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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for sorting mail, and more
particularly, to an apparatus for sorting mail according to bar codes
which are assigned to the mail according to the results of reading out an
address on the mail or codings.
In a recent mail sorting apparatus, through optical scanning, the address
is correctly read out, and a bar code corresponding to the address is
assigned to the mail. On the other hand, when the address is incorrectly
read out, the result of the readout from the scanned image data is
displayed by a display unit of a coding system. An operator, after seeing
the display, keys in the address data to assign a bar code to the mail by
a keyboard of the coding system. The mail bearing bar codes assigned in
this way are sorted and put into corresponding sorting boxes according to
the result of the readout or the coding.
The mail sorting apparatus described above has a drawback. When one
operator is assigned to code the addresses in a state having a large area
and thus consisting of many postal zones, he or she needs to consult a
thick address directory or several directories to ascertain which postal
zone this or that block belongs to. Consulting a thick directory or many
directories is very time-consuming. Therefore, the coding efficiency is
inevitably low.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and
improved apparatus for sorting mail which can improve a coding efficiency.
According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for
sorting mail comprising readout means for reading out destination data on
mail, discriminating means for discriminating the destination data on the
basis of the result of readout by the readout means, a plurality of coding
desks each including display means for displaying the readout result by
the readout means when the discriminating means fails to discriminate the
destination data, and a keyboard for enabling the destination data
corresponding to the contents of display by the display means to be input,
the plurality of the coding desks being assigned to regions or cities,
distributing means for distributing the readout result by the readout
means to the coding desks corresponding to regions or cities as recognized
from part of the address data when the discriminating means fails to
discriminate the destination data, sorting data assigning means for
assigning to the mail the sorting data according to the result of
discriminating operation by the discriminating means or the destination
data by the keyboards of the coding desks, and sorting/collecting means
for sorting and collecting the mail into predetermined sorting sections
according to the sorting data applied by the sorting assigning means.
With this arrangement, groups of coding desks are alloted to regions or
cities, respectively. When the destination data can not be recognized, the
readout data are distributed to the display means of the coding desks
allotted to the regions or cities as recognized from part of the
unrecognized destination data. This feature remarkably improves the coding
efficiency.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and features of the present invention can be
understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a scheme of a mail processing system into which the present
invention is applied as an embodiment;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a select/stamper section used in the
system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a plan view illustrating an arrangement used in the system of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a sorting section used in the system of
FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of a video
coding desk used in the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 shows a configuration of a major part of an electric circuitry used
in the embodiment; and
FIGS. 7 and 8 show layouts of a video coding desk shown in FIG. 5, and
another coding desk, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An embodiment of a mail sorting apparatus according to the present
invention will be described referring to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a layout of a mail processing system when mail sorting
apparatuses according to the present invention are installed. In the
figure, reference numerals 1 and 2 designate mail sorters coupled with
select/stamper sections. Numerals 3-6 designate mail sorters not coupled
with select/stamper sections. A coding room 7 is composed of a plurality
of video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . . , a distributor 9, and a
data processor 14.
In the mail sorters 1 and 2, a select/stamper 10 selects small ordinary
mail, which can be handled for sorting by the machine, i.e., the mail
sorting apparatus, from mail P (see FIG. 2) fed to a mail feeder 11, and
aligns the orientation of the selected mail on the basis of locations of
the postage stamps, stamps the mail, and finally feeds the stamped mail to
a coupler 12. The coupler 12 couples the select/stamper 10 with a
read/sorter 13.
The read/sorters 13 and 13 in the mail sorters 1 and 2 are respectively
primary and secondary switch sorters. Mail sorters 3-5 are for primary
sorting, and a mail sorter 6 is for secondary sorting. Reference numerals
42, 42, . . . , 42 are control units for controlling the mail sorters 1-6.
The select/stamper 10 will be described in FIG. 2. In the select/stamper
10, a mail feeder 11 picks up mail P received by the receptacle 21 for
mail, and transfers them upwardly toward the thickness selector 22, while
uniformly scattering the mail on the surface of the mail feeder 11. A
thickness selector 22 selectively removes the mail P other than regular
form mail (referred to as irregular form mail), which has the more
thickness than a predetermined thickness. For the selective removal of the
mail, a known nail belt type selecting system is employed in this
embodiment. Width selectors 23 and 23 are provided for selecting the
irregular mail P with the thickness thicker than a predetermined width and
for removing all of the mail unsuitable for the machine handling in the
succeeding stage of mailing/sorting processing. The irregular mail P
removed by the thickness selector 22 and the width selectors 23 and 23 are
led downwardly to a transfer section 24 and a shooter 25.
The mail P passed through the width selectors 23 and 23 are taken out one
by one by a single mail takeout section (not shown) and is transferred to
an alignment/stamper 26. In the alignment/stamper 26, a postage stamp on
each mail is detected by stamp detectors 27a and 27b of the color sensing
type. The mail P is stamped by a stamping mechanism 28 on the basis of the
position of the detected postage stamp. Further, a switchback mechanism 29
aligns the orientation of the mail also on the basis of the stamp
position. Of the regular mail P as stamped, special mail are collected
into a special delivery collector 30. The remaining mail P are transferred
toward the coupler 12. An ordinary mail collector 31 is used when the
select/stamper 10 is solely used, not coupled with the coupler 12, or when
trouble occurs somewhere in the succeeding stage of the mail sorting
system. In this case, the ordinary mail collector 31 collects the ordinary
mail P by the ordinary mail collector 31 itself. Reference numeral 32
designates a reject collector. A manual feeder 33 directly feeds
previously selected regular mail P to the alignment/stamper 26.
The coupler 12 coupled with the select/stamper 10 thus arranged is a known
buffer stacker. The stamped regular mail P as transferred from the
select/stamper 10 is reliably fed one by one to the read/sorter 13,
corresponding to the processing ability of the read/sorter 13. The coupler
12 also stores excessive mail above a predetermined number of supplied
mail.
The read/sorter 13 will be described in FIGS. 3 and 4. The read/sorter 13
is composed of an image reader 41, a control unit 42, a delay/print
section 43, and a sorting section 45. The image reader 41 converts optical
destination information, or address information, on a mail P into
electrical image information, and contains an optical character reader and
an image pickup. The control unit 42 is coupled with a discriminator 91
(FIG. 6) for discriminating the address information from the image
information read by the image reader 41 (see FIGS. 1 and 6). The
delay/print section 43 delays the incoming mail P from the image reader
41, and prints on the mail P a bar code (sorting data) according to the
discrimination result by the discriminator 91 and the address information
encoded by the video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . . The sorting
section 45 sorts the mail according to the bar codes printed thereon and
distributes them into sorting boxes 44.
The image reader 41 and the delay/print section 43 are arranged as shown in
FIG. 3. The mail P fed from a feed section 51 or the mail P transferred
from the coupler 12 is transferred on a transfer path 52. An image reader
58 reads the information on the mail P transferred on the transfer path 52
by the optical scanner. The mail P passed through the image reader 58 is
supplied through a transfer path 53 and a delay/transfer path 54 to the
sorting section 45 (FIG. 4). On the terminal portion of the delay/transfer
path 54, a printer 55 and stackers 56 and 57 are disposed. The printer 55
prints on the mail P a bar code representing the address information.
The sorting section 45 is arranged as shown in FIG. 4. A feed/read section
61 contains a feeder 62 for setting the mail P printed with bar codes
together upstanding. The mail P stored in the feeder 62 are successively
and upwardly taken out sheet by sheet. In this case, the endmost mail P is
first taken out. The mail P taken out are transferred through a takeout
transfer path 64 toward a sorter 75 for collecting and sorting. On the way
to the takeout transfer path 64, a reader 65 is disposed, which reads the
bar code on the mail P being transferred on the transfer path. The takeout
transfer path 64 merges at the starting point with a transfer path 66 for
carrying out the mail P emanating from the delay/print section 43. The
mail P is then sent to the takeout transfer path 64.
The takeout transfer path 64 connects at the end with a vertical sorting
transfer path 67. The mail P are selectively directed by a gate mechanism
(not shown) to give horizontal sorting transfer paths 68a-68e vertically
stacked or to an exit pocket 69. The gating by the gate mechanism is
controlled on the basis of the readout result of the reader 65. In the
starting end portion of the horizontal sorting transfer paths 68a-68e, a
number of sorting boxes 44, for example, 22 boxes, are disposed under the
lower sides of the horizontal sorting transfer paths 68a-68e. Closer to
the end portion of the horizontal sorting transfer paths 68a-68e, a single
auxiliary collector box 71 and a removal mail collector box 72 are
disposed correspondingly.
Further, the remaining mail sorters 3-6 each have the same read/sorter 13
as that of each of the mail sorters 1 and 2.
The video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . . , are composed of CRT
displays 81 and 82 for displaying the image information supplied through
the distributor 9 from the control unit 42, and a keyboard 83 for keying
in address information corresponding to the image information displayed by
the CRT display 81. The image data as divided and alloted to regions or
towns and cities are assigned to the video coding discs 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2,
. . . , to 8.sub.n, . . . , respectively.
A major portion of the electrical circuitry contained in the mail sorting
apparatus is shown in FIG. 6. The control unit 42 provided in the
read/sorter 13 of the mail sorter 1 reads the image information on each
mail P as fed from the image reader 58, to cause a discriminator 91 to
discriminately recognize the address information. The control unit 42
further supplies to the printer 55 the bar code data representing the
address data discriminated or the bar code data supplied from the data
processor 14. Upon receipt of the bar code data, the printer 55 prints the
bar code on the corresponding mail P. When the discriminator 91 fails to
discriminately recognize the address data, the control unit 42 supplies
the image data to the data processor 14. The electrical circuitry of each
of the remaining mail sorters 2-6 has substantially the same arrangement
as that mentioned above.
The data processor 14 drives the distributor 9 to distribute the supplied
image data to the respective video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . .
Specifically, the image data are distributed to different groups of video
coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . . , to 8.sub.n respectively provided
for regions or towns and cities. The data processor 14 converts the
address data from each of the video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . .
into corresponding bar code data, and supplies the bar code data to the
control unit 42 of the corresponding mail sorter 1.
The operation of the mail sorting apparatus thus arranged will be
described. Firstly, a mail P is fed to the mail feeder 11. Then, the
select/stamper 10 selects from those mail supplied to the mail feeder 11,
small ordinary mail P which can be processed by the mail sorter. By the
select/stamper 10, the selected mail P are aligned in orientation on the
basis of the positions of the postage stamps as detected. Further, these
mail P are stamped. The mail P from the select/stamper 10 is transferred
through the coupler 12 to the read/sorter 13, viz., the image reader 41.
In the image reader 41, the mail P supplied from the coupler 12 or the
mail P taken out of the feed section 51 is transported on the transfer
path 52. During the transportation, the picture information on the moving
mail P is optically read out by the image reader 58. The result of the
readout is supplied to the control unit 42. Then, the control unit 42
checks whether the image data picked up is written by alphabet or Chinese
letters by the discriminator 91. If it is Chinese letters written address
data, it further checks whether or not that data can be recognized. If the
image data is written in Chinese letters and the Chinese letters written
address can be recognized, the control unit 42 directly converts the
address data into the corresponding bar code. At this time, the mail P is
passed through the image reader 58, and is transported by the transfer
paths 53 and 54. After a predetermined time, the mail P reaches the
printer 55.
When the discriminator 91 discriminately recognizes the upper order data of
the image data, viz., the data representing regions, towns and cities, the
control unit 42 transfers the regional and urban data and the image data
as well to the data processor 14. Upon receipt of the data, the data
processor 14 distributes by the distributor 9, the image data as
transferred to the groups of the video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . .
. , to 8.sub.n, . . . according to the regional and urban data. Then, in
groups of video coding desks 8.sub.1, 8.sub.2, . . . , to 8.sub.n, . . . ,
the image data of specific regions or specific cities are displayed by the
CRT displays 82. After seeing the image data, operators respectively key
in the address data corresponding to the displayed image data through the
keyboard 83. The address data keyed in by the keyboard 83 are supplied to
the data processor 14. Upon receipt of the data, the data processor 14
converts the address data into a bar code. The bar code is then applied to
the control unit 42. If the contents of the alphabet and Chinese letters
data are identical with each other, the same bar code is produced. Then,
the control unit 42 connects to the printer 55 the bar code data supplied
from the data processor 14 according to the keyed in data, or the bar code
directly converted from the address data as mentioned above. At this time,
if the mail P of which the address data is read out and reaches the
printer 55, the bar code is printed on the mail P. The mail P bearing the
printed bar code is supplied to the sorting section 45.
In the sorting section 45, the mail P bearing the bar code, which is
supplied from the delay/print section 43 or taken out from the feeder 62,
is transported on the takeout transfer path 64. The bar code on the mail P
being transported on the takeout transfer path 64 is optically read out by
the reader 65. The mail P is then directed to the corresponding sorting
box 44 on the basis of the result of readout by the reader 65.
The above-mentioned operation is correspondingly applied that the mail P
are sorted by the mail sorters 2-6. Of those sorters, the sorters 3-6
perform the operation following the selection and stamping of the mail.
As described above, the specific regional or urban image data alone are
displayed by coding desks, respectively. Therefore, the required keying in
data are only the lower address data in specific regions or cities. This
indicates ease of understanding the address data, and remarkable
improvement of the coding efficiency.
While the above-mentioned embodiment is applied to the address data
expressed in the alphabet and Chinese letters, the present invention is
applied for the address data written by the combination of other types of
characters, for example, alphabet and Arabic.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, the input data by the keyboard as shown
in FIG. 7 are only the lower order address data in cities and regions.
Alternatively, names of buildings and companies, which are specifically
associated with the address data, respectively, may be input by means of a
key board as shown in FIG. 8.
The keyboard of a coding desk should be suitable for the input of extracted
address information. Two recommended keyboards are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
The first keyboard has the standard layout and comprises 10 numeral keys,
26 alphabet keys, 16 substitution keys and 4 function keys. Numeral keys
are used to input the street number. Alphabet keys are used to input
characters of the street name. Substitution (S) keys represent a character
string, a word, a whole street name or a final destination and their
correspondences are software programmable. The Cancel key enables keyed-in
data sequences to be cleared as long as they are not confirmed. The Repeat
key provides for a mail piece with the same address information as was
assigned to the previous mail piece. The Reject key is used when the
address information on the mail surface cannot be recognized. The Confirm
key enables keyed-in address information to be assigned to the mail piece
and to go on to the next address coding.
In the second keyboard, an additional function for designating one of the
delivery offices or specified firms or buildings is provided. The Shift
key as function enables designation of the delivery office or specified
firms or buildings when keyed-in together with one of the alphabet keys
which corresponds to the delivery office or specified firms or buildings.
As seen from the foregoing, the present invention provides a mail sorting
apparatus capable of improving the coding efficiency.
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