METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING A SET OF ARTICLES TO DESTINATIONS AND FOR ANALYZING THE TRANSPORTATION PROCESS
First Claim
1. A method for analyzing a transportation process, the transportation process transporting a plurality of articles to a respective destination, each article to be transported being provided with details relating to a respective destination to which the article is to be transported, and each article being transported along a prescribed route to the respective destination, the method which comprises:
- providing at least one portable position measuring instrument and analyzing the transportation process with the position measuring instrument by;
transporting the position measuring instrument along a prescribed route;
repeatedly measuring a current geoposition of and with the position measuring instrument during the transportation and storing an identification for the measured geoposition together with an identification for a respective measurement time;
following conclusion of the transportation of the at least one position measuring instrument, evaluating the stored geoposition identifications and measurement time identifications in order to ascertain what value is assumed by at least one parameter describing the transportation of the position measuring instrument;
wherein a transportation route is prescribed, the prescribed transportation route stipulating a single order among all times for the articles that are to be transported;
wherein a series of measurement times is prescribed, wherein an interval between two measurement times is shorter than a period of time required to transport the position measuring instrument from one destination to the next destination on the transportation route using the destination order; and
wherein the method further comprises;
placing all articles to be transported into a common transportation apparatus;
transporting the filled, common transportation apparatus together with the position measuring instrument along the entire prescribed transportation route;
measuring the geoposition of the position measuring instrument at each prescribed measurement time and storing an identification for the geoposition and an identification for the measurement time;
at each destination on the transportation route, removing each article that is provided with details relating to the destination from the transportation apparatus and concluding a transportation for the respective article; and
using a parameter value ascertained by evaluating the stored geoposition and measurement times as a parameter value for the transportation route.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for transporting a set of articles to destinations, particularly items of mail to delivery addresses. The articles to be transported are placed into a transportation apparatus and the filled transportation apparatus and also a portable position measuring instrument are transported along the route. At each destination on the route, the following step is performed: each article which is provided with details relating to the destination is taken from the transportation apparatus, and the transportation for the article is concluded. The position measuring instrument carried along measures its own current geoposition during the transportation at each prescribed measurement time and stores the measured geoposition together with an identification for the measurement time. The interval between two prescribed measurement times is shorter than the period of time for transporting the position measuring instrument from one destination to the next destination on the route. Following conclusion of the transportation, the stored geopositions and measurement times are evaluated in order to ascertain what value is assumed by at least one parameter describing the transportation for this route.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A method for analyzing a transportation process, the transportation process transporting a plurality of articles to a respective destination, each article to be transported being provided with details relating to a respective destination to which the article is to be transported, and each article being transported along a prescribed route to the respective destination, the method which comprises:
-
providing at least one portable position measuring instrument and analyzing the transportation process with the position measuring instrument by; transporting the position measuring instrument along a prescribed route; repeatedly measuring a current geoposition of and with the position measuring instrument during the transportation and storing an identification for the measured geoposition together with an identification for a respective measurement time; following conclusion of the transportation of the at least one position measuring instrument, evaluating the stored geoposition identifications and measurement time identifications in order to ascertain what value is assumed by at least one parameter describing the transportation of the position measuring instrument; wherein a transportation route is prescribed, the prescribed transportation route stipulating a single order among all times for the articles that are to be transported; wherein a series of measurement times is prescribed, wherein an interval between two measurement times is shorter than a period of time required to transport the position measuring instrument from one destination to the next destination on the transportation route using the destination order; and wherein the method further comprises; placing all articles to be transported into a common transportation apparatus; transporting the filled, common transportation apparatus together with the position measuring instrument along the entire prescribed transportation route; measuring the geoposition of the position measuring instrument at each prescribed measurement time and storing an identification for the geoposition and an identification for the measurement time; at each destination on the transportation route, removing each article that is provided with details relating to the destination from the transportation apparatus and concluding a transportation for the respective article; and using a parameter value ascertained by evaluating the stored geoposition and measurement times as a parameter value for the transportation route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A configuration for analyzing a transportation process, wherein a plurality of articles are transported to a respective destination, and wherein each article to be transported is provided with details relating to a respective destination to which the article is to be transported, the configuration comprising:
-
a portable position measuring instrument configured to repeatedly measure its own geoposition during transportation along a route and to store an identification for the measured geoposition together with an identification for the respective measurement time; an evaluation unit configured to evaluate stored identifications for geopositions and measurement times; wherein the configuration is configured to analyze the transportation process by performing the following steps, while the articles together with said position measuring instrument are being transported to their respective destinations; said position measuring instrument repeatedly measures a current geoposition thereof during transportation along a prescribed route and stores the geoposition and an identification for the respective measurement time; following conclusion of the transportation process, said evaluation unit evaluates the identifications stored by said position measuring instrument for geopositions and measurement times and thereby ascertains what value is assumed by at least one parameter describing the transportation of the position measuring instrument, the configuration further comprising a transportation apparatus, said transportation apparatus being configured; to carry the articles to be transported; to be transported along a prescribed transportation route; and at each destination on the route, enable each article that is provided with details relating to the destination to be is taken from said transportation apparatus such that a transportation for the article is concluded; wherein; all articles to be transported are placed into the transportation apparatus, the filled transportation apparatus is transported together with the position measuring instrument along a prescribed transportation route, the transportation route stipulating a single order among all destinations for the articles which are to be transported; and throughout the transportation along the transportation route, the position measuring instrument measures its own current geoposition at each measurement time in a series of prescribed measurement times and stores an identification for the measured geoposition and an identification for the respective measurement time; and an interval between two measurement times in the series is shorter than the period of time which is required for transporting the position measuring instrument from one destination to the next destination on the transportation route using the destination order. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
Specification