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Publication Number
US-9978136-B2
Publication Date
2018-05-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
A medicine packet inspection apparatus is provided. The medicine packet inspection apparatus includes a transfer unit configured to transfer medicine packets containing medicines, a photographing unit configured to photograph each medicine packet, a lighting unit configured to provide light to the medicine packet, and a controller configured to control the lighting unit to sequentially provide lights of different colors to the medicine packet and to control the photographing unit to photograph the medicine packet plural times corresponding to the lights of different colors.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a medicine packet inspection apparatus and method for inspecting medicine packets containing medicines. A transfer unit transfers each medicine packet to a photographing unit, and a lighting unit provides light to the medicine packet to enhance the kind and number of the medicines. The controller controls the lighting unit to sequentially provide light so that the photographing unit photographs each medicine packet plural times corresponding to the provided lights.
The controller receives the photographs acquired by the photographing unit to detect the kind and number of the medicines from the received photographs. The controller then judges whether or not the medicines contained in the medicine packet match medicine prescription information by comparing the detected kind and number of the medicines in the photographs with the medicine prescription information. The sequential lights include a first light and at least one second light of a color different from the first light.
The invention further includes using a first light having a color matched to a color of text printed on a surface of the medicine packet, and controlling sequential illumination to include a first light and at least one second light. The disclosed variants include conditional re-photographing with additional different color light when a match fails, and lighting geometry such as lighting opposite the photographing unit and subsidiary lighting with polarizing members.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover three core aspects of the medicine packet inspection: an apparatus with sequential multi-color illumination and photographing for image-based detection and prescription matching, selection of a first light color based on printed text color on the packet surface, and a corresponding inspection method. Across the independent claims, there are 4 main inventive features.
Sequential multi-color lighting with plural photographs
The controller controls the lighting unit to sequentially provide a first light having a color of white and at least one second light of a color different from the color of the first light, and controls the photographing unit to photograph the medicine packet plural times corresponding to the first light and the at least one second light.
Image-based detection and prescription matching
The controller receives photographs acquired by the photographing unit to detect the kind and number of the medicines from the received photographs, and judges whether or not the medicines contained in the medicine packet match medicine prescription information by comparing the detected kind and number of the medicines in the photographs with the medicine prescription information.
First light matched to printed text color
The controller controls the lighting unit to sequentially provide a first light having a same color as a color of text printed on a surface of the medicine packet and at least one second light of a color different from the color of the first light.
Method of sequential illumination photographing and matching
The method comprises transferring medicine packets each containing medicines, sequentially providing a first light having a same color as a color of text printed on a surface of the medicine packet and at least one second light of a color different from the color of the first light to each medicine packet to enhance a kind and number of the medicines, photographing the medicine packet plural times corresponding to the first light and the at least one second light to capture photographs, detecting the kind and number of the medicines from the received photographs, and judging whether or not the medicines contained in the medicine packet match medicine prescription information by comparing the detected kind and number of the medicines in the photographs with the medicine prescription information.
Collectively, the independent claims require sequential illumination using a first light and at least one differently colored second light, plural photographing corresponding to the lights, detection of medicine kind and number from the photographs, and judging whether the detected kind and number match medicine prescription information; one independent claim further narrows the first light color to match the text printed on the packet surface.
Stated Advantages
Enhance a kind and number of the medicines.
Judge whether or not the medicines contained in the medicine packet match medicine prescription information by comparing the detected kind and number of the medicines with the medicine prescription information.
Documented Applications
Inspecting medicine packets containing medicines by transferring each packet, sequentially illuminating with lights of different colors, photographing plural times, detecting medicine kind and number from photographs, and matching against medicine prescription information.
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