Patent ID: 8918205

Claim:
An adjustable speed control system for use with at least one conveyor and conveyed items carried thereby, wherein the system comprises: (a) at least one reader adapted to automatically detect and identify the conveyed items; (b) one or more databases comprising, and regularly updated with, data concerning: (i) failed attempts by the reader to identify the conveyed items, and (ii) stops experienced by the conveyor; (c) one or more processors adapted to automatically: (i) determine, at regular intervals, (A) a number of the failed attempts, and (B) a duration and a number of the stops experienced by the conveyor; and (ii) based at least in part thereon, dynamically calculate an optimal speed of the conveyor for reducing the number of the failed attempts, the duration and/or the number of the stops; and (d) a controller operatively connected to the conveyor, and adapted to automatically and dynamically adjust an actual speed of the conveyor towards the optimal speed; wherein one or more of the processors are further adapted to: automatically: (iii) determine, at regular intervals, at least one performance characteristic associated with the conveyor; (iv) compare the performance characteristic against predetermined target parameters therefor; and (v) when the performance characteristic is outside of the target parameters, calculate the optimal speed further based on the performance characteristic; and determine the performance characteristic by: (A) summing together the duration of each of the stops experienced by the conveyor over a predetermined time interval to calculate a total stop duration; and (B) multiplying the total stop duration by a predetermined average cost associated with the time interval and with the stops; whereby the system is adapted to operatively facilitate increasing the conveyed items which are successfully identified by the reader.