Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
2008-07-08
2008-07-08
Crawford, Gene O. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S213000, C414S788100
Reexamination Certificate
active
07398134
ABSTRACT:
A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.
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Carley Daniel J.
Enright-Anderson Barbara
George John
Montgomery Robert R.
Scherer James B.
Crawford Gene O.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Hallmark Cards Incorporated
Prakasam Ramya G.
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