1. A paper roll storage and handling installation comprising:
a storage structure comprising a sequence of aligned first storage surfaces and at least one second storage surface, each of the storage surfaces extending horizontally along a longitudinal direction and providing a plurality of storage locations for paper rolls placed side by side with axes horizontally oriented in a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction,
a plurality of load stations aligned with the sequence of first storage surfaces, each of them situated adjacent to one of the first storage surfaces in the longitudinal direction or between two consecutive first storage surfaces, for accommodating a transport device suitable for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction, the transport device being movable away from the load station in the transverse direction to a first side of the first and second storage surfaces,
an aisle extending alongside the sequence of first storage surfaces and the plurality of load stations in the longitudinal direction at a side of the first and second storage surfaces opposite said first side,
a pick-up station situated adjacent the aisle in the transverse direction for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction,
a storage and retrieval device for transferring paper rolls between the pick-up station, the load stations and the storage locations, the storage and retrieval device comprising a base movable along the aisle in the longitudinal direction, a vertically movable platform mounted on the base and a support for carrying a single paper roll mounted on the platform, the support being transversely extendable from the aisle into the pick-up station, any of the load stations and any of the storage locations and retractable from the same,
wherein the at least one second storage surface is situated above the first storage surfaces, wherein a plurality of storage locations of both at least one of the first storage surfaces and at least one of the at least one second storage surface are contained in a same contiguous handling space, the same contiguous handling space also including at least one load station that is situated adjacent a storage location of the first storage surfaces contained in the same contiguous handling space, and wherein the at least one second storage surface is bordered by at least one gap that is also within the same contiguous handling space such that the support is movable vertically, through the at least one gap, between a level of the at least one first storage surfaces and a level of the at least one second storage surface in its extended state whenever any load station or storage location of the at least one first storage surfaces that is vertically aligned with the gap is unoccupied.
2. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 1, suitable for the storing and handling of paper rolls having diameters up to a maximum diameter, wherein a height of the same contiguous handling space is greater than the maximum diameter throughout, such that the support is movable from any of the storage locations of the handling space to any other of the storage locations of the handling space in its extended state, carrying a paper roll of maximum diameter, whenever any intervening storage location or load station is unoccupied.
3. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 1, wherein the load stations are spaced in the longitudinal direction, with one of the first storage surfaces and one of the at least one second storage surfaces congruent with the first storage surface provided between a first and a second of two consecutive load stations in each case.
4. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 3, wherein the first storage surface and the second storage surface each consist of at most a first plurality of consecutive storage locations contained in a first contiguous handling space which also contains the first load station and a second plurality of consecutive storage locations contained in a second contiguous handling space which also contains the second load station.
5. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 3, wherein the first storage surface and the second storage surface each consist of a single plurality of consecutive storage locations contained in a contiguous handling space which also contains the first load station and the second load station.
6. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 1, wherein the at least one gap in the at least one second storage surface is situated above one of the at least one load stations.
7. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 1, the storage structure additionally providing at least one third storage surface and one fourth storage surface extending horizontally in the longitudinal direction at the side of the aisle opposite the first and second storage surfaces, and each providing a plurality of storage locations for paper rolls placed side by side with axes horizontally oriented in the transverse direction and where the fourth storage surface is situated above the third storage surface.
8. The paper roll storage and handling installation according to claim 1, wherein each of the storage locations is equipped with a roll support for taking up a paper roll.
9. The paper roll storage and handling installation of claim 1, wherein the contiguous handling space includes at least one uninterrupted passage therethrough in which the support is movable in its extended state if storage locations or load stations in the uninterrupted passage are unoccupied, the support being movable vertically in its extended state between the level of the at least one of the first storage surfaces and the level of the at least one second storage surface through the at least one gap such that the uninterrupted passage may include a passage between storage locations, or between a storage location and a load station, located on different levels of the storage structure.
10. A paper roll storage and handling installation in a reelroom with a row of reelstands aligned in a longitudinal direction, the installation comprising:
a storage structure providing a sequence of aligned first storage surfaces and at least one second storage surface, each of the storage surfaces extending horizontally along a longitudinal direction and providing a plurality of storage locations for paper rolls placed side by side with axes horizontally oriented in a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction,
a plurality of load stations aligned with the sequence of first storage surfaces, each of them situated adjacent to one of the first storage surfaces in the longitudinal direction or between two consecutive first storage surfaces, for accommodating a transport device suitable for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction,
a plurality of straight rail sections, each rail section extending in the transverse direction from one of the load stations to one of reelstands, for guiding the transport device,
an aisle extending alongside the sequence of first storage surfaces and the plurality of load stations in the longitudinal direction at a side of the first and second storage surfaces,
a pick-up station situated adjacent the aisle in the transverse direction for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction,
a storage and retrieval device for transferring paper rolls between the pick-up station, the load stations and the storage locations, the storage and retrieval device comprising a base movable along the aisle in the longitudinal direction, a vertically movable platform mounted on the base and a support for carrying a single paper roll mounted on the platform, the support being transversely extendable from the aisle into the pick-up station, any of the load stations and any of the storage locations and retractable from the same,
wherein the at least one second storage surface is situated above the first storage surfaces, wherein a plurality of storage locations of the first and second storage surfaces as well as at least one load station are contained in a same contiguous handling space, and wherein the at least one second storage surface is bordered by at least one gap that is also within the same contiguous handling space such that the support is movable vertically, through the at least one gap, between a level of the at least one first storage surfaces and a level of the at least one second storage surface in its extended state whenever any load station or storage location of the at least one first storage surfaces that is vertically aligned with the gap is unoccupied.
11. A method for storing and handling paper rolls in a reelroom with a row of reelstands aligned in a longitudinal direction, comprising:
providing
a) a storage structure comprising a sequence of aligned first storage surfaces and at least one second storage surface, each of the storage surfaces extending horizontally along a longitudinal direction and providing a plurality of storage locations for paper rolls placed side by side with axes horizontally oriented in a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction,
b) a plurality of load stations aligned with the sequence of first storage surfaces, each of them situated adjacent to one of the first storage surfaces in the longitudinal direction or between two consecutive first storage surfaces, for accommodating a transport device suitable for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction,
c) a plurality of straight rail sections, each rail section extending in the transverse direction from one of the load stations to one of reelstands, for guiding the transport device,
d) an aisle extending alongside the sequence of first storage surfaces and the plurality of load stations in the longitudinal direction at a side of the first and second storage surfaces,
e) a pick-up station situated adjacent the aisle in the transverse direction for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction, and
f) a storage and retrieval device for transferring paper rolls between the pick-up station, the load stations and the storage locations, comprising a support movable along the aisle in the longitudinal direction and vertically for carrying a single paper roll, the support being transversely extendable from the aisle into the pick-up station, any of the load stations and any of the storage locations and retractable from the same,
wherein the at least one second storage surface is situated above the first storage surfaces, wherein a plurality of storage locations of the first and second storage surfaces are contained in a same contiguous handling space, and wherein the at least one second storage surface is bordered by at least one gap that is also within the same contiguous handling space such that the support is movable vertically, through the at least one gap, between a level of the at least one first storage surfaces and a level of the at least one second storage surface in its extended state whenever any storage location of the at least one first storage surfaces that is vertically aligned with the gap is unoccupied,
taking up a paper roll at a first storage location comprised in a contiguous handling space by means of the extended support of the storage and retrieval device,
moving the support to a second storage location comprised in the same contiguous handling space as the first storage location with the support remaining in its extended state, and
depositing the paper roll in the second storage location.
12. The method of claim 11, where the second storage location is closer to one of the load stations than the first storage location.
13. A method for storing and handling paper rolls in a reelroom with a row of reelstands aligned in a longitudinal direction, comprising:
providing
a) a storage structure comprising a sequence of aligned first storage surfaces and at least one second storage surface, each of the storage surfaces extending horizontally along a longitudinal direction and providing a plurality of storage locations for paper rolls placed side by side with axes horizontally oriented in a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction,
b) a plurality of load stations aligned with the sequence of first storage surface, each of them situated adjacent to one of the first storage surfaces in the longitudinal direction or between two consecutive first storage surfaces, for accommodating a transport device suitable for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction, the transport device being movable away from the load station in the transverse direction to a first side of the first and second storage surfaces,
c) a plurality of straight rail sections, each rail section extending in the transverse direction from one of the lead stations to one of reelstands, for guiding the transport device,
d) an aisle extending alongside the sequence of first storage surfaces and the plurality of load stations in the longitudinal direction at a side of the first and second storage surfaces opposite said first side,
e) a pick-up station situated adjacent the aisle in the transverse direction for receiving a single paper roll with its axis oriented in the transverse direction, and
f) a storage and retrieval device for transferring paper rolls between the pick-up station, the load stations and the storage locations, comprising a support movable along the aisle in the longitudinal direction and vertically for carrying a single paper roll, the support being transversely extendable from the aisle into the pick-up station, any of the load stations and any of the storage locations and retractable from the same,
wherein the at least one second storage surface is situated above the first storage surfaces, wherein a plurality of storage locations of the first and second storage surfaces are contained, together with at least one load station, in a same contiguous handling space, and wherein the at least one second storage surface is bordered by at least one gap that is also within the same contiguous handling space such that the support is movable vertically, through the at least one gap, between a level of the at least one first storage surfaces and a level of the at least one second storage surface in its extended state whenever any load station or storage location of the at least one first storage surfaces that is vertically aligned with the gap is unoccupied,
taking up a paper roll at a storage location comprised in the same contiguous handling space by means of the extended support of the storage and retrieval device,
moving the support to the at least one load station comprised in the same contiguous handling space with the support remaining in its extended state, and
depositing the paper roll on a transport device in the at least one load station.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A computer implemented system for predicting a target file directory, comprising:
a first component that infers andor determines expected navigation costs for directory operations associated with potential target directories, the expected navigation cost is based on a probabilistic andor utility analysis that includes a list scan penalty for reducing probabilities associated with scanning lists within a directory; and
a second component that outputs a subset of the potential target directories to a display, the subset is determined by selecting target directories, based in part on the expected navigation cost, in order to minimize a cost of traversing directories.
2. The system of claim 1, the utilities are functions of navigation costs associated with traversing from a node associated with a potential target directory under consideration to at least one of the other potential target directories.
3. The system of claim 1, the second component further determines the subset of directories based on expected utilities, which are computed as functions of probabilities of target information being at a node, and the navigation costs associated with traversing from the node to at least one of the potential target directories.
4. The system of claim 2, the navigation costs are assigned by at least one of user selections and encoded within the system.
5. The system of claim 1, the potential target directories are determined from at least one of a local computer system and a remote computer system.
6. The system of claim 1, the probabilities are a function of recent and long-term file activity within a directory.
7. The system of claim 6, the long term file activity is determined from a predetermined time horizon.
8. The system of claim 6, the recent file activity is determined from frequency of access to a file.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a background monitor to determine file access frequency.
10. The system of claim 1, the list scan penalty is determined as an exponential function that decreases as the number of elements on the list increases.
11. A method effectuated at least in part by a machine for determining a potential target node for directory operations, comprising:
assigning probabilities and utilities to a plurality of potential target nodes, the utilities represent costs associated with navigating from a recommended node to an actual target node;
determining a list scan penalty for reducing the probabilities associated with scanning lists within a directory;
determining an expected utility from the probabilities and utilities associated with the plurality of target nodes; and
displaying a candidate list of likely nodes to a user based upon the expected utility.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising multiplying the assigned probabilities and utilities together to form a product at each of the plurality of target nodes.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising summing the products from each of the plurality of target nodes together to determine the expected utility for one of the plurality of potential target nodes.
14. The method of claim 11, the utilities are related to navigation costs associated with traversing from a displayed directory to at least one of the potential target directories.
15. The method of claim 14, the navigation costs are assigned by at least one of user selections and encoded within the system.
16. The method of claim 11, the potential target nodes are determined from at least one of a local computer system and a remote computer system.
17. The method of claim 11, the probabilities are a function of recent and long-term file activity within a directory.
18. The method of claim 17, the long-term file activity is determined from a predetermined time horizon.
19. The method of claim 17, the recent file activity is determined from frequency of access to a file.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising,
monitoring a user to determine file access frequency.
21. The method of claim 11, the list scan penalty is determined as an exponential function that decreases as the number of elements on the list increases.
22. A machine implemented system for determining a potential target node for directory operations, comprising:
means for assigning probabilities and utilities to a plurality of potential target nodes;
means for determining a list scan penalty for reducing the probabilities associated with scanning lists within a directory;
means for determining an expected utility from the probabilities and utilities associated with the plurality of target nodes; and
means for displaying a candidate list of likely nodes to a user based upon the expected utility, the candidate list comprises a subset of the potential target nodes.
23. The system of claim 1, the second component outputs the subset of directories as tree fragments.
24. The system of claim 1, the subset comprises N potential target directories, N is an integer that is predefined.
25. The system of claim 1, the subset comprises directories with expected navigation costs below a predetermined level.
26. The method of claim 11, displaying the candidate list in descending order from highest expected utility.
27. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing a potential target node with a maximum expected utility from consideration when evaluating expected utility for the other potential target nodes.