Facility Wide Mixed Mail Sorting and/or Sequencing System and Components and Methods Thereof

• US 20110046775A1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: DALTON, Bryan, Patrick, John, Williams, Bruce, Riess, Michael, Riehle, Kalon, Sweet, Frank, Solowiej, Clifford, Blackwell, Wayne, Ondreyko, Daniel, Olver, William, Swetland, Jamie, Sensenig, Gerald, Benninger, David, Scrivener, Leslie, Wee, Jonathan, Nasakaitus, John, Erb, Thomas, Zimmer, Kevin, Hartman, John, Finney, Michael, Bossard, Matthew, Gaug, Mark, Marks, Kenneth, Porter, Joseph, Micha, Jamie, Bailey, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/224
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/20 Sorting according to orientation, e.g. according to position of stamp
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/02 Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/00 Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches sorting by hand only B07C7/00; separating solids from solids by sieving, screening, or sifting or by using gas currents or other separating by dry methods applicable to bulk material B07B
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/36 Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/00 Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 33/02 for articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/46 and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points in tube mail systems B65G51/36
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/52 Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

The invention generally relates to a facility wide sorting and/or sequencing system for improving product processing operations and, more particularly, to a facility wide system and related functionality for simultaneously sorting and sequencing mixed mail pieces such as, for example, flats and letter mail pieces. The flats and letter mail pieces are placed in frames so that all types of mail pieces can be sorted and/or sequenced simultaneously through merging and diverting a stream of filled trays into and out of different streams at a full or substantially full transport speed.

Claims

1. A facility wide sorting and/or sequencing system, comprising:

equipment interfaces for interfacing with the facility-wide product sorting and/or sequencing system;

a unit for culling products that are unsuitable for sequencing;

a unit for facing the products, which have not been culled, by determining the existence and location of a valid indicia and by orienting the products;

a unit for canceling the faced products having a valid indicia; and

a unit for monitoring whether the culling, facing and canceling are functioning normally and to provide a warning signal to the sequencing system when the units are not functioning normally;

a transportable facility comprising;

a unit including;

a plurality of parallel adjacent aisles;

an aisle conveyor provided in each storage aisle to transport products along a respective storage aisle;

a conveyor aisle extending in a direction transverse to the parallel storage aisles;

a conveyor aisle conveyor provided in the conveyor aisle to transport products along the conveyor aisle;

a transport device that transfers the products between the conveyor aisle conveyor and the storage aisle conveyors; and

a port that provides access between the exterior and the interior of the unit;

a centralized address recognition system comprising a centralized address recognition sub-system located communicates and/or interfaces with each of a facing cancelling sub-system, a product feeding sub-system, a flats feeding sub-system, and a parcel feeding sub-system;

at least one server which (i) one of receives and obtains external data from at least one external source associated with product inbound to a facility utilizing the facility-wide sorting and/or sequencing system, and based upon the external data, the server generates assignments for handling the product within the facility, (ii) comprises a frame routing agent that operates to;

store a system transport map of a transportation network associated with a facility wide sorting and/or sequencing system, and determine a path for transporting a product through a portion of the transportation network based upon the system transport map; and

(iii) comprises a frame tracking agent that tracks locations of a plurality of frames throughout the facility-wide sorting and/or sequencing system based upon data received from subsystems of the facility-wide sorting and/or sequencing system;

a processing system comprising;

a base module capable of performing all processes of the processing system; and

at least one expansion module configured to be connected to the base module so as to increase a processing capacity of the processing system; and

at least one processing module having a plurality of parallel branches configured to independently process the products;

a system comprising;

one or more regional command centers;

at least one processing and delivery center hierarchically arranged below each of the one or more regional centers; and

at least one mail processing/handling equipment (MPE/MHE) or facility wide sorting and/or sequencing sub systems or components hierarchically arranged below the at least one processing and delivery center, wherein the one or more regional centers, the at least one processing and delivery center and the at least one mail processing/handling equipment or facility wide sorting and/or sequencing sub systems or components utilize a service oriented architecture;

a conveyance system for transporting a plurality of product containers comprising;

a plurality of input conveyance paths;

a plurality of output conveyance paths which are at right angles and the product containers at least travel at a 45 degree angle with reference to a transport direction; and

at least one conveyance mechanism, wherein the plurality of product containers are directed through the plurality of input and output conveyance paths, where each of the product containers are configured to contain a single product during processing including sorting and sequencing;

each of said product containers having an extraction opening through which said single product is adapted to be extracted; and

an extraction arrangement to extract said single products from said succession of product containers for subsequent placement in delivery containers;

the product container further comprising;

a frame comprising at least a pair of engageable portions adapted to be engaged by a driving mechanism for transporting a plurality of successive containers within the mail processing system;

a folder having at least one portion movably connected to the frame, the folder having at least a portion movable relative to the frame between;

a first position for facilitating selective insertion and extraction of a single product within the container; and

a second position, wherein the folder is empty of any product;

a product identifier tool configured to determine at least one product identifier of the product;

a frame identifier tool configured to determine a frame identifier of the frame to contain the product;

an association tool configured to create an association between the at least one product identifier and the frame identifier;

a data store configured to store the association so that the product is identifiable by the frame identifier;

a presorting unit comprising;

at least one induction unit configured to split products into a plurality of split pathways for placement into the frames, the induction unit comprising;

at least one feeder;

a first pathway having a plurality of diverter gates, wherein the at least one feeder is configured to direct products into the first pathway, and the products are given a source identifier at the at least one feeder, and wherein the plurality of split pathways having spaced intervals adjacent a side of the first pathway; and

a plurality of frame inserters provided adjacent second ends of the plurality of split pathways, wherein the plurality of diverter gates selectively divert products from the first pathway to one of the plurality of split pathways, and wherein the plurality of frame inserters are configured to place the products into the frames.

a frame manager system comprising;

an empty frame receiving system;

a frame inspection system; and

a system for loading frames onto transports;

a shuttle manager system comprising an empty shuttle receiving system; and

a shuttle reading system;

a frame buffer system comprising;

a frame receiving system receiving frames with the product; and

a buffer controller system buffering frames prior to sorting the frames;

a merger processing system for merging different types of products together, comprising;

a frame inserter which receives a first type of product and inserts the first type of product into the frames;

a frame inserter which receives a second type of product and inserts the second type of products into the frames; and

a conveying system for the products to be combined into a mixed stream containing both types of products;

a computer implemented method of providing a user interface for a handling facility, comprising;

presenting a user interface on at least one of;

a console associated with a unit of mail handling equipment (MHE), a networked computer of the handling facility, a personal data assistant, and a smart telephone; and

utilizing the user interface to perform;

operator training, system monitoring, event handling, and personnel monitoring;

an induction system for inducting the products into a sequencing system comprising;

a feeder for conveying the products into the induction system;

an optical imaging unit for capturing an image of the products being conveyed into the system;

a unit for decoding barcodes on the products;

a unit for decoding ID tags on the products;

a unit for profiling physical attributes of the products including dimensions, shape and weight of the products;

a unit for recognizing the addresses or redirected addresses on the products and for verifying whether the recognized addresses are deliverable addresses;

a staging area for buffering products that include an address that cannot be immediately recognized or verified; and

at least one holdout bin for receiving products that cannot be inducted into the sequencing system;

a system for distributing filled trays of destination product comprising at least one dispatch lane unit receiving mail trays loading carts with the mail trays;

a system for sequencing products within a storage unit comprising;

an input lane for transporting unsequenced products to an input of the storage unit;

a conveyor for cycling the products through the storage unit in at least a first cyclic path and a second cyclic path which includes the plurality of input conveyance paths and output conveyance paths;

a diverter for diverting selected products from the first cyclic path to the second cyclic path which is at a right angle to one another; and

an output lane for transporting sequenced products from an output of the storage unit;

wherein the products are diverted between the first cyclic path and the second cyclic path, in accordance with a sequencing control which places all the products in a predetermined delivery point sequence within the storage unit;

a clamp system for holding the products comprising;

a first clamp comprising;

a backing having a gap or notch at an upper edge thereof;

a divert pin extending upward from the backing and configured to interact with a divert mechanism or angle compensating mechanism; and

an upward extending arm from the backing and at a side of the gap or notch.

a container comprising;

sidewalls and a bottom surface;

a locking bar extending from at least the sidewalls and configured to pivot between a locked position and an open position, the locking bar including wedge shaped protections configured to interact and contact with a backing of clamps;

offsetting channels “

CH”

or other holding mechanism projecting upwards from the bottom surface and configured to mate with upward extending arms of the clamps;

an upward extending substantially centrally located locking tab positioned between the channels, the locking tab being configured to interact with the upward extending arms of the clamps such that when the locking bar is lowered, the wedge shaped projections contact the backing of the clamps, pushing the upward extending arms of the clamps into frictional engagement with the locking tab, effectively holding the clamps in a stationary position;

a storage unit comprising;

a drawer having a sliding mechanism to allow access to the drawer; and

a channel or transport mechanism for holding clamps therein, wherein a channel or transport mechanism of a first storage unit is at an incline with respect to a channel or transport mechanism of a second storage unit;

a system for automatically identifying the frames containing individual products associated with delivery destinations comprising;

machine readable unique frame identification data associated with each frame;

product profile data associated with the identification data of the frame is stored;

a plurality of readers for reading and decoding the unique frame identification data at predefined locations within the sequencing system; and

a processing unit for providing tracking information, as the frames move through the sequencing system past the plurality of readers;

wherein the tracking information is utilized to place the frames into a delivery point sequence and the product profile data is utilized to place the frames into greater levels or sort in addition to the delivery point sequence;

a buffer system comprising a frame receiving system and a buffer controller system;

a presort accumulator system architecture comprising;

a frame reader which receives the frames that each have the product from one or more mail induction units, the frame reader reads a frame identification (ID) and communicates with the server (control function sub-system) which comprises;

a multiplex controller;

an accumulator controller, and an accumulator selector, the accumulator selector interfaces with an accumulator allocation plan; and

a system of accumulator tubes receives the read frames from the frame reader and places the frames into a buffer segment of one or more of the accumulator tubes, wherein each accumulator tube has an arrangement for moving the frames within the tubes including a buffer segment and a collector segment;

a computer implemented method embodied on a tangible storage medium, comprising;

ascertaining attributes on at least one product using a profiler;

determining dimensional data for the at least one product based on the attributes;

determining whether the dimensional data is within predefined dimensions;

identifying a frame having dimensions larger than the dimensional data; and

matching the at least one product with the frame that has dimensions larger than the dimensional data;

a profiler configured to obtain one or more product attributes;

a data storage unit configured to store dimensional data about the obtained one or more product attributes;

an insertion machine configured to insert the products into an appropriately sized frame based on the dimensional data;

a self monitoring and testing unit comprising;

a ruggedized, portable processing unit configured to pass through a machine comprising a plurality of sensors and monitors configured to detect and monitor changes in operating conditions of the machine, and wherein the plurality of sensors and monitors collect data along a conveyance path including the at least a first cyclic path and a second cyclic path and transmits the collected data to the server (control unit of the computer);

a shuttle mechanism for conveying a plurality of the frames to a subsystem, the shuttle comprising;

a frame member comprising at least two open end walls;

a plurality of non-powered transport screws extended between the two open end walls; and

side posts having at least two notches to accommodate portions of the plurality of non-powered transport screws;

a system configuration for a facility-wide letters/flats mail sorting and/or sequencing system comprising;

at least one processing system;

at least one input system;

at least one management system; and

at least one output system;

a system configuration for a facility-wide letters/flats mail sorting and/or sequencing system comprising;

at least one input segment;

at least one sequencer segment;

at least one storage segment; and

a master configuration;

a stackable cart comprising;

a frame having a front, back, and sides; and

a bottom hingedly connected to a lower end of the back, wherein, in a side view, a height of the back is less than a height of the front, in a top-down view, a width of the back is less than a width of the front such that the frame has a generally trapezoidal footprint, and the bottom is biased to an intermediate angular position; and

a system for performing a sequencing/sorting process of the products comprising;

a tool operable to determine a proper sequence for a batch of the mail pieces using one of an N×

N sequencing/sorting methodology, an N×

M sequencing/sorting methodology and an applied radix sequencing/sorting methodology; and

a plurality of right-angle diverts and a plurality of frame transport tubes operable to rearrange the batch of the mail pieces into the proper sequence.