METHOD AND SYSTEM TO INDICATE BIN SWEEP STATUS ON DOCUMENT PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

• US 20090283453A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bowe Bell & Howell Company
• Inventors: BOWERS, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,748,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/551
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00

Abstract

The present application relates to a method and system for mail item processing. More particularly, the present application relates to a method and system alerting document processing operators when all mail items have reached a designated bin in order to improve accuracy and efficiency during document processing as well as improving the overall efficiency of the document processing facility.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing subsequent pass sorting operations at a mail sorting facility, the method comprising steps of:

(a) determining a number of mail items expected at each of one or more bins by analyzing delivery point data associated with each of a plurality of mail items;

(b) sorting the plurality of mail items to the one or more bins in accordance with the delivery point data;

(c) maintaining a count of mail items at each of the one or more bins when the plurality of mail items are sorted; and

(d) triggering an alert associated with a bin when the number of mail items expected at the bin is reached by the count of mail items at the bin.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery point data associated with each of the plurality of mail items is encoded in a barcode on each of the plurality of mail items.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the barcode is encoded from a first numerical code and the first numerical code includes a second numerical code indicative of the delivery point data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first numerical code has 31 digits and the second numerical code has 11 digits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery point data of each of the plurality of mail items is indicative of one of the one or more bins.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

reading the barcode from each of the plurality of mail items; and

identifying the delivery point data in accordance with the barcode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sorting each of the plurality of mail items to one of the one or more bins in accordance with the delivery point data further comprises transferring each of the plurality of mail items to one of the one or more bins based on a sort scheme.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert includes at least one of a light indicator, a sound indicator, and a computer-generated message displayed on a computer screen.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sweeping all sorted mail items from the bin in response to the alert; and

deactivating the alert upon sweeping all the sorted mail items from the bin.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alert is activated and the sorted mail items in the bin are swept before the entire processing job of the plurality of mail items is completed.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising sorting all the sorted mail items from the bin in at least one additional pass using the steps (a)-(d).

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transferring all the sorted mail items from the bin to a postal authority.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

identifying one or more quick kill mail items from the plurality of mail items; and

transferring the one or more quick kill mail items to a postal authority without sorting the one or more quick kill mail items.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent pass sorting operation may follow a first pass sorting operation or a mail insertion operation.

15. A mail processing system having an enhanced subsequent pass sorting operation, the system comprising:

a server for receiving and processing mail data, wherein the mail data includes at least delivery point data associated with each of the plurality of mail items, and wherein the server determines a number of mail items expected at each of one or more bins by analyzing the delivery point data associated with each of the plurality of mail items; and

at least one sorter for sorting the plurality of mail items to the one or more bins in accordance with the delivery point data,

wherein the sorter maintains a count of mail items for each of the one or more bins when the at least one sorter sorts the plurality of mail items to the one or more bins, and

wherein a sorter triggers an alert associated therewith when the number of mail items expected at the bin is reached by the count of mail items at the bin.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more bins includes a diverter for directing a mail item in accordance with a sort scheme.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more bins includes a mail accumulating modular for receiving a sorted mail item and for maintaining the count of mail items received therein.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mail accumulating modular further includes a mail paddle for detecting an accumulation of mail items received at each of the one or more bins and one or more sensors for detecting a position of the mail paddle, and wherein the position of the mail paddle is indicative of the count of mail items.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more bins further includes an acknowledgement device for an operator to acknowledge the alert and deactivate the alert after the operator sweeps all sorted mail items from the bin.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the data received by the server is generated by either a mail inserter system or a mail sorter system.

21. A method for enhancing subsequent pass sorting operations at a mail sorting facility, the method comprising steps of:

determining a number of expected mail items directed to each of one or more bins in accordance with a sort scheme, wherein the number of expected mail items is determined in advance of subsequent pass processing of a plurality of mail items using a sorter associated with the one or more bins;

detecting delivery point data associated with each of the plurality of mail items;

sorting the plurality of mail items in accordance the delivery point data to the one or more bins;

maintaining a count of mail items at each of the one or more bins;

determining whether all the expected mail items have been received at a bin by comparing the number of expected mail items of the bin and the count of mail items received at the bin; and

setting an alert indicating that all mail items should be swept from the bin based on the determination.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein setting step includes:

activating an alarm when all the expected mail items have been received at the bin; and

further processing all the expected mail items received at the bin before the entire sorting job of the plurality of mail items is completed.

23. A method for enhancing subsequent pass sorting operations at a mail sorting facility, the method comprising steps of:

(a) determining a check-off list of unique numbers for mail items expected at each of one or more bins by analyzing delivery point data and the mail item unique number associated with each of a plurality of mail items;

(b) sorting the plurality of mail items to the one or more bins in accordance with the delivery point data;

(c) maintaining a record of mail item unique numbers at each of the one or more bins when the plurality of mail items are sorted; and

(d) triggering an alert associated with a bin when all of the mail item unique numbers expected for the bin have been processed and sorted to the respective bin.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the unique number is contained in a postal authority barcode.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the check-off list of unique numbers is obtained from a first pass sorting operation and/or from mail insertion operations.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the trigger for the alert is set when all unique numbers expected for the bin have been checked-off from the list associated with the one or more bins.