Patent ID: 8855808

Claim:
A method for positioning a robotic mechanism with respect to a storage magazine to install a data cartridge in or remove the data cartridge from a destination slot of a plurality of slots of the storage magazine, the method comprising: scanning across the storage magazine using an optical scanner to acquire scan data; processing the scan data to identify a first targeting feature and a target location corresponding to the identified first targeting feature, wherein each of the plurality of slots is defined by a structural opening having at least a first side shaped to form a lead-in feature and a second side opposite the first side and shaped to form either a lead-in feature or the targeting feature, such that the second side of one of the plurality of slots is shaped to form the identified targeting feature; determining a slot location of the destination slot according to the target location; determining whether the second side of the destination slot is shaped to form the targeting feature; positioning the robotic mechanism according to the slot location; and positionally biasing the robotic mechanism toward the first side of the destination slot when the second side of the destination slot is shaped to form the targeting feature, such that the lead-in feature operates to reduce interference between one of the data cartridges and the first side while the data cartridge is being installed in the destination slot.