OPERATIONS FOR PRODUCT PROCESSING

• US 20090144114A1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 7,943,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• 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 product that can be processed based on the previous steps.

2. The operational process of claim 1, wherein the calculating step includes P-H-V.

3. 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.

4. 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 mail is bulk mail.

5. 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 product that can be processed based on the previous steps.