Wireless system and method for sorting letters, parcels and other items

• US 6,394,278 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sort-It Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sort-It Incorporated
• Inventors: Reed, Lance Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schlak, Daniel K
• Application Number:
  US09/518,257
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 209/584,702,900,44.4
• US Class Current: 209/44.4
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/942 Operator selects destination of item

Abstract

A system and method for assisting an operator in sorting mail includes a wireless headset equipped with a microphone, and a workstation that includes a processing unit, voice-recognition and voice-synthesis circuitry, and a database. In operation, addressee information spoken into the microphone is transmitted to the workstation where it is used to search the database. Destination information from a matching database record is then output to the operator on one or more of a display terminal, headset speakers, and heads-up display fixed to the headset. The convenience and enhanced capability provided by this system streamlines operator productivity and sorting volume. The emobdiments disclosed herein are primarily directed to a headset that is operated completely remotely from the processing unit, and also to a headset comprising a heads up display having means by which an operator can access the database.

Claims

1. A system for assisting an operator in manually sorting mail, comprising:

a wireless headset including a microphone for translating a verbal statement from the operator into speech signals;

a speech recognition unit which recognizes addressee information corresponding to an item of mail from said speech signals;

a database which stores records corresponding to a plurality of addressees, each of said records including destination information for a respective one of said addressees;

a processing unit which searches the database for at least one record matching the addressee information recognized by said speech recognition unit; and

an output unit which outputs results of said database search to the operator, wherein said output unit includes a heads-up display in said headset at a position viewable by the operator, said heads-up display outputting the results of said database search to the operator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said heads-up display displays information including said destination information in said at least one matching record.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said output unit includes:

(i) a speech synthesis unit which converts electrical signals corresponding to results of said database search into speech signals; and

(ii) at least one speaker included in said headset, said at least one speaker translating the speech signals corresponding to the results of said database search into audible signals understandable by the operator.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a printer which prints a label indicative of said destination information corresponding to the item of mail.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said processing unit sends control signals to the printer instructing the printer to automatically print the label when said output unit outputs the results of said database search.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting means for tracking at least one of operator productivity and sorting volume statistics.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

import means for importing a database of addressee information from a customer network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless headset transmits said speech signals as RF signals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said speech recognition unit, said processing unit, and said output unit are included in a workstation remotely located from the operator wearing said wireless headset, said workstation including an RF receiver for receiving RF signals transmitted by said wireless headset.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one wall separates said workstation from said wireless headset, and where the wireless headset transmits the RF signals through the wall.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said workstation and the operator wearing said headset are located on different floors of a building.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing unit communicates with said database through a network.

13. A system for assisting an operator in manually sorting mail, comprising:

a wireless headset including a microphone for translating a verbal statement from the operator into speech signals;

a speech recognition unit which recognizes addressee information corresponding to an item of mail from said speech signals;

a database which stores records corresponding to a plurality of addressees, each of said records including destination information for a respective one of said addressees;

a processing unit which searches the database for at least one record matching the addressee information recognized by said speech recognition unit; and

an output unit which outputs results of said database search to the operator, said output unit including a display terminal which displays information including said destination information in said at least one matching record,

wherein, when the processing unit finds a plurality of records matching the addressee information, the display terminal displays information indicative of the plurality of matching records, and

wherein, when the speech recognition unit translates speech signals from the microphone indicative of a selection of one of said plurality of matching records, the display terminal displays further information including said destination information indicative of the selected matching record.

14. A system for assisting an operating in sorting mail, comprising:

a wireless headset including a microphone for translating a verbal statement from the operator into speech signals;

a speech recognition unit which recognizes addressee information corresponding to an item of mail from said speech signals;

a database which stores records corresponding to a plurality of addressees, each of said records including destination information for a respective one of said addressees;

a processing unit which searches the database for at least one record matching the addressee information recognized by said speech recognition unit; and

an output unit which outputs results of said database search to the operator,

wherein said output unit includes;

(i) a speech synthesis unit which converts electrical signals corresponding to results of said database search into speech signals, and

(ii) at least one speaker included in said headset, said at least one speaker translating the speech signals corresponding to the results of said database search into audible signals understandable by the operator, and

wherein said system further includes;

a keyboard for inputting an addressee name into said processing unit; and

correct pronunciation means for receiving information indicative of an addressee name input by said keyboard and for instructing the speech synthesis unit to output speech signals to the headset speakers to inform the operator on how to phonetically pronounce the addressee name.

15. A method for sorting items of mail, comprising:

providing an operator with a wireless headset including a microphone;

translating a statement spoken into the microphone into speech signals;

transmitting the speech signals to a speech recognition unit;

recognizing addressee information corresponding to an item of mail from said speech signals;

searching a database of records corresponding to a plurality of addressees to find at least one record that matches said addressee information;

outputting information included within the at least one matching record; and

manually sorting the item of mail based on destination information included in the at least one matching record,

wherein said outputting step includes displaying information corresponding to the at least one matching record on a heads-up display included in the headset.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said outputting step includes:

transmitting speech signals indicative of destination information corresponding to the at least one matching record to the headset;

outputting the destination information as audible synthesized speech through a speaker in the headset.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein if a plurality of records match said addressee information, said method includes:

sounding an alert to the operator through said headset speaker;

displaying information indicative of said plurality of matching records;

translating a second statement spoken in the microphone into selection signals, said second statement identifying a selection of one of said plurality of displayed matching records; and

outputting information including destination information on at least one of a display and the headset speakers corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of matching records.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said recognizing step is performed by at least one of speaker-independent and text-independent speech recognition.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

translating instructions spoken in the microphone into additional speech signals, said instructions being of a type for controlling outputting of said information;

recognizing the instructions in said additional speech signals; and

controlling outputting of information on said display terminal in accordance with said recognized instructions.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically printing a label indicative of said destination information corresponding to the item of mail when said output unit outputs the results of said searching step.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

tracking at least one of operator productivity and sorting volume statistics; and

generating a report based on said tracking step.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

importing a database of addressee information from a customer network.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting the speech signals as RF signals to a speech recognition unit.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

placing said speech recognition unit and said processing unit in a workstation remotely located from the operator.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

placing the workstation at a location which is separated from the operator by at least one wall.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said workstation and the operator are located on different floors of a building.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicating between said processing unit and said database through a network.

28. A method for sorting items of mail, comprising:

providing an operator with a wireless headset including a microphone;

translating a statement spoken into the microphone into speech signals;

transmitting the speech signals to a speech recognition unit;

recognizing addressee information corresponding to an item of mail from said speech signals;

searching a database of records corresponding to a plurality of addressees to find at least one record that matches said addressee information;

outputting information included within the at least one matching record; and

manually sorting the item of mail based on destination information included in the at least one matching record,

wherein said outputting step includes displaying information corresponding to the at least one matching record on a display terminal, and

wherein if a plurality of records matches said addressee information, said method further includes;

displaying information indicative of said plurality of matching records on said display terminal;

translating a second statement spoken in the microphone into selection signals, said second statement identifying a selection of one of said plurality of matching records; and

outputting information including destination information corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of matching records.

29. A method for sorting items of mail, comprising:

providing an operator with a wireless headset including a microphone;

translating a statement spoken into the microphone into speech signals;

transmitting the speech signals to a speech recognition unit;

recognizing addressee information corresponding to an item of mail from said speech signals;

searching a database of records corresponding to a plurality of addressees to find at least one record that matches said addressee information,

outputting information included within the at least one matching record; and

manually sorting the item of mail based on destination information included in the at least one matching record,

wherein said method further comprises;

inputting an addressee name into said processing unit using a keyboard; and

outputting information indicative of a correct pronunciation of said addressee name.