Patent ID: 7703595

Claim:
A method for transporting multiple items having at least one predefined measurable transport attribute and at least one predefined measurable feature, which comprises the steps of: performing for each of the items, the steps of: measuring, for each predefined measurable transport attribute, what value the predefined measurable transport attribute assumes for each item resulting in a measured transport attribute value; measuring, for each predefined measurable feature, a value which the predefined measurable feature assumes for the item resulting in a measured feature value; storing for each of the items a data record containing the measured transport attribute value of the item and the measured feature value of the item; executing multiple transport processes, wherein in each transport process respectively at least one of the items is conveyed into an intermediate store and is transported by means of a transport means from the intermediate store to a continuation point respectively; transporting each of the items by one of the transport processes to the continuation point; performing a fresh measurement of what value the predefined measurable feature assumes for the item resulting in a feature value; using the feature value measured in the fresh measurement step for determining the data record which was stored for the item resulting in a determined data record; triggering a further transportation of the item in dependence on the measured transport attribute value contained in the determined data record; performing for at least one of the transport processes from the intermediate store to the continuation point, a sequence including the steps of: generating a start signal; removing each of the items which were conveyed to the intermediate store before generation of the start signal from the intermediate store; transferring the items transported in the transport process from the intermediate store into the transport means used for the transport process; generating an end signal once a transfer of the items to the transport means is complete; storing a record of which of the items were conveyed to the intermediate store between generation of the start signal and generation of the end signal; executing the transport process; removing the items transported in the transport means from the transport means; and executing, for each of the items transported in the transport process, a search-space restriction when determining the data record stored for the item, which consists in the stored data record being determined exclusively from among such data records as were generated for the items which were conveyed to the intermediate store between generation of the start signal and generation of the end signal.