A retail checkout system for allowing a plurality of customers to checkout one or more product items of at least one set of product items of a given type that has an estimated mean weight and deviation from the estimated mean weight associated with the set of product items, the system comprising: a retail checkout weight scale; and a checkout engine that is operative and configured to determine a mean anticipated cumulative weight and a distribution from the mean anticipated cumulative weight for at least one product item for which a customer initiated the acquisition of respective weight-information; determine a factual cumulative weight of the customer's shopping receptacle placed on the retail checkout weight scale of the retail checkout system; and determine whether the factual cumulative weight meets a checkout criterion with respect to the distribution from the mean anticipated cumulative weight.

A combined weighing system 1 includes a first X-ray inspection device 20, a combined weighing device 40, a bag making and packaging device 50, a weight inspection device 60, a second X-ray inspection device 70, and a management device 90 that manages each device. The management device 90 revises a weight conversion table of the first X-ray inspection device 20 and a correction value of the combined weighing device 40 based on an average value of weights of products B, which is calculated from a result of inspection over a certain time period in the weight inspection device 60.

A combined weighing system 1 includes a first X-ray inspection device 20, a combined weighing device 40, a bag making and packaging device 50, a weight inspection device 60, a second X-ray inspection device 70, and a management device 90 that manages each device. The management device 90 revises a weight conversion table of the first X-ray inspection device 20 and a correction value of the combined weighing device 40 based on an average value of weights of products B, which is calculated from a result of inspection over a certain time period in the weight inspection device 60.

Provided is an article processing apparatus capable of improving waterproofness. An article processing apparatus (1) includes: a storage case (130) which stores an electric circuit portion and has an opening (131) at a side surface (130c) thereof; and a lid (140) which seals the opening (131), in which the storage case (130) has an upper surface (130a) which is inclined downward toward the side surface (130c) side, and an amount of protrusion of a lower end (E) of the upper surface (130a) from the side surface (130c) is greater than an amount of protrusion of the lid (140) from the side surface (130c).

A weighing apparatus comprise a large throw-in weighing hopper which is fed with objects having a weight which is less than a target weight of the objects, holds the objects which are weighed, and discharges the weighed objects; a plurality of medium throw-in weighing hoppers which are respectively fed with the objects having weights adjusted with a different ratio, hold the objects for which combination calculation is performed based on the weights of the objects, and discharge the objects based on a result of the combination calculation; and a loss-in weight hopper which is used in loss-in weighing and performs loss-in discharge of the objects.

A weighing apparatus comprise a large throw-in weighing hopper which is fed with objects having a weight which is less than a target weight of the objects, holds the objects which are weighed, and discharges the weighed objects; a plurality of medium throw-in weighing hoppers which are respectively fed with the objects having weights adjusted with a different ratio, hold the objects for which combination calculation is performed based on the weights of the objects, and discharge the objects based on a result of the combination calculation; and a loss-in weight hopper which is used in loss-in weighing and performs loss-in discharge of the objects.

A control circuit automatically determines a number of unloaders to task with unloading a cargo container at a cargo-container unloading area as a function of (1) the weight of the cargo container including the plurality of physically-discrete shipping containers loaded therein and (2) how many of the physically-discrete shipping containers are loaded in the cargo container. By one approach this comprises calculating a ratio of the weight with respect to the number of physically-discrete shipping containers and correlating that ratio with a human-resource metric. By one approach the number representing how many physically-discrete shipping containers are loaded in a given cargo container is derived from a bill of lading and/or an advanced shipping notice as may correspond to a given shipment. The weight metric, in turn, can be provided by a scale. By one approach the scale is proximal to the cargo-container unloading area.

A control circuit automatically determines a number of unloaders to task with unloading a cargo container at a cargo-container unloading area as a function of (1) the weight of the cargo container including the plurality of physically-discrete shipping containers loaded therein and (2) how many of the physically-discrete shipping containers are loaded in the cargo container. By one approach this comprises calculating a ratio of the weight with respect to the number of physically-discrete shipping containers and correlating that ratio with a human-resource metric. By one approach the number representing how many physically-discrete shipping containers are loaded in a given cargo container is derived from a bill of lading and/or an advanced shipping notice as may correspond to a given shipment. The weight metric, in turn, can be provided by a scale. By one approach the scale is proximal to the cargo-container unloading area.

A light projection system is a light projection system projecting light on a plurality of processing apparatuses installed in a factory, and includes an acquisition unit acquiring, from each of the processing apparatuses, state information indicating abnormality in the processing apparatus, a light emission unit capable of projecting the light on each of the processing apparatuses, and a projection controller controlling a mode of the light projected from the light emission unit such that the mode of the light reflected from each of the processing apparatuses is changed, on the basis of the state information indicating abnormality.

A light projection system is a light projection system projecting light on a plurality of processing apparatuses installed in a factory, and includes an acquisition unit acquiring, from each of the processing apparatuses, state information indicating abnormality in the processing apparatus, a light emission unit capable of projecting the light on each of the processing apparatuses, and a projection controller controlling a mode of the light projected from the light emission unit such that the mode of the light reflected from each of the processing apparatuses is changed, on the basis of the state information indicating abnormality.