Patent ID: 11858006
Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICES
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A system for sorting delivery items, the system comprising:
an intake area comprising:
a source of delivery items comprising a plurality of delivery items; and
a scanner configured to scan respective indicia of each of the plurality of delivery items;

one or more sorting areas operably coupled with the intake area and configured to receive the plurality of delivery items therefrom, wherein a first sorting area of the one or more sorting areas is disposed directly downstream of the intake area, and wherein each of the one or more sorting areas comprises:
a sorting area conveyor configured to move the plurality of delivery items from a first end portion towards a second end portion thereof;
a first sorting area sensor disposed in the first end portion of the sorting area conveyor and configured to determine the presence or absence of a delivery item from among the plurality of delivery items at the first end portion of the sorting area conveyor;
a second sorting area sensor disposed in the second end portion of the sorting area conveyor and configured to determine the presence or absence of the delivery item at the second end portion of the sorting area conveyor;
one or more sort locations disposed about the sorting area conveyor; and
one or more indicators configured to indicate a proper sort location of the one or more sort locations for the delivery item;

an accumulator area disposed directly adjacent to and operably coupled with the first sorting area and configured to receive and store the delivery items directly from the first sorting area, the accumulator area comprising:
an accumulator area conveyor configured to move the delivery items from a first end portion thereof towards a second end portion thereof, the first end portion of the accumulator area conveyor disposed directly downstream of the first sorting area;
a first accumulator area sensor disposed in the first end portion of the accumulator area conveyor; and
a second accumulator area sensor disposed in the second end portion of the accumulator area conveyor; and

a computing system operably coupled with the intake area, the accumulator area, and each of the one or more sorting areas, the computing system being configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from the scanner, data corresponding to the delivery item from among the plurality of delivery items;
determining the proper sort location for the delivery item based at least in part on the data from the scanner; and
sending a signal to the one or more indicators to indicate the proper sort location for the delivery item from among the one or more sort locations.