Methods and systems for interrupted counting of items in containers
US8204169B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 1, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jun 19, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 16, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C2216/08
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and systems for counting items in storage containers in an array of at least two storage containers, the method including the steps of: providing a storage array of at least two storage containers, each of the storage containers containing an unknown amount of items; providing a receiving array of at least two receiving containers, wherein the receiving containers initially contain no items; extracting a layer of the items from the storage array; inserting the layer into corresponding locations in the receiving array; repeating the steps of extracting and inserting while at least one of the storage containers is not empty; counting, for each storage container in the storage array, a productive-extraction amount; and reporting, for at least some of the storage containers, the productive-extraction amount from each storage container. Preferably, the method further includes recovering a storage identity upon recovery from a system failure that erases the productive-extraction amount.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.