Secure inventory access and control mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021383631-A1
Application number	US-202117408295-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Jun 27, 2019
Publication date	Dec 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Secure medication storage is described herein. A smart latch includes an actuator, a communication interface, a display, and a processor. The actuator is configured to open and close a latch to secure a door of the enclosure. The processor can be configured to receive a user credential for accessing the enclosure, validate the user credential for accessing the enclosure, trigger the actuator to open the latch, thereby allowing the door to be opened, and trigger the actuator to close the latch after detecting that the door is closed, thereby securing the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An access control assembly configured to be connected to an enclosure, having an enclosure volume and an enclosure door that is movable to enclose the enclosure volume, the access control assembly comprising:
a first interface module comprising a processor and input device, and is configured to couple to the enclosure door; a latching module configured to couple to the enclosure door, the latching module comprising a latching member and a latch actuator configured to extend or retract the latching member based on a signal received from the first interface module to lock or unlock the enclosure door; a power supply configured to provide power to the first interface module and the latching module, wherein the processor of the first interface module is configured to:
wirelessly receive, via the input device, a user credential;
based on the user credential, provide the signal to the latching module through the enclosure door to cause the latch actuator to extend or retract the latching member and lock or unlock the enclosure door;
after controlling the latching member, determine a state of the latching module; and
cause the latching module to provide an audio or visual indication of the state; and
a manual lock coupled with the latching module and operable to move the latching member from at least a locked state to an unlocked state irrespective of a status of the power supply.

2 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first interface module further comprises:
a module body defining a handle portion and an extension portion extending from the handle portion, wherein the extension portion is narrower than the handle portion and the extension portion is adjacent to an outer surface of the enclosure door.

3 . The access control assembly of claim 2 ,
wherein the first interface module comprises a display, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determine, with the first interface module, that a remote enclosure contains an item requested from the enclosure; and cause an indication of a location of the remote enclosure to be displayed on the display.

4 . The access control assembly of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive, via a wireless communication interface, condition tracking information including inventory and temperature status associated with the item stored within the remote enclosure; and output, via a display associated with the first interface module, the inventory and temperature status associated with the item stored within the remote enclosure.

5 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the access control assembly is configured to be connected to a cabinet, and the processor authenticates the user credential based on wirelessly communicating at least a portion of the user credential to a remote device and wirelessly receiving an indication that the user credential is authenticated from the remote device.

6 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the status of the power supply; and cause an indication of the status to be displayed.

7 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mounting element configured to secure the first interface module to an outer surface of the enclosure door, and a bracket configured to couple the latching module to an inner surface of the enclosure door, wherein the first interface module comprises a housing enclosure and the processor and the power supply of the first interface module are contained in the housing enclosure, and wherein the signal is received by the latching module from the first interface module through the enclosure door.

8 . The access control assembly of claim 7 , wherein latching module is configured to wirelessly couple to the first interface module through the enclosure door.

9 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
retrieve temperature status for one or more containers within the enclosure; and output, via the display associated with the first interface module, the temperature status.

10 . The access control assembly of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to output a warning when a temperature status of a container within the enclosure exceeds a predefined safe range.

11 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interface module comprises an antenna configured to generate power based on receipt of a wireless signal and transfer the generated power to the power supply.

12 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a tamper sensor configured to generate a signal to indicate when a component of the access control assembly has been accessed.

13 . The access control assembly of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to store, in a data storage device, a log of the signal indicating the component of the access control assembly has been accessed.

14 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether the user credential satisfies a predetermined privilege level before providing the signal; determine a temperature status within the enclosure; determine that the temperature status within the enclosure does not satisfy a threshold range; increase, responsive to determining that the temperature status within the enclosure does not satisfy the threshold range, the predetermined privilege level from a default privilege level to a higher privilege level; and responsive to determining that the user credential satisfies the higher privilege level, when the predetermined privilege level is increased, cause the latch actuator to extend or retract the latching member.

15 . The access control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
validate the user credential, wherein the first interface module receives the user credential via a near field communication reader or a biometric reader, and wherein the first interface module includes a memory storing a log of the validation.

16 . A method comprising:
wirelessly receiving a user credential at a first interface module coupled to an enclosure door of an enclosure; based on the received user credential, cause a latching module coupled to the enclosure door to extend or retract a latching member to lock or unlock the enclosure door, the latching module comprising a latch actuator configured to extend or retract the latching member based on a signal received from the first interface module; determining a state of the latching module, and causing a display of information indicating the state of the latching module.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining a status of a power supply of the first interface module; and causing an indication of the status to be displayed.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining, with the first interface module, that a remote enclosure contains an item requested from the enclosure; and causing an indication of a location of the remote enclosure to be displayed on a display associated with the first interface module.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
retrieving, via a communication interface, temperature status for one or more containers within the enclosure; and outputting, via a display associated with the interface module, the temperature status.

20 . The method of claim 16 , fur

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Rahilly Michael K
• Burgess Brendan John
• Subramanian Ramkumar
• Yusufi Mustafa
• Wyly Monica

Classifications

• E05B65/0042

  For refrigerators or cold rooms (E05B17/0075 takes precedence; magnetic E05C19/16) · CPC title

• G07F17/0092

  for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00) · CPC title

• E05B47/0001

  with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof (for vehicles E05B81/04) · CPC title

• G06F21/35

  communicating wirelessly · CPC title

• G07C9/29 Primary

  the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards · CPC title