Method for sorting mail

• US 6,570,115 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rosenbaum, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US09/979,083
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 209/630, 209/629, 209/584, 209/900, 209/563, 209/564
• 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: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

In the method, each envelope (1) is provided with an envelope number that can be read by humans and by machine. The control system of a sorting machine (4) is coupled to an e-mail system. The sender (3) looks for the addressee in the e-mail system and enters the number (2) of the envelope (1) to be sent. He then transmits a message with the addressee and the envelope number (2) to the control system of the sorting machine. In the control system there is a file (6) for the sorting plan, which allocates sorting compartments to the addressees. By means of the message from the e-mail system, the sorting compartment of the addressee is also allocated the envelope number (2), so that after the machine-readable number (2) of the envelope (1) has been read, the envelope can be led into the compartment belonging to the addressee. This allocation is then deleted again. In this way, the difficulties in reading the handwritten addresses are avoided.

Claims

1. A method for sorting mail using a sorting machine, which sorts the mail in accordance with a machine-readable code located on envelopes holding items of mail, which comprises the following steps

providing each envelope (1) with its own envelope number (2) in the form of a number that can be read by humans and a machine-readable code for identification,

providing the envelope or envelopes (1) to be dispatched with the information about an addressee which can be read by humans,

looking for the addressee in an e-mail address file of an e-mail system,

inputting the number/s (2) of the envelope or envelopes (1) to be dispatched relating to the addressee into the e-mail system by a sender of the envelope,

transmitting the addressee, together with the associated envelope numbers (2) from the e-mail system, to the sorting machine which is coupled to the e-mail system and in whose sorting plan the addressee from the e-mail address file is allocated a distribution point, and temporary allocation of the envelope numbers (2) to the distribution point of the addressee,

transporting the mail to the sorting machine (4),

automatically reading the machine-readable envelope numbers (2) and sorting in accordance with the envelope numbers (2) assigned to the addressee and therefore to the distribution point by means of the e-mail input,

deleting the existing allocation of the envelope numbers (2) to the addressee and distribution point, at the latest when these envelopes (1) are reallocated.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the envelopes (1) are provided on both sides with the envelope number (2).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, with the command to transmit the data to a control unit of the sorting machine (4), the transmission of an e-mail to the addressee about the dispatch is also initiated with a selectable delay.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that after the sorting machine (4) has been emptied, the sender (3) receives an e-mail about this operation.