Patent ID: 7251537
Filing Date: 2007-07-31
Classification: A22C,B26D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A portioning apparatus comprising: (a) a scanner for scanning a native work product as the work product is being transported past the scanner; (b) a data processor for receiving the data from the scanner and using such data to determine how the native work product may be portioned into a plurality of end products of predetermined criteria, including desired areas and two-dimensional shapes based on sets of predetermined desired areas and two-dimensional shapes for the portions to be cut; (c) wherein the data processor is programmed to determine the deviation between the areas and two-dimensional shapes of the modeled portions from the desired areas and two-dimensional shapes prior to processing of the work product, and if such deviations exceeds a desired deviation level, modeling the native work product again, but using alternative or additional modeling criteria to redetermine how the native work product might be divided into portions having desired areas and two-dimensional shapes and then determining the deviation of the potential portions achievable from the work product from the desired areas and two-dimensional shapes of the portions; (d) once the deviation between the modeled areas and two-dimensional shapes of the portions to be derived from the work product from the desired areas and two-dimensional shapes is within an acceptable level, the data processor is programmed to control one or more steps in the processing of the work product.