Patent Publication Number: US-2017365017-A1

Title: Make line optimization

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/351,650, entitled “Make Line Optimization” and filed on Jun. 17, 2016, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure is generally related to optimizing the efficiency of food preparation lines. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many fast food and fast casual restaurants use assembly lines or “make lines” to prepare food. Some employ multiple make lines, one of which may include a customer-facing make line and another of which may include a non-customer facing drive-through, take-out, or to-go make line. Make lines typically include one or more food preparation surfaces as well as one or more ingredient containers. A make line may be configured with one or multiple stations to accommodate one or multiple assembly workers. Customer orders are written or printed on chits in the order they are received, and the chits are posted in a location where assembly workers on the make line can see what products to prepare and with which ingredients or components. In more modern make lines, customer orders are displayed on one or more screens positioned above the make line or in another location visible to assembly workers. The assembly workers can then refer to the screens to determine what products to prepare and with which ingredients or components. 
     United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0208961 describes a fast-food sandwich preparation kitchen arrangement intended to facilitate a combination of batch preparation and storage of fast-food sandwich components and made-to-order assembly of fast-food sandwiches, and is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety for all that it teaches and for all purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 7,515,981 and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0121168 describe a light-guided assembly system adapted to provide visual indicators to an individual to guide sequential actions at a work location, and are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety for all that they teach and for all purposes. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a make line comprises a heating surface comprising a plurality of heating stations; a product preparation surface comprising a plurality product preparation stations; a plurality of ingredient containers proximate the product preparation surface; a line level lighting system; an overhead lighting system; an order identification reader system; a sensor network; a label printer configured to print a label and, upon removal of the label from the label printer, generate a completion signal; a cashier terminal comprising a graphical user interface; and an order server. 
     In the at least one embodiment, the line level lighting system comprises a plurality of ingredient lights, at least one ingredient light positioned adjacent each one of the plurality of ingredient containers; a plurality of target lights, at least one target light positioned adjacent each one of the plurality of product preparation stations; and a line level lighting system controller comprising an ingredient light interface, a target light interface, a first processor, and a first memory storing first instructions for execution by the first processor that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to generate and transmit signals for selectively operating the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights. 
     The overhead lighting system of the at least one embodiment comprises at least one overhead illumination device positioned above the heating surface and configured to selectively illuminate at least one of the heating stations; and an overhead lighting system controller comprising an illumination device interface, a second processor, and a second memory storing instructions for execution by the second processor that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to generate and transmit signals for selectively operating the at least one illumination device. 
     The order identification reader system of the at least one embodiment comprises at least one scanner; and an order identification reader comprising a scanner interface, a third processor, and a third memory, the third memory storing instructions for execution by the third processor that, when executed by the third processor, cause the third processor to receive scanned information from the scanner and transmit an identification signal corresponding to the scanned information. 
     The sensor network of the at least one embodiment comprises at least one sensor positioned proximate to at least one of the plurality of ingredient containers and configured to generate a first access signal when the ingredient container is accessed; and a sensor network controller comprising a sensor interface, a fourth processor, and a fourth memory, the fourth memory storing instructions for execution by the fourth processor that, when executed by the fourth processor, cause the fourth processor to receive the first access signal via the sensor interface and generate, in response to receipt of the first access signal, a second access signal. 
     The order server of the at least one embodiment comprises a line-level lighting system interface; an overhead lighting system interface; an order identification reader system interface; a sensor network interface; a cashier terminal interface; a server network interface; a fifth processor; and a fifth memory. The fifth memory stores instructions for execution by the fifth processor that, when executed by the fifth processor, cause the fifth processor to receive order information from at least one of the cashier terminal via the cashier terminal interface, or a wide area network via the server network interface, the order information corresponding to at least one order; transmit a first instruction signal to the line-level lighting system via the line-level lighting system interface, the first instruction signal comprising first instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights based on the order information; transmit a second instruction signal to the overhead lighting system via the overhead lighting system interface, the second instruction signal comprising second instructions for selective operation of the at least one illumination device based on the order information; receive the identification signal from the order identification reader via the order identification reader system interface; receive the second access signal from the sensor network controller via the sensor network interface; in response to at least one of the identification signal and the second access signal, transmit a third instruction signal to the line-level lighting system controller via the line-level lighting system interface, the third instruction signal comprising third instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights, the third instructions different than the first instructions; in response to at least one of the identification signal and the second access signal, transmit a fourth instruction signal to the overhead lighting system via the overhead lighting system interface, the fourth instruction signal comprising fourth instructions for selective operation of the at least one illumination device, the fourth instructions different than the second instructions; transmit a printing signal to the label printer, the printing signal causing the label printer to print a label for the at least one order; receive the completion signal from the label printer; and in response to the completion signal, transmit an order complete signal via at least one of the cashier terminal interface and the network interface. 
     According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a make line comprises: a heating surface comprising a plurality of heating stations; a product preparation surface comprising a plurality product preparation stations; a plurality of ingredient containers proximate the product preparation surface; and a line level lighting system. The line level lighting system comprises: a plurality of ingredient lights, at least one ingredient light positioned adjacent each one of the plurality of ingredient containers; a plurality of target lights, at least one target light positioned adjacent each one of the plurality of product preparation stations; and a line level lighting system controller comprising an ingredient light interface, a target light interface, a first processor, and a first memory storing first instructions for execution by the first processor that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to generate and transmit signals for selectively operating the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights. 
     The make line may further comprise an overhead lighting system comprising: at least one overhead illumination device positioned above the heating surface and configured to selectively illuminate at least one of the heating stations; and an overhead lighting system controller comprising an illumination device interface, a second processor, and a second memory storing second instructions for execution by the second processor that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to generate and transmit signals for selectively operating the at least one illumination device. 
     The make line may further comprise an order identification reader system comprising: at least one scanner; and an order identification reader comprising a scanner interface, a third processor, and a third memory, the third memory storing third instructions for execution by the third processor that, when executed by the third processor, cause the third processor to receive scanned information from the scanner and transmit an identification signal corresponding to the scanned information. 
     The make line may further comprise a sensor network comprising: at least one sensor positioned proximate to at least one of the plurality of ingredient containers and configured to generate a first access signal when the ingredient container is accessed; and a sensor network controller comprising a sensor interface, a fourth processor, and a fourth memory, the fourth memory storing fourth instructions for execution by the fourth processor that, when executed by the fourth processor, cause the fourth processor to receive the first access signal via the sensor interface and generate, in response to receipt of the first access signal, a second access signal. 
     The make line may further comprise a label printer configured to print a label and, upon removal of the label from the label printer, to generate a completion signal. The make line may further comprise a cashier terminal comprising a graphical user interface. The make line may further comprise an order server comprising a line-level lighting system interface, a fifth processor, and a fifth memory, the fifth memory storing fifth instructions for execution by the fifth processor that, when executed, cause the fifth processor to transmit a first instruction signal to the line-level lighting system via the line-level lighting system interface, the first instruction signal comprising first instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights. 
     According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of operating a make line, comprises: receiving, at a processor of an order server, order information from at least one of a cashier terminal and a wide area network, the order information corresponding to at least one order; and transmitting, to a line-level lighting system comprising a plurality of ingredient lights and a plurality of target lights, a first instruction signal comprising first instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights, the first instructions based on the order information. 
     The method of may further comprise transmitting, to an overhead lighting system comprising at least one illumination device, a second instruction signal comprising second instructions for selective operation of the at least one illumination device based on the order information. The method may further comprise receiving, at the processor and from an order identification reader system comprising at least one scanner, an identification signal; and, in response to the identification signal, transmitting, to the line-level lighting system, a third instruction signal comprising third instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights, the third instructions different than the first instructions. 
     The method may further comprise, in response to the identification signal, transmitting to the overhead lighting system a fourth instruction signal comprising fourth instructions for selective operation of the at least one illumination device, the fourth instructions different than the second instructions. 
     The method may further comprise receiving, at the processor and from a sensor network comprising at least one sensor positioned proximate to at least one of the plurality of ingredient containers and configured to generate a first access signal when the ingredient container is accessed, a second access signal corresponding to the first access signal; and, in response to the second access signal, transmitting, to the line-level lighting system, a third instruction signal comprising third instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights, the third instructions different than the first instructions. 
     The method may further comprise, in response to the second access signal, transmitting to the overhead lighting system a fourth instruction signal comprising fourth instructions for selective operation of the at least one illumination device, the fourth instructions different than the second instructions. The method may further comprise transmitting a printing signal to a label printer, the printing signal causing the label printer to print a label for the at least one order. The method may further comprise receiving, at the processor and from the label printer, a completion signal; and, in response to the completion signal, transmitting an order complete signal to at least one of the cashier terminal and the wide area network. 
     According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a make line comprises: a product preparation surface comprising a plurality product preparation stations; a plurality of ingredient containers proximate the product preparation surface; a line level lighting system, and an order server. The line level lighting system comprises a plurality of ingredient lights, at least one ingredient light positioned adjacent each one of the plurality of ingredient containers; and a plurality of target lights, at least one target light positioned adjacent each one of the plurality of product preparation stations. The order server comprises a processor; and a memory, the memory storing instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive order information from at least one of a cashier terminal and a wide area network, the order information corresponding to at least one order; and transmit a first instruction signal to the line-level lighting system, the first instruction signal comprising first instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights based on the order information. 
     The make line may further comprise a heating surface comprising a plurality of heating stations, and an overhead lighting system comprising at least one overhead illumination device positioned above the heating surface and configured to selectively illuminate at least one of the heating stations. The memory may store additional instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed, further cause the processor to: transmit a second instruction signal to the overhead lighting system via the overhead lighting system interface, the second instruction signal comprising second instructions for selective operation of the at least one illumination device based on the order information. 
     The make line may further comprise at least one sensor positioned proximate to at least one of the plurality of ingredient containers and configured to generate an access signal when the ingredient container is accessed. The memory may store additional instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed, further cause the processor to: receive the access signal from the at least one sensor. 
     The memory may store additional instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed, further cause the processor to: transmit, to the line-level lighting system, a third instruction signal comprising third instructions for selective operation of the plurality of ingredient lights and the plurality of target lights, the third instructions different than the first instructions. 
     The make line may further comprise a label printer configured to print a label and, upon removal of the label from the label printer, generate a completion signal. The memory may store additional instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed, further cause the processor to transmit a printing signal to the label printer, the printing signal causing the label printer to print a label for the at least one order; receive the completion signal from the label printer; and, in response to the completion signal, transmit an order complete signal to at least one of the cashier terminal and the wide area network. 
     The present disclosure includes many other embodiments, aspects and features of which are described in greater detail below. 
     The terms “memory,” “computer memory,” and “computer-readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any tangible data storage medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, NVRAM, or magnetic or optical disks. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, a solid state medium like a memory card, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions. When the computer-readable medium is configured as part of a database, it is to be understood that the database may be any type of database, such as relational, hierarchical, object-oriented, and/or the like. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include a tangible storage medium or distribution medium and prior art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software implementations and aspects of the present disclosure are stored. 
     The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. When each one of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element, such as X, Y, and Z, or class of elements, such as X 1 -X n , Y 1 -Y m , and Z 1 -Z o , the phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z, a combination of elements selected from the same class (e.g., X 1  and X 2 ) as well as a combination of elements selected from two or more classes (e.g., Y 1  and Z o ). 
     The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably. 
     The terms “determine,” “calculate,” and “compute,” and variations thereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any type of methodology, process, mathematical operation, or technique. 
     The term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves. 
     The term “module” as used herein refers to any known or later developed hardware, software, firmware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or combination of hardware and software that is capable of performing the functionality associated with that element. 
     It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this disclosure is deemed to include each and every lower numerical limitation as an alternative, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this disclosure is deemed to include each and every higher numerical limitation as an alternative, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this disclosure is deemed to include each and every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein. 
     A processor as used in embodiments of the present disclosure may correspond to one or many microprocessors that are contained within a common housing, circuit board, or blade with the memory. The processor may be a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes the digital data according to instructions stored in its internal memory, and provides results as output. The processor may implement sequential digital logic as it has internal memory. As with most microprocessors, the processor may operate on numbers and symbols represented in the binary numeral system. The processor may be or include, without limitation, any one or more of a Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801, Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 610 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bit computing, Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7 motion coprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family of processors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™ family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel® Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22 nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22 nm Ivy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300, and FX-8350 32 nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments® Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments® OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors, ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalent processors, and may perform computational functions using any known or future-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/or architecture. 
     Examples provided throughout the present disclosure (which may be, but need not be, denoted with “for example,” “by way of example,” “e.g.,” or any other term or phrase suggesting that an example is being or will be described) are intended to illustrate one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not given by way of limitation. 
     The preceding is a simplified summary of the disclosure to provide an understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the disclosure and its various aspects, embodiments, and configurations. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure but to present selected concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and form a part of the specification to illustrate several examples of the present disclosure. These drawings, together with the description, explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings simply illustrate preferred and alternative examples of how the disclosure can be made and used and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure to only the illustrated and described examples. Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following, more detailed, description of the various aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the disclosure, as illustrated by the drawings referenced below. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2A  is a block diagram of a device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2B  is a table that may be utilized in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2C  is another table that may be utilized in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is another top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is yet another top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  is still another top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of a portion of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of another portion of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 14  is another top view of a make line according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 15  is yet another top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 16  is still another top view of a make line according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 17  is a flow diagram according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 18  is a flow diagram according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , an optimized make line system  100  comprises an order server  102  that may be connected to a wide area network  114 , from which it may receive orders from remote customers. The order server  102  may be operatively connected with a cashier terminal  104 , through which a cashier or other operator can input orders to the order server. The order server may also be in operable communication with, whether directly or via a local area network  116 , a line-level lighting system  106 , an overhead lighting system  108 , an order identification reader system  110 , a sensor network  112 , and a label printer  118 . As described more fully below, the order server  102  may analyze orders received from the wide area network  114  or from the cashier terminal  104  to determine which components are needed for each order (or, for multi-product orders, which components are needed for each product of each order), as well as to determine a hierarchy of assembly for multiple pending orders. The order server  102  then communicates with the line-level lighting system  106 , the overhead lighting system  108 , the order identification reader system  110 , and the sensor network  112  to cause these elements to provide a make line operator with properly sequenced indications regarding, for example, which components to combine to properly build the ordered products. The order server  102 , the sensor network  112 , and/or the order identification reader system  110  may also communicate with the label printer  118  to print the correct label for each product as it is completed. Completed and labeled products may then be delivered to the customer(s) who ordered the products. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 2A , an order server  102  according to embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise a memory  120 , which may store, among other things, an operating system  122 , standard make line procedures  124 , new (e.g. unfulfilled) order information  126 , fulfilled order information  128 , recipe information  130 , and consumer preferences  131 . The order server  102  may also comprise a processor  132 , a network interface  134 , one or more drivers  136 , a cashier terminal interface  138 , a sensor network interface  140 , an overhead lighting system interface  142 , a line-level lighting system interface  144 , an order ID reader interface  146 , and a power module  148 . In at least one embodiment, the order server  102  may send and receive signals to and from the sensor network  112 , the order identification reader system  110 , the overhead lighting system  108 , and the line-level lighting system  106  via the network interface  134  (e.g. over a local area network  116 ), in which embodiments the specific interfaces  140 ,  142 ,  144 , and  146  may not be included in the order server  102 . 
     The memory  120  as used in embodiments of the present disclosure may correspond to any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium. In at least one embodiment, the memory  120  may comprise volatile or non-volatile memory and a controller for the same. Non-limiting examples of a memory  120  that may be utilized in an order server  102  include a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM) (including any variety of random access memory, such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM)), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or EEPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The memory may store one or more operating systems, applications, or other programs, and may also store various kinds of information. For example, the memory may store an operating system  122 . Operating systems are well known and any suitable operating system may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     The memory may also store standard procedures  124 , which may include such information as a set of standard components or ingredients, a standard order or sequence in which the set of standard components or ingredients should be applied, and one or more algorithms for evaluating unfulfilled orders and generating a process or sequence in which the ordered products should be built or made. For example, the standard procedures  124  may maintain a table or other database  200  as shown in  FIG. 2B  comprising a separate row  101  for each standard ingredient. The standard procedures  124  may further comprise instructions for causing the processor  132  to add one new column  103  to the table or other database  200  for each newly ordered product, and to populate the cells of each column  103  with an “X” or other marker in the row  101  corresponding to each standard ingredient to be included in the ordered product. For example, an order server  102  in an establishment selling hamburgers may have stored in a memory  120  thereof a table  200  identifying cheese, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, onion, pickle, and tomato as standard ingredients in rows  101   a  through  101   g . When a first new order arrives for a hamburger with cheese, ketchup, and pickle, the processor  132  may execute instructions stored within the standard procedures  124  that cause the processor  132  to add a column  103   a  to the table  200 , and to populate the cells of the column  103   a  with an indication in the rows  101   a ,  101   c , and  101   f  corresponding to cheese, ketchup, and pickle, respectively. When a second new order arrives, for a hamburger with mustard, ketchup, and onion, the processor  132  may execute instructions stored within the standard procedures  124  that cause the processor  132  to add a column  103   b  to the table  200 , and to populate the cells of the column  103   b  with an indication in the rows  101   b ,  101   c , and  101   e  corresponding to mustard, ketchup, and onion, respectively. The same process may be followed for a third order for a hamburger having cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, and tomato, and for a fourth order for a hamburger having only ketchup. The order server  102  may then send signals to the line-level lighting system  106  and the overhead lighting system  108  based on the indications in the table  200 , and columns corresponding to fulfilled orders may be removed from the table  200 . 
     The memory  120  may also store new order information  126 . The new order information  126  may comprise, for example, a table or other database correlating an order number and/or other order identification information with each product included in the order. The order information  126  may further store information about requested customizations of each product included in the order. For example, if ketchup is an ingredient in a product referred to as the “Super Hamburger,” but a customer orders a Super Hamburger without ketchup, then the new order information  126  may reflect that the Super Hamburger for the order in question should be made without ketchup. 
     The memory  120  may further store fulfilled order information  128 . The fulfilled order information  128  may be stored solely for archival and/or auditing purposes. Alternatively, the fulfilled order information  128  may be used by the order server  102  to predict when new components and/or ingredients will need to be ordered (e.g. based on the number of orders that have been fulfilled and that require a particular component and/or ingredient, and recipe information about the number and/or amount of each particular component and/or ingredient that is included in each ordered product). The fulfilled order information  128  may also be sent to remote food processing centers (e.g. via a wide area network  114 ) for use in predicting fulfillment requirements. 
     In some embodiments, the order server  102  may automatically place restocking orders with one or more predetermined merchants (e.g. via a wide area network  114 ). Also in some embodiments, the order server  102  may provide one or more notifications or indications—to a make line operator (whether via a line-level lighting system  106 , an overhead lighting system  108 , a label printer  118 , or otherwise), a cashier using a cashier terminal  104 , or any other predetermined party (e.g. via an automatically generated email, instant message, or telephone call)—that one or more components and/or ingredients may be or is running low, or that one or more ingredients may need to be or needs to be ordered. Also in some embodiments, the order server  102  may store ingredient or component expiration information in the memory  120  thereof, and may automatically order new ingredients and/or components when an existing stock of ingredients has expired or is about to expire. Additionally or alternatively, the order server  102  may provide one or more notifications or indications—to a make line operator (whether via a line-level lighting system  106 , an overhead lighting system  108 , a label printer  118 , or otherwise), a cashier using a cashier terminal  104 , or any other predetermined party (e.g. via an automatically generated email, instant message, or telephone call)—that one or more components and/or ingredients will soon be or is expired, or that one or more expired or soon-to-expire ingredients may need to be or needs to be ordered. 
     The memory  120  may additionally store recipe information  130 . The recipe information  130  may comprise a table or database  250  as shown in  FIG. 2C  that correlates each product that may be ordered by a customer with the standard components and/or ingredients of that product. For example, the memory  120  of an order server  102  used in an establishment that sells hamburgers may store, in the table  250 , a recipe for a Simple Hamburger in a column  105   a  in which an indication has been made in each row  101  corresponding to a standard ingredient contained in the Simple Hamburger. Similarly, the table  250  may include a recipe for a Super Hamburger in a column  105   b  in which an indication has been made in each row  101  corresponding to a standard ingredient contained in the Simple Hamburger, and the table  250  may include a recipe for a Super-Duper Hamburger in a column  105   c  in which an indication has been made in each row  101  corresponding to a standard ingredient contained in the Super-Duper Hamburger. The recipe information  130  may then be referenced by the processor  132  in adding new columns to a table  200  for new orders. For example, when a new order is added to the stored new order information  126 , the processor  132  may identify the products included in the new order information  126 , obtain the recipe for each product included in the new order from the recipe information  130 , then populate the appropriate cells of one or more new columns  103  corresponding to the new order with an indication of which standard ingredients are to be included in the ordered product(s). In at least one embodiment, the recipe information  130  may include information about the quantity of a particular component or ingredient to be included in a product, information about the proper order in which to assemble or combine the components or ingredients to make a particular product, information about the length of time for which a given component or ingredient should be processed in a given manner (e.g. heated, cooled, steamed, submerged, pressurized), and/or other information relevant to the preparation of a product (e.g. consumer preferences). 
     The memory  120  may also store consumer preferences  131 . The consumer preferences  131  may comprise a table or database that correlates a unique identifier associated with each customer (e.g. a name, a phone number, an address, an email address, an assigned identifier, or any combination of the foregoing) with that customer&#39;s preferences. The order server  102  may extract consumer identification information from incoming orders and use that information to look up stored consumer preferences  131  corresponding to the consumer(s) who placed the order(s). The order server  102  may automatically add information about new consumers (e.g. consumers who do not correspond to any information in the stored consumer preferences  131 ) to the stored consumer preferences  131 , and/or each consumer may be able to opt in and/or out of having his or her preferences stored in the consumer preferences  131 . The consumer preferences  131  may be customizable by the consumer (e.g. via a web interface, a mobile app, or an in-store kiosk), or the consumer preferences  131  may be automatically determined based on the consumer&#39;s order history. Additionally, the consumer&#39;s preferences may be applied by default (e.g., if a consumer orders a hamburger and the consumer has stored consumer preferences  131  in the memory  120 , then the order server  102  may automatically determine that the hamburger should be made according to the stored preferences), or the consumer&#39;s preferences may be applied only when requested or directed by the consumer. The consumer preferences may comprise information about a consumer&#39;s preferred products (e.g. the product or products that the consumer most often orders), and/or information about the consumer&#39;s preferred customization of one or more products (e.g. which ingredients or components the consumer prefers in or on a given product). 
     As referenced above, the order server  102  may also comprise a processor  132 . The processor  132  may execute instructions stored within the memory  120 , including instructions of the operating system  122  and/or the standard procedures  124 . The processor  132  may provide processing functions for the cashier terminal  104 , the line-level lighting system  106 , the overhead lighting system  108 , the order identification reader system  110 , the sensor network  112 , and/or the label printer  118 , or one or more of the foregoing components may comprise a processor for providing any needed processing functions. 
     The order server  102  may further comprise a network interface  134 . The network interface  134  (which may also be referred to as a communication interface) may comprise hardware that facilitates communications with other devices in the system  100 , whether directly or via a local area network  116 . The network interface  134  may further send and receive communications from a wide area network  114 . The network interface  134  may include an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi card, a Network Interface Card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), or the like. The network interface  134  may be configured to establish and maintain a connection with one or more devices of the system  100 , and/or with the wide area network  114 . The network interface  134  may, for example, be configured to encode and decode communications (e.g., packets) according to a protocol utilized by the one or both of the wide area network  114  and the local area network  116 . 
     The driver(s)  136  may correspond to hardware, software (including firmware), and/or controllers that provide specific instructions to hardware components of the order server  102 , thereby facilitating their operation and/or the operation of associated hardware components. For instance, the network interface  134 , the power module  148 , the interfaces  138 ,  140 ,  142 ,  144 , and  146 , and/or the memory  120  may each have a dedicated driver  136  that provides appropriate control signals to effect its/their operation. The driver(s)  136  may also comprise the software or logic circuits that ensure the various hardware components are controlled appropriately and in accordance with desired protocols. For instance, the driver  136  of the network interface  134  may be adapted to ensure that the network interface  134  follows the appropriate network communication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP (at one or more layers in the OSI model), TCP, UDP, RTP, GSM, LTE, Wi-Fi, etc.) such that the network interface  134  can exchange communications via the wide area network  114  and/or the local area network  116 . As can be appreciated, the driver(s)  136  may also be configured to control wired hardware components (e.g., a USB driver, an Ethernet driver, fiber optic communications, etc.). The driver(s)  136  may be stored in the memory  120  and/or in one or more memories associated with individual hardware components of the order server  102 . 
     The order ID reader interface  146 , the line-level lighting system interface  144 , the overhead lighting system interface  142 , the sensor network interface  140 , and the cashier terminal interface  138  may each comprise hardware and/or software for enabling communications between the processor  132  of the order server  102  and a line level lighting system controller  300 , an overhead lighting system controller  400 , an order identification reader controller  500 , a sensor network controller  600 , and a cashier terminal  104 , respectively. The enabled communications may occur over a local area network  116 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , or they may occur over a direct connection between the order server  102  and the controllers  300 ,  400 ,  500 , and  600  and the cashier terminal  104 , respectively. The direct connection may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. When the direct connection is a wired connection, the interfaces  146 ,  144 ,  142 ,  140 , and  138  may comprise the same or different physical connectors. For example, one or more of the interfaces  146 ,  144 ,  142 ,  140 , and  138  may utilize an RJ45 connector, a VGA connector, an HDMI connecter, a DVI connector, a USB connector, a DB-25M connector, or a DE-9M connector. In at least one embodiment, one or more of the interfaces  146 ,  144 ,  142 ,  140 , and  138  sends signals to and receives signals from the controllers  300 ,  400 ,  500 , and  600  and/or the cashier terminal  104 , respectively, via the network interface  136  rather than directly. 
     The power module  148  may include a built-in power supply (e.g., battery) and/or a power converter that facilitates the conversion of externally-supplied AC power into DC power that is used to power the various components of the order server  102 . In at least one embodiment, the power module  148  may also include some implementation of surge protection circuitry to protect the components of the order server  102 , or other associated hardware, from power surges. 
     A cashier terminal  104  according to embodiments of the present disclosure may simply be a graphical user interface (e.g. a computer monitor, television screen, laptop screen, tablet screen, smart phone screen, or the like, any one of which may be a resistive, capacitive, surface acoustic wave, or infrared touch screen, an LCD screen, an LED screen, a plasma screen, or a CRT screen) operably connected to the order server  102 . The graphical user interface may display images based on signals generated by the order server  102 , which images may be configured to facilitate the entry of customer orders by a cashier who receives the orders in person, via a wireless radio, over the phone, through text messaging, through instant messaging, and/or through email. In at least one embodiment, the cashier terminal  104  may be a stand-alone computing device comprising, for example, a processor, a memory, a network interface, and a graphical user interface. The network interface may be configured to interface with a network  114  or  116  or with another computing device (e.g. the order server  102 ) via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or both. In at least one embodiment, the cashier terminal may be a tablet, such as an Apple iPad, a Microsoft Surface, a Google Nexus, a Sony Xperia, a Dell Venue, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, or an Amazon Fire. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the cashier terminal  104  may be operably connected to a cash drawer, a credit card reader, and/or other money- or financial-related hardware for receiving and/or storing payments. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the line-level lighting system  106  may comprise a line level lighting system controller  300 , a plurality of ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n , and a plurality of target lights  314   a - 314   n . The line level lighting system controller  300  may comprise a memory  302 , a processor  306 , and a network interface  310 . The line level lighting system controller  300  may further comprise an ingredient light interface  308  and a target light interface  304 . The various components of the line level lighting system controller operate together to turn on and off the plurality of ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  and/or the plurality of target lights  314   a - 314   n  based on information provided by the order server  102 , to guide a make line operator to select the proper ingredient or component and to apply it to the targets or products that need that ingredient or component. 
     The memory  302 , like the memory  120  of the order server  102 , may correspond to any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium. In at least one embodiment, the memory  302  may comprise volatile or non-volatile memory and a controller for the same. Non-limiting examples of a memory  302  include a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM) (including any variety of random access memory, such as dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM)), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or EEPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The memory may store one or more operating systems, applications, or other programs, and may also store various kinds of information. 
     The processor  306  may be substantially the same as or similar to any other processor described herein. 
     The network interface  310  (which may also be referred to as a communication interface) may comprise hardware that facilitates communications with other devices in the system  100 , whether directly or via a local area network  116 . For example, communications sent to the line level lighting system  106  may be received, at least initially, by the network interface  310 . Similarly, communications sent from the line level lighting system  106 , and more specifically from the line-level lighting system controller  300 , may be sent from or through the network interface  310 . The network interface  310  may include an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi card, a Network Interface Card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), or the like. The network interface  310  may be configured to establish and maintain a connection with one or more devices and/or networks of the system  100 . The network interface  310  may, for example, be configured to encode and decode communications (e.g., packets) according to a protocol utilized by a network over which the line level lighting system controller sends and receives communications (e.g. the local area network  116 ). 
     The ingredient light interface  308  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  306  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n . The ingredient light interface  308  may receive signals from the processor  306  and send signals to the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n . The signals may be sent over a wired connection or over a wireless connection. In at least one embodiment, for example, each of one or more ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  may have its own power source (e.g. an independent battery and/or an independent plug for connection to an electrical outlet) and its own wireless receiver for receiving signals from the controller  300 , which may be equipped with a wireless transmitter. Use of wireless transmitters and receivers may be particularly useful for eliminating extensive wiring that might otherwise be needed in and around a make line, which wiring might interfere with preparation of ordered products on the make line. As another example, a line level lighting system  106  according to at least one embodiment may utilize a wired connection between the controller  300  and the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n , which wired connection may or may not provide power to the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n . Use of wired connections between the controller  300  and the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  may be particularly useful for enhancing reliability and reducing cost, and may also be useful in environments where wireless interference would or could disrupt wireless signals. The ingredient light interface  308  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n . The ingredient light interface  308  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     Similarly, the target light interface  304  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  306  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the target lights  314   a - 314   n . The target light interface  304  may receive signals from the processor  306  and send signals to the target lights  314   a - 314   n . As discussed above with respect to the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n , the signals may be sent over a wired connection or over a wireless connection. In at least one embodiment, for example, each of one or more target lights  314   a - 314   n  may have its own power source (e.g. an independent battery and/or an independent plug for connection to an electrical outlet) and its own wireless receiver for receiving signals from the controller  300 , which may be equipped with a wireless transmitter. As another example, a line level lighting system  106  according to at least one embodiment may utilize a wired connection between the controller  300  and the target lights  314   a - 314   n , which wired connection may or may not provide power to the target lights  314   a - 314   n . The benefits of wired and wireless connections discussed above with respect to the ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  apply with respect to the target lights  314   a - 314   n  as well. Based on the foregoing disclosure, persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that wired and/or wireless connections may be utilized for other systems and devices described herein as well. 
     The target light interface  304  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the ingredient lights  314   a - 314   n . The target light interface  304  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     The ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  may comprise LED lights, fluorescent lights, incandescent lights, or any other type of light source. The ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  may be any color of light, and may be multiple light sources for emitting different colors of light and/or may be single light sources capable of emitting multiple colors of light. The ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  are arranged on or in the make line and are each positioned to correspond to an ingredient or component. In at least one embodiment, only one ingredient light  312  corresponds to each ingredient or component. In other embodiments, a plurality of ingredient lights  312  correspond to each ingredient or component. The ingredient lights  312  may be selectively turned on or illuminated based on a signal from the ingredient light interface  308  to indicate to a make line operator which ingredient to use at any given time. For example, an ingredient light  312  positioned adjacent a ketchup dispenser may be illuminated to indicate to a make line operator that he or she should use the ketchup. In one embodiment of the present disclosure in which a plurality of ingredient lights  312  correspond to each ingredient or component, one or more of the plurality of lights  312  may be selectively illuminated to indicate how much of a given ingredient, or how many of a given component, to apply to a product. For example, if three ingredient lights  312  are positioned adjacent a ketchup dispenser, then one ingredient light  312  may be illuminated to indicate that the make line operator should “go easy” when applying the ketchup to the product (e.g., apply a relatively small amount of ketchup to the product); two ingredient lights  312  may be illuminated to indicate that the make line operator should apply a normal amount of ketchup to the product; and three ingredient lights  312  may be illuminated to indicate that the make line operator should “go heavy” on the ketchup (e.g. apply a relative large amount of ketchup to the product). Thus, the use of multiple ingredient lights  312  per ingredient or component may beneficially allow for greater customization of each product based on customer preferences as expressed in an order or as stored in the memory  120 . Alternatively, a single ingredient light  312  may be selectively illuminated by intensity or flashing/not flashing to indicate how much of a given ingredient, or how many of a given component, to apply to a product. 
     The target lights  314   a - 314   n  may comprise LED lights, fluorescent lights, incandescent lights, or any other type of light source. The ingredient lights  312   a - 312   n  may be any color of light, and may be multiple light sources for emitting different colors of light and/or may be single light sources capable of emitting multiple colors of light. The target lights  314   a - 314   n  are arranged on or in the make line and are each positioned to correspond to a product preparation station. The target lights  314   a - 314   n  are beneficial in embodiments of the present disclosure adapted to guide a make line operator preparing multiple products in parallel (e.g. simultaneously), but may not be needed or included in embodiments of the present disclosure adapted to guide a make line operator preparing products in series (e.g. one product after another). 
     In at least one embodiment, only one target light  314  corresponds to each station. In other embodiments, a plurality of target lights  314  correspond to each station. The target lights  314  may be selectively turned on or illuminated based on a signal from the target light interface  304  to indicate to a make line operator which targets or products should receive a given ingredient. For example, on a make line having eight stations (arranged to be used in parallel), a target light  314  may be positioned adjacent to each station. Then, as the make line operator applies different ingredients or components, different target lights may be turned on or illuminated to guide the make line operator in applying the ingredient or component to the proper targets or products. Thus, if the make line is configured for assembling hamburgers, then the target lights  314  corresponding to the stations of hamburgers that should receive ketchup may be illuminated when the make line operator is dispensing ketchup; the target lights  314  corresponding to the stations of hamburgers that should receive tomatoes may be illuminated when the make line operator is distributing tomatoes; the target lights  314  corresponding to the stations of hamburgers that should receive onions may be illuminated when the make line operator is dispensing onions; and so forth. 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure in which a plurality of target lights  314  correspond to each station, one or more of the plurality of target lights  314  may be selectively illuminated to indicate how much of a given ingredient, or how many of a given component, to apply to the product in the corresponding station. For example, if three target lights  314  are positioned adjacent each station, then one target light  314  may be illuminated to indicate that the make line operator should “go easy” when applying the current ingredient to the product (e.g., if the ingredient currently being applied is ketchup, that the make line operator should apply a relatively small amount of ketchup to the product); two target lights  314  may be illuminated to indicate that the make line operator should apply a normal amount of the ingredient to the product (e.g. a normal amount of ketchup); and three target lights  314  may be illuminated to indicate that the make line operator should “go heavy” on the ingredient (e.g. apply a relative large amount of ketchup to the product). Thus, the use of multiple target lights  314  per ingredient or component may beneficially allow for greater customization of each product based on customer preferences as expressed in an order or as stored in the memory  120 . Alternatively, a single target light  314  may be selectively illuminated by intensity or flashing/not flashing to indicate how much of a given ingredient, or how many of a given component, to apply to a product. 
     In at least one embodiment, a make line may be configured with multiple ingredient lights  312  per ingredient or component and/or with multiple target lights  314  per station, and the multiple ingredient lights  312  and/or multiple target lights  314  may be used to indicate the number of a given ingredient or component to add to the product (e.g. one light for one hamburger patty, two lights for two hamburger patties, etc). In still further embodiments, whether the multiple ingredient lights  312  and/or target lights  314  refer to a relative quantity (e.g. for ketchup) or a relative number (e.g. for hamburger patties) depends on the ingredient or component currently being applied. 
     With respect to  FIG. 4 , the overhead lighting system  108  may comprise an overhead lighting system controller  400 , a plurality of projectors  414   a - 414   n , a plurality of display screens  412   a - 412   n , a plurality of laser pointers  418   a - 418   n , and a plurality of spotlights  422   a - 422   n . The overhead lighting system controller  400  may comprise a memory  402 , a processor  406 , and a network interface  408 . The overhead lighting system controller  400  may further comprise a projector interface  404  and a display screen interface  410 . The various components of the overhead lighting system controller operate together control the display of the projectors  414  and the display screens  412  based on information provided by the order server  102 , to provide a make line operator with information useful to fulfilling received orders. 
     The memory  402  and the processor  406  may be substantially the same as or similar to the memory  302  and the processor  306 , respectively. 
     The network interface  408  (which may also be referred to as a communication interface) may comprise hardware that facilitates communications with other devices in the system  100 , whether directly or via a local area network  116 . For example, communications sent to the overhead lighting system  106  may be received, at least initially, by the network interface  408 . Similarly, communications sent from the overhead lighting system  106 , and more specifically from the overhead lighting system controller  400 , may be sent from or through the network interface  408 . The network interface  408  may include an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi card, a Network Interface Card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), or the like. The network interface  408  may be configured to establish and maintain a connection with one or more devices and/or networks of the system  100 . The network interface  408  may, for example, be configured to encode and decode communications (e.g., packets) according to a protocol utilized by a network over which the overhead lighting system controller  400  sends and receives communications (e.g. the local area network  116 ). 
     The projector interface  404  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  406  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the projectors  414 . The projector interface  404  may receive signals from the processor  406  and send signals to the projectors  414 . The ingredient light interface may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the projectors  414   a - 414   n . The projector interface  408  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     Similarly, the display screen interface  410  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  406  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the display screens  412   a - 412   n . The display screen interface  410  may receive signals from the processor  406  and send signals to the display screens  412   a - 412   n . The display screen interface  410  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the display screens  412   a - 412   n . The display screen interface  410  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     Similarly, the laser pointer interface  416  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  406  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the laser pointers  418   a - 418   n . The laser pointer interface  416  may receive signals from the processor  406  and send signals to the laser pointers  418   a - 418   n . The laser pointer interface  416  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the laser pointers  418   a - 418   n . The laser pointer interface  416  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     Similarly, the spotlight interface  420  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  406  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the display screens  412   a - 412   n . The spotlight interface  420  may receive signals from the processor  406  and send signals to the display screens  412   a - 412   n . The spotlight interface  420  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the display screens  412   a - 412   n . The spotlight interface  420  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     The display screens  412  may be any variety of electronic screen or display on which information may be displayed. The display screens  412  may be, for example, televisions (whether LCD, LED, OLED, plasma, or any other variety), monitors (whether CRT, LCD, OLED, or any other variety), or tablets (including, without limitation, any variety of tablet identified herein). The display screens  412  may be used, for example, to display information received from the order server  102  about new, pending, and/or unfulfilled orders. The display screens may also be used to provide supplemental information (e.g. beyond the information provided by the ingredient lights  312  and the target lights  314 ) to a make line operator, such as instructions for attaching or otherwise installing or applying a particular component to a product being assembled, or instructions for a particular way to add a certain ingredient to a product being made. In at least one embodiment, the display screens  412  may be used to provide information about an order that cannot be effectively communicated to the make line operator via the ingredient lights  312  and the target lights  314 . Also in at least one embodiment, the overhead lighting system controller  400  or the line-level lighting system controller  300  may cause a light to flash, or an audible signal to be played, or some other notification to be given to alert the operator that additional instructions or information are available on the display screens  412 . Depending on the size of a given make line, as well as the manner in which the display screens  412  are used on a given make line, the overhead lighting system  108  may contain only one display screen  412 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the display screens  412  may be used primarily as a backup system, in case one or more other indicating or guiding mechanisms utilized by or in the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  stop working, or in case an operator becomes confused about the guidance provided by the such other indicating or guiding mechanisms. For example, if a make line operator is being guided by ingredient lights  312  and target lights  314  in assembling a variety of products to fill a plurality of orders, but needs to double-check the ingredients for a particular ordered product (e.g. to verify that it has been or is being assembled correctly), then the operator can refer to a display screen  412 . A system  100  according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may not include any display screens  412 . 
     The projectors  414   a - 414   n  may be used in addition to or instead other indicating mechanisms included in the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108 . As persons ordinarily skilled in the art will recognize based on the present disclosure, a projector  414  positioned above a make line may be configurable to project a light or other indication over, adjacent to, or otherwise corresponding to each ingredient and each station. Thus, a projector  414  may be used instead of ingredient lights  312  and target lights  314  to guide a make line operator to use a certain ingredient or component and/or to apply the certain ingredient or component to one or more products being assembled in specific stations. Referring again to the example of an establishment that sells hamburgers, if a make line operator needed to prepare seven hamburgers (three with ketchup and four without) to fill several orders, an overhead projector  414  could project onto a hamburger assembly surface of the establishment seven overhead images of a hamburger bun heel. The make line operator could then place a hamburger bun heel over or next to each of the projected images. The projector  414  could then project, in the same seven locations as the first seven projected images, seven overhead images of a hamburger patter on a hamburger bun heel, indicating to the make line operator that he or she should add a hamburger patty to each of the hamburgers being assembled. Then, the overhead projector  414  might change three of the projected images to show ketchup on the hamburger patty, indicating to the make line operator that he or she should add ketchup to those particular hamburgers. In this manner, the overhead projector  414  can be used to guide the make line operator to make customized hamburgers to fill customer orders. 
     One or more overhead projectors  414  may also be used to supplement information provided by other mechanisms utilized within the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108 . For example, if ingredient lights  312  or target lights  314  are used to provide guidance regarding which ingredients or components to apply to which targets or products, but not to provide guidance regarding the quantity of an ingredient or component to apply to the targets or products, then the projectors  414  may be used to provide quantity information where needed. The projectors  414  could provide such information via a textual indication or a graphical (e.g. non-textual) indication (which may comprise, for example, a particular color, a particular color intensity, or an image), either of which may be projected on or adjacent to the target or product, on or adjacent to the ingredient or component, or onto another surface on or near the make line. 
     The overhead projectors  414  may also be used to project order information onto or near the make line. For example, instead of using display screens  412  to provide order information, embodiments of the present disclosure may use the projectors  414  to project the order information directly onto a surface of the make line, which may beneficially allow make line operators to reference the information without having to look up from the make line to a display screen. The projected information may comprise a backup system to be referenced by a make line operator only when other indicating mechanisms of the line-level lighting system  106  and the overhead lighting system  108  are inoperative or provide confusing or inconclusive guidance, or the projected information may comprise a primary system intended to be referenced by the make line operator throughout the assembly process. 
     In addition to the potential uses of the projectors  414  described above, one or more projectors  414  may be used to project graphic partitions onto a preparation or assembly surface of the make line, thus identifying separate stations for the make line operator. The use of projectors  414  to project such partitions onto a make line surface beneficially allows the surface to be free of any physical partitions (e.g. ridges, etchings, walls, fences, etc.) that may interfere with the preparation and/or assembly process, reduce the longevity of the surface, increase the difficulty of cleaning the surface, affect operator safety, and/or violate applicable regulations (e.g. food safety regulations). As one example, a projector may project a grid onto a grill used to cook hamburger patties to guide the placement of the hamburger patties onto the grill. This may be desirable, for example, if a heat sensor positioned above the grill is configured to sense the temperature of the grill at certain locations (e.g. locations defined by the projected grid), or if a laser pointer or spotlight positioned above the grill is configured to shine on or point to certain locations of the grill (e.g. locations defined by the projected grid). In some embodiments, the projected grid may blink, flash, or otherwise change when a predetermined amount of time has passed (e.g. when hamburger patties on the grill need to be flipped, or when they are done cooking and ready to be removed). In other embodiments, a portion of the grid may blink, flash, or otherwise change to indicate a needed action with respect to items within that particular portion of the grid. For example, one or more squares of the grid may alternately flash a solid fill and no fill. In still other embodiments, a spotlight or a laser pointer directed at one or more squares of the grid may blink, flash, or otherwise change to indicate a need action with respect to the item within that particular square of the grid. 
     The laser pointers  418   a - 418   n  may be any known laser pointers suitable for safe use in an enclosed environment. The laser pointers  418  may be mounted above a make line surface. Each laser pointer  418  may be configured to point to a single fixed location on the make line surface, or the laser pointer  418  may be configured to point to multiple locations on the make line surface, whether sequentially or in an apparently simultaneous manner (e.g. by cycling through each location quickly enough to create an illusion that the laser pointer  418  is always pointing at each of multiple locations). 
     In embodiments, the laser pointers  418  may be used instead of or in addition to line-level lighting system indication mechanisms (e.g. ingredient lights  312 , target lights  314 ) and/or in addition to other overhead lighting system indication or information mechanisms (e.g. display screens  412 , projectors  414 , spotlights  422 ). In at least one embodiment, laser pointers  418  may be used instead of other such mechanisms when it would be infeasible or impractical to utilize such mechanisms for a needed purpose. For example, a make line operator may need to receive an indication regarding onto which of a plurality of hamburger patties on a grill he or she should place cheese. It may be infeasible or impractical to install target lights  314  on a grill surface that is kept at a temperature at or above, for example, 300° F., but one or more laser pointers  418  may be utilized to provide the needed indication. In at least one embodiment, the laser pointers  418   a - 418   n  may utilize lasers having multiple colors, such that a first indication can be provided by a laser pointer  418  pointing to an ingredient or component, or to a target or product, on a make line, and a second indication can be provided by the color of the laser emitted by the laser pointer  418 . Laser color may be used, for example, to provide an indication regarding quantity, type (e.g. sweet pickles versus dill pickles), or readiness (e.g. ready to be removed from a grill versus still cooking). The laser pointers  418  may be positionable, whether manually or automatically, so as to be able to point to more than one location on the make line surface. 
     Like the laser pointers  418   a - 418   n , the spotlights  422   a - 422   n  may be mounted above a make line surface. Each spotlight  422  may be configured to point to a single fixed location on the make line surface. Alternatively, each spotlight  422  may be manually or automatically positionable, so as to be able to point to more than one location on the make line surface. In embodiments, the spotlights  422  may be used instead of or in addition to line-level lighting system indication mechanisms (e.g. ingredient lights  312 , target lights  314 ) and/or in addition to other overhead lighting system indication or information mechanisms (e.g. display screens  412 , projectors  414 , laser pointers  418 ). In at least one embodiment, spotlights  422  may be used instead of other such mechanisms when it would be infeasible or impractical to utilize such mechanisms for a needed purpose. For example, a make line operator may need to receive an indication regarding onto which of a plurality of hamburger patties on a grill he or she should place cheese. It may be infeasible or impractical to install target lights  314  on a grill surface that is kept at a temperature at or above, for example, 300° F., but one or more spotlights  422  may be utilized to provide the needed indication. In at least one embodiment, the spotlights  422  may be capable of emitting multiple colors of light, such that a first indication can be provided by a spotlight  422  pointing to an ingredient or component, or to a target or product, on a make line, and a second indication can be provided by the color of the light emitted by the spotlight  422 . Spotlight color may be used, for example, to provide an indication regarding quantity, type (e.g. sweet pickles versus dill pickles), or readiness (e.g. ready to be removed from a grill versus still cooking). 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , the order identification reader system  110  may comprise an order identification reader  500  and a plurality of scanners  510   a - 510   n . The order identification reader  500  may comprise a processor  506 , a memory  502 , a network interface  508 , and a scanner interface  504 . The scanners  510  may comprise, for example, one or more of a QR code scanner  510   a , an RFID scanner  510   b , and a barcode scanner  510   c.    
     The memory  502  and the processor  506  may be substantially the same as or similar to the memory  302  and the processor  306 , respectively. Additionally, the processor  506  may be configured to correlate a given QR code, RFID code, barcode, or other identification code or number with a given product of a given order, based on information received from the order server  102  and/or information and/or instructions stored in the memory  502 . The processor  502  may, for example, be configured to receive information about an ordered product from the order server  502 , receive information about a new identification code or number scanned by a scanner  510  positioned at a first station of a make line (e.g. an identification code or number not currently associated with a given product), correlate the ordered product with the new identification code or number, then use that correlation to report on the position of the ordered product as it moves from one make line station to the next. When the ordered product has been completed (which may be determined, for example, based on the ordered product leaving the last station of the make line, or based on the printing of a label for the ordered product (e.g. if the label printer  118  is at the end of the make line)), the processor  506  may be configured to disassociate the new identification code or number from the ordered product, such that it is available to be associated with a new ordered product. 
     The network interface  508  (which may also be referred to as a communication interface) may comprise hardware that facilitates communications with other devices in the system  100 , whether directly or via a local area network  116 . For example, communications sent to the order identification reader system  110  may be received, at least initially, by the network interface  508 . Similarly, communications sent from the order identification reader system  110 , and more specifically from the order identification reader  500 , may be sent from or through the network interface  508 . The network interface  508  may include an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi card, a Network Interface Card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), or the like. The network interface  508  may be configured to establish and maintain a connection with one or more devices and/or networks of the system  100 . The network interface  508  may, for example, be configured to encode and decode communications (e.g., packets) according to a protocol utilized by a network over which the order identification reader  500  sends and receives communications (e.g. the local area network  116 ). 
     The scanner interface  504  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  506  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the scanners  510   a - 510   n . The scanner interface  504  may receive signals from the scanners  510   a - 510   n  and send the same or corresponding signals to the processor  506 , or vice versa. The scanner interface  504  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the scanners  510   a - 510   n . The scanner interface  504  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     The scanners  510  may utilize any scanning technology suitable for identifying, for example, the location of a product (or a product container) on a make line, the movement of a product (or a product container) along a make line, or the arrival of a product (or a product container) at a make line station. For example, the scanners  510  may be 1-dimensional barcode readers or 2-dimensional barcode readers (e.g. QR code readers), installed at each station of a make line and configured to scan a barcode affixed to each product (or to each product container (which may be, for example, a plate, a bowl, a box, or a tray) in which products are moved through the make line) as it arrives at a given station. Alternatively, the scanners  510  may be RFID scanners, configured to read an RFID tag affixed to each product or product container as it arrives at a given station. In at least one embodiment using RFID technology, the scanners  510  may not be located at each station, but may be configured to determine a precise position of an RFID tag along a make line (e.g. based on triangulation). In such embodiments, the memory  502  may store information that correlates different locations along a make line with different stations, which information may be accessed by the processor  506  and used to send signals to the order server  102  regarding which indications should be provided at each station. As another alternative, the scanners  510  may comprise image scanners, and the processor  506  may be configured to distinguish among a plurality of scanned images and to associate each scanned image with an ordered product. Additionally or alternatively, the memory  502  may store optical character recognition software, and the processor  506  may execute the optical character recognition software to extract from a scanned image an identification number or code on a product or product container in the image. Other technologies for labeling products or product containers with identification numbers or codes and reading those labels may also be used by the order identification reader system  110  of the present disclosure. 
     Barcode readers used as scanners  510  may comprise pen-type scanners, laser scanners, CCD readers, camera-based readers, video camera readers, omnidirectional barcode scanners, or cell phone or smart phone cameras. U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,246 describes a bar code scanner with RF coupling to base terminal and automatic turn-off upon decode, which bar code scanner comprises a scanning head for reading bar code symbols, and is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety for all that it teaches and for all purposes. 
     RFID readers used as scanners  510  may comprise passive readers (used in combination with active tags), or active readers (used in combination with passive tags or active tags). An active tag is an RFID tag that is independently powered, e.g. by a battery or otherwise. As persons ordinarily skilled in the art will recognize, an active tag has an on-board battery and periodically transmits its ID signal. A battery-assisted passive tag has a small battery on board and is activated when in the presence of an (active) RFID reader. A passive tag is cheaper and smaller because it has no battery; instead, the tag uses the radio energy transmitted by the RFID reader. RFID readers used as scanners  510  may be configured to read tags only within the confines of a particular station of a make line, to ensure that the RFID reader identifies only products or product containers that are at the station (e.g. within the station boundaries). 
     Image scanners used as scanners  510  may comprise, for example, any device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it into a digital image. Image scanners may be of the flatbed variety, and may be configured to scan product labels or product container labels through a transparent surface of a make line station (e.g. through a glass countertop). Image scanners may also be digital cameras positioned to take a picture of a product label or product container label. The image scanners may use, for example, a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a contact image sensor (CIS) as the image sensor. 
     In at least one embodiment, the scanners  510  may comprise a processor and a memory that allow the scanner  510  to decode a scanned image, pattern, or tag and report the resulting identification number or code to the processor  506 , while in other embodiments, the processor  506  decodes the scanned image, pattern, or tag. 
     The foregoing description of 1-dimensional barcode readers, 2-dimensional barcode readers, RFID readers, and image scanners is not intended to be limiting. Any type of scanner may be used as a scanner  510  provided that it can be used to determine, within a reasonable degree of certainty, which product or product container is situated at a given make line station. 
     The order identification reader system  110  may be used in at least one embodiment of the system  100  to ensure that the system  100  identifies the proper ingredients or components for addition to a target or product being assembled or made. The order identification reader system  110  is particularly suitable for make lines configured for making or assembling products in series. For example, in a make line with a plurality of stations, where each station includes several ingredients or components that may be added to a product being assembled or made at that station, and where a make line operator moves the product from one station to the next in order to properly complete the product, an order identification reader system may be configured with a plurality of scanners  510 , each located at a separate station. As a product is moved from one station to the next, a scanner  510  recognizes a barcode, QR code, RFID signal, image, text, or other identification feature associated with the product and provides that information to the order server  102 . The order server  102  can then cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide the proper indications at the station for that specific product. As different products move through the station, the scanner  510  recognizes the identification feature associated with each product and provides that information to the order server  102 ; and the order server  102  then causes the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide the proper indications for the product at the station. 
     In at least one embodiment of the system  100  utilized with a sequential make line such as that described above, a timer may be used instead of an order identification reader system  110  to cause the order server  102  to instruct the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications for a subsequent product to be assembled. For example, a system  100  utilizing a timer may be configured to provide indications (e.g. lighting cues or other guidance via the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108 ) for a given product at a given station for 10 seconds at a time. Then, if the make line with which the system  100  is being used has three stations, and three products need to be made, the indications would be provided as shown in the following table: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
                 Station 1 Provides 
                 Station 2 Provides 
                 Station 3 Provides 
               
               
                   
                 Indications for: 
                 Indications for: 
                 Indications for: 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                  1-10 seconds 
                 Product 1 
                 N/A 
                 N/A 
               
               
                 11-20 seconds 
                 Product 2 
                 Product 1 
                 N/A 
               
               
                 21-30 seconds 
                 Product 3 
                 Product 2 
                 Product 1 
               
               
                 31-40 seconds 
                 N/A 
                 Product 3 
                 Product 2 
               
               
                 41-50 seconds 
                 N/A 
                 N/A 
                 Product 3 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     While the present disclosure encompasses the use of a timer and one or more predetermined times to determine when to switch the indications provided at a given station as disclosed above, such embodiments may be problematic if it takes longer than the predetermined time to apply the ingredients or components at a given station to a product, because then the indications will switch before the products being assembled or made switch stations, which would result in the indications at each station being incorrect, and may confuse the make line operator. Similarly, if it takes less than the predetermined time to apply the ingredients corresponding to a given station to a product, then the use of predetermined times forces the make line operator to wait until the predetermined time expires before he or she receives the indications applicable to the product in question at the next station. And, even if a given product does not require any ingredients from a given station, the make line operator will still be forced to wait for the expiration of the predetermined time before he or she receives the proper indications at the subsequent station. In light of these drawbacks of using a timer and a predetermined time, use of an order identification reader system  110  beneficially allows the system  100  to display the proper indications for a given product at a given station when the product arrives at the station, regardless of how long it remains at the station or at the preceding station. 
     If, on the other hand, an order identification reader system  110  is utilized in connection with the system  100 , then the potential drawbacks of using a timer to determine when to switch the indications provided by the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  may be avoided. As an alternative to both a timer and an order identification reader system  110  utilizing one or more scanners  510 , each station of a make line may be equipped with a button, switch, or other input mechanism that a make line operator can press or trigger each time he or she moves a product or product container into the station. The order server  102  may be configured to detect the pressing or triggering of the button, switch, or other input mechanism, and may further be configured to cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications for the next product in a product queue (e.g. the next product to be made) each time the pressing or triggering of the button, switch, or other input mechanism is detected. 
     This embodiment has some benefits over the use of a timer (including, most importantly, that the indications change on demand, such that a make line operator can take as much time as needed at each station, without having to waste time waiting for the indications to switch to move to the next station. However, this embodiment still has drawbacks as compared to the use of an order identification reader system  110 , including that if the make line operator inadvertently presses the button or switch twice, or if the make line operator forgets to press the button or switch, then the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  will provide the wrong indications for the product or product container at the station. Additionally, the use of a button or switch to cause the switching of the indications provided by the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  does not allow for any way to confirm that the indications being provided are the correct indications for the product or product container currently at the station. These drawbacks may be overcome at least in part, however, through the use of logical controls (e.g., configuring the order server  102  to not register a button press or switch toggle that occurs within a predetermined period of time (e.g. 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds) after a previous press of the same button or a previous toggle of the same switch, respectively), and/or by configuring the button or switch to be pressed or toggled automatically (such that movement of the product or product container to the station will automatically trigger the input mechanism), and/or by providing one or more display screens  412  that a make line operator can reference to determine which order corresponds to the indications being provided at a given make line station. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 6 , a sensor network  112  may comprise a sensor network controller  600  in communication with one or more proximity sensors  612  and one or more heat sensors  614 . Although not depicted in  FIG. 6 , the sensor network  112  may comprise any other type or variety of sensor suitable for accomplishing the purposes identified herein. 
     The sensor network controller  600  may comprise a memory  602 , a processor  606 , a heat sensor interface  604 , a proximity sensor interface  608 , and a network interface  610 . The memory  602  and the processor  606  may be substantially the same as or similar to the memory  302  and the processor  306 , respectively. 
     The network interface  610  (which may also be referred to as a communication interface) may comprise hardware that facilitates communications with other devices in the system  100 , whether directly or via a local area network  116 . For example, communications sent from the sensor network controller  600  to the order server  102  may be transmitted via the network controller  610 , and communications received from the order server  102  by the sensor network controller may be received via the network interface  610 . The network interface  610  may include an Ethernet port, a Wi-Fi card, a Network Interface Card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), or the like. The network interface  610  may be configured to establish and maintain a connection with one or more devices and/or networks of the system  100 . The network interface  610  may, for example, be configured to encode and decode communications (e.g., packets) according to a protocol utilized by a network (e.g. a network other than a sensor network) over which the sensor network controller  600  sends and receives communications (e.g. the local area network  116 ). 
     The heat sensor interface  604  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  606  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the heat sensors  614   a - 614   n . The heat sensor interface  604  may receive signals from the heat sensors  614   a - 614   n  and send the same or corresponding signals to the processor  606 , or vice versa. The heat sensor interface  604  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the heat sensors  614   a - 614   n . The heat sensor interface  604  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     The heat sensors  614   a - 614   n  may be any suitable heat sensor that can be configured to provide a signal to the sensor network controller  600  via the heat sensor interface  604 . Suitable heat sensors  614  may be or comprise, for example, a thermistor, a thermocouple, a resistance thermometer, a silicon bandgap temperature sensor, and/or a thermal-infrared imager. One or more of the heat sensors  614  may be attached to a mechanical device that can raise and/or lower the heat sensor  614  into a position where it can obtain a useful temperature reading. For example, a plurality of heat sensors  614  on extendable mechanical arms may be positioned over a grill with a plurality of cooking positions for cooking hamburger patties, and the mechanical arms may extend to a predetermined level over the grill surface so as to place the heat sensors  614  in contact with each hamburger patty and enable measurement of the temperature of each hamburger patty on the grill. For heat sensors  614  that are capable of remote temperature measurement (e.g. heat sensors  614  that need not be in physical contact with the object whose temperature is being measured in order to obtain a temperature measurement), the heat sensors  614  may be positioned in any suitable location in the vicinity of the make line that allows the heat sensors  614  to obtain a useful measurement. For example, a thermal-infrared imager may be positioned on the ceiling above a grill, or inside of a vent hood positioned over a grill, where it can be used to measure the temperature of hamburger patties or any other items being cooked on the grill. In at least one embodiment, heat sensors  614  may be used to ensure that ingredients or components on a make line remain within a desired temperature range (if they are not being actively heated or cooled) or reach a desired temperature or temperature range (if they are being actively heated or cooled). 
     In operation, a sensor network controller  600  may receive temperature measurements (or signals corresponding to temperature measurements) from one or more heat sensors  614  via the heat sensor interface  604 . The processor  606  may perform one or more processing operations on the received information (e.g. one or more filtering operations, one or more conversion operations) before sending useable temperature information to the order server  102 . Alternatively, the processor  606  may simply cause information received from the heat sensors  614  to be transmitted as-is to the order server  102  for processing by the order server processor  132 . In any event, the order server  102  may send instructions to one or both of the line-level lighting system  106  and the overhead lighting system  108  based on the received temperature information. For example, the received temperature information indicates that a hamburger patty at a particular cooking station on a grill has reached a predetermined minimum temperature, then the order server  102  may cause the overhead lighting system  108  to shine a laser on the hamburger patty, or may cause the line-level lighting system  106  to illuminate a light that corresponds to the particular cooking station, thus indicating to the make line operator that the hamburger patty is ready to be turned or removed from the grill. As another example, the order server  102  may instruct one or both of the line-level lighting system  106  and the overhead lighting system  108  to provide an indication that a particular ingredient on a make line has exceeded a predetermined, acceptable temperature range. The indication may be, for example, a red light corresponding to the particular ingredient. In at least one embodiment, the order server  102  may cause an alarm to sound if an ingredient exceeds or falls below an acceptable temperature range. 
     The proximity sensor interface  608  may be any interface utilized to allow the processor  606  to communicate with and/or control the operation of the proximity sensors  612   a - 612   n . The proximity sensor interface  608  may receive signals from the proximity sensors  612   a - 612   n  and send the same or corresponding signals to the processor  606 , or vice versa. The proximity sensor interface  608  may comprise hardware that includes one or more ports or receptacles for receiving one or more wires connected to the proximity sensors  612   a - 612   n . The proximity sensor interface  608  may include one or more physical or digital switches, and may further include, for example, one or more transformers, amplifiers, filters, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and/or transistors. 
     The proximity sensors  612   a - 612   n  may be or comprise a capacitive sensor, capacitive displacement sensor, eddy-current sensor, inductive proximity sensor, magnetic sensor, photodetector, Hall effect sensor, or any other sensor suitable for detecting proximity and/or position. The proximity sensors  612  may be configured, for example, to determine when an ingredient or component has been removed from its normal storage location. The proximity sensors  612  may be used to provide information to the order server  102  about which ingredient container or component container has just been accessed or replaced, which information may be used by the order server  102  to determine when to cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications for a different ingredient. For example, a proximity sensor  612  may be configured to detect when a ketchup bottle has been removed from a ketchup bottle holder on a hamburger make line. When the proximity sensor  612  detects that the ketchup bottle has been removed, it may send a signal (or stop sending a signal) to the sensor network controller  600  via the proximity sensor interface  608 . The processor  606  may then determine that the signal came from the proximity sensor  612  associated with the ketchup, and may send a signal to the order server  102  via the network interface  610  indicating that the ketchup bottle has been removed. (Alternatively, the processor  606  may cause the signal received from the proximity sensor  612  to be provided as-is to the processor  132  of the order server  102 .) Upon receipt of the signal from the sensor network controller  600 , the order server  102  may cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications identifying the products on the make line to which ketchup should be applied. Or, in other embodiments, order server  102  may receive an indication from the sensor network controller  600  indicating that the ketchup bottle has been replaced, in response to which the order server  102  may cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications for the next ingredient or component to be applied (e.g. mustard). 
     In at least one embodiment, in addition to or instead of a proximity sensor, a sensor network  112  may comprise a scale or a pressure sensor that can detect changes in weight (e.g. changes in the weight of an ingredient or component container), and/or a motion sensor or other sensor that can detect movement of, for example, a make line operator&#39;s hand as it reaches into an ingredient or component container. Such sensors may be particularly well-suited for use with ingredients or components that, unlike a ketchup bottle, do not come in a container that will be replaced once the ingredient or component is dispensed (e.g. for a hamburger make line, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and pickles). 
     Also in some embodiments, a sensor network  112  may comprise one or more optical sensors. The optical sensors (or other sensors) may be used to determine, for example, where one or more ingredients or components, and/or where one or more products being assembled, are located. For example, an optical sensor or a weight sensor could be used to determine where a particular hamburger patty is located. Such information may then be used by the order server  102  to ensure that the proper ingredients are added to the corresponding products. For example, when a make line operator places a hamburger patty on a grill, the order server  102  may identify, based on information from an optical or weight sensor, the location of the hamburger patty on the grill. The order server  201  may automatically assign that hamburger patty to a specific ordered product, and may start a timer to ensure that the hamburger patty is cooked for the proper amount of time based on the order. When the timer expires, the order server  102  may cause the line level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide an indication to the make line operator to flip or remove that specific hamburger patty. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 7 , a hamburger make line  700  configured to utilize systems and methods of the present disclosure may include a grill  704  comprising a plurality of cooking stations  752   a - 752   p ; an indicator panel  708  comprising a plurality of lights  756   a - 756   p , each of which corresponds to one of the cooking stations  752   a - 752   p ; a product preparation surface  712  comprising a plurality of product preparation stations  744   a - 744   h , and a plurality of corresponding indicator lights  748   a - 748   h ; a plurality of ingredient containers  716   a - 716   e , each corresponding to an indicator light positioned on an indicator light strip  720 ; a toaster  724 ; and a finishing station  728  comprising a wrapping station  732 , a series of indicating lights  736   a - 736   d , and a label printer  740 . 
     The grill  704  may be any cooking or heating surface, and is used to cook hamburger patties. The cooking stations  752   a - 752   p  may be etched into the grill surface, or projected onto the grill surface by a projector  414 . In at least one embodiment, the cooking stations  752   a - 752   p  may not be actually delineated on the grill surface, but rather may be familiar to an operator of the make line  700 . 
     The indicator panel  708  may comprise a separate indicator light  756  for each cooking station  752 , and may be arranged so that the location of each indicator light  756  corresponds to the location of each cooking station  752 . For example, the lower left cooking station  752  on the grill  704  may correspond to the lower left indicator light  756  on the indicator panel  708 . In other embodiments, the indicator panel  708  may be positioned in a different location relative to the grill  704 . Also in other embodiments, the indicator lights  756  may be replaced by one or more spotlights  422  or laser pointers  418  positioned to highlight individual cooking stations  752 . In still other embodiments, a grill  704  may not comprise or be associated with any indicator lights  756 . For example, if every hamburger will include a hamburger patty, and every hamburger patty is the same, then the indicator lights  756  may be unnecessary. 
     The indicator lights  756  may be used for a variety of purposes. For example, the indicator lights  756  may be used to indicate that a hamburger patty at a given cooking station  704  has reached a predetermined temperature (based, for example, on information provided by a heat sensor  614  and communicated from a sensor network controller  600  to an order server  102 ). The indicator lights may be used to indicate to a make line operator which hamburger patty should be next turned or removed from the grill, or onto which cooking station  752  a new hamburger patty should be placed for cooking. The indicator lights  756  may be used to indicate onto which hamburger patties a slice of cheese (or any other ingredient or component) should be placed (e.g. to make an ordered cheeseburger). The indicator lights  756  may be used to indicate whether the hamburger patty at the corresponding cooking station  752  should be cooked to a rare, medium, or well-done state, or whether a small, medium, or large hamburger patty should be placed at a given cooking station. The indicator lights  756  may each comprise multiple colors of lights, and different colors of lights may mean different things (e.g. a red light may mean that a hamburger patty should be placed on the corresponding cooking station  752 , a yellow light may mean that the hamburger patty at the corresponding cooking station  752  is still cooking, and a green light may mean that the hamburger patty at the corresponding cooking station  752  has been cooked. Additionally or alternatively, the indicator lights  756  may be capable of being illuminated at different intensity levels, and each intensity level may mean something different. For example, a low intensity level may indicate that a hamburger patty at the corresponding cooking station should be cooked until it is rare, a medium intensity level may indicate that a hamburger patty should be cooked until it is medium, and a high intensity level may indicate that a hamburger patty should be cooked until it is well-done. 
     The product preparation surface  712  may be any surface suitable for use in preparing food. In at least one embodiment, the product preparation surface  712  may be transparent or semi-transparent, and one or both of the markings delimiting the product preparation stations  744   a - 744   h , and the indicator lights  748   a - 748   h , may be located beneath the upper surface of the product preparation surface  712 . In other embodiments, the indicator lights  748   a - 748   h  may be positioned above, at, or immediately below the upper surface of the product preparation surface. Additionally, the markings delimiting the product preparation stations  744   a - 744   h  may be etched or carved into the product preparation surface  712 , or painted onto the product preparation surface  712 , or affixed onto the product preparation surface  712 , or projected onto the product preparation surface  712  by a projector  414 . As persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize based on the present disclosure, some of the foregoing options may be better-suited for make lines configured for the preparation and assembly of food, while others of the foregoing options may be better-suited for non-food product assembly lines. 
     The ingredient containers  716   a - 716   e  may each contain a separate ingredient. For example, the ingredient container  716   a  may contain a ketchup bottle; the ingredient container  716   b  may contain lettuce; the ingredient container  716   c  may contain onions; the ingredient container  716   d  may contain pickles; and the ingredient container  716   e  may contain tomatoes. Each ingredient container  716  is positioned adjacent an indicator light on the indicator light strip  720 . The toaster  724  is used for toasting hamburger buns. The wrapping station  732  comprises a plurality of wrapping paper sheets for wrapping finished hamburgers, and the label printer  740  prints labels that can be affixed to each wrapped hamburger. The indicator lights  736   a - 736   d  may provide an indication of which label will be printed next (or has been printed and is awaiting removal from the label printer  740 ), and may generically correspond to a row of product preparation stations  744 . For example, if the indicator light  736   a  illuminates, then it may correspond to the product preparation station  744   a  (i.e. the first product preparation station on the top row of product preparation stations) or, if the product preparation station  744   a  is empty, then it may correspond to the product preparation station  744   e  (i.e. the first product preparation station on the next row of product preparation stations). Likewise, if the indicator light  736   b  illuminates, then it may correspond to the product preparation station  744   b  (i.e. the second product preparation station on the top row of product preparation stations) or, if the product preparation station  744   b  is empty, then it may correspond to the production preparation station  744   f  (i.e. the second product preparation station on the next row of production preparation stations). 
     The make line  700  may be operated as follows. As each new hamburger order is received, an order server  102  may cause another indicator light  756  to illuminate, thus indicating to the make line operator that he or she should add another hamburger patty to the cooking station  752  of the grill  704  corresponding to the illuminated light  756 . Once a hamburger patty is added, the make line operator may push a button to start a cooking timer, or a heat sensor  614  may detect that a hamburger patty has been added to the grill based on a sudden change in temperature at a given cooking station  752 . The indicator light  756  corresponding to the cooking station  752  may change colors, change intensity level, or flash once a predetermined cooking time has passed, or once the heat sensor  614  has detected that the hamburger patty has reached a desired temperature. In at least one embodiment, the make line operator may receive some indication of the desired temperature of a given hamburger patty, while in other embodiments, the order server  102  may interact with the various other components of the system  100  to ensure that the hamburger patty is cooked to the temperature specified in the order (or the temperature corresponding to a specified level) without any indication to the make line operator other than that the hamburger patty is ready to be turned or is done cooking. 
     When the make line  700  is running at or near capacity, a plurality of hamburger patties may be done cooking at approximately the same time. When the make line  700  is running below capacity, hamburger patties may finish cooking in small increments. For purposes of illustration, the first scenario will be used in describing the operation of the make line  700 . 
     In some embodiments, an order server  102  may identify, based on information obtained with an optical, weight, heat, or other sensor, that a particular hamburger patty has been removed from the grill  704 . The order server  102  may then use that information to cause the appropriate indicator lights  760  to illuminate so that the make line operator knows which ingredients to assemble together with the completed hamburger patty to create an ordered product. In other embodiments, the make line  700  may comprise an operator input via which the make line operator can indicate which hamburger patty or patties have been removed from the grill (e.g. by the location of the hamburger patty or patties on the grill prior to removal), so that the order server  102  can cause the appropriate indicator lights  760  to illuminate to guide the make line operator to assemble the corresponding ordered products. For example, if each indicator light  756   a - 756   p  is also a button, then when a make line operator removes a hamburger patty from the location  752   e , the make line operator may press the indicator light/button  756   e , which may cause a signal to be sent to the order server  102  indicating that the make line operator is about to assemble the ordered hamburger corresponding to the hamburger patty that was being cooked at the location  752   e . The order server  102  may then cause the indicator lights  760  to illuminate as necessary to inform the make line operator which ingredients should be included with the hamburger patty that was removed from the location  752   e  to complete a particular ordered product. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a plurality of hamburger patties are positioned on the grill  704 , at cooking stations  752   a - 752   m . Cooking stations  752   n - 752   p  are empty. Indicator lights  756   a - 756   h  are illuminated, indicating that the hamburger patties at the cooking stations  752   a - 752   h  are fully cooked. While the hamburger patties are cooking, the make line operator may have toasted eight hamburger buns (corresponding to the eight product preparation stations  744   a - 744   h ) in the toaster  724 , then, as shown, placed one hamburger bun heel on each product preparation station  744 . The order server  102  may have stored in memory  122 , among its standard procedures  124 , which ingredients are in which ingredient containers  716 . The order server  102  has caused the indicator light  760   a  corresponding to the ingredient container  716   a  (which holds a ketchup bottle) to illuminate, and has also caused the indicator lights  748  corresponding to each hamburger that is to receive ketchup to illuminate. Thus, the illuminated indicator lights  756   a - 756   h  indicate that the make line operator should remove the hamburger patties at the cooking stations  752   a - 752   h  from the grill  704  and place them on the hamburgers being prepared at the product preparation stations  744 . The illuminated indicator light  760   a , together with the illuminated indicator lights  748   b ,  748   c ,  748   e ,  748   g , and  748   h , indicate that ketchup should be applied to the hamburgers being prepared at the cooking stations  744   a ,  744   c ,  744   e ,  744   g , and  744   h.    
     When the make line operator removes and then replaces the ketchup bottle in the ingredient container  716   a , a proximity sensor  612  (coupled with the sensor network controller  600 ) will detect that the ketchup bottle has been returned, and will send a corresponding signal to the order server  102 . The order server  102  will then cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications for the next ingredient. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 9 , the cooking stations  752   a - 752   h  are now empty, the hamburger patties that were previously being cooked thereon having been placed on the hamburgers being prepared at the cooking stations  744   a - 744   h . The indicator lights  756   a - 756   h  are no longer illuminated, and neither is the light  760   a  corresponding to the ingredient container  716   a  holding a ketchup bottle. Now, the indicator light  760   b  is illuminated, indicating that lettuce should be applied next, and the indicator lights  748   c ,  748   e , and  748   h  are illuminated, identifying the hamburgers that are to receive lettuce. 
     Because lettuce is lightweight and does not come in a bottle, the ingredient container  716   b  may be associated with a motion sensor that detects when the make line operator has reached into the lettuce container  716   b . The sensor controller  600  or the order server  102  may start a timer when motion at the lettuce container  716   b  is detected, which may be used to determine when a predetermined amount of time (e.g. 2 seconds, or 3 seconds, or 5 seconds, or any other suitable amount of time) has passed since the last time motion was detected. If the make line operator has to reach into the ingredient container several times to get the needed amount of lettuce, the timer will start over each time. Once the timer expires, then the sensor controller  600  may notify the order server  102  (if the sensor controller  600  operated the timer). Once the order server  102  receives a notification that the time has expired (whether from the sensor controller  600 , or from the timer itself, if the order server  102  operated the timer), the order server  102  may cause the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  to provide indications for the ingredient in the ingredient container  760   c  (e.g. onion). The same or a similar process is followed until every ingredient has been applied. 
     In at least embodiment, an advance button or override button may be provided that a make line operator can press to manually cause the order server  102  to provide indications for the next ingredient. Such a button may be used instead of or in addition to the various sensors and timers described herein. Also in at least one embodiment, a back button may be provided, that a make line operator can press to manually cause the order server  102  to provide indications for the previous ingredient. Such a button may be useful if the order server  102  prematurely advances from providing indications for one ingredient to providing indications for the next ingredient. 
     Once the last ingredient has been applied to the appropriate hamburgers, and the order server  102  has received a notification corresponding to the same (e.g. once a given amount of time has expired since motion was detected by a sensor  612  of the sensor network  112 , or since a change in the weight of the ingredient container  716   e  has been detected, then the make line operator may place hamburger bun crowns on each of the hamburgers at the product preparation stations  744 , and the order server  102  may cause the label printer  740  to print a label for the hamburger at the product preparation station  744   a.    
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , each hamburger at a product preparation station  744  has been completed. Indicator light  736   a  is illuminated, indicating that the printer has printed a label corresponding to the first hamburger in the first row of the product preparation stations  744 —in other words, for the hamburger at the product preparation station  744   a . The make line operator has thus removed the hamburger from the product preparation station  744   a  and placed it on a wrapping paper sheet at wrapping station  732 . Once the make line operator has wrapped the hamburger, he or she can remove the label from the label printer  740 , which will then print a label for the hamburger at the product preparation station  744   b , and will illuminate the indicator light  736   b . When the label printer  740  detects that the label for a particular order has been removed, the label printer  740  may send a signal to the order server  102  indicating that the order has been completed. The order server  102  may then send a signal to the cashier terminal  104  indicating that the order has been completed (e.g. so that a cashier can advise the customer who placed the order that the order is ready to be retrieved, and/or so that a waiter or waitress can retrieve the order and deliver it to a waiting customer), and/or the order server  102  may then send a signal or message via the wide area network indicating that the order has been completed. For example, the order server  102  may send an email or a text message to an email address or a phone number associated with the order indicating that the order has been completed and is ready for pickup, and/or that the order has been completed and will soon be delivered. 
     Depending on the amount of time it takes to make the hamburgers at the product preparation stations  744  and then wrap and label those hamburgers, the indicator lights  756  corresponding to the hamburger patties still on the grill  704  may illuminate. In that case, the make line operator may remove the hamburger patties from the grill and place them in a storage location for later use, or the make line operator may replace completed hamburgers at the product preparation stations  744  with hamburger bun heels (onto which cooked hamburger patties may be placed) as he or she removes the completed hamburgers from the product preparation stations  744  for wrapping. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 11 , a grill  704  may be divided into a plurality of sections  704   a - 704   d  with a partition  1110 . The partition  1110  may be etched, milled, or formed into the grill surface, or marked on the grill surface with a heat-resistant material, or projected onto the grill surface with an overhead projector  414 . Different sections of the grill may be maintained at different temperatures for cooking different products or for cooking the same product to different degrees. Additionally or alternatively, different sections of the grill may be associated with different cooking times. For example, products or product components being cooked on the grill section  704   a  may be cooked for 60 seconds, and products or product components being cooked on the grill section  704   b  may be cooked for 90 seconds. In other embodiments, different grill sections may be used for cooking different products, e.g. to avoid cooking a product to which some customers may be allergic in the same section as other products. 
     The indicator lights  756   a - 756   p  may, in at least one embodiment, illuminate to inform the operator not to perform an action with respect to the corresponding product. For example, on a hamburger make line, an indicator light  756  may illuminate to indicate that the make line operator should not put cheese on the hamburger patty at the corresponding cooking station  752 . Use of indicator lights  756  to indicate that a given action should not be performed may be most useful when the action in question is to be performed by default. Thus, for example, if the default is to perform a given action (e.g. put cheese on each hamburger patty), then the indicator light  756  may be used to indicate a deviation from the default or the normal action (e.g. not to put cheese on a given hamburger patty). Although described with respect to the indicator lights  756 , the same may be true of any other indicator lights disclosed herein. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 12 , in at least one embodiment a product preparation surface  1212  may comprise not just one indicator light  748  per product preparation station  744 , but three indicator lights  1248  per product preparation station  744 . The inclusion of three indicator lights  1248  per product preparation station  744  allows the system  100  to provide an indication to the make line operator as to the amount or quantity of each ingredient or component to be applied to the product at each station. For example, if hamburgers are being made on the product preparation surface  1212 , and if ketchup is the ingredient currently being applied, then the make line operator would know that a normal amount of ketchup should be applied to the hamburgers being assembled at product preparation stations  744   a  and  744   f  based on the two illuminated indicator lights  1248   a  and  1248   f ; an above-normal amount of ketchup should be applied to the hamburgers being assembled at the stations  744   b  and  744   g  based on the three illuminated indicator lights  1248   b  and  1248   g ; a below-normal amount of ketchup should be applied to the hamburgers being assembled at the stations  744   c  and  744   h  based on the one illuminated indicator light  1248   c  and  1248   h ; and no ketchup should be applied to the hamburgers being assembled at the stations  744   d  and  744   e  based on the lack of any illuminated indicator light  1248   d  and  1248   e.    
     The particular shape and arrangement of the indicator lights  1248  and product preparation stations  744  may, in embodiments, be different than they are as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . The indicator lights  1248  may be positioned on any one or more sides of the product preparation stations  744 . The indicator lights may be arranged in a column or in a row, or they may be arranged in a non-linear manner. For example, one indicator light may be above a product preparation station, one indicator light may be to one side of the product preparation station, and one indicator light may be below or to the other side of the product preparation station. Depending on the level of precision required in a particular application, more or fewer indicator lights may be used at each station. For example, where no quantity or amount information need be communicated to the make line operator, only one indicator light may be used per product preparation station. Where only two quantity options are available, only two lights may be used. Where four or more quantity options are available, four or more lights may be used. In at least one embodiment, combinations of lights may be used to indicate different quantity options. For example, two indicator lights may be used as follows to inform the make line operator to apply a below-normal, normal, or above-normal amount of a particular ingredient or component to the product being assembled: one light illuminated for a below-normal amount; the other light illuminated for an above-normal amount, and both lights illuminated for a normal amount. 
     Indicator lights such as indicator lights  1248  may also be used to provide information to the make line operator that is not quantity or amount information. For example, on a make line configured for making customized pizzas, two indicator lights may be used to indicate on which side of the pizza a particular ingredient should be placed. For example, a left indicator light could illuminate to indicate that an ingredient should be applied to the left side of the pizza, a right indicator light could illuminate to indicate that an ingredient should be applied to the right side of the pizza, and both indicator lights could illuminate to indicate that an ingredient should be applied to the entire pizza. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 13 , and in contrast to the make line  700 , a make line  1300  may be arranged for serial assembly or production of products. The make line  1300  comprises ingredient or component containers  1308   a - 1308   j , each associated with a set of indicator lights  1320 ; a counter  1316 ; and a plurality of tray scanners  1312 . The ingredient containers  1308  may the same as or similar to the ingredient containers  716 . The indicator lights  1320  may be the same as or similar to the ingredient lights  312 . The tray scanners  1312  may be the same as or similar to the proximity sensors  612  and/or the scanners  510 , and are positioned to detect the presence of a tray or container  1304  and/or to identify a specific tray or container  1304 . 
     In operation, a make line operator places a tray  1304   a  on the counter  1316  in front of or opposite the first two ingredient containers  1308   a  and  1308   b . In at least one embodiment, a tray scanner  1312  determines that a tray is positioned on the counter  1316  adjacent the first and second ingredient containers  1308   a  and  1308   b , which information is provided to the order server  102 . The order server  102  causes the ingredient lights  1320  to illuminate as needed to inform the make line operator which ingredients or components (and/or how much or how many of each ingredient or component) to add to the product being assembled on the tray  1304   a  in order to prepare a first order in an order queue maintained by the order server  102 . In other embodiments, the tray  1304   a  is uniquely identifiable (at least among other trays  1304  used with the make line  1300 ) and is associated with a specific order and/or a specific ordered product. In these embodiments, the tray scanner  1312  reads or scans identification information on the tray  1304 , which information is provided to the order server  102 . The order server  102  then determines which order or ordered product is associated with that tray, and causes the ingredient lights  1320  to illuminate as needed to inform the make line operator which ingredients or components (and/or how much or how many of each ingredient or component) to add to the product being assembled on the tray  1304   a  in order to prepare the specific order or ordered product associated with the tray  1304 . 
     Once the make line operator applies the indicated ingredients to the product being made or assembled on the tray  1304   a , the make line operator moves the tray  1304   a  down the counter to the next station (e.g. to a position over the tray scanner  1312   b ). The tray scanner  1312   b  may then sense that a tray is positioned at the station corresponding to the tray scanner  1312   b , or may read identification information from the tray  1304   a . The order server  102  may then receive a signal indicating that a tray, or the specific tray  1304   a , is positioned at the station corresponding to the tray scanner  1312   b , and may cause the ingredient lights  1320  associated with the ingredient containers  1308   c  and  1308   d  to indicate which ingredients (and/or how much or how many of each ingredient in the ingredient containers  1308   c  and  1308   d ) should be applied to the product being assembled on the tray  1304   a.    
     As the tray  1304   a  is moved down the counter, each tray scanner  1312  may simply detect the tray  1304   a &#39;s presence, in response to which the system  100  may cause each successive station to indicate which ingredients at that station should be applied to the product being assembled or made on the tray  1304   a . Each time the tray scanner  1312   a  detects another tray, the system  100  may cause the corresponding station to provide indications corresponding to the next product in the order queue. For example, the first time the tray scanner  1312   a  detects a tray, the ingredient lights  1320   a  and  1320   b  may provide indications corresponding to a first product in an order queue; the second time the tray scanner  1312   a  detects a tray, the ingredient lights  1320   a  and  1320   b  may provide indications corresponding to a second product in the order queue; and so on for each subsequent tray detected by the order scanner  1312   a . The same procedure may then be used for each subsequent station, e.g., the first time a given tray scanner  1312  detects a tray, the system  100  will cause the indicator lights at that station to provide indications corresponding to the first order in the order queue, and so forth. 
     While encompassed within the present disclosure, the method of operation described above may have certain drawbacks. For example, if a tray scanner  1312  makes an erroneous reading (e.g. detects a tray when in fact no tray has been placed on the counter at that station, or when a tray has been placed on the counter at that station but it corresponds to a different product than the next product in the order queue), then every subsequent product will receive the wrong indications at that station, until the error is noticed and corrected. Similarly, unless display screens  412  are used in conjunction with the make line  1300 , a make line operator may not have any convenient way to confirm that the indications for a given product are accurate. 
     The use of scanners  510 , that can read or otherwise detect identification information on each tray  1304 , as tray scanners  1312  avoids the foregoing shortcomings. When scanners  510  are used, the order server  102  can associate a specific product with a specific tray  1304 , and the order server  102  can cause the indicator lights  1320  at any station to provide proper indications for the product at that station, regardless of whether the products being assembled are assembled in the same order as they are listed in the order queue. Thus, if an ingredient container  1308  needed to be replenished before a assembly of particular product could be finished, but one or more other products did not need the missing ingredient, then the one or more other products could continue to be assembled without causing any error in the provided indications. Additionally, once the missing ingredient was replenished, then the product requiring that ingredient could be re-inserted into the production sequence, again without creating any errors in the provided indications. 
     In light of the foregoing description, if the make line  1300  is used to make burritos, then an order server  102  may associate a first ordered burrito with a tray  1304   a , a second ordered burrito with a tray  1304   b , and a third ordered burrito with a tray  1304   c . Assembly of the first ordered burrito on tray  1304   a  is commenced first, as depicted in  FIG. 13 , where indicator lights  1320   a  indicate that a normal amount of the ingredient or component in the ingredient container  1308   a  (e.g. rice or beans) should be applied to the first ordered burrito, and the indicator lights  1320   b  indicate that a below-normal amount of the ingredient in the ingredient container  1308   b  should be applied to the first ordered burrito. 
     Once those ingredients are applied, the make line operator moves the tray  1304   a  down the counter to the next station, where the tray scanner  1312   b  identifies the tray  1304   a  as being associated with the first ordered burrito, and an order server  102  causes the indicator lights  1320   c  and  1320   d  to provide the proper indications for the ingredients in the ingredient containers  1308   c  and  1308   d  with respect to the first ordered burrito, as shown in  FIG. 14 . Specifically, the indicator lights  1320   c  indicate that the ingredient in the ingredient container  1308   c  should not be applied to the first ordered burrito, and the indicator lights  1320   d  indicate that an above-normal amount of the ingredient in the ingredient container  1308   d  should be applied to the first ordered burrito. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , once the tray  1304   a  has all necessary ingredients from the station associated with the tray scanner  1312   b , the make line operator again moves the tray  1304   a  down the counter  1316  to the station corresponding to the tray scanner  1312   c , which identifies the tray  1304   a . The order server  102  then causes the indicator lights  1320   e  and  1320   f  provide the proper indications for the first ordered burrito (which, as shown in  FIG. 15 , indicate that the first ordered burrito should receive a below-normal amount of the ingredient in each of ingredient containers  1308   e  and  1308   f ). Also, the tray  1304   b  is placed on the counter  1316  at the first station, where a tray scanner  1312  identifies the tray as tray  1304   b  and the order server  102  causes the indicator lights  1320   a  and  1320   b  to provide indications for the second ordered burrito (e.g. that a below-normal amount of the ingredient in the ingredient container  1308   a  should be applied to the second-ordered burrito, and that an above-normal amount of the ingredient in the ingredient container  1308   b  should be applied to the second-ordered burrito). 
     In  FIG. 16 , the trays  1304   a  and  1304   b  have each been moved to the next station on the counter  1316 , where they have been identified by the tray scanners  1312   b  and  1312   d  (not visible in  FIG. 15 ). The order server  102  has caused the indicator lights  1320   h  and  1320   g  to provide proper indications for the first ordered burrito, and has also caused the indicator lights  1320   c  and  1320   d  to provide proper indications for the second ordered burrito. The tray  1304   c  has been added to the counter at the first station, where it has been identified by the tray scanner  1312   a  (also not visible in  FIG. 15 ), and the order scanner  102  has caused the indicator lights  1320   a  and  1320   b  to provide proper indications for the ingredients in the ingredient containers  1308   a  and  1308   b  with respect to the third ordered burrito. 
     As may be appreciated based on the foregoing disclosure, the sequential make line  1300  may be operated to produce products in a sequential or serial fashion. The indicator lights  1320  at a given station provide indications only for the product currently at that station. As a product moves on a tray  1304  from one station to the next, a tray scanner  1312  identifies the tray  1304 , which allows the order server  102  to cause the indicator lights  1320  at the appropriate station (e.g. the station at which the tray  1304  in question is located) to provide the proper indications for the ingredients located at that station with respect to the product on the tray  1304 . Although  FIGS. 13-16  depict three-light sets of ingredient lights  1320  corresponding to each ingredient container  1308 , other embodiments may include more or fewer lights in each light set  1320 . Additionally, although  FIGS. 13-16  depict one possible arrangement of a sequential make line  1300 , other arrangements are possible and are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a sequential make line  1300  may include ingredient containers  1308  of different sizes and shapes; ingredient containers  1308  may be positioned in different locations relative to each other and relative to the other components of the make line  1300 ; and/or more or fewer tray scanners  1312  may be used. 
     Although the embodiment of  FIGS. 13-16  utilizes trays  1304  to carry products, in other embodiments a product may be assembled directly on a counter  1316 . In these embodiments, a make line operator may wear or carry a label or tag that may be read by a scanner  1312  and that may be associated by the order server  102  with a particular ordered product. Then, as the make line operator moves along the make line with the product, the scanner  1312  may scan the make line operator&#39;s label or tag, and the order server  102  may cause the indicator lights  1320  at that station to provide appropriate indications for the product associated with the make line operator&#39;s label or tag. In still other embodiments, a bowl, plate, wrapping paper sheet, wax paper sheet, carton, box, cart, tub, or any other object on which a product may be assembled may be labeled or tagged and used instead of a tray  1304 . In at least one embodiment, even the product itself (e.g. a frame or other structural portion of a non-edible product, or a relatively large ingredient of an edible product, such as a burrito tortilla) may be labeled. In the case of edible products, the label may be printed directly on the product with an edible ink, or burned into the product using a laser, or stamped onto or into the product. 
     Further, although not described above, the make line  1300  may comprise an overhead lighting system  108 , which may be used in addition to or instead of the indicator lights  1320 . The tray scanners  1312  may be located underneath a transparent counter  1316 , or on top of the counter  1316 , or in any other position from which they can either detect that a tray has been moved into a corresponding station or identify a tray at a corresponding station. In at least one embodiment, a single tray scanner  1312  may correspond to multiple stations (e.g. a single tray scanner may be able to determine whether a tray is at any one or more of multiple stations, or identify a tray or trays at multiple stations). 
     Turning now to  FIG. 17 , a method  1700  according to embodiments of the present disclosure comprises receiving a customized product order (step  1704 ). While the present disclosure may also be applied to make lines that only produce one, non-customized product, the present disclosure may be more beneficially applied to make lines that make customizable products. The order may be received at an order server  102  via a wide area network  114 . The order may also be received at an order server  102  via a cashier terminal  104 . The order server  102  may store the order in a new orders portion  126  of a memory  120  thereof. An order may be for one product or for many products. The products may be the same type of product, or different types of products. In at least one embodiment, the order server  102  evaluates the received customized product order to determine which ordered products can be made on a make line, and which cannot. For example, a received order at a hamburger establishment may include three hamburgers, three boxes of French fries, and three drinks, and the order server  102  may determine—or, more specifically, the processor  132  may determine—that the hamburgers will be made on a make line, while the French fry boxes and drinks will not. As another example, an order received by an order server at a burrito establishment may include two different kinds of burritos, a burrito bowl, a salad, and four drinks. In this example, the order server  102  may determine that the two burritos, the burrito bowl, and the salad will be made on the make line, while the four drinks will not. 
     The method  1700  also comprises identifying ingredients to be included in each customized product within the customized product order (step  1708 ). This step may comprise the processor  132  accessing the recipes  130  stored in the memory  120 , and locating the specific recipe corresponding to the ordered product. In at least one embodiment, the recipe may identify required ingredients and optional ingredients. The required ingredients may be available in two or more varieties. Once the processor  132  identifies the proper recipe, the processor  132  may copy the recipe to a temporary location in the memory  120 , then modify or complete the copied recipe based on the customized product order. For example, if a received customized product order is for a Super Hamburger with no pickles, then the processor  132  may access the table or database  250 , create a temporary file associated with the received order and containing an ingredient list identifying mustard, ketchup, onion, and pickle as the needed ingredients, then compare the received customized product order to those ingredients and delete pickle from the ingredient list. 
     In at least one embodiment, the processor  132  may then reference the standard procedures  124  and/or other information stored in the memory  120  to determine such information as the proper order in which to illuminate the ingredients (e.g. so that the make line operator moves in one direction down the make line or along a series of ingredient containers, rather than jumping back and forth among ingredient containers), which indicator lights  312  and/or target lights  314  of a line-level lighting system  106  will need to be illuminated based on the ingredients in the temporary file and the product preparation station at which the product in question will be assembled, whether and in what manner to operate any projectors  414 , laser pointers  418 , and/or spotlights  422  to illuminate the needed ingredients, ingredient containers, and/or the product preparation station at which the product in question will be assembled. In at least one embodiment, the order server  102  may simply send a signal to the line-level lighting system controller  300  and/or the overhead lighting system controller that corresponds to a particular ingredient and/or a particular product preparation station, and the controllers  300  and/or  400  may utilize their processors  306  and  406  and information stored in their memories  302  and  402  to determine, based on the received signal, which ingredient lights  312 , target lights  314 , projectors  414 , laser pointers  418 , and/or spotlights  422  to operate and in what manner. 
     The method  1700  further comprises illuminating the container of the first ingredient (step  1712 ). Illuminating the container of the first ingredient may comprise illuminating one or more ingredient lights  312  corresponding to the ingredient container, and/or causing one or more of a projector  414 , a laser pointer  418 , and/or a spotlight  422  to illuminate the container of the first ingredient. In at least one embodiment, one or more target lights may also be illuminated (e.g. for a make line designed for the simultaneous preparation of multiple products, when the ingredient in question needs to be applied to multiple products being prepared). The illuminating may simply identify for the make line operator which ingredient to use, or it may inform the make line operator how much or how many of which ingredient to use. 
     Also included in the method  1700  is determining whether the first ingredient container has been accessed (step  1716 ). Determining whether the first ingredient container has been accessed may be accomplished by querying and/or receiving signals from one or more proximity sensors  612  associated with the first ingredient container. In at least one embodiment, the determination may be made only when an ingredient container (e.g. a ketchup bottle) has been removed from its storage location and then returned to its storage location. In other embodiments, the determination may be made as soon as an ingredient container has been removed from its storage location, or as soon as an ingredient container has been returned to its storage location. In still other embodiments, the determination may comprise determining that the weight of an ingredient container has changed, or that a motion sensor has detected movement over an ingredient container (e.g. from a hand reaching into the ingredient container). In at least one embodiment, the determination may comprise not only receiving an indication from a sensor, but also determining that a certain amount of time has passed since receipt of the most recent indication from a given sensor. For example, if the first ingredient container is a tub full of tomato slices, then the determination may comprise verifying both that a motion sensor indicates that a make line operator has reached into the tomato slice tub, and that a timer has measured 5 or 10 or 15 or 20 seconds since the indication from the motion sensor has been received. The specific amount of time may be, for example, an average amount of time that it takes a make line operator to place a tomato on a product (e.g. a hamburger) after accessing the tomato slice tub. 
     If the determination in step  1716  is that the first ingredient container has not been accessed, then the method returns to step  1712 , and continues to illuminate the container of the first ingredient. If the determination in step  1716  is that the first ingredient container has been accessed, then the order server  102  determines whether another ingredient is needed (step  1720 ). The determination may comprise the processor  132  accessing the temporary file created in step  1708  and determining whether each ingredient has already been applied to the product (e.g. whether each ingredient container has been accessed). 
     If another ingredient does need to be applied to the product, then the ingredient container of the next ingredient is illuminated (step  1724 ). The illuminating of the next ingredient container may occur in substantially the same way as described above with respect to illuminating the first ingredient container. Once the next ingredient container has been illuminated, then a determination is made as to whether the next ingredient container has been accessed (step  1728 ). This determination may be accomplished in substantially the same way as determining whether the first ingredient container has been accessed. If so, then the order server  102  determines whether yet another ingredient is needed (step  1720 ). If not, then the method returns to step  1724 , and continues to illuminate the container of the next ingredient. 
     If, in step  1720 , the determination is that another ingredient is not needed, then a label is printed for the customized product (step  1732 ). The printing may occur using a label printer  118 . Printing a label for the customized product may comprise illuminating an indicator light  312  or a target light  314  that informs the make line operator which of multiple products that were finished at approximately the same time corresponds to the label that has been printed. 
     In at least one embodiment, the method  1700  may comprise other steps, including, for example, wrapping, boxing, or otherwise packaging each completed product; deleting any temporary files created during the method  1700 , and/or storing some or all of the information in the temporary files in a fulfilled orders portion  128  of the memory  120  of an order server  102 ; disassociating, in the memory  120  of the order server  102  or in any other computer-readable memory, a tray or similar object from the completed product so that it can be associated with a new product to be made; compiling or assembling a basic structure, framework, or base onto which the various ingredients will be applied or added; and/or cooking or otherwise completing initial preparation of one or more ingredients. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 18 , a method  1800  is similar to the method  1700  but is specifically tailored for use on a make line configured for the simultaneous preparation of multiple products. The method  1800  comprises receiving a plurality of orders for customized products  1804 . The step  1804  is substantially the same and may be completed in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to the step  1704  of the method  1700 , except that the step  1804  comprises receiving multiple product orders rather than one or more product orders. 
     The method  1800  also comprises identifying ingredients to be included in each customized product (step  1806 ). The identification of ingredients to be included in each customized product may be accomplished in substantially the same manner described above with respect to step  1708  of the method  1700 . 
     The method  1800  further comprises assigning each order to a product preparation location (step  1808 ). As discussed above with respect to the make line  700 , a make line may have a plurality of product preparation locations or product preparation stations  744 . The order server  102  (and more specifically, the processor  132  of the order server  102 ) may correlate each product to be made or assembled with a given product preparation station or location, so that the proper target lights  314  may be illuminated at the appropriate time to inform the make line operator which products should receive each ingredient. In at least one embodiment, the processor  132  may simply correlate each product to be made or assembled with an identifier (which may be, for example, a number), which identifier may then be provided to one or both of the line-level lighting system  106  and the overhead lighting system  108  together with information about one or more ingredients to be applied to the product associated with the identifier. The line-level lighting system  106  (or more particularly, the controller  300 ) and/or the overhead lighting system  108  (or more particularly, the controller  400 ) may then associate the identifier with a specific product preparation location. Then, when the order server  102  sends signals to the line-level lighting system  106  and/or to the overhead lighting system  108  regarding which products (identified by their identifiers) should receive a given ingredient, the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  may determine which target lights  314  to illuminate based on its own association of the identifiers with the product preparation stations. 
     As evident from the foregoing disclosure, the association of a given product identifier with a product preparation station may comprise an association of a given product identifier with a specific target light  314 . For example, a product with an identifier  1  may be associated with a target light with an identifier of A. Then, every time the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  receives a signal indicating that a given ingredient should be applied to the product associated with the identifier  1 , the line-level lighting system  106  and/or the overhead lighting system  108  may cause the target light with the identifier A to illuminate for the ingredient in question. 
     The method  1800  still further comprises illuminating the product preparation location corresponding to each customized product that receives the first ingredient (step  1812 ). The illuminating may comprise, for example, illuminating a target light  314  associated with each product preparation location corresponding to each customized product that receives the first ingredient. The illuminating may also comprise, for example, using a projector  414 , a laser pointer  418 , and/or a spotlight  422  to illuminate the actual product preparation location or a portion thereof, in a manner sufficient to inform the make line operator that the product being assembled at each illuminated station should receive the first ingredient. 
     In embodiments where the ingredients are always applied in a particular order, there may be no need to illuminate an ingredient container corresponding to the first ingredient. However, in embodiments where the ingredients are not always applied in the same order, or to assist a make line operator even in embodiments where the ingredients are always applied in the same order, the method  1800  may also comprise illuminating the ingredient container of the first ingredient. Illuminating the ingredient container of the first ingredient may occur in the same or in a substantially similar manner as in the step  1712  of the method  1700 . 
     The method  1800  further comprises determining whether the first ingredient container has been accessed (step  1816 ). The determination may be made in the same manner as, or in a manner substantially similar to, the manner described above with respect to the step  1716 . Additionally, in at least one embodiment, this determination may be made simply by measuring a given amount of time from the moment of receipt of an indication that the first ingredient container has been accessed. In other embodiments, one or more sensors connected to a sensor network controller such as the sensor network controller  600  may be used to examine each product being assembled to determine whether the ingredient has been applied. For example, on a hamburger make line, an overhead camera could analyze an image of the hamburgers being assembled at a plurality of product preparation locations and determine whether a given ingredient (e.g. ketchup, tomato, pickle, etc.) has been applied to the appropriate hamburgers. If the first ingredient container has not been accessed, then the step  1812  of illuminating the product preparation location corresponding to each customized product that receives the first ingredient may be continued or repeated. If the first ingredient container has been accessed, then the method may continue to step  1820 . 
     In step  1820 , the order server  102  may determine whether any other ingredients remain to be applied. This determination may be made in the same manner or in a manner substantially similar to the manner in which the determination in step  1720  of the method  1700  is made. If the order server  102  determines that another ingredient still needs to be applied, then the method  1800  continues with the illumination of the product preparation location corresponding to each customized product that needs to receive the next ingredient (step  1824 ). Here again, in at least one embodiment an ingredient light  312  or other illumination of an ingredient container corresponding to the next ingredient may be used to indicate to the make line operator which ingredient to apply to the products being assembled at the illuminated product preparation locations. 
     The method  1800  still further comprises determining whether the next ingredient container has been accessed, which may be accomplished in the same manner or in a manner substantially similar to the manner in which the determination of whether the first ingredient container has been accessed is made (e.g. in step  1816 ). If not, then the illumination of the product preparation location corresponding to each customized product that receives the next ingredient (e.g. step  1824 ) may continue or be repeated. If so, then the method  1800  repeats step  1820 . 
     If, in step  1820 , the determination is that another ingredient is not needed, then a label is printed for the customized products in a predetermined order (step  1832 ). The printing may occur using a label printer  118 . Printing a label for the customized products in a predetermined order may comprise illuminating an indicator light  312  or a target light  314  that informs the make line operator which of the customized products corresponds to the label that has been printed. 
     As with the method  1700 , the method  1800  in at least one embodiment may comprise other steps, including, for example, wrapping, boxing, or otherwise packaging each completed product; deleting any temporary files created during the method  1800 , and/or storing some or all of the information in the temporary files in a fulfilled orders portion  128  of the memory  120  of an order server  102 ; disassociating, in the memory  120  of the order server  102  or in any other computer-readable memory, a tray or similar object from the completed product so that it can be associated with a new product to be made; disassociating, in the memory  120  of the order server  102  or in any other computer-readable memory, any product identifiers from a given target  314  or other component of the system  100  that has been associated with a product identifier during the method  1800 ; compiling or assembling a basic structure, framework, or base onto which the various ingredients will be applied or added; and/or cooking or otherwise completing initial preparation of one or more ingredients. 
     The exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure have been described in relation to systems and methods for make line optimization. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the preceding description omits a number of known structures and devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scopes of the claims. Specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. It should, however, be appreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein. 
     Furthermore, while the exemplary aspects, embodiments, options, and/or configurations illustrated herein show the various components of a device or system collocated, certain components of the system can be located remotely, at distant portions of a distributed network, such as a LAN and/or the Internet, or within a dedicated system. Additionally, it should be appreciated that some components of a system can be combined into one or more devices, such as a Personal Computer (PC), laptop, netbook, smart phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), tablet, etc., or collocated on a particular node of a distributed network, such as an analog and/or digital telecommunications network, a packet-switch network, or a circuit-switched network. It will be appreciated from the preceding description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, that the components of the system can be arranged at any location within a distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system. For example, the various components can be located in a switch such as a PBX and media server, gateway, in one or more communications devices, at one or more users&#39; premises, or some combination thereof. Similarly, one or more functional portions of the system could be distributed between a telecommunications device(s) and an associated computing device. 
     Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof, or any other known or later developed element(s) that is capable of supplying and/or communicating data to and from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating encrypted information. Transmission media used as links, for example, can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, and may take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications. 
     Also, while the flowcharts have been discussed and illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events, it should be appreciated that changes, additions, and omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, and aspects. 
     A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of the disclosure without providing others. 
     Optionally, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array such as PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various aspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for the disclosed embodiments, configurations and aspects includes computers, handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devices include processors (e.g., a single or multiple microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and output devices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein. 
     In yet other embodiments, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this disclosure is dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the system, the particular function, and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized. 
     In other embodiments, the disclosed methods may be partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executed on programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet, JAVA® or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system component, or the like. The system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and/or method into a software and/or hardware system. 
     Although the present disclosure describes components and functions implemented in the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations with reference to particular standards and protocols, the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations are not limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are considered to be included in the present disclosure. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents included in the present disclosure. 
     The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various aspects, embodiments, configurations embodiments, subcombinations, and/or subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the disclosed aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/or reducing cost of implementation. 
     The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or configuration. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Moreover, though the description has included description of one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter. 
     Any of the steps, functions, and operations discussed herein can be performed continuously and automatically.