An unstacker device comprises a floor and a retaining paddle that are designed to move a stack of mailpieces from a feed magazine towards an unstacker head under the action of a monitoring and control unit as the mailpieces are being unstacked from the front of the stack. The device further comprises a vision system suitable for forming a profile digital image of said stack of mailpieces in the magazine, and said unit is arranged to evaluate a certain inclination of the mailpieces in the stack on the basis of said profile image and to cause the floor and the paddle to move so as to present the mailpiece at the front of the stack in a satisfactory position on edge so that it can be unstacked by the unstacker head.

An unstacker device comprises a floor and a retaining paddle that are designed to move a stack of mailpieces from a feed magazine towards an unstacker head under the action of a monitoring and control unit as the mailpieces are being unstacked from the front of the stack. The device further comprises a vision system suitable for forming a profile digital image of said stack of mailpieces in the magazine, and said unit is arranged to evaluate a certain inclination of the mailpieces in the stack on the basis of said profile image and to cause the floor and the paddle to move so as to present the mailpiece at the front of the stack in a satisfactory position on edge so that it can be unstacked by the unstacker head.

Provided is an image forming device in which a wrapped body that is a paper bundle wrapped in wrapping paper is set into a paper housing, the wrapping paper is subsequently removed and the paper bundle is exposed, and paper is conveyed by one sheet in image forming, the image forming device including: a reader that reads an image on the wrapping paper; and a hardware processor that: compares the image on the wrapping paper, the image being read by the reader, and an image on each of various kinds of wrapping paper, the image being stored in a storage; reads, from the storage, paper setting associated to wrapping paper corresponding to the image on the wrapping paper, the image being read by the reader; and sets a conveyance condition and a process condition based on the paper setting.

Provided is an image forming device in which a wrapped body that is a paper bundle wrapped in wrapping paper is set into a paper housing, the wrapping paper is subsequently removed and the paper bundle is exposed, and paper is conveyed by one sheet in image forming, the image forming device including: a reader that reads an image on the wrapping paper; and a hardware processor that: compares the image on the wrapping paper, the image being read by the reader, and an image on each of various kinds of wrapping paper, the image being stored in a storage; reads, from the storage, paper setting associated to wrapping paper corresponding to the image on the wrapping paper, the image being read by the reader; and sets a conveyance condition and a process condition based on the paper setting.

A system for picking cards and identification for a card game includes a robot arm, a shuffling machine, a front identification module, and a rear identification module. The plate body has a low front plate and a high rear plate. The low front plate is provided with a front suction cup assembly. The high rear plate is provided with a rear suction cup assembly. With the above system, when the front suction cup assembly picks the playing card, the rear suction cup assembly will not touch the shuffling machine. While the playing card sucked by the front suction cup assembly is identified, the rear suction cup assembly picks the playing card. While the playing card sucked by the rear suction cup assembly is identified, the front suction cup assembly picks the playing card. This can reduce procedural actions and speed up game progression.

Methods and apparatus of producing collectible cards are disclosed. An example method includes producing a first stack of cards including a first card type and a second card type from a single substrate sheet, separating the first stack of cards into a first sub-stack and a second sub-stack. The first sub-stack includes the first card type and the second sub-stack includes the second card type. The example method includes comparing a first top card of the first sub-stack to a first reference card and, based on the first top card being substantially similar to the first reference card, automatically transferring the first sub-stack to a first tray designated to receive the first card type.

Methods and apparatus of producing collectible cards are disclosed. An example method includes producing a first stack of cards including a first card type and a second card type from a single substrate sheet, separating the first stack of cards into a first sub-stack and a second sub-stack. The first sub-stack includes the first card type and the second sub-stack includes the second card type. The example method includes comparing a first top card of the first sub-stack to a first reference card and, based on the first top card being substantially similar to the first reference card, automatically transferring the first sub-stack to a first tray designated to receive the first card type.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.

A device and a method for separating sheet material is provided. The separation of sheet material is not effected statically, but a suitable pick-up position and/or a suitable pick-up mechanism is selected for each sheet material piece, for example in dependence on the quality of a surface of the sheet material piece to be picked up, in order to pick up the sheet material piece from the sheet material stack and remove it from the same.