A medicine container configured to hold one or more different medications. The container may include an orientation sensor to determine the orientation of the container. The container may also include one or more additional sensors to detect other physical characteristics about the container and/or medicine. The orientation of the container in combination with the information from the one or more additional sensors is used to determine an accurate indication of an amount of the medicine within the container and thus usage information. The container also includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting the information regarding the medicine to a remote location.

Systems and methods are described for counting objects by analyzing a digital image. The system or apparatus may include a light source, a digital camera, a textured surface disposed between the light source and the visible light camera, a processing component configured to produce a count of the objects, and a display configured to show the count of the objects. The method may include capturing an electronic image of the objects, detecting a plurality of edges within the image, identifying a plurality of concave sections based on the edges, identifying a regular convex contours based on the edges and the concave sections, determining whether the image is suitable for counting the objects based on the regular convex contours, and determining a count of the objects based the regular convex contours and the determination of whether the image is suitable.

Systems and methods are described for counting objects by analyzing a digital image. The system or apparatus may include a light source, a digital camera, a textured surface disposed between the light source and the visible light camera, a processing component configured to produce a count of the objects, and a display configured to show the count of the objects. The method may include capturing an electronic image of the objects, detecting a plurality of edges within the image, identifying a plurality of concave sections based on the edges, identifying a regular convex contours based on the edges and the concave sections, determining whether the image is suitable for counting the objects based on the regular convex contours, and determining a count of the objects based the regular convex contours and the determination of whether the image is suitable.

The present invention is a pill dispensing method and apparatus wherein a first rotor rotates pills about a rotation axis along a first part of a spiral path at a first rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis. A second rotor receives the pills from the first rotor and rotates the pills about the rotation axis along a second part of the spiral path at a second, greater rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis toward a discharge chute which dispenses the pills into a pill bottle or a storage container. A counter can be provided for counting pills that exit the discharge chute or opening.

The present invention is a pill dispensing method and apparatus wherein a first rotor rotates pills about a rotation axis along a first part of a spiral path at a first rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis. A second rotor receives the pills from the first rotor and rotates the pills about the rotation axis along a second part of the spiral path at a second, greater rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis toward a discharge chute which dispenses the pills into a pill bottle or a storage container. A counter can be provided for counting pills that exit the discharge chute or opening.

A system enables dispensing, tracking, storage, processing, analysis, management, fulfillment and/or commerce relating to dispensables, such as consumables. The system may include packages that hold consumables and function either independently or in concert with numerous smart configuration devices, such as tabletop machines or mobile machines, as well as remote servers, databases, and other cloud-based resources. A distributed software layer ties all devices and packages together and adds advanced interactivity, communication, analysis, and self-regulation functionality.

A system enables dispensing, tracking, storage, processing, analysis, management, fulfillment and/or commerce relating to dispensables, such as consumables. The system may include packages that hold consumables and function either independently or in concert with numerous smart configuration devices, such as tabletop machines or mobile machines, as well as remote servers, databases, and other cloud-based resources. A distributed software layer ties all devices and packages together and adds advanced interactivity, communication, analysis, and self-regulation functionality.

Provided are a medicine audit apparatus, a medicine audit method, and a program capable of detecting a state where recognition of a medicine is impossible from a captured image obtained by imaging the medicine and urging a user to pay attention in the case of the state where the medicine recognition is impossible. The medicine audit apparatus 10 comprises a medicine recognition unit 54 that specifies a type of the medicine by recognizing the medicine from the captured image obtained by imaging the medicine, a quantitative value calculation unit 50 that calculates a quantitative value for quantifying a quality of the captured image related to success or failure of the medicine recognition by the medicine recognition unit 54, a comparison determination unit 51 that compares the quantitative value calculated by the quantitative value calculation unit 50 with the threshold value to determine whether the recognition of the medicine is possible, and a warning output unit 58 that issues a warning in a case where the medicine recognition is determined to be impossible by the comparison determination unit 51.

Provided are a medicine audit apparatus, a medicine audit method, and a program capable of detecting a state where recognition of a medicine is impossible from a captured image obtained by imaging the medicine and urging a user to pay attention in the case of the state where the medicine recognition is impossible. The medicine audit apparatus 10 comprises a medicine recognition unit 54 that specifies a type of the medicine by recognizing the medicine from the captured image obtained by imaging the medicine, a quantitative value calculation unit 50 that calculates a quantitative value for quantifying a quality of the captured image related to success or failure of the medicine recognition by the medicine recognition unit 54, a comparison determination unit 51 that compares the quantitative value calculated by the quantitative value calculation unit 50 with the threshold value to determine whether the recognition of the medicine is possible, and a warning output unit 58 that issues a warning in a case where the medicine recognition is determined to be impossible by the comparison determination unit 51.

A medication dispensing system is provided and includes a medicine transfer device (MTD) and a controller. The MTD transfers medicine between first and second containers. The first container initially stores medicine. The controller: determines a first predetermined amount of medicine to be dispensed from the medicine dispensing system; causes the MTD to discharge a second predetermined amount of the medicine from the first container onto the MTD, and transfer a third predetermined amount of the medicine from the MTD to the second container; subsequent to the transfer of the third predetermined amount, determine whether the second container has greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount; and if the second container has less than the first predetermined amount, cause the MTD to transfer a portion of the medicine on the MTD into the second container or discharge a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the MTD.