Automated Region Validation

Automated PRT Region represents a combination of functions that address the need to effectively process positive identification data (such as, Smarteye, RF Tag or bar code readers).

This functionality is used to make sure that:

  • The CIMPLICITY Tracking Image is accurate at the head of zones where readers are located and
  • Decisions are not made on an item until it is at the head of a zone and the tracking system has been verified against the reader.

This can be used to reduce manual intervention when a read is missed or misread. It also creates an enhanced self-healing capability without the need for single-carrier virtual regions at the head of each region with a reader. (This setup was used to utilize the positive ID transitions that made sure the tail of the destination region was corrected).

The components of the automated system are:

An overview of the system and its components is shown above. In general terms the following is a list of major components and their roles.

Component Role
Reader (Triangle) The carrier IDs are read by the reader and are put in to a reader point.
Carrier at head: (Circle) This is a trigger that tells PRT that a carrier has just come to the head of the region and the reader point should contain the ID of the carrier. This trigger is usually a limit switch at the head of the region indicating that there is a carrier present. The Reader point should not be used for this trigger if the user wants no-read cases to be detected by this system.
Manual Entry 1 Correct Reader Value): If the reader
  • Has a no read or the PRT does not match the read and
  • The region cannot be validated.
Then the solution should provide a way of manually entering the correct read.
Manual Entry 2 (Re-triggering the validation process): In case the region validation process fails (this will probably be as a result of bad read or no read), the solution should provide a way of forcing the system to validate itself again. This is usually needed in combination with the Manual Entry 1. The mechanism can either be automatic (via a heartbeat) or manual.

If the users' confidence in readers is high or they are planning a different behavior in case of a no-read, users can set up the system so that reader value can play the role of validation trigger as well. In this case it is users' responsibility make sure that no-read cases are handled.