Patent Application
20070272601
The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of a method and system for sorting mailpieces as shown in the attached figures. For the purposes of this specification, the term “mailpieces” shall refer to all forms of mail including but not limited to envelopes and parcels. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers shall be used throughout to refer to the same or similar elements.
Briefly,
If the answer at step 216 is “no”, the mailstop is added to the mailstop queue at step 220. A mailstop is selected from the queue at step 224 for assignment to a receiving bin. The determination of which mailstop is selected can be made in accordance with any number of predetermined criteria. For example, the determination can be made according to an operator's preferences in configuring the control system. The determination can also be made by the control system basing its decision on the outcome of running an algorithm to select the mailstop.
The algorithm can be based on monitoring at least one piece of information associated with the incoming mailpieces, such as their mailstop address. Alternatively, the algorithm can be based on monitoring at least one piece of information associated with the receiving bins such as the volume of mailpieces being deposited into them. Another criteria can be historical information relating to the past mailpieces received and sorted. Yet another criteria can be based on the position of each mailpiece within the sorting system itself. The algorithm can easily be derived by a person skilled in the art once the criteria has been chosen for selecting mailstops.
Upon the control system selecting a mailstop, the mailstop is removed from the queue at step 228. At step 232, the control system selects a receiving bin to be assigned with the mailstop. As in selecting the mailstop from the mailstop queue, the control system makes a selection upon operator preferences or upon the outcome of processing an algorithm using any number of external criteria or parameters in making a determination as to which receiving bin to select. It should also be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the control system can embody a neural network approach to learn and to adapt as process 200 operates over time in selecting both mailstops and receiving bins.
At step 236, the control system will check if the selected receiving bin has already been assigned with a mailstop. If “yes”, the control system issues a command to the receiving bin at step 240 to empty its contents. At step 244, the control system identifies the emptied contents to the operator whereupon the operator can retrieve the contents and forward the contents to its mailstop destination. Process 200 then proceeds to step 248 whereupon the receiving bin is assigned with the new mailstop. If the answer at step 236 is “no”, the process 200 proceeds from step 236 to step 248. After step 248, process 200 proceeds to step 252 whereupon the mailpieces deposited into the receiving bin. Process 200 then returns to step 208 to process another mailpiece.
Referring to
System 100 comprises feeding unit 107 that feeds mailpieces 101 into singulation unit 102 where the mailpieces are placed on a conveyor one at a time and with the address label facing upwards so it can be scanned. Mailpieces 101 are then fed into scanning unit 103 so that an image can be taken of each mailpiece. An image processing computer 120 is operatively attached to scanning unit 103 with link 123 to control the operation of scanning unit 103 and to process the images taken of mailpieces 101 to determine their mailstop addresses. Image processing computer 120 is a general purpose computer running optical recognition software that works with scanning unit 103 to process the images of scanned mailpieces to determine their mailstop. Such systems and software are well known to those skilled in the art.
System 100 further comprises distribution unit 108 which consists of conveyor sections 105a to 105d and 110, receiving bins 109a to 109d and receptacles 116a to 116d. Static conveyor sections 110 remain fixed in orientation and transport the mail laterally along its belts. Gated conveyor sections 105a to 105d are hinged on one end so that the other end can lift up to expose a receiving bin underneath, and allow a mailpiece to drop therein. A gated conveyor section is positioned above each receiving bin. Receptacles 116a to 116d are positioned beneath receiving bins 109a to 109d, respectively.
A printer 122 is operatively attached to system 100 for printing tags, the purpose of which shall be discussed in further detail below. A system control computer 121 is operatively attached to system 100 by a link 124 to control the operations of the sub components of system 100. System control computer 121 is a general purpose computer having a computer memory with a program code segment stored thereon. The program code segment is adapted to control the operation of system control computer 121 and the operations of system 100 in accordance with process 200 as shown in
The program code segment is further adapted to receive the mailstops of mailpieces identified by scanning unit 103 and assigning these mailstops to receiving bins 109a to 109d. Upon assigning a mailstop to a receiving bin, the program code segment causes system control computer 121 to operate distribution unit 108 to convey the mailpieces to a receiving bin according to their mailstop. When system 100 first starts a sorting process, no receiving bin will be assigned a mailstop until a first mailpiece is processed by scanning unit 103 and image processing computer 120 to determine its mailstop.
Referring to
When a mailpiece enters singulation unit 102 having a mailstop that is different than the mailstop assigned to receiving bin 109a, system 100 will then assign the mailstop to an available receiving bin. Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
When a mailpiece with a fifth unique mailstop is presented to system 100, as shown in the figures herein, system control computer 121 will assign the new mailstop to a receiving bin. To do so will require that a receiving bin already assigned with a mailstop empty its contents so that it can be reassigned with the new mailstop and receive mailpieces destined for the new mailstop. This is shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, system control computer 121 issues a tag indicating the mailstop of the contents in receptacle 116c. This is accomplished by system control computer 121 causing printer 122 to print a piece of paper or tag with the mailstop assigned to receiving bin 109c, mailstop “17”, and deposit the tag onto conveyor section 110. The tag is then conveyed along path 106 and deposited into receiving bin 109c which, in turn, is emptied into receptacle 116c. In this manner, the operator retrieving the contents from receptacle 116c will see the tag and direct the contents to the mailstop printed on the tag. Printer 122 can be a thermo printer although it should be obvious to a person skilled in the art that any comparable printing device will work. In another embodiment, system control computer 121 can additional alert an operator that receiving bin 109c has emptied its contents although this is not essential nor is it necessary.
In addition to the mailstop information, the tag can contain other information such as the number of pieces contained and the route identification number for delivery of the mailpieces. The information printed on the tag can be controlled by predefined settings entered into system control computer 121 by an operator. In other embodiments, printer 122 can be replaced with a token dispenser (not shown) where reusable tokens (not shown) preprinted with mailstop numbers are dispensed onto path 106 to be deposited into the receiving bin with the sorted mailpieces to indicate the mailstop destination to an operator. In other embodiments, visual displays (not shown) or audible play back systems (not shown) can be used in place of printer 122 or token dispensers.
The visual display provides visual information as to the mailstop destination for mailpieces emptied into a receptacle. Alternatively, an audible playback system can audibly inform an operator, using a voice synthesizer, of the mailstop destination and other relevant information. Once receiving bin 109c has been emptied, receiving bin 109c is then available to be reassigned with a new mailstop. In alternate embodiments, the operator is alerted to the fact that receiving bin 109c has been emptied.
In another embodiment, system control computer 121 alerts the operator to manually empty receiving bin 109c. In yet another embodiment, the operator can manually empty receiving bin 109c on his own accord upon which system control computer 121 is informed of which receiving bin has been emptied, either by sensors (not shown) located on distribution unit 108 detecting that a bin is empty or by the operator manually inputting which bin was emptied by pressing a button (not shown) or using a keyboard attached to system control computer 121.
In another embodiment, receiving bin 109c is removed from distribution unit 108 and replaced with a new empty bin instead of being emptied. In yet another embodiment, a replacement bin associated with the new mailstop being assigned by system control computer 121 (not shown) is provided to replace receiving bin 109c. The replacement bin may be empty or may contain mailpieces addressed to the new mailstop being assigned to the bin location where receiving bin 109c was located. This bin replacement process can be performed manually by the operator or it can be automated through additional hardware (not shown) attached to distribution unit 108 that is controllable by system control computer 121.
Referring to
The method and system described herein is shown with only four receiving bins although it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that any number of receiving bins can be used. The number of receiving bins does not have to be equal to or greater than the number of mailstops contained within a group of mailpieces being sorted, rather, the number of receiving bins can be less than the number of mailstops given the ability of the system to dynamically assign and reassign “m” number of mailstops to “n” number of receiving bins where “m” is greater than “n”.
It is also noted that relationships exist between: a) the number of receiving bins; b) the number of required mailstops contained within the group of mailpieces being sorted; and c) the average number of mailpieces emptied from a receiving bin when it is being reassigned with a new mailstop.
The quotient consisting of a number of required mailstops divided by the number of receiving bins is inversely proportional to the average number of mailpieces emptied from a receiving bin when being reassigned. Furthermore, the average number of mailpieces emptied from a receiving bin is inversely proportional to the frequency of emptying cycles of the receiving bins, at a given input rate of mailpieces. These relationships indicate that the mail sorting system must have at least one receiving bin and that the number of receiving bins does not affect the ability of the system to sort mailpieces. However, the number of receiving bins required by the system is a function of an operator's requirements regarding the average number of mailpieces to be emptied from a receiving bin and on how frequent the receiving bins are to be emptied.
Although a few preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The terms and expressions used in the preceding specification have been used herein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow.
