System and method for sorting items

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method of dynamically sorting items for delivery to diverse destinations in which at least one target location changes during the sorting process using an electronic array that correlates diverse destinations to target locations for sorting, wherein the electronic array changes based upon criteria relating to the results of the sort resulting in the removal of a first set of items from one target location while leaving a second set in the target location and placing the first set in another target location to adapt to the changed array and thereafter continuing to sort further items according to the changed array while some items remain in their initial target locations. Additionally disclosed is a system and method of sorting which electronically identifies items destined for the same address that are commingled with items to diverse destinations, and allows for their separation and bundling responsive to the electronic identification and allows for payment for delivery charges based upon a bundle rather than the individual items included in the bundle.

1 . A method of dynamically sorting items for delivery to diverse destinations in which at least one target location changes during the sorting process comprising the steps of:
 (a) establishing a first electronic array correlating diverse destinations for items to first target locations;   (b) sorting a first number of items into the first target locations;   (c) based upon criteria relating to the results of the first sort,
 (1) changing the array, and 
 (2) removing items from one of the first target locations that encompasses a first and second subset and placing items from said first subset in another target location to adapt to the changed array; and 
   (d) thereafter continuing sorting further items according to the changed array, while first sorted items in said second subset remain in their initial target locations until either the sort has reached a stopping point or there has been a subsequent array change involving said second subset.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said establishing and sorting are concurrent. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the criteria is a function based upon a variable selected from the group consisting of number of items, weight, linear dimension, two dimensional area, volume, postal category, requested delivery time, thickness in trays or height in tubs. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , in which the criteria is a number of items. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , in which the number of items is ten. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the items are pieces of mail, the method further comprising the step of:
 (e) generating a manifest mailing report that identifies each piece of mail by a unique identifier and a discount postage rate, wherein the discount postage rate is a function of a zip density of each piece of mail, wherein the target locations include at least two zip densities.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the discount postage rate is also a function of the weight of each piece of mail. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of:
 (g) generating a customer billing summary that identifies a total postage for a customer, wherein the total postage is a function of the discount postage rate for each piece of mail from the customer.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the items are pieces of mail, the method further comprising the steps of:
 (h) labeling each piece of mail with a sort routing number corresponding to the target location for each piece of mail;   (i) presorting each piece of mail to territory bins corresponding to a multitude of target locations; and   (j) manually sorting each piece of mail to target locations from each territory bin.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 (k) labeling each item with a sort routing number corresponding to the target location for each item; and   (l) labeling each item that resulted in changing the array with the sort routing number corresponding to the first target location of such items.   
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for dynamically sorting items for delivery to diverse destinations in which at least one target location changes during the sorting process, the apparatus comprising:
 a first electronic array correlating diverse destinations for items to first target locations;   a computing device to determine whether specified criteria relating to the results of the first sort are met and, if so, to change said array;   an interface device for providing information as to the first target locations for items and information as to items needing to be relocated to correspond to the changed array; and   said changed array being configured to continue correlate further items according to the changed array, while other sorted items remain in their first target locations until either the sort has reached a stopping point or there has been a subsequent array change involving said second subset.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the criteria is a function based upon a variable selected from the group consisting of number of items, weight, linear dimension, two dimensional area, volume, postal category, requested delivery time, thickness in trays, or height in tubs. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the criteria is a number of items. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the number of items is ten. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a scale;   a digital camera operable to automatically capture an image of a delivery mark on each item;   a translation device operable to decipher the delivery mark into computer readable data; and   a label printer that applies a sort routing code to each item.   
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a plurality of territory bins, each territory bin corresponding to a multitude of diverse destinations;   an automated sorter that sorts each item to the territory bin corresponding to that item's diverse destination.   
   
   
       17 . A method of dynamically sorting flats for delivery to diverse zip break locations in which at least one target zip break location changes during the sorting process, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) establishing an array of zip break locations;   (b) sorting flats into the zip break locations;   (c) based upon a target number of flats destined to a subsidiary zip break being reached,
 (1) changing the array of zip break locations to include the subsidiary zip break as a new zip break location, 
 (2) removing flats from one of the zip break locations and placing those flats in the new zip break location; 
   (d) thereafter sorting further flats according to the changed array, while some flats remain in the originally established zip break locations until either the sort has reached a stopping point or there has been a subsequent array change involving said second subset.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
 (e) generating a manifest mailing report that identifies each flat by a unique identifier and a discount postage rate, wherein the discount postage rate is a function of a zip density for each flat, wherein the zip break locations include at least two zip densities.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of:
 (f) generating a customer billing summary that identifies a total postage for a customer, wherein the total postage is a function of discount postage rate for each flat from the customer.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 (g) labeling each flat with a sort routing number corresponding to the zip break locations;   (h) presorting each flat to territory bins corresponding to a multitude of zip break locations;   (i) manually sorting each flat from the territory bins to the zip break locations; and   (j) labeling each flat that equals the target number of flats destined to the subsidiary zip break with the sort routing number corresponding to the original zip break location of the other flats destined to the subsidiary zip break.   
   
   
       21 . A method of sorting items for delivery to diverse destinations, at least two items of which are for delivery to the same address, comprising the steps of:
 (a) establishing an array correlating diverse destinations for items to target locations;   (b) sorting a number of items into the target locations according to the array;   (c) electronically detecting whether there is a group of items being sorted in which each item is for delivery to the same destination, and separating such a destination group from the other items being sorted in response to the electronic detection,   (d) bundling the destination group of items for delivery to the same destination, and   (e) calculating a delivery fee based upon the bundled group, rather than upon the individual items within the group.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the items are pieces of mail and the destinations are street addresses or post office boxes and the delivery fee is postage. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21  in which the electronically detecting occurs at least in part while the sorting process is continuing, and when the presence of a destination group is detected, items previously sorted to the same address as are in the group are removed from their position in the array to a new position to which subsequently detected members of that destination group are placed. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21  in which the separation of items that are in a destination group occurs while the other aspect of the sorting process is continuing.