Method and apparatus for computer assisted sorting of parcels

• US 5,677,834 A
• Filed: 01/26/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sort-It Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Martin Mooneyham
• Inventors: Mooneyham, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUNDUPOGLU, YONCHA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/378,463
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708.1, 364/188, 364/189, 235/61.11, 235/467, 235/472, 235/462, 401/7, 209/3.3, 209/584, 209/546, 395/2, 434/166, 198/365
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/12 using electric or electronic detecting means B07C3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/127 with the intervention of an operator

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sorting parcels using a portable computer worn by the user and equipped with voice recognition systems and voice synthesis systems. The portable computer is carried on the body of the user, who wears a headset having at least one microphone and at least one speaker electrically connected to the voice synthesis and voice recognition systems of the portable computer. Address information spoken by the user is recognized and sorting information provided to the user. In an alternative embodiment, the invention also comprises laser scanning means. In a further alternative embodiment, means are provided for marking sorted parcels without interfering with the use of the user'"'"'s hands for sorting parcels.

Claims

1. An apparatus for computer assisted sorting by a user of parcels, comprising:

a portable computing unit having means for being removably supported on said user, and further having mounted within said portable computing unit data processing means, memory storage means communicating with said data processing means, voice recognition means communicating with said data processing means for receiving oral utterances by said user and for converting said oral utterances to input electrical signals for communication to said data processing means, matching means associated with said data processing means for matching said input electrical signals against a discrete set of street addresses stored in said memory storage means, response means associated with said data processing means for assigning output electrical signals responsive to said input electrical signals according to current operational context, voice synthesis means communicating with said data processing means for receiving said output electrical signals and converting said output electrical signals to oral responses to said user;

a headset to be worn on the head of said user, said voice recognition means further comprising at least one microphone associated with said headset, and said voice synthesis means further comprising at least one speaker associated with said headset;

wherein said response means provides said oral responses to said user in the form of sorting directions for said parcel;

wherein said response means further provides said oral responses to said user in the form of prompting commands for providing further information by the user to said voice recognition means; and

laser scanning means communicating with said data processing means and having a laser scanning head attached to said headset and oriented so as to scan a parcel having a bar coded label when held by said user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for marking said parcels.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for marking comprises a marking instrument having a clip for attachment to a finger of said user such that said marking instrument is oriented at an angle to a line defined by said finger at full extension.

4. A method for computer assisted sorting by a user of parcels, comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting on the user a portable computing unit having data processing means, memory storage means communicating with said data processing means, voice recognition means communicating with said data processing means for receiving oral utterances by said user and for converting said oral utterances to input electrical signals for communication to said data processing means, matching means associated with said data processing means for matching said input electrical signals against a discrete set of street addresses stored in said memory storage means, response means associated with said data processing means for assigning output electrical signals responsive to said input electrical signals according to current operational context, voice synthesis means communicating with said data processing means for receiving said output electrical signals and converting said output electrical signals to oral responses to said user;

(b) selecting at random a parcel having a street address indicated thereon;

(c) receiving an oral utterance by said user of said street address by said voice recognition means, converting said oral utterance to an input electrical signal, and communicating said input electrical signal to said data processing means;

(d) comparing said input electrical signal to a discrete set of street addresses;

(e) assigning an output electrical signal responsive to said input electrical signal according to current operational context;

(f) communicating said output electrical signal to said voice synthesis means and converting said output electrical signal to an oral response to said user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said output electrical signal of step (e) when converted to said oral response of step (f) prompts said user to repeat said oral utterance.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said output electrical signal of step (e) when converted to said oral response of step (f) prompts said user to spell said street address.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein step (e) comprises assigning an output electrical signal providing sorting directions to said user for said parcel.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising the additional steps following step (f) of marking said parcel to indicate that the parcel has been sorted and placing said parcel in a receiving bin responsive to said sorting directions.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of repeating the steps of claim 4 for a given quantity of sorted parcels, generating a data base of street addresses of said sorted parcels, and processing said data base to create optimized delivery routes for said sorted parcels.

10. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step following step (a) of mounting on the user laser scanning means communicating with said data processing means and having a laser scanning head oriented so as to scan a parcel having a bar coded label when held by said user.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step, following step (b) of claim 4, of scanning said bar code label, decoding said bar code label to generate an input electrical signal corresponding to the street address of said parcel.