Operations for product processing

• US 7,943,880 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Carey, Patrick J., Wisniewski, Michael A., Larson, Dale J., Hanson, Bruce H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Joseph C
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUMAR, KALYANAVENKA K
• Application Number:
  US12/364,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 209/583, 209/584, 209/900, 700223-227
• 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

An operational process for product distribution includes grouping product into groups when the product is in a first sort level and sorting the groups of product, in a first pass operation, to a second level sort. The method further includes sequencing the second level sort product including late arriving product, in a second pass operation, into a sequence of product. A machine readable code can also be used to implement the functionality of the operational process.

Claims

1. An operational process to determine maximum efficiency of sorting operations with different product types, comprising:

estimating an amount of a first type of product to be processed in a given time period based on historical data (H);

providing a known performance of a sorting machine during a requisite time period for sorting processes (P);

supplying a known value (V) of a second type of product; and

calculating an amount of a third type of product that can be processed based on the previous steps,

wherein the calculating step includes subtracting the (H) and (V) from the (P).

2. The operational process of claim 1, wherein the calculating step ensures that all of the first type of product received is processed within a predetermined time period.

3. The operational process of claim 1, wherein:

the first type of product is first class mail; and

the second type of product is saturation mail; and

the third type of product is bulk mail.

4. The operational process of claim 1, wherein the calculating step comprises calculating the amount of the third product that can be processed in a given time period.

5. The operational process of claim 1, where the calculating step comprises calculating the amount of the third product that can be processed in a given day.

6. The operational process of claim 1, wherein:

the first type of product is committed mail that has to be sorted in a same day as it is provided; and

the third type of product is non-committed mail that does not have to be sorted in the same day as it is provided.

7. A machine readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine for determining maximum efficiency of sorting operations with different product types, comprising:

estimating an amount of a first type of product to be processed in a given time period based on historical data (H);

providing a known performance of a sorting machine during a requisite time period for sorting processes (P);

supplying a known value (V) of a second type of product; and

calculating an amount of a third type of product that can be processed based on the previous steps,

wherein the calculating step includes subtracting the (H) and (V) from the (P).

8. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first type of product is processed prior to the third type of product.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the calculating step ensures that all of the first type of product received is processed within a predetermined time period.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein:

the first type of product is first class mail; and

the second type of product is saturation mail; and

the third type of product is bulk mail.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the calculating step comprises calculating the amount of the third product that can be processed in a given time period.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 7, where the calculating step comprises calculating the amount of the third product that can be processed on a given day.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein:

the first type of product is committed mail that has to be sorted in a same day as it is provided; and

the third type of product is non-committed mail that does not have to be sorted in the same day as it is provided.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first type of product is processed prior to the third type of product.