Sorting system

• US 6,762,383 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vantec RF Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Leading Information Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Morito, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US10/271,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 209/552, 209/576, 209/583, 700/221, 700/224, 700/223, 700/115, 700/214, 700/215, 700/216, 700/226
• US Class Current: 209/583
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/38 Collecting or arranging articles in groups

Abstract

Articles entered into a sorting system are identified by means of an article identification device 1. An allocation ratio is selected from an allocation ratio table 7 based on the identifying information from the article identification device 1. Chute selection information is obtained for a sorter 2 based on the allocation ratio by means of a calculator 6, which in one embodiment uses a random number generator 8 to make a weighted calculation and a deviation reduction mechanism 11 to reduce the deviation of the accumulated weighted calculation results. A controller 3 selects a chute 4 such that the articles entered into the system will be distributed in accordance with the article allocation ratio, and provides the chute selection information to the sorter 2. The sorter 2, based upon the chute selection information, conducts sorting by dropping the articles entered into the system into the appropriate chute 4.

Claims

1. A sorting system comprising:

an article identification device for outputting identification information for each article being sorted,

a sorter having multiple chutes, and

a controller responsive to said article identification device for providing chute selection information to said sorter;

said controller further comprising;

an allocation ratio table, including for each possible type of article to be sorted a respective predetermined allocation ratio among multiple predetermined possible destinations for that type of article,

selection means for selecting a particular said predetermined allocation ratio from said allocation ratio table based upon the identification information output by the article identification device for the article being sorted, and

calculation means for calculating said chute selection information based at least in part upon the selected predetermined allocation ratio,

wherein the predetermined allocation ratios are independent of the types and quantities of the articles actually available for sorting.

2. The sorting system according to claim 1, wherein

the calculation means further comprises means for generating a respective random number for each article being sorted and

the calculation of the chute selection information is a weighted calculation based on both said predetermined allocation ratio and said respective random number that maintains the predetermined allocation ratios as additional articles are received and sorted.

3. The sorting system according to claim 2, wherein the calculation means further comprises means for reducing the deviation of the results of the weighted calculation.

4. The sorting system according to claim 3, wherein the deviation reduction calculation means further comprises

cumulative addition calculation means that accumulates and retains the results of said weighted calculation, and

decision calculation means that determines when the results accumulated by the cumulative addition calculation means has reached a value within a predetermined interval.

5. The sorting system according to claim 1, wherein said article identification device is capable of identifying items returned from retail stores.

6. The sorting system according to claim 1, wherein said article identification device is capable of identifying special-event sale items.

7. The sorting system according to claim 1, wherein said article identification device is capable of identifying special sale items.