Patent ID: 8862264

Claim:
A method of at least supplying filter elements for smoking articles, the method comprising: having first information that is, or is associated with, an identifier of a group of filter elements; reading, with at least one automated data reader, second information that is, or is associated with, an identifier of a container, wherein the second information is read from a source that is for traveling with the container; associating, in a computer database, the identifier of the group of the filter elements with the identifier of the container; transporting the container while the group of filter elements is at least partially contained in the container, so that both the group of filter elements and the source of the second information travel with the container to a predetermined location; then verifying that the group of filter elements, which is at least partially contained by the container, is at the predetermined location, comprising reading, with an other automated data reader, the second information from the source of the second information while the container at least partially contains the group of filter elements, and while the container and the source of the second information are proximate the predetermined location, and querying the database using the second information read by the other automated data reader; and then unloading the group of filter elements from the container in response to the verifying that the group of filter elements is at the predetermined location, wherein the having of the first information comprises reading, with the at least one automated data reader, the first information, the reading of the first information with the at least one automated data reader comprises reading the first information from first indicia, which visually represents the first information, with a first automated optical scanner, the source of the second information is second indicia, which visually represents the second information, and the second indicia is mounted to the container, the reading of the second information with the at least one automated data reader comprises reading the second information from the second indicia with a second automated optical scanner, and the other automated data reader is a third automated optical scanner.