do so. Storage System Unlike, for example, by prescription, power, type, etc., you can choose the storage in any way. Organize Need to but No. Instead, the product packaging will say, storage They may be randomly placed within the area. replenishment Once this is complete, the scanning bar 1007 can be moved and the automated product cabinet 1000 will begin to read the product associated with the unit. Machine readable The labels (e.g., barcode, UPC, SKU, text, graphics) can then be read / decoded. Each unit of product is then In the storage area Each position of and Then, the product Each unit's Each location can be transmitted by the controller 1111 to a remote system. In other words, the controller 1111 can transmit the updated product location to a remote system via the network. Inventory list to the remote system and the database can be updated accordingly.

[0075] Described in this application Thus, the data capture device 1009 may capture a 1D barcode, UPC, or SKU, etc. Machine readable It may be a barcode scanner capable of reading and decoding the product identifier. Machine readable The product identifier is Described in this application on the product packaging and / or the product itself. affixed, andand / or directly printed. Thus, the product may be at least partially based on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of The process uses a barcode scanner to read each product identifier associated with each unit of product. thing and decoding a respective product identifier associated with each unit of product. After reading / decoding the respective product identifier, the respective unit of product is In the storage area The present disclosure relates to either the controller 1111 and / or the remote system. Toko The present invention intends to carry out the above mentioned related matters.

[0076] Described in this application Thus, the data capture device 1009 may capture a 1D barcode, a 2D barcode, a 3D barcode, a UPC, or an SKU, etc. Machine readable Product Identifier Image capture Digital cameras and other devices that can capture images Device The imaging device may also include Machine readable Text and / or graphic images that can serve as product identifiers capture In these implementations, Machine readable Decode the product identifier Image processing techniques can be used to Therefore, based at least in part on the information about the product, Create an inventory list of The step of receiving an image of the product captured by an imaging device. , associated with each unit of the product Identify each product identifier Analyzing the product images to identify the product Decode each product identifier It may include After analyzing / decoding each product identifier, each unit of the product is In the storage area The present disclosure relates to either the controller 1111 and / or the remote system. Toko The present invention intends to carry out the above mentioned related matters.

[0077] any for , some using imaging devices implementation Based at least in part on the information about the product, Create a product inventory listThe process is to Cropping The image may be Cropping By doing so, it is expected to contain a product identifier. It has been You can focus on parts of the image. Cropped Analyze the parts and each unit of the product and The controller 1111 is further configured to transmit the image of the product to a remote system over a network. can be In these implementations, the images may be stored by a remote system for backup purposes, or Controller 1111 to remote system Image processing (part or all) may be offloaded. Alternatively or additionally, the controller 1111 may To memory It may be configured to store an image of the product. implementation In this case, the image is temporarily (e.g., to allow image processing) Only remember Then, the automatic product cabinet 1000 To To minimize storage requirements Overwritten Good too.

[0078] any for , some using imaging devices implementation Based at least in part on the information about the product, Create a product inventory list The process is associated with a missing, unrecognized, or unreadable product identifier. storage Identifying one or more of each location in the area Analyze product images to It further includes. for The controller 1111 may be configured to distinguish between a missing unit of product and a unit of product having an unrecognized / unreadable product identifier. It may be supplemented, The latter is a data capture device 1009 To Accurately identify the product for reading by the To be able to give direction It may be repositioned (e.g. Flips, rotates, relabels ) that may be associated with missing, unrecognized, or unreadable product identifiers using machine learning algorithms. In the storage area Does one or more of the locations in the product contain a unit of the product? No or no The present disclosure provides: Some implementations use traditional vision systems (e.g., pattern recognition) but machine learning algorithms By controller 1111 Other implementations may be implemented. So, machine learning algorithms but It may be performed by a remote system (i.e., from the automated product cabinet 1000 Off-road (It is being intend to Machine learning algorithms are Missing Machine learning algorithms can be trained using existing datasets to perform a specific task, such as identifying unrecognized or unreadable product identifiers. Since it is well known in the art, it will not be described in further detail below. Exemplary machine learning algorithms include: Open source machines known in the art TensorFlow, a learning algorithm in TensorFlow is a machine learning algorithm An Example This disclosure is merely a description of neural networks, Support Vectors It is contemplated that other machine learning algorithms may be used, including, but not limited to, nearest neighbor algorithms, supervised learning algorithms, and unsupervised learning algorithms.

[0079] any for , some using imaging devices implementation We have determined that the product is based, at least in part, on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of The process uses machine learning algorithms to Each unit It may further include analyzing the images of the products to determine their respective sources. This may be the case, for example, when a product is sourced from multiple vendors or manufacturers. It has been In other words, the automated product cabinet 1000 is particularly useful in cases where different Products from the source (e.g. intraocular lenses from different manufacturers) of As mentioned above, the camera is machine readable Codes (barcodes, UPC, SKU) and images, both text and graphics It can be used to capture , decrypt the product identifier Image processing techniques can be used toThe present disclosure provides a method for identifying machine learning algorithms associated with different vendors or manufacturers. Machine readable It is contemplated that the code may be used to identify the code, allowing the automated product cabinet 1000 to select the appropriate decoding rule. It will be possible Alternatively or additionally, a machine learning algorithm (even in the absence of machine-readable code) ) Identify the source of a unit of a product based on text and / or graphics can be used for This disclosure relates to several implementation Now, the machine learning algorithm is executed by the controller 1111. Other implementations may be possible. So, machine learning algorithms but It may be performed by a remote system (i.e., an automated production system). Being offloaded from the locker The machine learning algorithm is To perform a specific task, such as identifying the source of a unit of a product, Train using an existing dataset It can be done. Machine learning algorithms are Because it is known in the art , more detailed below No explanation Exemplary machine learning algorithms are provided above. It has been .

[0080] Here, Figure 23 For another implementation described in this application, 15 shows an automated product cabinet 1500 according to the present invention. The automated product cabinet 1500 is configured to receive a product. storage Area 1504 Define Enclosure 1501 And case 1501 A plurality of slots 1503 arranged in and may include. Described in this application So, multiple units of the product may be placed in slot 1503 The product is optional. for , one or more product packages (e.g., box , cartons, wrappers, and other containers May be included Each unit of product may include a respective smart tag. Each smart tag stores information about the respective unit of product. The present disclosure contemplates that smart tags may be applied to the product and / or product packaging. For example, each smart tag may be a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an ultra-high frequencyThe RFID, UHF, or NFC tags may be provided only as exemplary smart tags. It has been It should be understood that the present disclosure provides a method for storing information Memory for storing , antenna, and the ability to transmit data to the controller. Any type with It is contemplated that the tag may be the tag of FIG. As shown in In implementations, smart tags may be attached to products and / or product packaging. Affixed machine-readable Instead of providing a data capture device configured to read the label, can be .

[0081] The automated product cabinet 1500 also includes an enclosure 1501 Inside The housing 1501 may include a plurality of visual indicators 1505 configured to indicate the respective positions of the respective units of the product. The visual indicators 1505 may be located on or adjacent to an exterior frame of the housing 1501 and / or Each slot 1503 It may be located on, within, or adjacent to the Described in this application Thus, the visual indicator 1505 indicates that the desired product is in the automated product cabinet 1500. Where in This can be used to indicate whether the information is stored in a file. So , the outer frame of the housing 1501 and Of the multiple slots 1503 6, Visual Indicator 1505 is illuminated by .

[0082] Furthermore, Automated Product Cabinet 1500 teeth, A controller (e.g., controller 1111 of FIG. 15) may be included. implementation So, the controller is arbitrary for , housing 1501 Inside The present disclosure also provides that the controller 1111 may communicate with the smart tag and / or visual indicator 1505, e.g., via one or more communications links. operatively coupled toThis disclosure contemplates that the communication link may be any suitable communication link. The controller may receive information about each unit of the product from each smart tag and determine whether the product is a suitable unit based at least in part on the information about each unit of the product. Make an inventory list , to the desired unit of the product Associated The controller may be configured to activate one or more of the visual indicators 1505. Alternatively or additionally, the controller may be configured to communicate with the product via a network. Inventory list to a remote system. The present application Alternatively or additionally, the controller may be further configured to receive a request for the desired units of product. of Sending the request to a remote system; The system may be further configured to receive a response from the remote system including the slot in which the desired product unit is located. .

[0083] Here, Fig. 24 For another implementation described in this application, 1 illustrates an automated product system 1700 configured to receive a product. a housing 1701 defining a storage area; Multiple slots arranged in the enclosure and may include. Described in this application So, multiple units of the product teeth Place in slot can be The present disclosure relates to a housing 1701 、 The slots and product units are shown in Fig. 15~Figure 23 It is contemplated that the above may be similar to that described above with respect to Furthermore , Described in this application So the product can be any for , one or more product packages (e.g., box , cartons, wrappers, and other containers May be included Automated Product System 1700 teeth, Enclosure 1701 are disposed in a spaced relationship with respect to It may include an imaging and projector unit 1703. The imaging and projector unit 1703 may include an imaging device and a projector. implementationIn the example, the image capture device and the projector are housed in a single housing. To be established .other implementation In the example, the image capture device and the projector are housed in separate housings. To be established .

[0084] The imaging device can capture 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes, 3D barcodes, UPCs, or SKUs, etc. Machine readable Product Identifier Image capture The imaging device may also be a digital camera capable of Machine readable Text and / or graphic images that can serve as product identifiers capture In these implementations, Machine readable Decode the product identifier Image processing techniques can be used to project the image. comprises a light source and / or one or more lenses and a surface (e.g. projection surface ) configured to project a light beam (e.g., an image) onto the Device FIG. So , the housing 1701 (for example, the surface of the housing 1701) is the projection surface Optional Includes a projector teeth, Short throw projector or ultra-throw distance It may be a projector. Short Throw Projector has a throw ratio less than 1, and the throw ratio is Projector to surface area relative to screen size Calculated as the distance to Short-throw projectors is about 0.6 ~about 0.8 of has a throw ratio. Ultra-short throw projector is about 0.4 less than The throw ratio is Short Throw Projector The projector includes Technical Field In the prior art, Projector Seiko Epson Corporation Suwa, Nagano Prefecture ) from EPSON This is the POWERLITE projector. Figure 24 So, what about ultra-short-throw, short-throw, and long-throw projectors? The positioning of each is indicated by the reference number 1705、1707、 and 1709 To Therefore, it is indicated. for, the automated product system 1700 can include an optical element 1711 to further reduce the throw ratio. This disclosure contemplates that the optical element 1711 can include a lens, a mirror, or a combination thereof.

[0085] The automated product system 1700 may also include a controller (e.g., controller 1111 of FIG. 15). implementation So, the controller is arbitrary for , in the housing 1701 or in the imaging and projector unit 1703 Inside The present disclosure also relates to a controller 1111 controlling the imaging and projector unit 1703, for example via one or more communication links. operatively coupled to This disclosure contemplates that the communication link may be any suitable communication link. The controller may receive information about the product from the imaging device and determine whether the product is a target product based at least in part on the information about the product. Create an inventory list of , the projector, the desired product in the housing Each It may be configured to illuminate the location. Projector is housing 1701 Inside to illuminate (e.g., with light) the location of a desired product and / or product packaging stored in It has been Alternatively or additionally, the controller may transmit the product information via a network. Inventory list to a remote system. The present application Alternatively or additionally, the controller may be further configured to receive a request for the desired units of product. of Sending the request to a remote system; It may be further configured to receive a response from the remote system including the slot in which the desired product unit is located. Fig. 24 The implementation shown in So, The projector is of the desired product and / or product package Used instead of providing visual indicators to illuminate the area .

[0086] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. For example, Usage example Related The present application Embodiments include ophthalmic devices such as intraocular lenses and contact lenses. However, within the scope of the claims Automated Product Cabinets and How to use them , improved storage, Making an inventory list and / or applies equally to any type of product or other object that could benefit from recovery. It has been I want you to understand that.

[0087] [Embodiment] (1) An automated product cabinet, comprising: a housing defining a storage area and a surface, the storage area configured to receive a product; a plurality of slots disposed within the housing, each of the plurality of slots configured to receive a respective unit of the product; a plurality of visual indicators configured to indicate respective positions of the respective units of the product within the housing; a scanning bar configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing; a data capture device attached to the scan bar and configured to capture information about the product; a controller operably coupled to the data capture device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: causing an inventory of said products based at least in part on said information regarding said products; and a controller that activates one or more of the visual indicators associated with a desired unit of the product. (2) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, further comprising a plurality of data capture devices attached to the scanning bar, each data capture device corresponding to a row or column of the slots disposed within the housing. (3) An automated product cabinet as described in embodiment 1, wherein the scanning bar is configured to be slidably repositioned in a first direction and a second direction along the surface of the housing. (4) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 3, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite relative directions. (5) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 4, wherein the first direction and the second direction are an upward direction and a downward direction, respectively.

[0088] (6) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 4, wherein the first direction and the second direction are leftward and rightward, respectively. (7) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, further comprising a plurality of scanning bars, each scanning bar configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing. (8) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 7, wherein the scanning bars are fixed in spaced apart relationship. (9) An automated product cabinet as described in embodiment 8, wherein a first scanning bar is configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing to a first portion of the storage area, and a second scanning bar is configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing to a second portion of the storage area. (10) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 7, further comprising a plurality of data capture devices, at least one data capture device attached to each of the scanning bars.

[0089] (11) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein the housing includes an exterior frame, and at least one of the visual indicators is disposed on or adjacent to the exterior frame. (12) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein a respective visual indicator is disposed on, within, or adjacent to the respective slot. (13) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to transmit the product inventory over a network to a remote system. (14) The automated product cabinet of claim 13, wherein the remote system includes a database. (15) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to receive a request for the desired unit of the product.

[0090] (16) The memory stores further computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: transmitting said request for said desired unit of said product to a remote system over a network; 16. The automated product cabinet of claim 15, further comprising receiving a response from the remote system including a slot in which the desired unit of the product is located. (17) The automated product cabinet of claim 16, wherein the remote system includes a database. (18) The automated product cabinet of claim 1, wherein the data capture device is a barcode scanner. (19) causing an inventory of said products based at least in part on said information regarding said products; reading a respective product identifier associated with each unit of said product; decrypting the respective product identifier associated with the respective unit of product; and 20. The automated product cabinet of claim 18, further comprising: associating the respective units of the product with the respective slots using the respective product identifiers. (20) The automated product cabinet of claim 19, wherein each of the respective product identifiers is a one-dimensional (1D) bar code, a universal product code (UPC), or a stock keeping unit (SKU).

[0091] (21) The automated product cabinet of claim 1, wherein the data capture device is an imaging device. (22) causing an inventory of said products based at least in part on said information regarding said products; receiving an image of the product captured by the imaging device; analyzing the images of the product to identify respective product identifiers associated with respective units of the product; decrypting the respective product identifier associated with the respective unit of product; and 22. The automated product cabinet of claim 21, further comprising: associating the respective units of the product with the respective slots using the respective product identifiers. (23) The automated product cabinet of claim 22, wherein each of the respective product identifiers is a one-dimensional (1D) barcode, a two-dimensional (2D) barcode, a three-dimensional (3D) barcode, a universal product code (UPC), a stock keeping unit (SKU), text, or a graph. (24) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to initiate the data capture device in response to movement of the scanning bar. (25) The automated product cabinet of claim 24, further comprising a position detector configured to sense a position of the scanning bar relative to the surface of the housing.

[0092] (26) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein at least one of the slots is configured to accommodate different sized units of the product. (27) The automated product cabinet of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the slots includes an ejection mechanism and an ejection member. (28) The automated product cabinet of claim 27, wherein the ejection mechanism and the protruding member are configured to secure a unit of product located in the at least one of the slots. (29) The automated product cabinet of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the slots includes a plurality of opposing resilient members. (30) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 29, wherein the opposing elastic members are configured to contact opposite sides of a unit of product located in the at least one of the slots.

[0093] (31) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, further comprising a slot sensor disposed in at least one of the slots, the slot sensor configured to sense the presence of a unit of product positioned in the at least one of the slots. (32) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 31, wherein the slot sensor includes a light emitter and a light detector. (33) The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a door configured to cover the face of the housing. (34) The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a power source disposed within the enclosure. (35) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 1, wherein each of the visual indicators is at least one of a light emitter or a graphical display.

[0094] (36) The automated product cabinet of claim 1, wherein each of the respective units of the product is a product package. (37) The automated product cabinet of claim 36, wherein the product package includes a surgical implant. (38) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 37, wherein the surgical implant is an intraocular lens. (39) The automated product cabinet of claim 36, wherein the product package includes a surgical tool. (40) A system comprising: A client device; A remote system; and an automated product cabinet according to claim 1, The system, wherein the client device, the remote system, and the automated product cabinet are operably coupled via a network.

[0095] (41) An automated product cabinet, comprising: a housing defining a storage area configured to receive the product; a plurality of slots disposed within the housing, each of the slots configured to receive a respective unit of the product; a plurality of visual indicators configured to indicate respective positions of the respective units of the product within the housing; A controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: receiving information about each respective unit of the product from a respective smart tag storing information about each respective unit of the product; causing an inventory of said product based at least in part on said information regarding said respective units of said product; and a controller that activates one or more of the plurality of visual indicators associated with a desired unit of the product. (42) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 41, wherein each of the smart tags is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a near field communication (NFC) tag. (43) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 41, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to transmit the product inventory over a network to a remote system. (44) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 43, wherein the remote system includes a database. (45) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 41, wherein the memory stores further computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to receive a request for the desired unit of the product.

[0096] (46) The memory stores further computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: transmitting said request for said desired unit of said product to a remote system over a network; An automated product cabinet as described in embodiment 45, further comprising: receiving a response from the remote system including a slot in which the desired unit of the product is located. (47) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 46, wherein the remote system includes a database. (48) The automated product cabinet of embodiment 41, further comprising a plurality of units of the product disposed within the slots, each respective unit of the product including a respective smart tag, each respective smart tag storing information relating to each respective unit of the product. (49) An automated product system comprising: a housing defining a storage area configured to receive the product; a plurality of slots disposed within the housing, each of the slots configured to receive a respective unit of the product; an imaging device disposed in spaced relation to the housing, the imaging device configured to capture information about the product; a projector disposed in spaced relation to the housing; A controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: receiving information about the product from the imaging device; causing an inventory of said products based at least in part on said information regarding said products; and a controller that causes the projector to illuminate the location of each desired unit of the product within the enclosure.

Claims

1. An automated production cabinet for ophthalmic lenses, comprising: a housing defining a storage area and a surface, the storage area configured to receive a product; a plurality of slots disposed within the housing, each of the plurality of slots configured to receive a respective unit of the product; a plurality of visual indicators configured to indicate respective positions of the respective units of the product within the housing; a scanning bar configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing; a data capture device attached to the scan bar and configured to capture information about the product; a controller operably coupled to the data capture device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: causing an inventory of said products based at least in part on said information regarding said products; activating one or more of the visual indicators associated with a desired unit of the product; a controller that triggers an alarm in response to the data capture device detecting a misinsertion of the product into the slot.

2. 2. The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of data capture devices attached to the scan bar, each data capture device corresponding to a row or column of the slots disposed within the housing.

3. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the scan bar is configured to be slidably repositioned in a first direction and a second direction along the surface of the housing.

4. 4. The automated product cabinet of claim 3, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite relative directions.

5. The automated product cabinet of claim 4 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are an upward direction and a downward direction, respectively.

6. 5. The automated product cabinet of claim 4, wherein the first direction and the second direction are leftward and rightward, respectively.

7. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of scan bars, each scan bar configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing.

8. The automated product cabinet of claim 7 wherein the scanning bars are fixed in spaced apart relationship.

9. 9. The automated product cabinet of claim 8, wherein a first scanning bar is configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing to a first portion of the storage area and a second scanning bar is configured to be slidably repositioned along the surface of the housing to a second portion of the storage area.

10. The automated product cabinet of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of data capture devices, at least one data capture device attached to each of the scanning bars.

11. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes an exterior frame, and at least one of the visual indicators is disposed on or adjacent the exterior frame.

12. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein a respective visual indicator is disposed on, within, or adjacent to the respective slot.

13. 10. The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to transmit the product inventory over a network to a remote system.

14. The automated product cabinet of claim 13, wherein the remote system includes a database.

15. 2. The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further computer-executable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to receive a request for the desired unit of the product.

16. Further computer-executable instructions are stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: transmitting said request for said desired unit of said product to a remote system over a network; 16. The automated product cabinet of claim 15, further comprising receiving a response from the remote system that includes a slot in which the desired unit of the product is located.

17. The automated product cabinet of claim 16, wherein the remote system includes a database.

18. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the data capture device is a bar code scanner.

19. causing an inventory of the product based at least in part on the information regarding the product; reading a respective product identifier associated with each unit of said product; decrypting the respective product identifier associated with the respective unit of product; and 20. The automated product cabinet of claim 18, further comprising: associating the respective units of the product with the respective slots using the respective product identifiers.

20. 20. The automated product cabinet of claim 19, wherein each of the respective product identifiers is a one-dimensional (1D) bar code, a universal product code (UPC), or a stock keeping unit (SKU).

21. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the data capture device is an imaging device.

22. causing an inventory of the product based at least in part on the information regarding the product; receiving an image of the product captured by the imaging device; analyzing the images of the product to identify respective product identifiers associated with respective units of the product; decrypting the respective product identifier associated with the respective unit of product; and 22. The automated product cabinet of claim 21, further comprising: associating the respective units of the product with the respective slots using the respective product identifiers.

23. 23. The automated product cabinet of claim 22, wherein each of the respective product identifiers is a one-dimensional (1D) barcode, a two-dimensional (2D) barcode, a three-dimensional (3D) barcode, a universal product code (UPC), a stock keeping unit (SKU), text, or a graph.

24. 2. The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further computer executable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to initiate the data capture device in response to movement of the scanning bar.

25. 25. The automated product cabinet of claim 24, further comprising a position detector configured to sense a position of the scan bar relative to the surface of the housing.

26. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the slots is configured to accommodate different sized units of the product.

27. 27. The automated product cabinet of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the slots includes an ejection mechanism and an ejection member.

28. 28. The automated product cabinet of claim 27, wherein the ejection mechanism and the ejection member are configured to secure a unit of product located in the at least one of the slots.

29. 27. The automated product cabinet of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the slots includes a plurality of opposing resilient members.

30. 30. The automated product cabinet of claim 29, wherein the opposing resilient members are configured to contact opposite sides of a unit of product located in the at least one of the slots.

31. 10. The automated product cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a slot sensor disposed in at least one of the slots, the slot sensor configured to sense the presence of a unit of product located in the at least one of the slots.

32. 32. The automated product cabinet of claim 31, wherein the slot sensor includes a light emitter and a light detector.

33. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 further comprising a door configured to cover the face of the housing.

34. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 further comprising a power source disposed within the enclosure.

35. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein each of the visual indicators is at least one of a light emitter or a graphical display.

36. The automated product cabinet of claim 1 , wherein each of said respective units of product is a product package.

37. The automated product cabinet of claim 1, wherein the product is an intraocular lens.

38. 1. A system comprising: A client device; A remote system; and the automated product cabinet of claim 1, The system, wherein the client device, the remote system, and the automated product cabinet are operably coupled via a network.

39. An automated manufacturing system for ophthalmic lenses, comprising: a housing defining a storage area configured to receive the product; a plurality of slots disposed within the housing, each of the slots configured to receive a respective unit of the product; an imaging device disposed in spaced relation to the housing, the imaging device configured to capture information about the product; a projector disposed in spaced relation to the housing; A controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: receiving information about the product from the imaging device; causing an inventory of said products based at least in part on said information regarding said products; causing the projector to illuminate a respective location of a desired unit of the product within the housing; a controller that triggers an alarm in response to the imaging device detecting a misinsertion of the product into the slot.

Images