Method for transporting postal deliveries and a device for storing postal deliveries

• US 7,162,330 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Mayer, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/820,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/223, 700/224, 700/242, 700/244, 700/226, 700/228
• US Class Current: 700/228
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/087 the objects being taken up in transport files or holders which are not part of the conveyor belts cable post B65G

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a method and device for transporting and sorting postal deliveries. The method includes verifying whether postal deliveries are to be delivered to an electronic parcel compartment system. Furthermore, the method includes determining whether several of the postal deliveries are to be delivered to the same electronic parcel compartment system. Still further, the method includes common transportation and subsequent distribution to individual parcel compartments of postal deliveries to the same electronic parcel compartment system, for at least a part of the transport route.

Claims

1. A method for conveying postal parcels, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a postal parcel is intended for an electronic parcel compartment system;

determining whether several postal parcels are to be delivered to the same parcel compartment system;

placing the determined postal parcels into shared transportation containers that are each intended for the same parcel compartment system;

controllably transporting, at least over certain segments and at least partially in tunnel systems, the shared transportation containers to the electronic parcel compartment system by at least one of remote control and a computer program; and

,

distributing the postal parcels among different parcel compartments of the electronic parcel compartment system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared transportation containers comprise at least one of a barcode, a transponder, and other data carrier that ensure a precise individual routing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transporting step (d) further comprises transporting postal parcels underground at least over certain segments.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing postal parcels from the transportation container with an automatically operated conveying device.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising carrying out the placing step (c) with an automatically operated conveying device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatically operated conveying device first removes the postal parcels from the transportation containers and then automatically places them into the appropriate parcel compartment.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising carrying out the determining steps (a) and (b) with a shipment detection system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting, with a shipment tracking system, the positions and transportation status of the postal parcels at at least one of several places in the transport system and several points in time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting at least one or more of the position and movement of the transportation container carrying the postal parcels.