Package and mail delivery system

• US 6,721,617 B2
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ken Consulting, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kiroku Kato, Thiet Pham
• Inventors: Kato, Kiroku, Pham, Thiet
• Primary Examiner(s): VOELTZ, EMANUEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/389,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 700/115, 700/225, 700/226, 700/228, 700/230, 340/825.54, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/568.8, 340/825.3, 340/825.35
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/12 using electric or electronic detecting means B07C3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder

Abstract

At the shipping department of a company, contracted outlets or outlets of delivery companies, information concerning the shipper and receiver are written into a label having a memory, but no controller or energy source. The label has a transmitter and the label makes use of power supplied by RF query signals to fetch the information stored and transmits such information to a label reader located either in a portable recorder or at sorting locations. After the information is written into the label, the label is attached to the package. Upon being picked up, the label on the package is read by a portable recorder which transmits the information to a main computer. The packages are then delivered to local hubs of the receiving outlets where information in the labels of the packages are read and the packages sorted according to the information in the labels on the packages and the packages are then delivered to either a central hub and/or local distribution centers of the destinations, where the labels of the packages are then read and the packages sorted accordingly for ultimate delivery to the receiver. Tracking numbers and other delivery information may be retrieved at any point along the way either by portable recorder or at the sorting centers and transmitted to the main computer for tracking and response to inquiries.

Claims

1. A method for tracking items in a delivery system, comprising:

writing into a plurality of storage labels, said labels having transmitters, each of the labels associated with an item, the information concerning delivery of the items, said information in each label customized for its associated item and useful for automated sorting and tracking the item along their passage to destinations;

transporting the items and their associated labels;

applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the information and to cause said labels to provide said information through their transmitters, wherein said transmitters are caused to transmit said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels; and

sorting the items by means of the information retrieved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying causes the transmitters of said labels to transmit said information without using any energy source, controller or microprocessor in or associated with the labels.

3. The method of claim 1,, said applying step applying the signals by means of wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 1, said system having a plurality of local collection outlets, said writing step being performed at the outlets.

5. The method of claim 4, said system having a plurality of local collection hubs, each hub for collecting packages from a corresponding number of outlets, said transporting step transporting the items from said corresponding number of outlets to each of said hubs, said applying step applying the signals at the hubs, and said sorting step sorting the items at each of the hubs.

6. The method of claim 5, said transporting step transporting the items from one or more local hubs to a plurality of distribution centers or a central sorting hub, said applying and causing steps applying the signals to the items and causing the labels to provide said information at the centers or the central sorting hub, said sorting step sorting the items at the centers or the central sorting hub.

7. The method of claim 1, said Writing step writing into each label customized information related to name, address, telephone number or zip code related to destinations, and/or tracking number or special delivery instructions related to the item associated wit such label.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the information retrieved to a central computer for tracking the items.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said writing step comprises contacting the labels by a label writer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the labels to their associated items after the writing step.

11. A system for tracking items for delivery comprising:

a plurality of storage labels labels, said labels having transmitters;

a recorder writing into each of said plurality of storage labels, information customized for an item associated with such label and concerning delivery of the associated item, said information useful for automated sorting and tracking the item along their passage to destinations;

an instrument transporting the items with their associated labels;

a device applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the information, said labels providing said information through their transmitters, wherein said transmitters are caused to transmit said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels; and

a sorter sorting the items by means of the information retrieved.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of collection hubs and distribution centers, said instrument transporting the items from the hubs to the centers, said device applying the query signals and receiving said information provided by the labels at the centers.

13. The system of claim 11, said recorder comprising a reader/writer and a host computer.

14. The system of claim 11, said device comprising one or more portable data readers each of which comprises a transceiver that transmits the query signals and receives said information from the labels through wireless communication.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of local collection outlets, said recorder being located at the outlets.

16. The system of claim 15, said system having a plurality of local collection hubs, each hub for collection packages from a corresponding number of outlets, said instrument transporting the items from said corresponding number of outlets to each of said hubs, said device applying the signals at the hubs, and said sorter sorting the items at each of the hubs.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of local hubs, said instrument transporting the items to the hubs, said device applying the query signals and receiving said information provided byte labels at the hubs.

18. The system of claim 17, said sorter sorting the items at the hubs using the retrieved information.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of distribution centers and a central hub, said instrument transporting the items from local hubs to the centers or the central hub, said device applying the query signals and receiving said information provided by the labels at the centers or the central hub.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said labels include no energy source, or controller or microprocessor and are suitable for attachment to the items.

21. The system of claim 11, said recorder writing into each label customized information related to name, address, telephone number or zip code related to destinations, and/or tracking number or special delivery instructions related to the item associated with such label.

22. A method for tracking items in a delivery system, comprising:

writing into a plurality of storage labels at one or more receiving stations, said labels having transmitters, each of the labels associated with an item, said information in each label customized for its associated item and concerning delivery of the item, said information useful for automated sorting and tracking the items along their passage to destinations;

transporting the items and their associated labels to a local distribution center or central hub;

applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the information at the local distribution center or central hub and to cause said labels to provide said information through their transmitters, wherein said transmitters are caused to transmit said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels; and

sorting the items by means of the information retrieved.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said transporting transports by means comprising delivery motor vehicles.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said delivering delivers by means comprising delivery motor vehicles.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said writing writes into each label customized information related to name, address, telephone number or zip code related to destinations, and/or tracking number or special delivery instructions related to the item associated with such label.

26. A system for tracking items for delivery comprising:

a plurality of storage labels, said labels having transmitters;

a recorder writing into each of said plurality of storage labels at one or more receiving outlets, information concerning delivery of an associated item, said information in each label customized for its associated item and useful for automated sorting and tracking the item along its passage to a destination;

an instrument transporting the items with their associated labels to a local distribution center or central hub;

a device applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the information at the local distribution center or central hub, said labels providing said information through their transmitters, wherein said transmitters are caused to transmit said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels;

a sorter sorting the items by means of the information retrieved.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said instrument comprises delivery motor vehicles.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising delivery motor vehicles delivering the sorted items to destinations.

29. The system of claim 26, said recorder writing into each label customized information related to name, address, telephone number or zip code related to destinations, and/or tracking number or special delivery instructions related to the item associated with such label.

30. A method for tracking items in a delivery system, each of the items associated with a storage label, said labels having transmitters and stored therein information concerning delivery of the items, said information in each label customized for its associated item and useful for automated sorting and tracking the items along their passage to destinations;

comprising;

transporting the items and their associated labels;

applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the customized information and to cause said labels to provide said information through their transmitters, wherein said transmitters are caused to transmit said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels; and

sorting the items by means of the customized information retrieved.

31. A system for tracking items in a delivery system, each of the items associated with a storage label, said labels having transmitters and stored therein information concerning delivery of the items, said information in each label customized for its associated item and useful for automated sorting and tracking the items along their passage to destinations;

comprising;

an instrument transporting the items and their associated labels;

a device applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the customized information and to cause said labels to provide said information through their transmitters, wherein said transmitters are caused to transmit said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels; and

a sorter sorting the items by means of the customized information retrieved.