Method and system for GPS augmentation of mail carrier efficiency

• US 8,326,450 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Stemmle, Denis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyche, Myron
• Application Number:
  US11/885,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• Field of Search: 700/223, 700/217, 700/213, 705/406
• US Class Current: 700/213
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/08 using arrangements of conveyors transport of sheets B65H; transport in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/55 Rail guided gripping means running in closed loop, e.g. without permanent interconnecting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/003 by grippers B65H29/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/912 Endless feed conveyor with means for holding each item individually

Abstract

Mail carriers are assisted in delivering mail pieces. Each group of mail pieces is received from a sorting system, for delivery to respective final destinations. Also, the sorting system provides delivery data, preferably in electronic form, about delivering the group of mail pieces. Subsequently, GPS is used to determine a location of the mail carrier along a mail route. Information is then provided to the mail carrier regarding delivery of the group of mail pieces, in response to the location of the mail carrier and in response to the delivery data that was received from the sorting system.

Claims

1. A method of assisting a mail carrier to deliver a group of mail pieces, comprising:

receiving the group of the mail pieces from a sorting system, for delivery to respective final destinations;

altering mail carrier routes based on a volume of mail pieces that have to be delivered by the mail carrier, the altering comprising;

determining that the volume of the mail pieces for each carrier route is not evenly distributed for each mail carrier; and

substantially equalizing the volume of the mail pieces for each carrier route such that work load allocation is optimized for each mail carrier;

obtaining delivery data about delivering the group of mail pieces based on the altered mail carrier routes;

using a global positioning system to ascertain a location of the mail carrier along a mail route based on the received group of the mail pieces;

providing information to the mail carrier regarding delivery of the group of mail pieces, in response to the location of the mail carrier and in response to the delivery data; and

describing what number of pieces and what types of pieces are to be delivered to each of the respective final destinations.

2. The method of claim 1, further including providing data regarding the mail route, and wherein the information to the mail carrier includes route directions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery data includes data regarding deliveries to the respective final destinations, and wherein the information to the mail carrier includes guidance regarding the deliveries to a plurality of the respective final destinations which are upcoming along the mail route.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of providing an option to the mail carrier such that the information to the mail carrier also includes directions to the delivery destinations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance includes a description of delivery points that are to be bypassed due to the number of pieces being zero.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a mail carrier is temporarily assigned an expanded route and another mail carrier is temporarily assigned a reduced route, wherein the expanded route and the reduced route are calculated to more equally distribute work for the mail carrier and the another mail carrier, and wherein the groups of mail pieces and delivery data are modified according to the expanded and reduced routes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery data is also used by the sorting system to sort the group of mail pieces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the information to the mail carrier is performed from the group consisting of verbal and visual communications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery data is obtained from the sorting system.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing the sorted mail pieces according to the altered mail carrier routes.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the providing information includes providing the altered mail carrier routes.

10. A delivery system for assisting a mail carrier to deliver a group of mail pieces, comprising:

at least one mail container for receiving the group of the mail pieces from a sorting system, the group of mail pieces being for delivery to respective final destinations wherein the sorting system optimizes mail carrier routes based on a volume of mail pieces that have to be delivered by the mail carrier such that work load allocation is substantially equal amongst mail carriers by first determining that that the volume of the mail pieces for each carrier route is not evenly distributed for each mail carrier;

an electronic device for obtaining delivery data about delivering the group of mail pieces;

a wireless unit for using a global positioning system to ascertain a location of the mail carrier along a mail route; and

a user interface for providing information to the mail carrier regarding delivery of the group of mail pieces, in response to the location of the mail carrier and also in response to the delivery data.

11. The delivery system of claim 10, wherein the delivery data includes data regarding the mail route, and wherein the information to the mail carrier includes route directions.

12. The delivery system of claim 11, wherein the mail carrier is a new mail carrier for the mail route, or the mail carrier is a substitute mail carrier for the mail route, or the mail carrier is temporarily assigned an expanded route.

13. The delivery system of claim 10, wherein the delivery data includes data regarding deliveries to the respective final destinations, and wherein the information to the mail carrier includes guidance regarding the deliveries to a plurality of the respective final destinations which are upcoming along the mail route.

14. The delivery system of claim 13, wherein the guidance describes what number of pieces and what types of pieces are to be delivered to each of the plurality of the respective final destinations.

15. The delivery system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is also for providing an option to the mail carrier such that the information to the mail carrier also includes route directions.

16. The delivery system of claim 14, wherein the guidance includes a description of delivery points that are to be bypassed due to the number of pieces being zero.

17. The delivery system of claim 12, wherein the mail carrier is temporarily assigned the expanded route and an other mail carrier is temporarily assigned a reduced route, wherein the expanded route and the reduced route are calculated to more equally distribute work for the mail carrier and the other mail carrier, and wherein the group of mail pieces received from the sorting system has been modified according to the expanded route.

18. The delivery system of claim 10, wherein the delivery data is also used by the sorting system to sort the group of mail pieces.

19. The delivery system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is for providing the information to the mail carrier from the group consisting of verbal and visual communications.

20. The delivery system of claim 10, wherein the delivery data is obtained from the sorting system.

21. An electronic device for assisting a mail carrier to deliver a group of mail pieces that is received from a sorting system, the group of mail pieces being for delivery to respective final destinations, comprising:

a system for obtaining delivery data about the group of mail pieces and optimizing mail carrier routes based on a volume of mail pieces that have to be delivered by the mail carrier, the system;

determining that the volume of the mail pieces for each carrier route is not evenly distributed for each mail carrier; and

substantially equalizing the volume of the mail pieces for each carrier route;

a wireless unit including a global positioning system to ascertain a location of the mail carrier along a mail route; and

a user interface for providing information to the mail carrier regarding delivery of the group of mail pieces, in response to the location of the mail carrier and also in response to the delivery data, wherein the information includes an amount and what types of mail pieces to be delivered to the respective final destinations.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the delivery data is obtained from the sorting system.