Methods and apparatuses provide a vending machine with a dispenser the moves product from a shelf to a conveyor bucket. The dispenser includes an elongate divider with a drive gear at its bucket end. A drive gear from the bucket engages the dispenser drive gear causing a linear positioner to move a carriage along the elongate divider and toward the bucket. The movement causes product on the shelf, and between the carriage and the bucket, to be forced into the bucket.

Methods and apparatuses provide a vending machine with a dispenser the moves product from a shelf to a conveyor bucket. The dispenser includes an elongate divider with a drive gear at its bucket end. A drive gear from the bucket engages the dispenser drive gear causing a linear positioner to move a carriage along the elongate divider and toward the bucket. The movement causes product on the shelf, and between the carriage and the bucket, to be forced into the bucket.

A vending machine and an item dispensing method. The vending machine includes: a storage column used to store items; a bucket used to receive an item from the storage column; a first conveying mechanism disposed at the storage column and used to convey the item in the storage column to the bucket; a second conveying mechanism disposed at the bucket and used to convey the item from the storage column to the inside of the bucket; and a controller. The first and second conveying mechanisms are each electrically connected to the controller. The item dispensing method includes controlling the first conveying mechanism to convey an item to the bucket at a first preset speed and controlling the second conveying mechanism to convey the item to the inside of the bucket at a second preset speed, as the item is entering the bucket, the first preset speed being less than the second preset speed.

The invention relates to an apparatus for handling and dispensing dose medication pouches, where the dose medication pouches are stored in cassettes for dose medication pouches, and the apparatus includes: a control system for administration of data relating to storage location, drugs and use-by dates of the dose medication pouches, as well as for controlling functions of the apparatus; a drug cabinet including storage locations provided for the cassettes of dose medication pouches and extending through the drug cabinet from a filling side to a dispensing side; indicators on the filling side of the drug cabinet for controlling the filling of the cassettes of dose medication pouches; a collector on the dispensing side of the drug cabinet configured to collect the dose medication pouches from the cassettes of dose medication pouches placed in the storage locations according to the data relating to the storage location, the drugs and the use-by dates; and a dispensing station, to which, the collector is configured to transfer the dose medication pouches taken from the cassettes of dose medication pouches.

Provided are a method for detecting quantity of items and a vending machine. The vending machine includes: an item column configured to temporarily store items, where the item column includes an outlet; a shielding member configured to shield or open the outlet of the item column; and a driving device configured to drive the items in the item column to move toward the outlet of the item column. The method includes: controlling the shielding member to shield the outlet of the item column; driving the items in the item column to move until the items in the item column abut against each other; detecting a total length of all items in the item column; and calculating the quantity of items in the item column according to the total length of the all items and a length of a single item in the item column.

A system and method for automatic deployment of at least one outdoor small cell. The method comprises dynamically collecting traffic data corresponding to a geographic location associated with a cellular network by a data collection module [202]. Next, a data collection module [204] automatically identifies a group of spatial grids from the one or more cells within the geographic location based on the traffic data and automatically determines one or more locations within the geographic locations for deploying the at least one outdoor small cell based on the identified group of spatial grids. A backhaul link clearance module [206] automatically determines a backhaul connection between the one or more determined locations with the cellular network. An azimuth planning module [208] automatically determines an azimuth for the at least one outdoor small cell based on the determined connection. A deployment unit [210] deploy the at least one outdoor small cell.

A cabinet for goods storage and access is provided, including: at least one fixed shelf configured to store goods; a moving member located on a side of the fixed shelf; a controller configured to control the moving member to move along the side of the fixed shelf to place goods in the fixed shelf or extract goods from the fixed shelf; a cabinet body surrounding the fixed shelf and the moving member, wherein a first slot is disposed on the cabinet body and adjacent to a moving track of the moving member, wherein the controller is configured to control the first slot to be opened or closed; and a volume recognizer disposed adjacent to the first slot to recognize a volume of goods entering the first slot.

A dispensing mechanism includes at least two helical augers having threads, and at least two channels configured to hold the items to be dispensed. The items to be dispensed are received at least partially within the threads of the augers. The dispensing mechanism includes a drive mechanism engaged with the at least two augers and configured to rotate the at least two augers to transport the items to be dispensed, driven by the threads of the augers, to dispense the items from the dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism may include a separable dispenser and cassette.

A system for ensuring insurance and payment processing using biometrics maintains biometric data associated with identity information for people in order to identify the people and/or make assertions about the people using the identity information to one or more devices. For example, the system may be an identity system that identifies and/or makes assertions about people to one or more medical service provider system devices. The system may obtain, determine, update, and/or provide insurance information for one or more people in the identity information. The system may use this insurance information to facilitate billing for provided medical services.

Disclosed is a bucket applied in a vending machine, including a bucket body, a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism. The bucket body includes an inner cavity and two ports in communication with the inner cavity respectively. The two ports are arranged at an interval in a first preset direction. The first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are arranged at an interval in the bucket body in a second preset direction, and are respectively configured to detachably mate with a dispensing assembly of a storage column of the vending machine, to provide power to the dispensing assembly. Also disclosed is a vending machine including multiple storage columns and the aforementioned bucket.