Patent ID: 7949414

Claim:
A portioning apparatus comprising: (a) a scanner for scanning a work product as the work product is being transported past the scanner; (b) a data processor for receiving data from the scanner and using such data to determine a weight, area and two-dimensional shape of the work product as well as modeling how the work product may be portioned into a plurality of end products of predetermined criteria, comprising desired weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes based on sets of predetermined desired weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes for the plurality of end products to be cut; (c) wherein the data processor is programmed to determine any deviation between the desired weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes of the plurality of the modeled end products from the desired weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes of the plurality of end products prior to processing of the work product, and if such deviations exceeds a desired deviation level, modeling the work product again, but using alternative or additional modeling criteria to predetermine how the work product might be divided into a plurality of end products having desired criteria comprising weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes and then determining the deviation of the plurality modeled of end products achievable from the work product from the desired criteria comprising weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes of the plurality of end products; (d) once the deviation between the weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes of the plurality of modeled end products to be derived from the work product from the desired criteria comprising weights, areas and two-dimensional shapes is within a desired level, the data processor is programmed to control one or more steps in the processing of the modeled work product; and (e) wherein the data processor in calculating the deviation of at least one of area, two-dimensional shapes and weight of the modeled work product relative to desired areas, weights and two-dimensional shapes for the plurality of end products, utilizes one or more parameters selected from a group comprising: (i) comparing the areas of the modeled plurality of end products with the area of a desired perimeter configuration; (ii) comparing the modeled plurality of end products areas disposed within the perimeter of a desired perimeter configuration with the area of the desired perimeter configuration; (iii) determining total outside perimeter areas of the work products and then comparing the total outside perimeter areas of the plurality of modeled end products, overlaid on a desired perimeter configuration with the area of the desired perimeter configuration; (iv) comparing the areas defined by the perimeter of the plurality of modeled end products extending beyond a desired perimeter configuration of the plurality of end products when overlaid with the desired perimeter configuration, with the area defined by the desired perimeter configuration; and (v) comparing the weights of the modeled end products with the desired weight.