Patent ID: 7679513
Filing Date: 2010-03-16
Classification: B66C,B66F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a micro-controller module for use on a top handler communicatively coupled to a means for optically sensing a container code of a container being handled by said top handler to create an optical container characteristic including at least one member of a container code characteristic collection, and communicatively coupled to at least one of a means for wirelessly communicating said optical container characteristic, and a means for wirelessly determining location; wherein said micro-controller module includes a computer; said computer further includes at least one member of a list comprising an instruction processor, an inferential engine, a neural network, and a finite state machine; wherein said instruction processor includes at least one instruction processing element and at least one data processing element; wherein each of said data processing elements is controlled by at least one of said instruction processing elements and said instruction processor is accessibly coupled to a memory and said instruction processor is directed by a program system including program steps residing in said memory; and wherein said finite state machine includes at least one of: means for using a means for sensing a state of said top handler to create a sensed state; means for using said means for wireless communicating to communicate said sensed state of said top handler.