Organizing a plurality of items into a delivery point sequence

• US 20040035762A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Postal Service United States The
• Original Assignee: Postal Service United States The
• Inventors: Brown, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,423,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

A method and system for providing delivery point sequencing consistent with the invention includes assigning the plurality of items dynamic sequence numbers as the plurality of items pass through a sequencing component a first time, the sequencing component component comprising a plurality of partitions. Next the method and system include sorting the plurality of items into the plurality of partitions of the sequencing component as the plurality of items pass through the sequencing component the first time, each partition having a corresponding batch of items. And finally the method and system include sorting the items of each batch by the dynamic sequence numbers as the plurality of items pass through the sequencing component a second time, each of the plurality of partitions sorting only items of its corresponding batch.

Claims

1. A method for organizing a plurality of items into a delivery point sequence comprising:

passing the plurality of items through a sequencing component a first time wherein the sequencing component assigns the plurality of items dynamic sequence numbers; and

sorting the plurality of items by the dynamic sequence numbers as the plurality of items pass through the sequencing component a second time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting the plurality of items by a geographical segment code prior to passing the plurality of items through the sequencing component the first time, wherein items within the plurality of items that do not have a particular geographical segment code are excluded from the plurality of items.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following:

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein items within the plurality of items comprise at least one of the following:

flat mail, catalogs, magazines, mailpieces, and United States Postal Service Express Mail Packages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic sequence numbers indicate the order in which items within the plurality of items are to be delivered within a route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequencing component assigns the plurality of items the dynamic sequence numbers by reading a tracking indicia on each of the plurality items and basing the dynamic sequence numbers on data indicated by the tracking indicia.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tracking indicia comprises at least on of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

8. A method for organizing a plurality of items into a delivery point sequence comprising:

assigning dynamic sequence numbers to the plurality of items as the plurality of items pass through a sequencing component a first time, the sequencing component comprising a plurality of partitions;

sorting the items into the plurality of partitions of the sequencing component as the plurality of items pass through the sequencing component the first time, each partition having a corresponding batch of the items; and

sorting the items of each batch by the dynamic sequence numbers as the items pass through the sequencing component a second time, each of the plurality of partitions sorting only items of its corresponding batch.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each partition corresponds to a route within a delivery system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sorting the plurality of items by a geographical segment code prior to passing the plurality of items through the sequencing component the first time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sorting the plurality of items by a geographical segment code comprises:

identifying items within the plurality of items that do not have a particular geographical segment code; and

excluding the identified items from the plurality of items.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following:

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein assigning the plurality of items dynamic sequence numbers further comprises:

reading tracking indicia on the plurality of items; and

basing the dynamic sequence numbers on data indicated by the tracking indicia.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tracking indicia comprises at least on of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the size of the plurality of partitions varies.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the size of the plurality of partitions varies based upon at least one of the following:

historical data, volume of items in each of the plurality of batches, and the time it would take a delivery system operator to deliver the items in the batch corresponding to the partition.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein items within the plurality of items comprise at least one of the following:

flat mail, catalogs, magazines, mailpieces, and United States Postal Service Express Mail Packages.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the dynamic sequence numbers indicate the order in which items within the plurality of items are to be delivered within a route.

19. A system for organizing a plurality of items into a delivery point sequence comprising:

a component for assigning dynamic sequence numbers to the items as the plurality of items pass through a sequencing component a first time, the sequencing component comprising a plurality of partitions;

a sorting component the plurality of items into the plurality of partitions of the sequencing component as the items pass through the sequencing component the first time, each partition having a corresponding batch of items; and

a sorting component the items of each batch by the dynamic sequence numbers as the items pass through the sequencing component a second time, each of the plurality of partitions sorting only items of its corresponding batch.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each partition corresponds to a route within a delivery system.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sorting component the plurality of items by a geographical segment code prior to passing the plurality of items through the sequencing component the first time, wherein items within the plurality of items that do not have a particular geographical segment code are excluded from the plurality of items.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following:

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the component for assigning the plurality of items dynamic sequence numbers further comprises:

a component for reading tracking indicia on the plurality of items; and

a component for basing the dynamic sequence numbers on data indicated by the tracking indicia.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the tracking indicia comprises at least on of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the size of the plurality of partitions varies.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the size of the plurality of partitions varies based upon at least one of the following:

historical data, volume of items in each of the plurality of batches, and the time it would take a delivery system operator to deliver the items in the batch corresponding to the partition.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein items within the plurality of items comprise at least one of the following:

flat mail, catalogs, magazines, mailpieces, and United States Postal Service Express Mail Packages.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the dynamic sequence numbers indicate the order in which items within the plurality of items are to be delivered within a route.

29. A method for organizing a plurality of items into a delivery point sequence comprising:

sorting the plurality of items by a geographical segment code, wherein items within the plurality of items that do not have a particular geographical segment code are excluded from the plurality of items, the geographical segment code comprising at least one of the following;

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code, items within the plurality of items comprising at least one of the following;

flat mail, catalogs, magazines, mailpieces, and United States Postal Service Express Mail Packages;

assigning the plurality of items dynamic sequence numbers as the plurality of items pass through a sequencing component a first time, wherein tracking indicia are read on the plurality of items and dynamic sequence numbers are based on data indicated by the tracking indicia, the tracking indicia comprising at least on of the following;

a bar code and a PLANET code, the dynamic sequence numbers indicating the order in which items within the plurality of items are to be delivered within a route, wherein the sequencing component comprises a plurality of partitions;

sorting the plurality of items into the plurality of partitions of the sequencing component as the plurality of items pass through the sequencing component the first time, each partition having a corresponding batch of items, each batch corresponding to a route within a delivery system, the size of the plurality of partitions varies based upon at least one of the following;

historical data, volume of items in each of the plurality of batches, and the time it would take a delivery system operator to deliver the items in the batch corresponding to the partition; and

sorting the items of each batch by the dynamic sequence numbers as the plurality of items pass through the sequencing component a second time, each of the plurality of partitions sorting only items of its corresponding batch.