Systems and methods for sorting residual items
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsScott R. Bombaugh, Thomas J. Foti, David E. Loyd, Sarvang D. Shah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of a system and method for sorting and delivering articles in a processing facility. Delivery endpoints are divided and grouped into stop groups. A first sorter sorts items according to stop group and outputs the items to trays. The output trays from the first sorter are loaded to a second sorter. The second sorter sorts items for each stop group into trays based on carrier route segments. A manifest is created that comprises a list of the items in a tray. A mobile computing device alerts a delivery carrier when there is an item that needs to be delivered.
Claims20
A system for sorting and delivering items comprising:
- a server memory storing item information for a plurality of items in a container, the item information comprising:
- a sequenced list of intended delivery points for individual items of the plurality of items;
- and
- item position information, the item position information including a relative position within the container of the individual items of the plurality of items;
- and
- a processor in communication with the server memory and a mobile delivery device, the processor configured to cause at least a portion of the item information to be sent to the mobile delivery device, wherein sending the portion of the item information to the mobile delivery device causes the mobile delivery device to perform operations comprising:
- determining, based on a geographic location of the mobile delivery device, that an item associated with the geographic location of the mobile delivery device is in the container;
- and
- providing, based on the item position information, a notification of the relative position within the container of the item associated with the geographic location of the mobile delivery device.
A method of sorting and delivering items, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a sorter, item information for a plurality of items in a container, the item information generated at the sorter based on sorting operations performed by the sorter that cause individual items of the plurality of items to be placed into the container, the item information comprising:
- a sequenced list of intended delivery points for individual items of the stack of items;
- and
- item position information, the item position information including a relative position within the stack of the individual items of the stack of items;
- storing the item information in a server memory;
- causing transmission of at least a portion of the item information to a mobile delivery device;
- and
- causing the mobile delivery device to perform operations comprising:
- determining, based on a geographic location of the mobile delivery device, that an item associated with the geographic location of the mobile delivery device is in the container;
- and
- providing, based on the item position information, a notification of the relative position within the container of the item associated with the geographic location of the mobile delivery device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.