Mobile table for implementing clamshell-to-case association

• US 8,240,564 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: YottaMark, Inc.
• Inventors: Grant, Elliott, Carr, J. Scott, Luna, Albert Anthony, Calhoon, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, SUEZU Y
• Application Number:
  US12/501,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20100006648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 235/383, 4147881-7883, 414/789.9, 414/790.6, 414/790.7, 414/791, 414/791.1, 414/791.5, 414/793.5, 414/795.2, 414/795.9, 414/808, 414/809, 700/213, 700/215, 700/217, 700221-230, 206503-509, 206/518, 206/705, 206/738, 206/806, 206/471, 220/810, 220/825, 426/106, 426/108, 426/119, 426/87, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for associating traceability codes on clamshells with unique identifiers on containers in which the empty clamshells are packed for later use. In various methods, the clamshells are marked with traceability codes and stacked together, one traceability code is read from one of the clamshells in each stack, a unique identifier is read from a container, and the stack is placed in the container. The traceability code is stored in association with the unique identifier for later retrieval. An exemplary table for making clamshell-to-container associations comprises a scanner for reading traceability codes and rails for positioning stacks of clamshells proximate to the scanner. The table can also comprise a second scanner positioned to read unique identifiers from containers placed proximate thereto. The table can further comprise a computing system to make and store the associations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

marking a plurality of empty clamshells each with a different one of a number of traceability codes;

nesting the plurality of marked empty clamshells together to form a stack;

positioning the stack on a table such that that a top empty clamshell of the stack faces a scanner disposed on the table;

reading a first traceability code from the top empty clamshell with the scanner;

storing an association between the first traceability code and a unique identifier of a container; and

placing the stack in the container.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reading the unique identifier from the container and associating harvest event data with the unique identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the association between the first traceability code read from the top empty clamshell of the stack and the unique identifier of the container includes uploading the first traceability code and the unique identifier to a host computing system.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising reading each traceability code from each of the plurality of marked empty clamshells before nesting the plurality of marked empty clamshells.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising uploading to the host computing system the traceability codes read from each of the plurality of marked empty clamshells and associating the traceability codes read from each of the plurality of marked empty clamshells with the unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising uploading to a host computing system harvest event data and associating the harvest event data with the unique identifier of the container.