Improvements in or relating to counting by weight counting systems

A counting by weight counting apparatus comprising:

• a property input module capable of providing said apparatus with one or more properties of an item to be counted;
• a weight measuring module capable of measuring the weight of a total number of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus;
• a total item number determination module capable of determining the total number of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus, said determination being based on at least one predetermined weight of one of said items;
• an average weight determination module capable of determining the average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus;
• a mean value determination module capable of determining the mean value of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus;
• a standard deviation module capable of determining the standard deviation of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus;
• and
• a slice limit determination module capable of determining a new slice limit of the counting by weight counting apparatus, said determination being based on the mean value of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus, and the standard deviation of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting apparatus.

A computer program product encoded with instructions that when run on a computer of a counting by weight counting apparatus, cause the counting by weight counting apparatus to receive input data and information and perform a method of adjusting the slice limit thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing said apparatus with one or more properties of an item to be counted;
• measuring the weight of the total number of said items added to said counting by weight counting system;
• determining the total number of said items added to said counting by weight counting system, said determination being based on at least one predetermined weight of one of said items;
• determining the average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting system;
• determining the mean value of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting system;
• determining the standard deviation of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting system;
• and
• determining a new slice limit of the counting by weight counting system, said determination being based on the mean value of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting system, and the standard deviation of said at least one predetermined weight of one of said items and said average weight of said items added to said counting by weight counting system.