BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a plurality of sorting centers with sorting plant and mailing flows,
FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a data networking of a signature comparator,
FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a method for forming first signatures,
FIG. 4 shows known data of a mailing for identification, and a search space,
FIG. 5 shows a mailing from which only the postcode could be recognized, and the search space, and
FIG. 6 shows a mailing from which no characters could be identified, and the search space.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows in a schematic diagram four sorting centers 2 in different towns. The sorting centers 2 are identified by numbers, numbers 4, 5, 2 and 7 in FIG. 1, and each accommodates. one or more sorting plants 4 with a transportation line 6 which transports mailings 8 in a large number of compartments 10. A sorting plant is shown in center #4 and is assigned the number 47. The sorting plant numbers 51 and 21 are located in centers #5 and #2. Center #7 accommodates two sorting plants 4 which bear the numbers 75 and 76.
First of all, mailings 8 are pre-sorted from the delivery zone of the sorting center 2 with number 4 on plant #47. This takes place with the aid of a sorting program with ID number 4711 which sorts all mailings 8 into compartments 10 according to postcodes of the destination addresses, 100 postcodes respectively being allocated to one compartment 10. In subsequent sorting runs on the same plant #47, which are carried out with the aid of a sorting program with ID number 4721, the mailings 8 are sorted according to individual postcodes. The mailings from the compartments 10 are subsequently packed in mailing containers and driven by lorries to other corresponding sorting centers 2. FIG. 1 shows by way of example the transportation from center #4 to centers #2 and #7 and from center #5 to center #7. Mailings 8 are sorted in centers #2 and #7 on plants #21, #75 and #76 with the aid of further sorting programs—in FIG. 1 programs #2137 and #7351 and #7631 by way of example, for example according to streets, house numbers and delivery rounds of the roundsman.
Each sorting center 2 comprises a signature comparator 12 which is shown in FIG. 2 in an embedding with further components. The signature comparator 12 comprises an arithmetic-logic unit 14 and is connected with a database 16 in which a large number of data records with signatures of mailings 8 is stored. A module 18 compares the database contents with systems 20 of other sorting centers 2 and makes use of known synchronization methods in this connection. A signature module 22 is connected to a camera 24 which photographs the mailings 8 and from each mailing image 26 creates a signature comprising characteristic features of the mailing image 26, according to a predefined algorithm. Like a fingerprint, the signature is characteristic of this one mailing 8. It is created according to known methods. A data record module 28 creates a data record for each mailing 8 and this contains the signature and the data of an OCR device 30, which reads the address of the mailing 8, in other words the address of the mailing 8 or parts thereof. The data record also contains a time which is a sorting instant of the mailing 8 and is transmitted by a system clock 32 to the data record module 28. The sorting instant can be the instant at which the data record or signature was created, or it can be a different instant at which the mailing 8 was processed for the purpose of sorting, i.e. photographed, transported, sorted or the like.
The data record module 28 also comprises an interface to a database 34, in which the sorting logic is stored, according to which the mailing 8 is sorted. The sorting logic comprises inter alia the data target sorting center, target instant and target sorting program. The data record module 28 is also connected to a memory 36 in which the nationally defined machine identification of the sorting plant 2 is stored. A configuration database 38 provides statements on which sorting machine 2 and in which timeslot a sorting program is running nationally. The configuration database 38 can be continuously updated via the signature module 22. The many logical interfaces shown in FIG. 2 can be physically formed by a single interface. It is not necessary for all logical interfaces to exist, according to the size of the search space.
The signature comparator 12 also comprises an interface 40 to a camera for photographing a mailing image 26 in a subsequent sorting run, and an interface to an OCR device 42 via which the data of the OCR device 42 can be read. In a first and second sorting run on the same sorting plant 4 the OCR devices 30, 42 can also be formed by just a single device. There is also an interface 44 for inputting the identifier of the sorting program or the sorting plant 4. The signature comparator 12 can also access a storage module 46 in which the sorting times, located signatures and identifications of the first or earlier sorting runs of the last N mailings 8 are stored.
FIG. 3 shows a simplified flowchart of a signature formation, in particular a formation of a first signature 50. In the first sorting run a first signature 50 is first of all formed in a first method step 48 from a mailing image 26. The first signature 50 is then written with the data record module 28 into a data record 54 in a subsequent method step 52 and this is supplemented by data of the OCR device 30, 42, such as postcode, street and house number. Identification of the sorting plant 4 and sorting program is also written into the data record 54 along with the identification of the sorting program and sorting plant 4 with which the mailing 8 is sorted according to the sorting logic in a subsequent sorting run. The current system time is also written into the data record 54. The data record 54 is accordingly compared with other signature comparing systems 56 and optionally supplemented with data from a video encoding 60. Creation of the first signature 50 and the data record 54 is concluded hereby.
During the further course the mailing 8 is supplied to a further and more refined sorting run. Here a mailing image 26 is taken again, as is shown in FIG. 4, and a new signature 62 formed therefrom. The address of the mailing 8, primarily the postcode 64 and the delivery point 66, i.e. the street and the house number, is read by means of the OCR device 42. This data and sorting plant data 68 of the sorting plant 4 which is just processing the mailing 8, in FIG. 4 the program number 7631 of the instantaneously active sorting program, are available to the signature comparator 12.
This is prepared to locate with the aid of a comparison of the signature 62 with first signatures 50, which were taken earlier and form a search space 70, of a large number of mailings 8, the first signature 50 of the mailing 8 and therewith the data record 54 pertaining to this mailing 8. The search space 70 includes all data records 54 of all mailings 8 which have been previously sorted in a region in a period, for example in one state on one day. A relatively small state with a daily dispatch volume of about 2,000,000 mailings can be taken as an example. The search space 70 then comprises 2,000,000 data records.
FIG. 4 indicates the search space 70 by a list of 9 data records 54. The data records 54 each include the first signature 50 of the mailing 8, the postcode 64 and the delivery point 66 as well as the sorting plant data 68, the program number of the sorting program which the sorting logic has allocated to the mailing 8 in the first sorting run from its data, inter alia its address and the sorting program of the first sorting run. This program number is the number of the sorting program in which the mailing 8 has to be identified in the subsequent sorting run.
The identification of mailing 8 indicated in FIG. 4 is very simple since the OCR device 42 could read the entire address. According to the invention this is the case with 75% of the mailings 8, i.e. in this example with 1,600,000 mailings. Only one data record matches the read address and this is identified in FIG. 4 by #1. A signature comparison could in principle be superfluous here since the data record #1 can unquestionably be allocated to mailing 8.
It may be the case however that a plurality of mailings has the same delivery point 66 and are to be kept apart. This is possibly not important for sorting but can be meaningful for tracking a mailing if it should at all times be known where a certain mailing 8 is currently located.
Further data that is important to sorting can also be stored in the data record 54, such as franking, i.e. whether the mailing has high priority or low priority and should be sorted immediately or later, or weight, rigidity, size, etc. Signature comparison is also required for this purpose for clear allocation of the data record 54 to the matching mailing 8 in a pool of a plurality of mailings 8 of a delivery point 66.
Once the mailing 8 has been identified its data record 54 can therefore be allocated to it, so the data record 54 may be removed from the search space 70. If a plurality of mailings 8 exist for a delivery point 66, signature comparison is important for this too in order to be able to locate the correct data record 54 for each of these mailings 8 and remove it from the search space 70.
FIG. 5 shows an example in which the OCR device 42 could only read the postcode 64. Experience has shown that this is the case with a further 20% of mailings, i.e. 300,000 mailings, so at least the postcode 64 can be read in the case of 95% of mailings. Three data records 54 can be considered from the search space 70 indicated in FIG. 5, namely data records 54 #1 to #3. However, the sorting plant data 68, in the example sorting program number #7631, is also known to the signature comparator 12. Only the data records 54 #1 and #2 carry this sorting program number #7631, so the search space 70 can be limited to these two data records 54.
Conversely the sorting program number can also be the number of the sorting program of the first sorting run. During the subsequent sorting run it may be deduced with the aid of the sorting logic which sorting run preceded the instantaneous and known sorting run.
Of the 2,000,000 mailings used by way of example, 100,000 remain of which the address cannot be machine read. FIG. 6 shows this in an example. Only the sorting plant data 68 is known. If this only comprises the number of the sorting center of the subsequent sorting run, number 7 in FIG. 6, the search space 70 can already be considerably reduced. If it is assumed that the largest sorting center 2 of a state receives 50% of the dispatch volume, the search space 70 can already be halved in this disadvantageous case. If the sorting program number is known, number 7631 in FIG. 6, the search space 70 can be significantly further reduced. In FIG. 6 another three data records 54 can be considered, namely those with numbers #1, #2 and #9.
In a further example the mailing 8 pertaining to data record 54 #1 has been clearly recognized in advance. This data record 54 can be removed from the search space 70 for further mailings 8. The instant 72 at which this mailing 8 was sorted in advance, i.e. in the sorting run on which the data record 54 was created, is known to the signature comparator 12 from the data record 54. Since it can be assumed that adjacent mailings 8 with the same destination are not separated very far from each other in further sorting runs either, the signature comparator 12 limits the search space 70 to all data records 54 which bear an instant 74 in a period of 10 minutes either side of instant 72, i.e. all data records 54 with instants between 16.10 hours and 16.30 hours. The previously considered data record 54 #9 can be removed from the search space 70 hereby, so in this example only data record 54 #2 is considered. Conventionally a large number of data records 54 can still be considered, so exact determination takes place in the reduced search space 70 by signature comparison.
To limit the search space 70 it is also possible to use an instant 72 of the instantaneous search run. If a property of the mailing 8 emerges from this instant 72, for example because at this instant 72 only mailings 8 are sorted from the sorting center 2 #4 or only high priority mailings 8 are sorted, the search space 70 can be limited hereby.
The situation can occur where the OCR device 42 reads the address incorrectly, for example owing to slippage of an address in a letter window. A data record 54 that matches the mailing 8 is not found in this instance. All OCR data can accordingly be dropped and the procedure be as described with respect to FIG. 6. Should the search space 70 be too large in this connection, the mailing 8 can be rejected and be re-inserted following the sorting run. Removing the already allocated data records 54 from the search space 70 considerably reduces the search space from then on, so a signature comparison can easily be carried out even without OCR data.
Patent Application
20080093272
