System for Managing Mail Carriers in a Sorting Facility Using Persistent Asset Routing Terminals

• US 20110080281A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: SPEESE, Paul, NEEBE, Mark T., NEILSON, Randall Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/12 using electric or electronic detecting means B07C3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A system for managing a plurality of carriers in a mail sorting facility includes a server configured to create, implement and/or execute a sort plan, a plurality of terminals disposed on the plurality of carriers and each configured to send a wireless beacon signal and at least one gateway in communication with the server and configured to receive the wireless beacon signals from the terminals. The terminals preferably each include an alert mechanism. Preferably, the server is further configured to determine the location of a terminal based on the beacon signal transmitted by the terminals to said servers via said at least one gateway and configured to compare the location of each terminal to the location required by the sort plan and to activate the alert mechanism in any terminal determined to be in an incorrect location.

Claims

1. A system for managing a plurality of carriers in a mail sorting facility having a plurality of mail handling stations, comprising:

a server configured to implement a sort plan;

a plurality of terminals disposed on said plurality of carriers and each configured to send wireless beacon signals, each terminal being disposed on one of said carriers;

said plurality of terminals each including an alert mechanism;

at least one gateway in communication with said server and configured to receive the wireless beacon signals from said terminals;

wherein said server is configured to determine the location of a terminal based on the beacon signal transmitted by said terminals to said server via said at least one gateway; and

wherein said server is further configured to compare the location of each terminal to the location required by the sort plan and to activate the alert mechanism in any terminal determined to be at an incorrect location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said terminals includes a display system with a display, said display system configured to display information including at least one of carrier identification and sort plan information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sort plan information includes at least one of the zip code of the mail in each carrier and the mail handling station each carrier must go to within the mail sorting facility.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least some of said terminals are configured to be mounted on carriers such that said display protrudes physically from said carrier when said terminal is attached thereto.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one gateway is configured to determine a signal strength of each beacon signal received from a terminal and to provide information about the signal strength to said server.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said server is configured to determine the location of a terminal based on the signal strength of the beacon signal sent by said terminal.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of gateways and wherein said server is configured to determine the location of a terminal using a plurality of received signal strength readings from said plurality of gateways.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said terminals includes a motion sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said terminals is configured to send a beacon signal after a predetermined period during which said motion sensor senses no motion.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said terminals is configured to continuously send beacon signals while in motion.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said alert mechanism includes a light-emitting diode.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is configured to send a wireless alert signal to said terminals via said one or more gateways and wherein said alert mechanism of each terminal is configured to activate in response to an alert signal from said server intended for said carrier.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of gateways in communication with said server and configured to receive the wireless beacon signals from said terminals, wherein a gateway is present at each mail loading or unloading station.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one gateway is configured to write information to each terminal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said information includes carrier identification information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one gateway is configured to erase information on a terminal when the mail in said carrier has been unloaded.