Granted Patent B2

US 7,394,914 · App. 10/857,182 · Granted Jul 1, 2008

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A method of automatically sorting mail, which has to be forwarded, by means of a sorting machine that processes the mail in a continuous main stream and where the sorting machine comprises a feeder via which a variety of unsorted addressed mail is fed, the method comprising:

marking singled mail with an individualizing identifier by an ante positioned marking device;

assigning each identifier to a data set in a file;

detecting addresses on pieces of the mail by an ante positioned reading device;

deciphering each detected address by a recognition module;

writing each detected address in the corresponding data set;

assigning a corresponding error information to a mail piece when the address on that mail piece cannot be deciphered, wherein the error information is coded in the data set, and the coding lies in the explicit writing of the data set or in not filling necessary fields;

sorting the mail with assigned error information out of the main stream as scrap mail, wherein the scrap mail tagged with an error information is recognized by the assigned tag and the data set assigned to the tag; and the scrap mail is sorted out of the main stream by means of a switch controlled by the detector; and

feeding the scrap mail again into the feeder together with additional unsorted mail after the address of the scrap mail has been verified and has been written in a corresponding data set, wherein the fed again scrap mail is automatically recognized as such.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mail that is to be forwarded is mail that is delivered in stacks, and is singled by a decollator corresponding with the feeder.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fed again scrap mail is excepted from being marked with a further tag.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the fed again scrap mail is recognized by a detector positioned before the marking device by its existing tag.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a mail piece is tagged with a barcode marking by a writing device positioned in the main stream after the reading device, especially by a barcode, which codes the error information, which has been detected by the reading device.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein:

the error message assigned to the scrap mail is recognized by an ante positioned detector by its tag; and

the scrap mail is sorted out of the main stream by a switch which is controlled by the detector.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

a scrap mail piece is fed into a buffer via a side stream branched off the main stream, in which it remains until the address is verified; and

the scrap mail piece is automatically added to the mail in the feeder after verification.

8. An apparatus for automatically sorting mail to be forwarded, by processing the mail in a continuous main stream, the sorting machine comprising:

a feeder via which a variety of unsorted addressed mail pieces are fed along the main stream;

an ante positioned marking device for marking each singled mail piece with an individualizing identifier, each identifier being assigned to a data set in a file;

an ante positioned reading device for detecting addresses on the mail pieces;

a recognition module for attempting to decipher each detected address, wherein each detected address that is deciphered is written in the corresponding data set, and a mail piece is assigned a corresponding error information when the address detected from the mail piece cannot be deciphered, wherein the error information is coded in the data set, and the coding lies in the explicit writing of the data set or in not filling necessary fields; and

a diverter for sorting out the mail piece with assigned error information from the main stream, as scrap mail, wherein the scrap mail tagged with an error information is recognized by the assigned tag and the data set assigned to the tag, and the scrap mail is sorted out of the main stream by means of a switch controlled by the detector, and wherein the scrap mail is fed again into the feeder together with additional unsorted mail after the address on the scrap mail piece has been verified and has been written in the corresponding data set, and

wherein the fed again scrap mail is automatically recognized as such.

9. A method of sorting mail, comprising:

receiving a stream of mail pieces;

scanning each of the mail pieces and attempting to recognize address data on each of the mail pieces;

marking each mail piece with a identifier;

for each respective mail piece having a successfully recognized address, recording the address in a database record in association with the identifier of the respective mail piece;

continuously sorting mail pieces based on the recorded addresses;

identifying a mail piece from which an address was not successfully recognized as a scrap mail piece, entering an error indicator in association with the identifier of the scrap mail piece in the database and sorting that mail piece out of the stream, wherein the error information is coded in the data set, and the coding lies in the explicit writing of the data set or in not filling necessary fields;

manually reading address data from the scrap mail piece and associating the manually read address with the identifier of the scrap mail piece in the database;

replacing the scrap mail piece back in the received stream of mail pieces; and

sorting the scrap mail piece based on the manually read address, as part of ongoing continuous sorting of the mail pieces, wherein the scrap mail tagged with an error information is recognized by the assigned tag and the data set assigned to the tag, and the scrap mail is sorted out of the main stream by means of a switch controlled by the detector.

Assignments (15)