ADDRESS FORWARDING FOR PARCELS

• US 20080208772A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Rundle, Alfred T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00

Abstract

A method for sorting parcels may include reading, during a first sortation pass, machine readable indicia applied to the parcel prior to mailing and at least a portion of delivery address information on a parcel. The method may also include selecting a reference indicium from the machine readable indicia and creating an entry, corresponding to the reference indicia, in a first database, the entry including a portion of the delivery address information for the parcel and a value corresponding to the reference indicium. The method may also include determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order, and, if a corresponding forwarding order exists, modifying the delivery address information in accordance with the forwarding order. The method may include forwarding the entry to a second database different from the first database, the second database corresponding to the delivery address information. The method may include reading the machine readable indicia during a second sortation pass, subsequent to the first, identifying the reference indicium and retrieving the entry corresponding to the reference indicium from the second database, and sorting the parcel according to the portion of the delivery address information in the entry retrieved from the database. The method may also include delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the delivery address information retrieved from the database, even if the delivery address information differs from the destination address originally applied to the parcel.

Claims

1. A method for parcel sorting and delivery, the method comprising:

reading, during a first sortation pass, all machine readable indicia and at least a portion of delivery address information on a parcel, the machine readable indicia having been applied to the parcel prior to mailing;

determining if any combination of the machine readable indicia applied to the parcel is unique in a first database and selecting a unique machine readable indicia combination, if present, as a reference indicia, the reference indicia including a combination of discrete machine readable indicia, and if no combination of machine readable indicia is unique in the first database, then selecting a non-unique combination of machine readable indicia as the reference indicia;

creating an entry, corresponding to the reference indicia, in the first database, the entry including a portion of the delivery address information for the parcel and a value corresponding to the reference indicia;

determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order, and, if a corresponding forwarding order exists, modifying the delivery address information in accordance with the forwarding order;

forwarding the entry to a second database, different from the first database, the second database corresponding to the delivery address information;

reading the machine readable indicia during a second sortation pass, subsequent to the first, identifying the reference indicia and retrieving the entry corresponding to the reference indicia from the second database;

sorting the parcel according to the portion of the delivery address information in the entry retrieved from the second database; and

delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the delivery address information retrieved from the second database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sorting the parcel includes automatically sorting the parcel to a carrier route corresponding to the delivery address information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order includes comparing the delivery address information obtained during the first sortation pass to address information stored in a change of address database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the reference indicia includes selecting a machine readable indicium that is not unique in the database, the machine readable indicium having been applied for a purpose other than identifying the mailpiece and recorded in third database different from the first database and the second database, the third database not being accessible by a system coupled to the first database or the second database, and the delivering taking place without printing a unique mailpiece identification on the mailpiece.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the delivery address information retrieved from the second database includes:

using a handheld device to read the machine readable indicia on the parcel;

retrieving delivery address information; and

displaying the delivery address information on a display coupled to the handheld device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of retrieving delivery address information includes retrieving a parcel information record stored locally in the handheld device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of retrieving delivery address information includes retrieving a parcel information record stored remotely in a database external to the handheld device.

8. A computer system for sorting parcels, the computer system comprising:

a processor, and

a memory including software instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to perform the steps of;

reading, during a first sortation pass, at least one machine readable indicia and delivery address information on a parcel, the at least one machine readable indicia having been applied to the parcel prior to mailing;

selecting a reference indicium from the at least one machine readable indicia;

creating an entry, corresponding to the reference indicium, in a database, the entry including a portion of the delivery address information for the parcel and a value corresponding to the reference indicium;

determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order, and, if a corresponding forwarding order exists, modifying the delivery address information in accordance with the forwarding order;

reading the at least one machine readable indicia during a second sortation pass, subsequent to the first, identifying the reference indicium and retrieving the entry corresponding to the reference indicium from the database, the entry including forwarding address information;

sorting the parcel according to the forwarding address information in the entry retrieved from the database; and

delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the forwarding address information retrieved from the database.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the step of sorting the parcel includes automatically sorting the parcel to a carrier route corresponding to the delivery address information modified in accordance with the forwarding order without printing modified delivery address information on the parcel.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the step of determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order includes comparing the delivery address information obtained during the first sortation pass to address information stored in a change of address database.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein selecting the reference indicia includes selecting a machine readable indicium that is not unique in the database.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the step of delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the delivery address information retrieved from the second database includes:

using a handheld device to read the machine readable indicia on the parcel;

retrieving delivery address information; and

displaying the delivery address information on a display coupled to the handheld device.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the step of retrieving delivery address information includes retrieving a parcel information record stored locally in the handheld device, and the step of delivering takes place without printing a unique mailpiece identification on the parcel.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the step of retrieving delivery address information includes retrieving a parcel information record stored remotely in an external database, the external database disposed external to the handheld device.

15. A computer program product for sorting parcels, the computer program product comprising:

software instructions for enabling a computer to perform predetermined operations; and

a computer readable medium bearing the software instructions;

the predetermined operations including the steps of;

reading, during a first sortation pass, machine readable indicia and delivery address information on a parcel, the machine readable indicia having been applied to the parcel prior to mailing for another purpose and recorded in a first database, the machine readable indicia including a non-unique machine readable indicium;

selecting a reference indicium from the machine readable indicia;

creating an entry, corresponding to the reference indicia, in a second database different from the first database, the entry including a portion of the delivery address information for the parcel and a value corresponding to the reference indicium;

determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order, and, if a corresponding forwarding order exists, modifying the delivery address information in accordance with the forwarding order;

reading the machine readable indicia during a second sortation pass, subsequent to the first, identifying the reference indicium and retrieving the entry corresponding to the reference indicium from the second database; and

sorting the parcel according to the portion of the delivery address information in the entry retrieved from the second database.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the predetermined operations further include the step of delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the delivery address information retrieved from the second database, without printing the retrieved information on the parcel.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the step of sorting the parcel includes automatically sorting the parcel to a carrier route corresponding to the delivery address information.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the step of determining whether the delivery address information has a corresponding forwarding order includes comparing the delivery address information obtained during the first sortation pass to address information stored in a change of address database.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the step of delivering the parcel to a location corresponding to the delivery address information retrieved from the second database includes:

using a handheld device to read the machine readable indicia on the parcel;

retrieving delivery address information; and

displaying the delivery address information on a display coupled to the handheld device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the step of retrieving delivery address information includes retrieving a parcel information record stored remotely in an external database, the external database disposed external to the handheld device.