Sort scheme generation based on bin capacity
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for processing mail groupings, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining data information regarding volume of mail pieces to be sorted into a plurality of mail groupings, each mail grouping comprising a plurality of the mail pieces and each mail piece having a delivery point identifier;
assigning a bin for each respective mail grouping based on the volume of the respective mail grouping and at least one delivery point identifier corresponding to the respective mail grouping;
detecting the delivery point identifier on each mail piece; and
routing each mail piece in response to the detected delivery point identifier to a mail bin assigned to the respective grouping corresponding to the delivery point identifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The subject matter discussed herein relates to a method and system for the processing of mail items with respect to mail item bin capacity. The present method and system ensure that mail piece grouping of larger volumes are assigned to larger capacity bins. As a result, the frequency at which mail sweeps must be conducted during a mail job is minimized, and in turn improves the overall efficiency of a sort operation. In addition, the present method and system enables the high capacity bins to be sorted to with respect to volume at the beginning or end of a mail processing device to accommodate different material handling needs.
33 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for processing mail groupings, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining data information regarding volume of mail pieces to be sorted into a plurality of mail groupings, each mail grouping comprising a plurality of the mail pieces and each mail piece having a delivery point identifier; assigning a bin for each respective mail grouping based on the volume of the respective mail grouping and at least one delivery point identifier corresponding to the respective mail grouping; detecting the delivery point identifier on each mail piece; and routing each mail piece in response to the detected delivery point identifier to a mail bin assigned to the respective grouping corresponding to the delivery point identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 33)
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8. A method for processing mail groupings, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a stream of addressed mail, the addressed mail comprising a plurality of mail pieces; detecting at least one readable delivery point identifier on each mail piece; determining a volume of each respective one of a plurality of mail groupings of the stream of mail, each mail grouping comprising a portion of the plurality of the mail pieces; assigning a bin for each mail grouping based on the volume of the respective mail grouping; and routing each mail piece for each respective one of the mail groupings to the mail bin assigned to the respective grouping. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 27, 28, 32, 34, 35)
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17. A mail processing system comprising:
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machinery for executing one or more mail processing functions; a software based controller for the machinery for controlling execution of at least the following processing functions; obtaining data information regarding volume of mail pieces to be sorted into a plurality of mail groupings, each mail grouping comprising a plurality of the mail pieces and each mail piece having a delivery point identifier; assigning a bin for each respective mail grouping based on the volume of the respective mail grouping and at least one delivery point identifier corresponding to the respective mail grouping; detecting the delivery point identifier on each mail piece; and routing each mail piece in response to the detected delivery point identifier to a mail bin assigned to the respective mail grouping corresponding to the delivery point identifier. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30, 31)
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22. A method of generating a sort scheme for use in sorting items in a mail stream, comprising:
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obtaining information including volume of mail items in the mail stream having a first delivery point identifier associated therewith and including volume of mail items in the mail stream having a second delivery point identifier associated therewith, the second delivery point identifier being different from the first delivery point identifier, wherein the obtained information indicates that the volume of mail items having the first delivery point identifier is greater than the volume of mail items having the second delivery point identifier; and based on the indication of greater volume; (a) assigning a first sort bin to receive mail items having the first delivery point identifier, from among a plurality of sort bins available to receive mail items during a sorting of the mail stream; and (b) assigning a second sort bin to receive mail items having the second delivery point identifier, from among the plurality of sort bins available to receive mail items during the sorting of the mail stream, wherein the first bin sort bin has a larger volume capacity for receiving mail items than the second sort bin. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification