Article delivery system

• US 6,437,272 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takashi, Tajiri, Toshihiko, Tamamoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beauchaine, Mark J
• Application Number:
  US09/885,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 209/900, 209/384, 700/223, 700/224, 700/226
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• 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

In an article delivery system, articles each having sorting information are handled, and the articles are arranged in proper delivery order through a plurality of arrangement paths so as to help the delivery of the articles. This system includes a sorting information procuring device for procuring the sorting information of each article, an article information storage device which is connected to the sorting information procuring device, and collects and stores the sorting information, a database for providing the order of arrangement of the sorting information, an information processing device for arranging the sorting information in the order, provided by the database, while including information for distinguishing the arrangement paths from each other, and delivery order forming device having a communication device for transmitting the sorting information arranged by the information processing device.

Claims

1. An article delivery system for arranging plural kinds of articles having sorting information in accordance with the sorting information so as to help the delivery of the article, comprising:

a plurality of article information procuring means for respectively procuring article information each containing the sorting information and kind information corresponding to the article, said plurality of article information procuring means being provided for every kind of article; and

delivery order forming means for arranging said article information of said plural kinds of articles in accordance with said sorting information in said article information procured by said plurality of article information procuring means and forming delivery order of the plural kinds of articles,

said delivery order forming means having a reference order database in which the sorting information and reference delivery numbers are correlated with each other and, in accordance with said reference order database, applying corresponding reference delivery numbers to said article information to form the delivery order of the plural kinds of articles.

2. An article delivery system for arranging plural kinds of articles having sorting information in accordance with the sorting information so as to help the delivery of the article, comprising:

a plurality of article information procuring means for respectively procuring article information each containing the sorting information and kind information corresponding to the article, said plurality of article information procuring means being provided for every kind of article; and

delivery order forming means for arranging said article information of said plural kinds of articles in accordance with said sorting information in said article information procured by said plurality of article information procuring means and forming delivery order of the plural kinds of articles,

said delivery order forming means having a map information database and, in accordance with said map information database, computing a delivery route to form the delivery order of the plural kinds of articles.