JP2000325890A - Mail sorting method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] Even if the number of pieces of mail of the first sorting is not obtained, it is possible to allocate the collecting box based on the number of pieces of mail related to the past first sorting. It is an object of the present invention to provide a postal sorting device capable of performing such operations. In a case where a second sorting is performed on a mail that has been subjected to a first sorting, if there is no information regarding the first sorting for the mail, the first mail for a certain period in the past is used. Information on the number of postal items is stored, and the number of postal items to be sorted this time is predicted from the information, and an accumulation box is allocated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mail sorting method and apparatus for coding information attached to a mail and sorting mail into a collection box by destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a mail sorting operation, a mail sorting apparatus and the like are used. The work of sorting mail in the order of delivery (hereinafter referred to as route assembly) is also being automated by the mail sorting device. On the other hand, it is necessary to perform the sorting operation at least twice using the mail sorting apparatus.

[0003] In this case, in the first sorting (hereinafter referred to as "one pass"), if the mail is not collected in time and the mail box is full and the mail is sorted into the exclusion stack, the mail is supplied again. It is good, but if it is sorted into the exclusion bin in the second sorting (hereinafter, 2 passes), even if it is supplied again, the mail will not be arranged in the direction of the road. Therefore, it is desirable to allocate the stacking boxes so that the stacking box full state does not occur as much as possible during the two passes.

Conventionally, as in the mail sorting apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-851801, the number of stacking boxes assigned in correspondence with the address code at the time of two passes is stored in the number information stored at the time of one pass. Based on the adjusted information, mail items are classified.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned mail sorting apparatus, due to an operation error, a failure of the mail sorting apparatus, etc.
If the quantity information stored during one pass is lost before the pass, or if one pass is performed by another mail sorting device,
In the operation where two passes are performed by the own mail sorting device, failure of the mail sorting device that performed one pass sorting, communication line failure, etc.
If the number-of-items information for one pass cannot be obtained, there is a problem that the allocation of the number of accumulation boxes cannot be adjusted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mail sorting apparatus capable of allocating a collection box based on the information on the number of collection boxes in the past one pass even if the information on the number of mails in one pass is not obtained. Is to provide.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a mail sorting apparatus for sorting mail based on the address described in the mail. , A plurality of bins in which the mail is sorted, and an address of the mail read by the reading unit and a stacking bin in which the mail having the address is to be sorted and stored. Storage means for performing a search to determine the sorting destination of the mail by searching the sorting box of the sorting destination stored in the storage means based on the address of the mail read by the reading means And the control means, when the mail sorting apparatus performs the second sorting, based on the postal number information at the time of the first sorting in the past stored in the storage means. Determine the number of collection boxes for each destination in the second division It is obtained by the configuration.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, as information attached to a postal matter, in addition to an address and a postal code described in the postal matter, there are an in-house bar code, a customer bar code, and the like as described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a mail sorting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a mail sorting apparatus, and a mail inputted from an input port 2 of the mail sorting apparatus 1 is conveyed by a conveying path 6 and is collected by one of a stacking box group 8. Stacked in boxes. Reference numeral 9 denotes one accumulation box.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an intra-office bar code reading unit. When a postal matter conveyed by the transport path 6 passes through the intra-office bar code reading unit 3, an intra-office bar code of the postal matter (postal mail is sent by a mail sorting device or the like) An address code is generated by reading a printed barcode obtained by encoding a destination address written on an object.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a customer bar code reading unit. When a mail conveyed by the conveyance path 6 passes through the customer bar code reading unit 4, the customer bar code of the mail (the sender codes the destination address). Read the printed barcode) to generate an address code.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a postal code / address recognizing unit, which recognizes the destination postal code and address of the postal matter conveyed by the transport path 6 when passing through the postal code / address recognizing unit 5; Generate an address code.

The storage device 11 stores a section information table which is information on the assignment of address codes to the collection box group. In addition, the storage device 11 stores the number of postal items whose sorting has been completed, together with the address code.

The control device 10 retrieves and records data from the storage device 11, determines the intra-office barcode to be added to the mail, prints the barcode with the barcode printing device 7, and posts the mail to be assigned to each collection box of the collection box group 8. It is for determining an object and controlling the operation of each device, and controls the operation in accordance with a program stored therein.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a mail sorting process for a certain mail mass by the mail sorting apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the details of the process (step 103) of adjusting the allocation of the bins in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the section information table in the storage device 11. Classification information table 12
Is composed of a record group including an address code pattern 13, a sorting destination 14, and information 15 indicating whether or not the sorting destination 14 is a sorting completion target, and a sorting destination of a mail having an address code matching the address code pattern 13. The collection box is defined by the sorting destination 14.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an accumulation box assignment information table in the storage device 11. The collection box assignment information table 16 includes, for the sorting destination 14 described in the sorting information table 12, one-pass mail number information,
Alternatively, based on the number of messages 18 obtained by counting the estimated number of items information calculated from the mail number statistics table 21, the number of accumulation box allocations 19 calculated from the number of messages 18, and the number of accumulation box allocations 19, Assigned bin allocation result 20
Is stored.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the postal number statistical table 21 in the storage device 11 for storing the number of sorted postal items for a certain period in the past for each address code.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how the number of sorted completed mail items for a certain past period in FIG. 6 is stored.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the one-path section information table in the storage device 11. The one-pass classification information table 24 stores the address code of the one-pass completed postal matter, and stores the postal code received from another postal matter sorting device as well as the postal matter subjected to one pass by the own mail sorting device. The address code of the mail that has been subjected to one pass by the object sorting device is also stored.

FIG. 9 shows the number of sorting completed mails for a certain period in the past as the sorting destination 1 in the sorting information table 12.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table stored for each of FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a table for storing results of stacking box allocation performed during a certain period in the past.

Next, the operation of each unit shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, first, the operator sets a group of mails to be sorted into the slot 2, and
Is selected (step 1).
00), the control device 10 clears the collection box assignment information table 16 shown in FIG. 5 (step 101), and in step 102, the type of the selected section information table is 2
It is determined whether it is a pass or not, and in the case of two passes, a process of adjusting the allocation of the bin (step 103) is performed.

Next, when the operator starts driving and supplying (step 104), the control device 10 executes step 1
At 05, it is determined whether or not mail exists at the input port 2,
If mail is present, the mail is sent one by one to
(Step 106). The control device 10
When the mail conveyed on the conveyance path 6 passes through the intra-office barcode reading section 3, customer barcode reading section 4, and postal code / address recognition section 5, an address code is generated from the read result (step 107). In the address code generated in step 107, the sorting information table 12 that associates the address code with the sorting destination is searched (in the case of two passes, the stacking box allocation information table 16 is searched), and the sorting destination stacking box is searched. Decision (Step 108)
08 is accumulated in the accumulation box determined in step 08 (step 10
9). In addition, the control device 10 determines whether the sorting destination accumulation box determined in step 108 is a 1-pass sorting completion target (1) (0).
It is determined (step 110), and in the case of the sorting completion target, the address code of the mail is registered in the one-pass sorting information table 24 (step 111).

This process is repeated until no mail is left in the slot.

Next, the procedure for determining the bin assignment in step 103 of FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The control device 10 determines whether or not there is one-pass address code data in the one-pass classification information table 24 shown in FIG. 8 (step 200).

If there is one-pass address code data, first, information for estimating one-pass object number information when one-pass object number information cannot be obtained when two passes are performed in the future,
It is set in the postal number statistics table 21 shown in FIG.

The control device 10 is provided with a mail count statistics table 2
Clear the oldest number data of 1 (step 20)
1).

Here, the determination of which communication number data is the oldest is performed by managing the storage pointer as shown in FIG. Initially, the storage pointer indicates the head of the area of “section 1”. The control device 10 sets the number data in the area of “Category 1” and sets the storage pointer to “Category 2”.
Is updated to indicate the beginning of the area. Similarly, when the number data is set in the area of “Category 2”, the head of the area of “Category 3” is indicated, and when the number data is set in the area of “Category 3”, the head of the area of “Category 4” is indicated. Update the storage pointer to When the number data is set in the “Category 7” area, the process returns to the beginning, and the storage pointer indicates the head of the “Category 1” area.

For example, if the storage pointer indicates the head of the area of “section 1”, “section 1” is the oldest traffic number data area, and Clear the column of "Category 1" to 0 (step 20)
1) From the one-pass classification information table 24, the number of objects of one pass which is the target of the two passes this time is set for each address code in an area of “class 1” (step 202). For example, regarding “data 1”, the one-pass address code information of “data 1” is “12345311”.
−1-7 ”, the fourth row of“ Category 1 ”in the postal number statistics table 21 (the address code is“ 12345311-1-
The area of the "7" line) is updated by +1. This is performed for all data in the one-pass section information table 24.

Next, information for adjusting the allocation of the bins in the two passes is set.

The control device 10 determines from the one-path section information table 24 shown in FIG. 8 and the section information table 12 shown in FIG. On the other hand, the number of received messages is set in the number area 18 of the accumulation box assignment information table 16 (step 203).

For example, when looking at "data 1" in the one-pass section information table 24 shown in FIG. 8, the one-pass address code information of "data 1" is "12345311-1-7".
Therefore, the sorting destination is “C-0” from the sorting information table 12.
1 ", and the third row of the traffic area 18 of the collection box assignment information table 16 (the sorting destination of the sorting information table is" C-
The area of “01” row) is updated by +1. This is performed for all data in the one-pass section information table 24.

After finishing the processing of step 203, the control device 10 clears the one-pass section information table 24 (step 204).

If there is no one-pass address code data in step 206, the past one-pass object number information (2
Using the postal number statistics table 21 which is the information set in step 202 in the pass), information for adjusting the allocation of the bins in the two passes is set.

The control device 10 has a postal number statistics table 2
Calculate the average number excluding the maximum and minimum for each address code from 1 (step 205), and use that as the 1-pass object number information.
2 and the number 1 in the accumulation box allocation information table 16
In step 8, the number of mails for each bin is counted (step 20).
6).

Next, the control device 10 calculates the number of accumulation boxes to be allocated to the sorting destinations 14 described in the sorting information table 12 based on the numbers calculated in step 203 or 206 (step 207). Then, the allocated bin is assigned to the bin 2 in the bin allocation information table 16.
0 is stored (step 208).

According to the above-described embodiment, even if there is no one-pass object number information, the allocation of the number of collecting boxes can be adjusted in two passes, so that it is possible to reduce a sampling operation due to a full collecting box.

In the above-described embodiment, the postal matter number statistical table 21 is provided, and the number of sorted completed postal matters for a certain period in the past is stored and used for each address code.
As shown in FIG. 8, the same processing as that of the embodiment can be realized by storing physical quantity information for each sorting destination 14 described in the sorting information table 12. Instead of storing the number-of-items information, it has a table as shown in FIG. 9, and stores the number of accumulation boxes assigned to the sorting destinations 14 described in the sorting information table 12 for a certain past period. Is stored, and the allocation of the bin is determined with the most frequent value, the same processing as that of the embodiment can be realized.

[0044]

As described above, in the mail sorting apparatus according to the present invention, even if the number information of the mails in one pass is not obtained, the postal code written on the mails,
Stores the number of mails for address codes generated from information such as addresses and barcodes for classified mails,
Based on this, it is possible to assign the number of bins of mail to be sorted this time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main part configuration diagram of a mail sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a mail sorting process for a certain group of mails by the mail sorting apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of a process for determining allocation of a collection box.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a section information table that associates address codes with section destinations.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an accumulation box assignment information table that defines the assignment of accumulation boxes to the sorting destinations of the sorting information table.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a postal number statistical information table that stores the number of sorted postal items for a certain fixed period in the past for each address code.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how to store the number of sorted postal items for a certain past period.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a one-pass classification information table that stores the address codes of postal matter for which one-pass classification has been completed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table that stores the number of sorted completed mail items for a certain past period for each sorting destination in the sorting information table.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table for storing the number of allocated accumulation boxes for a certain past period for each sorting destination of the sorting information table.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: mail sorting device, 2: slot, 3: bar code reading section in office, 4: customer bar code reading section, 5: post code / address recognition section, 6: transport path, 7: bar code printing apparatus,
8: stacking box group, 9: stacking box, 10: control device, 11: storage device, 12: sorting information table, 13: address code pattern, 14: sorting destination, 15: sorting completed, 16: stacking box allocation information table , 17: Sorting destination of sorting information table, 18: Number of copies, 19: Number of collecting bins, 20: Assigning collecting bins, 21: Postal count statistics table, 22: Address code, 23: Sorting completed postal items , 24: 1 path classification information table

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshikazu Imai 1st Ikegami, Haraoka-cho, Owariasahi-shi, Aichi F-term in the Information Equipment Division, Hitachi, Ltd. 3F079 AA01 BA25 CA02 CA03 CA06 CC11 DA21 EA09

Claims (4)

[Claims] In a mail sorting method for sorting mails, when a second sorting is performed on a mail sorted in a first time, the number of mails related to the first sorting of the mail is determined. If there is no information, a mail sorting method characterized by determining the number of collection boxes in the second sorting this time on the basis of mail count information on the past first sorting stored in advance. . 2. A mail sorting apparatus for sorting mail based on information attached to a postal matter, comprising: reading means for reading information attached to the postal matter; An accumulation box, storage means for storing information read by the reading means and an accumulation box in which mail having the address is to be sorted, and storing the information, and based on the information read by the reading means. And control means for retrieving the bin of the sort destination stored in the storage means to determine the sort destination of the mail, and wherein the control means is such that the mail sorting apparatus performs the second sorting. The number of collecting boxes for each sorting destination of the second sorting is determined based on the number of mails in the past first sorting stored in the storage means. Sorting device. 3. A method for allocating bins in a mail sorting apparatus for sorting mails, wherein information on the number of mails in a past first sorting is stored, and a second time based on the information on the number of mails is stored. Calculating information on postal matter in a section, calculating the number of collecting boxes for each sorting destination in the second sorting based on the information, and allocating a collecting box to each sorting destination. Box assignment method. 4. A data storage method in a mail sorting apparatus for sorting mails, wherein a mail to be sorted as a first sorting is delivered, information attached to the mail is read, and In the case of performing the second sorting, in order to determine a sorting destination based on the information attached to the mail, the number of mails corresponding to the information assigned to the sorted mail is stored. Data storage method to be used.