Establishment Of A Delivery Route
A method for establishing a delivery route for delivering mail items includes calculating the delivery time of an upcoming delivery on the basis of data regarding previous delivery attempts, in order to avoid only being able to deliver the mail items after several delivery attempts. A sorting device for mail items is also provided.
1 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . A method for establishing a delivery route for the delivery of mail items, the method comprising the following steps:
storing data regarding previous delivery attempts;
using the stored data to calculate a delivery time for an upcoming delivery at which a successful delivery is more probable than at other possible delivery times; and
establishing the delivery route based on the calculated delivery times.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises only using data from the previous delivery attempts to the same recipient for the calculation of the delivery times.
18 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises providing a date, a time and information regarding whether or not the delivery attempt was successful, in the data regarding the previous delivery attempts.
19 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises providing a number of unsuccessful delivery attempts for previous mailings, in the data regarding the previous delivery attempts.
20 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises providing data regarding at least one of a sender, a volume, a weight or a type of the mail item, in the data regarding the previous delivery attempts.
21 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises providing information regarding acceptors differing from a recipient, in the data regarding the previous delivery attempts.
22 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises providing data regarding weather conditions prevailing during at least one of successful or unsuccessful delivery attempts, in the data regarding the previous delivery attempts.
23 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises continuously collecting the data regarding the previous delivery attempts in a database for all delivery attempts of a delivering organization.
24 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises storing further data regarding a recipient.
25 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises calculating the delivery time before beginning the delivery.
26 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises deciding to move the delivery of the mail item by at least one day, based upon the data regarding the previous delivery attempts.
27 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises calculating the delivery time even if no mail item is to be delivered.
28 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises determining and making available delivery options together with the calculated delivery time.
29 . The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises carrying out the method on a data processing apparatus.
30 . A sorting device for the sorted preparation of mail items based on a delivery route, the sorting device comprising an apparatus configured to:
store data regarding previous delivery attempts;
use the stored data to calculate a delivery time for upcoming deliveries at which a successful delivery is more probable than at other possible delivery times; and
establish the delivery route based on the calculated delivery times.