Secure inventory access and control mechanism

{
  "publication_number": "US11100741B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Secure inventory access and control mechanism",
  "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.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A smart latch attachable to an enclosure of a refrigerator, the smart latch comprising: an actuator configured to open and close a latch to secure a door of the enclosure; a communication interface; a non-transitory machine-readable memory, a display; and a processor 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; trigger the actuator to close the latch after detecting that the door is closed, thereby securing the door; receive a request for a refrigerated item; determine, from a local inventory in a local cache within the non-transitory machine-readable memory of the smart latch, whether the refrigerated item is in the refrigerator; identify, from the local inventory in the local cache, responsive to determining that the refrigerated item is not in the refrigerator attached to the smart latch, that the requested refrigerated item is contained in a remote refrigerator attached to a different smart latch, the remote refrigerator and different smart latch being geographically separated from the refrigerator attached to the smart latch and the smart latch; verify, with the smart latch via the communication interface, that the remote refrigerator still contains the refrigerated item; and cause an indication of a location of the remote refrigerator and different smart latch to be displayed on the display.",
    "2. The smart latch of claim 1, wherein the smart latch is attachable to the refrigerator via a mounting plate that bolts to a side of the refrigerator that is opposite to another side of the refrigerator that is proximate to a hinge of the door.",
    "3. The smart latch of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to synchronize a status of the local inventory and a temperature with a remote server via the communication interface.",
    "4. The smart latch of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive, via the communication interface, condition tracking information including inventory and temperature status associated with the refrigerated item stored within the remote refrigerator; and output, via the display, the inventory and temperature status associated with the refrigerated item stored within the remote refrigerator.",
    "5. The smart latch of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to output a warning to the display when the temperature status exceeds a predefined safe range.",
    "6. The smart latch of claim 1, wherein the latch is configured to close into a latch plate attached to the door.",
    "7. The smart latch of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: record, within a non-volatile data store, periodic sensor data.",
    "8. The smart latch of claim 7, wherein the smart latch is operably connected to one or more sensors associated with the enclosure, and wherein the one or sensors include at least one of a temperature sensor, a shock sensor, a vibration sensor, a tamper sensor, and a location sensor.",
    "9. The smart latch of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: open the latch responsive to receiving the user credential satisfying a predetermined privilege level; 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; determine that the user credential satisfies the higher privilege level; and responsive to determining that the user credential satisfies the higher privilege level, trigger the actuator to open the latch, thereby allowing the door to be opened."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure generally relates to medication storage, and, in particular, to secure medication storage.\n\nMedications and other regulated products are often required to be stored in secured storage and dispensing mechanisms. Often, an automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) is used to control access to regulated products. ADCs are often expensive and occupy significant space.\n\nIn some settings, existing enclosed space such as drawers, cabinets, and carts are used to store and dispense medications. However, some of these enclosed spaces may lack of security and traceability, and those spaces that do have these features may be resource intensive to manage.\n\nFurther, to dispense environmentally (e.g., temperature, humidity, light) sensitive items in both acute and non-acute medical settings, refrigerators may be provided. These sensitive items may include delicate, high value medications, and thus it is preferable to monitor and control the refrigerator environment and restrict access to authorized users. While smart refrigerator designs with temperature monitoring and access control may be available, physical access to specialized dispensing terminals or other bespoke hardware is often required, which limits deployment flexibility and increases implementation cost. This can pose a challenge for various care facilities such as doctor's offices, pharmacy clinics, outpatient clinics, institutional infirmaries (e.g., school nurse offices), hospitals, retail clinics, ambulatory clinics, or the like.",
  "cpc": [
    "G07C 9/29",
    "A61J 1/00",
    "E05B 47/0001",
    "E05B 65/0042",
    "E05Y 2900/20",
    "E05Y 2900/31",
    "F25D 23/028",
    "F25D 2323/02",
    "F25D 29/005",
    "F25D 29/008",
    "G06F 21/32",
    "G06F 21/35",
    "G06K 7/10297",
    "G06Q 10/087",
    "G07C 9/25",
    "G07F 17/0092",
    "G07F 17/12",
    "G16H 20/13",
    "G16H 40/20",
    "G16H 40/63"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "E05B 47/00",
    "E05B 65/00",
    "G06K 7/10",
    "G06Q 10/08",
    "G07C 9/25",
    "G07C 9/29",
    "G16H 40/20"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "CareFusion 303 Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Michael RAHILLY",
    "Brendan John Burgess",
    "Ramkumar Subramanian",
    "Mustafa YUSUFI",
    "Monica Wyly"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-06-26",
  "publication_date": "2021-08-24",
  "grant_date": "2021-08-24",
  "priority_date": "2019-06-27",
  "application_number": "US-202016914204-A",
  "family_id": "71728925",
  "cited_by_count": 7,
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}