Granted Patent B2

US 9,905,056 · App. 14/842,139 · Granted Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Claims (48)

1. A system for transferring data from each of a plurality of delivery items to a label for application of the label onto each of the plurality of delivery items, the system comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of the data on each of the plurality of delivery items;

a control computer including at least one hardware processor and memory, the control computer being configured, for each of the plurality of delivery items, to process the image of the data, integrate the image of the data captured by the camera into a label template, and generate a print file from the label template; and

at least one label applicator disposed after the camera, relative to a direction of travel of the plurality of delivery items on a conveyor, the at least one label applicator being configured to, for each of the plurality of delivery items, print the label, including the data contained in the print file, and apply the label, after the label is printed, onto a top surface of each of the plurality of delivery items,

wherein the control computer is configured to interface with the camera and the at least one label applicator,

wherein a height of the at least one label applicator assembly above the conveyor is adjusted automatically to clear each of the plurality of delivery items to be labeled,

wherein a movement of the plurality of delivery items along the conveyor is fully automated, and

wherein a pitch between the plurality of delivery items is controllable by adjusting a speed of the conveyor between a plurality of conveyor speeds.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control computer is configured to process the image of the data by at least one of: cropping the image, re-sizing the image, adjusting an orientation of the image, and/or de-skewing the image in order to fit the image of the data within at least a portion of the label template.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of address data on each of the plurality of delivery items, wherein the address data is visible on each of the plurality of delivery items.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured for address block location.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one label applicator comprises a linerless label applicator configured to adjust for variable heights of delivery items.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control computer is configured to process the data from the captured image with optical character recognition (OCR) in order to capture alpha-numeric data, the alpha-numeric data comprising delivery name and address data.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the control computer is configured to compare the alpha-numeric data against name and address data stored in a database in order to identify a valid delivery address, such that, where a discrepancy is identified in the address data, the control computer is further configured to correct the delivery address data in the label template.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the control computer is configured to utilize the delivery name data for move update processing and for correcting delivery address data in the label template.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data in the image captured by the camera is located using the camera, based on location algorithms or an operator specified region of interest (ROI).

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to capture at least a portion of the top surface of each of the plurality of delivery items.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control computer is configured to interface with and synchronize operation of at least two label applicators.

12. A method for transferring data from each of a plurality of delivery items to a corresponding label for application of the label onto each of the plurality of delivery items, the method comprising:

at a control computer including at least one hardware processor and memory:

interfacing with a camera and at least one label applicator disposed after the camera relative to a direction of travel of the plurality of delivery items on a conveyor;

capturing, by the camera, an image of the data on each of the plurality of delivery items;

integrating the image of the data captured by the camera into a label template;

generating a print file from the label template;

printing, by the at least one label applicator, each corresponding label, including the data contained in the print file;

automatically adjusting a height of the at least one label applicator above the conveyor to clear each of the plurality of delivery items to be labeled;

applying, by the at least one label applicator, the corresponding printed label onto a top surface of each of the plurality of delivery items; and

controlling a pitch between the plurality of delivery items by adjusting a speed of the conveyor between a plurality of conveyor speeds,

wherein a movement of the plurality of delivery items along the conveyor is fully automated.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising processing the image of the data by at least one of: cropping the image, re-sizing the image, adjusting an orientation of the image, and/or de-skewing the image in order to fit the image of the data within at least a portion of the label template.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting the at least one label applicator to adjust for variable heights of delivery items, wherein the at least one label applicator comprises a linerless label applicator.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising processing the data from the captured image with optical character recognition (OCR) in order to capture alpha-numeric data, the alpha-numeric data comprising delivery name and address data.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising comparing the alpha-numeric data against name and address data stored in a database in order to identify a valid delivery address, such that, where a discrepancy is identified in the address data, further comprising correcting the delivery address data in the label template.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising utilizing the delivery name data for move update processing and for correcting the delivery address data in the label template.

18. The method of claim 12 , comprising address block location processing on the image to identify an area of alpha-numeric data and/or a geometric shape of an address block.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein capturing the image of the data on each of the plurality of delivery items comprises capturing the image of the data by locating, using the camera, the data based on location algorithms or an operator specified region of interest (ROI).

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising capturing, by the camera, and manipulating, by the control computer, at least a portion of the top surface of each of the plurality of delivery items.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium and when executed by a processor of a computer performs steps comprising:

at a control computer including at least one hardware processor and memory:

interfacing with a camera and at least one label applicator disposed after the camera relative to a direction of travel of a plurality of delivery items on a conveyor;

capturing, by the camera, an image of data on each of the plurality of delivery items;

integrating, the image of the data captured by the camera into a label template;

generating a print file from the label template;

printing, using the at least one label applicator, a corresponding label, including the data contained in the print file;

automatically adjusting a height of the at least one label applicator above the conveyor to clear each of the plurality of delivery items to be labeled;

applying, by the at least one label applicator, the printed label onto a top surface of the delivery item; and

controlling a pitch between the plurality of delivery items by adjusting a speed of the conveyor between a plurality of conveyor speeds;

wherein a movement of the plurality of delivery items along the conveyor is fully automated.

Assignments (11)