Method and apparatus for object surveillance along a transport path

• US 6,078,678 A
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bowe Bell & Howell Company
• Original Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
• Inventors: Gavrilos, Emanuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US09/311,747
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 382/101, 382/103, 382/135, 382/199, 209/579, 209/900, 209/934, 348/94, 348/107, 348/143, 701/300, 364/478.13, 364/478.17, 700/225, 700/229
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/02 Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating transport of sheets B65H
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/005 Measures for preventing or handling mailpieces stoppages
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00669 Sensing the position of mailpieces

Abstract

A method and apparatus for document surveillance along a transport path in a mail sorting machine includes using a plurality of sequentially positioned photocells affixed along the transport path to detect document separation and jamming events through the application of assigned document identification and message transfer schemes whereby one sensor detects an edge of the document and transfers the document identifier and a shaft encoder count to the next sensor along the transport path in the form of a message. A message queue for each sensor is maintained to detect improper document leading edge and trailing edge conditions. A series of surveillance modules operates on a multi-tasking basis through a primary master processor.

Claims

1. A document surveillance system for tracking a document traveling along a transport path in a document sorting system comprising:

a plurality of sensors, positioned in sequence along the transport path, for detecting an edge of the document;

indicia reading mechanism, positioned along the transport path, for reading indicia located on the document;

means, operably coupled to the plurality of sensors, for determining document status of the document as it travels along the transport path wherein the means for determining document status further comprises means for passing edge detection information between the plurality of sensors, said edge detection information comprising a unique document identifier and a representation of a position of a transport mechanism associated with said transport path.

2. The document surveillance system of claim 1 wherein said indicia reading mechanism is an optical character reader.