# US 2012/0073241 A1 · Prescription order packaging system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0073241 A1 - Document ID: US20120073241A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/307,929 - Filed: 2011-11-30 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2002-07-26 - Assignees: Express Scripts, Inc. - Inventors: Michael L. Mahar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073241A1 ## CPC - G01G 19/4148: {for controlling postal rate in articles to be mailed (franking apparatus with means for computing G07B17/02)} - B65B 61/20: for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents (adding unpacking elements B65B61/18) - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) ## Abstract A system for automatically packaging prescription orders composed of one or more prescription containers. The system includes a printer for generating literature associated with each order and a packer for packing the prescription containers and the associated literature into a package. The packer has a scale or other means for determining the weight of the prescription containers. A packer controller calculates package weight information based on the container weight information. The package weight information is transmitted to a mail manifest system, which generates shipping information comprising postage. A labeler applies the shipping information to the package. The packer also includes a loading mechanism for inserting the prescription containers and the literature into the package. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a printer subsystem to print literature associated with a prescription order, the prescription order including a plurality of prescription containers, a prescription container of the plurality of prescription containers including a machine readable code; and a packer subsystem to receive the plurality of prescription containers and the literature; and combine the plurality of prescription containers and the literature into a package, the packer subsystem comprising a conveyor to receive the plurality of prescription containers; a code reader to read a plurality of machine readable codes and transmit order identifying information to a packer controller based, at least in part, on reading of the plurality of machine readable codes, the plurality of machine readable codes including the machine readable code; a container pick-and-place mechanism to remove the plurality of prescription containers from the conveyor and transport the plurality of prescription containers to a weighing device; the weighing device to determine the weight of the plurality of prescription containers and transmit container weight information; the packer controller in communication with the weighing device, the packer controller to control the container pick-and-place mechanism in accordance with the order identifying information, receive the container weight information, and calculate package weight information based, at least in part, on the container weight information and document weight information, the document weight information based on the literature printed by the printer subsystem; and a mail manifest device in communication with the packer controller, the mail manifest device to receive the package weight information and generate shipping information including postage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the packer controller further comprises: a labeler in communication with the mail manifest device, the labeler to receive the shipping information and apply the shipping information to the package. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem is in communication with the packer controller, the printer subsystem configured to determine the document weight information associated with the weight of the literature and transmit the document weight information to the packer controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises: a computing device including a processor and storage; and an order database deployed in the storage including information regarding contents of the prescription container, wherein the weighing device is configured to retrieve the information regarding container contents of the plurality of prescription containers and calculate the prescription container weight based on predetermined information regarding empty container weight and the container contents. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a container tip sensor to stop the conveyor of the packer subsystem based on a detection that the prescription container is tipped. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the packer subsystem includes a vacuum operated pick head to pick up the prescription container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein a rotation device rotates the plurality of prescription containers to allow the code reader to read the plurality of machine readable codes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a host computer in communication with the packer controller and the printer subsystem, the packer controller to communicate data to the host computer to initiate generating of the literature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem prints a literature code on the literature, the literature code including information identifying the prescription order associated with the literature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem includes a printer controller to transmit data relating to the weight of the literature to the packer controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the printer subsystem is in communication with the packer controller, the printer subsystem to transmit to the packer controller quantity and type of documents that have been printed and quantity and type of inserts being added to the order, the packer controller to determine document weight information based on the quantity and the type of documents that have been printed and the quantity and the type of inserts being added to the order, and the package weight information is based on, at least in part, the container weight information and the document weight information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a loading mechanism to insert the plurality of prescription containers and the literature into the package. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the prescription container is a prescription bottle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the prescription container is a box. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code is a bar code. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code includes a prescription number identifying the prescription. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code includes a total number of the plurality of prescription containers included in the prescription order. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the literature is customized by the printer subsystems for the prescription order. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the container pick-and-place mechanism includes four pick heads.