Methods for shipping freight

• US 6,332,098 B2
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FedEx Corporation
• Original Assignee: FedEx Corporation
• Inventors: Ross, Michael J., Gampa, Ravishanke V., Segars, James E., Barrios, Carlos M., Cummings, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US09/369,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/214, 700/215, 700/225, 700/226, 700/227, 414/807, 414/273, 414/808, 414/809
• US Class Current: 700/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method for staging and shipping articles of freight at a transfer facility by which a radio frequency tag capable of receiving and storing transactional data is placed on each of a plurality of articles of freight, the data regarding the article on which the tag placed. After determining at least the approximate weight and outer dimensions of each article of freight, transactional data representative of at least the weight, the outer dimensions, and the desired destination of the article of freight are transferred to and stored in the respective radio frequency tags. As each article of freight is transferred from one location to another within the facility, the transactional data from each radio associated frequency tag is read and stored in one or more memory devices. The articles of freight are temporarily stored in an intermediate holding area, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data, and the articles of freight are sequentially loaded, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data.

Claims

1. A method for staging and shipping articles of freight at a transfer facility comprising the steps of:

placing on each of a plurality of articles of freight a radio frequency tag capable of receiving and storing transactional data regarding the article to which it is placed;

determining at least the approximate weight and outer dimensions of each article of freight;

transferring to and storing in said radio frequency tags transactional data representative of at least the weight, the outer dimensions, and the desired destination of the article of freight on which a respective radio frequency tag is placed;

reading transactional data from each radio frequency tags as its associated article of freight is transferred from one location to another within the facility and storing the read transactional data in one or more memory devices;

temporarily storing the articles of freight in an intermediate holding area, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data; and

sequentially loading the articles of freight, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

placing on said articles of freight an identifying bar code associated with transactional data regarding the article of freight on which it is placed;

scanning the bar code on each article of freight; and

transferring to the radio frequency tag associated with each article of freight the identifying data on the bar code associated with that article of freight.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

placing on said articles a readable code identifying the destination of each article of freight;

reading the readable destination code; and

transferring to the radio frequency tag associated with an article of freight the destination code of the article of freight.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

transferring at least some of the articles of freight by a mechanical apparatus;

weighing said at least some of the articles of freight while they are on said mechanical apparatus; and

transferring data representing the weight of the articles of freight to said radio frequency tag.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the outer dimensions of each article of freight are sensed by optical sensors while the article of freight is on the mechanical apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the mechanical apparatus is a fork lift truck.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the mechanical apparatus is a conveyor system.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of providing instructions to the operator of the fork lift truck regarding the transfer and loading of the articles of freight, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said instructions include visual instructions.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said instructions include audio instructions.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said instructions include audio and visual instructions.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the intermediate holding zone includes a plurality of preselected temporary storage locations for articles of freight and further comprising the steps of providing a radio frequency tag sensor at said temporary storage locations, reading transactional data from the radio frequency tag placed on an artide of freight when it is placed at a given temporary storage location, and transferring the sensed transactional data to a memory device to which the programmed computer is interconnected.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the facility includes an loading area having a plurality of preselected outbound locations where articles of freight are to be loaded for shipment from the transfer facility and a radio frequency tag sensor is provided at each of said outbound locations and further comprising the steps of reading transactional data from the radio frequency tag placed on an article of freight when it is transferred to a given outbound location and transferring the sensed transactional data to a memory device to which the programmed computer is interconnected.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of determining a preferred order of loading a given selection of articles of freight based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data and instructing an operator at the transfer facility to load the articles in that order.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of notifying an operator at the transfer facility if the articles of freight are not loaded in the preferred order.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of sensing the shape of each article of freight, storing data representative of a visual reproduction of each article, and displaying to the operator a visual reproduction of each article.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining at least the approximate weight and outer dimensions is achieved through electronic sensors and associated devices.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the outer dimensions of the articles of freight are determined while the articles are transferred toward the intermediate holding area in the facility.