Automated pill dispensing systems configured for detecting bottles in output chutes and related methods of operation

1. An automated pill dispensing system, comprising:

an output chute configured to hold pill-containing vials;

an optical sensor located at a predetermined location in the output chute, the optical sensor comprising an optical emitter and an optical detector configured to be operated cooperatively to output a detection signal indicating a presence or absence of a vial at the predetermined location of the output chute;

a filter circuit coupled to the optical sensor and configured to adjust the detection signal to account for ambient light conditions after the detection signal is output from the optical detector to provide a filtered detection signal; and

a controller coupled to the filter circuit and configured to receive the filtered detection signal therefrom, detect the presence or absence of the vial at the predetermined location of the output chute in response to the filtered detection signal, and control a next depositing event whereby a next vial is deposited in the output chute responsive to the detection.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to output an ambient light signal indicative of the ambient light conditions prior to output of the vial detection signal therefrom, and wherein the filter circuit is configured to provide the filtered detection signal representing a difference between the detection signal and the ambient light signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

correlate the filtered detection signal to a present sample value;

compare the present sample value to a current output value, wherein the current output value is based on a previous sample value;

increment or decrement the current output value by an offset value in response to the comparison to update the current output value; and

detect the presence or absence of the vial at the predetermined location of the output chute responsive to the updated current output value.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the controller is configured to provide a pulsed input signal to operate the optical sensor;

the controller is configured to provide an interrupt signal to the optical sensor at about a midpoint of each pulse of the pulsed input signal; and

the optical detector is configured to be activated in response to each interrupt signal to provide a pulsed output signal as the detection signal.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to allow a predetermined number of pulses of the pulsed input signal prior to providing the interrupt signal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the next depositing event to deposit the next vial in the output chute responsive to detecting the absence of the vial.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the optical sensor comprises a reflective type sensor;

the optical emitter is configured to output an optical signal in response to a signal from the controller;

the optical detector is configured to output an electrical signal representative of a portion of the optical signal received at the optical detector as the detection signal;

the controller is configured to detect the presence of the vial in the predetermined location responsive to the electrical signal indicating that an intensity of the optical signal received at the optical detector exceeds a threshold value; and

the controller is configured to detect the absence of the vial in the predetermined location responsive to the electrical signal indicating that the intensity of the optical signal received at the optical detector is less than the threshold value.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the optical sensor comprises a break-beam type sensor;

the optical emitter is configured to output an optical signal in response to a signal from the controller;

the optical detector is configured to output an electrical signal representative of a portion of the optical signal received at the optical detector as the detection signal;

the controller is configured to detect the presence of the vial in the predetermined location responsive to the electrical signal indicating that an intensity of the optical signal received at the optical detector is less than a threshold value; and

the controller is configured to detect the absence of the vial in the predetermined location responsive to the electrical signal indicating that the intensity of the optical signal received at the optical detector exceeds the threshold value.

9. A method of operating an automated pill dispensing system including an output chute configured to hold pill-containing vials and an optical sensor comprising an optical emitter and an optical detector at a predetermined location in the output chute therein, the method comprising:

receiving a detection signal from the optical detector responsive to operation of the optical emitter;

adjusting the detection signal to account for ambient light conditions responsive to receiving the detection signal from the optical detector;

detecting a presence or absence of a vial at the predetermined location of the output chute responsive to the adjusting of the detection signal; and

controlling a next depositing event whereby a next vial is deposited in the output chute responsive to the detecting.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an ambient light signal indicative of the ambient light conditions from the optical sensor,

wherein adjusting the detection signal to account for the ambient light conditions comprises adjusting the detection signal output from the optical sensor to represent a difference between the detection signal and the ambient light signal prior to detecting the presence or absence of the vial responsive thereto.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

correlating the detection signal to a present sample value;

comparing the present sample value to a current output value, wherein the current output value is based on a previous sample value; and

incrementing or decrementing the current output value by an offset value in response to the comparison to provide an updated current output value,

wherein detecting the presence or absence of the vial comprises detecting the presence or absence of the vial at the predetermined location of the output chute responsive to the updated current output value.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing a pulsed input signal to operate the optical sensor;

providing an interrupt signal to the optical sensor at about a midpoint of each pulse of the pulsed input signal; and

activating the optical detector in response to each interrupt signal to provide a pulsed output signal as the detection signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

allowing a predetermined number of pulses of the pulsed input signal prior to providing the interrupt signal.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the next depositing event comprises:

controlling the next depositing event to deposit the next vial in the output chute responsive to detecting the absence of the vial.

15. A computer program product for operating an automated pill dispensing system including an output chute configured to hold pill-containing vials and an optical sensor comprising an optical emitter and an optical detector at a predetermined location in the output chute, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to adjust a detection signal to account for ambient light conditions after the detection signal is output from the optical detector;

computer readable program code that is configured to detect a presence or absence of a vial at the predetermined location of the output chute responsive to the detection signal that was adjusted; and

computer readable program code that is configured to control a next depositing event whereby a next vial is deposited in the output chute responsive to the detection.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to receive an ambient light signal indicative of the ambient light conditions from the optical sensor,

wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to adjust the detection signal to account for the ambient light conditions comprises computer readable program code that is configured to adjust the detection signal output from the optical sensor to represent a difference between the detection signal and the ambient light signal prior to detection of the presence or absence of the vial.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to correlate the detection signal to a present sample value;

computer readable program code that is configured to compare the present sample value to a current output value, wherein the current output value is based on a previous sample value; and

computer readable program code that is configured to increment or decrement the current output value by an offset value in response to the comparison to provide an updated current output value,

wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to detect the presence or absence of the vial comprises computer readable program code that is configured to detect the presence or absence of the vial at the predetermined location of the output chute responsive to the updated current output value.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , further comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to provide a pulsed input signal to operate the optical sensor;

computer readable program code that is configured to provide an interrupt signal to the optical sensor at about a midpoint of each pulse of the pulsed input signal; and

computer readable program code that is configured to activate the optical detector in response to each interrupt signal to provide a pulsed output signal as the detection signal.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to provide the interrupt signal is further configured to allow a predetermined number of pulses of the pulsed input signal prior to providing the interrupt signal.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to control the next depositing event is further configured to deposit the next vial in the output chute responsive to the detection of the absence of the vial.