US 11,235,940 B2Granted

Mail processing system and method with increased processing speed

AssigneeTritek Technologies, Inc.

InventorJames Malatesta

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A mail processing system utilizes a conveyor to shingle or de-shingle mailpieces as they move through the processing system and utilizes belts to move the mailpieces. A first shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece to overlap with a second mailpiece to create shingled mailpieces. A second shingling conveyor moves a first mailpiece away from a second mailpiece to de-shingle them to create singulated mailpieces. A camera takes images of the mailpieces in the conveyor and image analysis software is used to determine dimensional aspects of the mailpieces that are used to control the belt speeds to move mailpieces with respect to each other. A mail processing system may include a mail processing station that scans addresses, applies postage and/or weighs the mailpieces. Mail may be de-shingled prior to being weighed and then re-shingled for subsequent processing, or mail may be shingled prior to passing through a scale if weighing is not necessary.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A mail processing system comprising:

a) a first conveyor and a second conveyor, each comprising:
iii) an inlet;
and
iv) an outlet;
b) a camera configured to capture images of said mailpieces;
c) a controller;
d) image analysis software configured to determine dimensional aspects with respect to a first mailpiece and a second mailpiece in series;
e) a mail processing station configured between the first conveyor and the second conveyor that receives mailpieces from the outlet of the first conveyor said mail processing station comprising:
wherein the second conveyor is configured to receive mailpieces from the mail processing station;
wherein the controller controls the speed of each conveyor to move said first mailpiece relative to said second mailpiece so as to achieve a desired distance or degree of overlap between said first mailpiece and said second mailpiece;
wherein the first mailpiece and the second mailpiece are shingled in the mail processing station;
wherein the first mailpiece and the second mailpiece are singulated in the second conveyor from the shingled mailpieces in the mail processing station,
whereby the first and second mailpieces exit the outlet of the second conveyor as singulated mailpieces.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/119,104Filed 11 Dec 2020 · continuation
Priority: 28 Apr 2016
Published: US 2021/0094779 A11 Apr 2021
Granted: 1 Feb 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

G06V 30/424
Based on the type of document: postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes
B07C 1/025
Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating: devices for the temporary stacking of objects provided…
B07C 1/04
Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating: forming a stream from a bulk; Controlling the stream,…
B07C 1/10
Measures preceding sorting according to destination: sorting according to size or flexibility

Family

Application62/328,982Us provisional application · filed 28 Apr 2016
PCT/US2017/030144Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Apr 2017
US 2021/0094779 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Apr 2021
Application15/765,563Parent of this continuation
US 10,875,729 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0076882 A1Published application
US 11,235,940 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.