Patent ID: 8565914

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for associating packages in an automated packaging system with corresponding product groups conveyed through the automated packaging system, each product group associated with corresponding one or more products and associated with an order for the corresponding one or more products, the method comprising: associating a plurality of product groups with a gang, the gang having a plurality of positions organized according to a predefined ordered succession, each position associated with a unique position identifier; assigning each of the plurality of product groups to a different position in the gang; placing respective physical position identifiers corresponding to respective unique position identifiers identifying respective positions in the gang with at least a plurality of respective product groups to be packaged by the automated packaging system; sequencing the plurality of respective product groups along with their respective accompanying physical position identifier into the automated packaging system in order of succession as defined by their associated gang; attempting to identify the position identifier of each respective product group based on the physical position identifier accompanying the respective product group and/or the physical position identifier accompanying one or more of the other product groups conveyed through the automated packaging system; wherein if the position identifiers associated with all product groups conveyed through the automated packaging system are identified, identifying the corresponding product group based on its corresponding position identifier, identifying the order associated with the identified product group, packaging the product group into a package, and associating the package with the identified order; and wherein if one or more position identifiers are not identified, automatically ejecting the unidentified product group from the automated packaging system for human inspection.