Systems and methods for package sortation and delivery using radio frequency identification technology

• US 7,357,317 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Duane, Peters, Robert, Baldassari, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/465,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20070000990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/382, 235/383, 235/384, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/10 Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A disclosed method comprises scanning a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag on a package to generate scanned data, and generating a handling instruction for the package based on the scanned data. The handling instruction can be executed to route the package to a tip position within a hub facility for directing the package to the next location along its route, and/or to pre-load the package in a vehicle for delivery to the package'"'"'s final destination. Related systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of conveyors located at different locations within a hub facility, the plurality of conveyors transporting packages within the hub facility;

a plurality of sorting devices located at different locations within the hub facility and spaced apart from one another by respective ones of the plurality of conveyors;

a plurality of machine controllers connected to respective conveyors and sorting devices;

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) interrogator configured to read RFID tags associated with the packages carried on at least one of the conveyors to generate scanned data including a package identifier uniquely identifying the package;

a hub control system remote from the sorting devices receiving package identifiers from the RFID interrogator and using the package identifiers to determine the destinations for the packages and respective corresponding sort destinations within the hub facility, the hub control system determining respective sortation paths to be followed by the packages from an intake position at which packages arriving at the hub facility are placed on the conveyors for sorting by the sorting devices to respective sort destinations from which packages exiting the hub facility are transported by the conveyors and sorting devices, the hub control system issuing handling instructions to the machine controllers along the sortation paths to sort the packages to respective sort destinations; and

an indexed data server connected to the hub control system, the indexed data server receiving from the hub control system the package identifiers for which the hub control system cannot itself generate handling instructions, the indexed data server using the package identifiers as indexes to access a package information database containing package information indicating the destinations of the packages identified by the package identifiers, the indexed data server transmitting the package identifiers and corresponding destinations to the hub control system, the hub control system issuing respective handling instructions to the machine controllers based on the package identifiers and corresponding destinations received from the indexed data server.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

an address management system connected to access the package information database, the address management system validating the package information in the package information database against a United States Postal Service (USPS) standard database, a carrier address standard database containing package destinations known to the carrier operating the hub facility that are not known to the USPS, and a street and consignee alias database containing aliases for the destinations indicated in the USPS standard database and the carrier address standard database.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

a camera collector positioned in association with one of the conveyors, for capturing images of packages; and

a camera controller connected to the camera collector, the camera controller used by an operator to generate handling instructions for packages for which the hub control system and indexed data server are unable to generate handling instructions using the captured images of packages to determine destinations of the packages.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least some of the machine controllers update the package information in the package information database when the packages are sorted to respective sort destinations.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the indexed database server provides access to the package information to shippers via the Internet to indicate that packages have been sorted to respective sort destinations.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indexed data server further uses the package identifiers to access the package information database to retrieve information regarding the weights and sizes of the respective packages, the indexed data server transmitting the package identifiers and corresponding destinations along with respective weights and sizes to the hub control system for issuance of handling instructions to the machine controllers to sort the packages to respective sort destinations.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indexed data server further uses the package identifiers to access the package information database to retrieve levels of service assigned to respective packages, the indexed data server transmitting the package identifiers and corresponding destinations along with respective levels of service to the hub control system for issuance of handling instructions to the machine controllers to sort the packages to respective sort destinations.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indexed data server further uses the package identifiers to access the package information database to retrieve information indicating whether packages are subject to duties or tariffs, the indexed data server transmitting the package identifiers and corresponding destinations along with information indicating whether the packages are subject to duties or tariffs to the hub control system to generate the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on whether the packages are subject to duties or tariffs.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indexed data server further uses the package identifiers to access the package information database to retrieve information indicating values of contents of the packages, the indexed data server transmitting the package identifiers and corresponding destinations along with information indicating values of contents of the packages to the hub control system to generate the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on the values of the contents of the packages.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indexed data server further uses the package identifiers to access the package information database to retrieve package information indicating special handling instructions for the packages, the indexed data server transmitting the package identifiers and corresponding destinations along with information indicating whether the packages are subject to special handling instructions to the hub control system to generate the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on whether the packages are subject to special handling instructions.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system uses the scanned data to determine weights and sizes of the respective packages, the hub control system generating the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on the weights and sizes of the respective packages.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system uses the scanned data to determine levels of service assigned to respective packages, the hub control system generating the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on the levels of service assigned to the packages.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system uses the scanned data to determine whether packages are subject to duties or tariffs, the hub control system generating the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on whether the packages are subject to duties or tariffs.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system uses the scanned data to determine values of contents of the packages, the hub control system generating the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on the values of the contents of the packages.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system uses the scanned data to determine special handling instructions for the packages, the hub control system generating the handling instructions to sort the packages to respective sort destinations based on whether the packages are subject to special handling instructions.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system accesses a file indicating other hub facilities through which the packages are to be routed to respective destinations, the hub control system mapping the other hub facilities to respective ones of the sort destinations within the hub facility.

17. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system comprises a plurality of RFID interrogators positioned at different locations within the hub facility in association with respective conveyors, the hub control system tracking the locations of the packages based on the scanned data from the RFID interrogators as the packages are transported on the conveyors and sorted by the sorting devices within the hub facility to respective sort destinations.

18. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hub control system indicates to other hub facilities the packages that are inbound to the other hub facilities and the approximate time of arrival of the packages based on the scanned data.

19. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a flow server connected to the hub control system and the RFID interrogator, for transmitting scanned data from the interrogator to the hub control system.