Patent ID: 8019465

Claim:
A method of sorting objects and mapping the objects on a tray having a fixed dimension along an x-axis and a fixed dimension along a y-axis, the method comprising the steps of: (a) storing objects in a queue; (b) sorting the objects in the queue according to a relative height of each object; (c) mapping the sorted objects sequentially into a first column of a plurality of columns on the tray until the first column is filled; and (d) mapping the sorted objects into a subsequent column until the subsequent column is filled; (e) repeating step (d) until only a last column in the plurality of columns remains to be filled, or until no more sorted objects remain in the queue; wherein mapping the sorted objects into the first and subsequent columns includes at least one of rotating the objects in the columns about a z-axis relative to the objects in an adjacent column, and grouping the objects in the columns in interlocked pairs.