Sorting apparatus with arbitrary user-specified sequence control

• US 20060058916A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, George, Enright-Anderson, Barbara, Montgomery, Robert R., Wessel, Terry, George, John, Carley, Daniel J., Scherer, James B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/226
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/38 Collecting or arranging articles in groups

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.

Claims

1. In a system for handling image-bearing items, a method for creating a sorted arrangement of image-bearing items comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a preference associated with the image borne on at least one of the items, said input indicating a position of at least one image-bearing item in the arrangement;

providing a plurality of image-bearing items, said items bearing a plurality of distinct images;

sorting the image-bearing items according to said user input; and

packaging the image-bearing items such that an order of the image-bearing items reflects the preference associated with the image borne on at least one of the items.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising packaging a stack of image-bearing items with a packaging material that is at least partially transparent such that at least one of the images is viewable through said packaging material.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting an image-bearing item that is to be preferentially positioned on a top of the arrangement of said image-bearing items.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the image-bearing items are plates.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the images are associated with movie characters or animals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference is derived from empirical data or observations concerning sales of the image-bearing items.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data or observations reflect relative sales of packages of image-bearing items having different images viewable through associated product packaging.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input specifies positions of a plurality of items in the arrangement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user input specifies a sequence of at least a majority of the items in the arrangement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein two of the at least three items are adjacent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sorting is randomized but statistically weighted according to the user input such that the packaged arrangements are disproportionately ordered consistent with said preference.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the image-bearing items are selected from a group consisting of cards and stationery.

13. A material-handling system comprising:

a controller to receive and process user input associated with the relative positions of image-bearing items in a stack, said items bearing a plurality of different images;

a plurality of channels to receive said image-bearing items;

a plurality of dispensers coupled to the channels to selectively dispense said image-bearing items in an order consistent with said user input; and

a collater coupled to the dispensers to receive and stack the image-bearing items such that the items are in the order consistent with the user input.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user input specifies a preference that plates bearing one or more selected images be placed on top of the stack.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the channels include conveyors and the dispensers include stop members coupled to reciprocating members that are actuated in response to a signal received from the controller.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the collater includes a stacking apparatus.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the collater includes a conveyor.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a wrapper to package the stack of image-bearing items with a packaging material that is at least partially transparent such that at least one of the images is viewable through said packaging material.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the image-bearing items are plates.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the preference is derived from empirical data or observations concerning sales of the image-bearing items.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the data or observations reflect relative sales of packages of image-bearing items having different images viewable through associated product packaging.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the user input specifies positions of a plurality of items in the arrangement.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein order is randomized by statistically weighted according to the user input such that the collated arrangements are disproportionately ordered consistent with said preference.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the items are selected from a group consisting of cards and stationery.

25. The system of claim 13, further comprising holding units in the channels to deliver items to the dispensers when each of the holding units contains a predetermined number of image-bearing items.

26. A material-handling system to handle image-bearing items, the system comprising:

means for obtaining a plurality of items, each item bearing an image selected from a set of images;

means for sorting the items according to a user input specifying a preference for a positioning of at least one image in a stack of said items; and

means for stacking the items such that the items are stacked in an order consistent with the user input.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the user input specifies a preference that at least one image be disproportionately placed on tops of stacks of said items.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the user input specifies a sequence of a plurality of adjacent items in stacks of said items.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the user input specifies empirical data or observations concerning sales of said items.