Abstract:
A profiler system is preferably mounted to a conventional roller conveyor frame rail used primarily in mail handling applications. The profiler system contains an array of photo sensors strategically placed to sense the height and length of a mail tray. The sensors are operably connected to a controller that is capable of filtering false signals and accommodating varying conveyor speeds. The controller classifies the object as one of the several types of mail trays or as an unknown object based upon blocked photo sensors. The tray type is reported to a higher-level control system via an industry standard controller communication bus for further processing downstream.

Description:
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST 
   This invention was made partially with U.S. Government support from the United States Postal Service under Contract No. 512593-00-E-1440. The U.S. Government has certain rights in the invention. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to mail processing, and, more particularly to determining the exact profile or size characteristics of the container that contains the flat and letter mail. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Package processing service companies, for example the USPS, process many different types of articles in their facilities. After local (in plant) processing (sorting), the mail needs to be routed to its next destination. Routing the mail to its next destination usually entails at least over the road travel, but usually a more common occurrence requires a combination of air and over the road shipping. Due to the competitive nature of the shipping industry, time is of the essence. The time critical nature of mail delivery is one of the most important factors the USPS and its competitors face other than delivery accuracy. After the flats and letter sortation processing occurs, the aggregate mail trays need to be dispatched to their next destination with speed and accuracy. The USPS uses over the road containers to ship bulk amounts of mail. These over the road containers are designed to handle certain types of mail trays. Due to this fact, mail streams need to be separated for efficient processing. A divert action needs to be made upstream of the dispatch conveyor system in order to process flats tubs in one mail stream and all other letter trays in another mail stream. In order to make this divert action, a divert decision needs to be made based on information and characteristics of the mail stream gathered by the mail article profiler. The type of article needs to be determined to correctly divert it in the mail stream for efficient processing. 
   In the past, this type of mail processing was done manually by human intervention, or by extra conveyor lines in order to keep the mail streams separate, making the task expensive, labor intensive and overall inefficient. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is in the form of a profiler system mounted to the conventional roller conveyor frame rail used in object handling applications and, in particular mail handling applications. The present invention contains an array of conventional photo sensors strategically placed to sense the height and length of a mail tray. The photo sensors generate signals that are recognized by a controller, which has the ability to filter false signals and accommodate varying conveyor speeds. Based upon the length of time that individual and combination of photo sensors in the array are blocked, the controller classifies the object as one of numerous types of known objects, such as mail trays, or unknown objects. The tray type is reported to a higher-level control system via an industry standard controller communication bus, which are outside the scope of the present invention. 
   More specifically, the profiler of this invention includes photo sensors, a controller, a power supply, and system software. The present invention utilizes photo sensors in very specific areas as well as a controller to process data in order to make an accurate decision for further processing. The photo sensors are positioned in such a way that when a tray of mail comes through the system a “snap-shot” of the data is taken. This “snap shot” takes place as photo sensors mounted in the conveyor are blocked and unblocked by a passing mail tray. The data is then compared to a “look-up table” or matrix of photo sensors vs., for example, mail tray type and the decision is made for conveyor diversion. System software polls the sensors, filters and debounces data streams for more reliable results. 
   For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and detailed description and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the present invention adapted to a conventional roller conveyor; 
       FIG. 2  is a pictorial representation of the profiler of the present invention in conjunction with an existing conveyor control system and conveyor; 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of the process for profiling an article according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a table of a photo sensor list of blocked and unblocked photo sensors in accordance with this invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is an example of a bit map developed in accordance with this invention to track the sensors blocked by an object as it is transported through the conveyor system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention is now described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
   The preferred embodiment of the above invention provides a profiler or profiler system, being generally indicated by numerical designation  10 , illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which preferably is adapted to a conventional conveyor control system and conveyor for diverting various sized mail trays or other objects to specific mail streams within the conveyor system, which are outside the scope of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the system  10  generally includes a plurality of sensors, preferably four sensors  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d  (interchangeably referred to herein as photo sensors and photo eyes) operably connected to a controller  18  and a power supply  20 . The preferred embodiment sensors include photo eyes, such as Cutler Hammer 14156RDP17B1, Banner, Honeywell or any other manufacturers equivalent photo-eyes, with accompanying reflectors  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c , and  16   d  shown in FIG.  2 . The preferred embodiment is shown mounted on the side rails  22  of a conventional roller conveyor  12 , as illustrated in FIG.  2 . Additionally, there are photo eyes positioned at the conveyor entrance  14   e  and exit  14   f  (interchangeably referred to herein as photo sensors  14   e  and  14   f , photo eyes  14   e  and  14   f , and entrance photo sensor (or eye)  14   e  and exit photo sensor (eye)  14   f ), with corresponding reflectors (not shown). 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the photo eyes  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d  can be arranged in any height above the conveyor surface  24  and at any distance along the conveyor rails  22  to accommodate all types of mail trays. The various types of mail trays used in this example to transport mail are up to 13.0″ in width and 26″ in length, with a maximum height of 8.5″ including combined height of mail and tray. Therefore, 9″ is used as the minimum container clearance height. For illustration purposes, the following trays are used in the preferred embodiment: full MM trays (25.5″ long×12.38″ wide×5″ high), half MM trays (13.75″ long×12.13″ wide×5″ high), full EMM trays (24.5″ long×13″ wide×6.25″ high), half EMM trays (12.25″ long×13″ wide×6.25″ high), and flats tub (8.25″ long×13.25″ wide×11.5″ high). Additional trays may be added with the placement of photo eyes to recognize their presence. It should be further noted that this invention is not limited to mail trays but can also find applicability with any other type of objects that have to be sorted according to size. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the profiler system and the process for handling an object, for this example a mail tray (not shown), being profiled for a future action, for this example downstream diversion of the mail tray. The process is initiated when the mail tray entering the conveyor  12  in the direction of arrow “A” and travels down the roller  24 . The first step of the process is sensing the mail tray by photo sensor  14   e  that activates or wakes the sleeping controller  18  to run conventional “debounce” logic, step 2, to check for false positives. 
   The controller  18  is programmed to filter false signals and accommodate varying conveyor speeds. Standard photo-sensor debounce logic, used in the preferred embodiment, is set, for example, at 150 msec (˜5.5″ of travel @ 180 fpm) to prevent false positives due to mail sticking out of the top of the tray, dust or any other miscellaneous articles that may come into contact with the conveyor or profiler. Debounce logic (not disclosed) is designed into the controller  18  software to limit the number of false readings that would ultimately affect the overall accuracy and performance of the profiler system. Debounce logic provides a time delay (for example 150 msec) between the time an object is sensed by the photo sensor  14   a  and when the controller  18  recognizes the “on” signal that the photo-eye is sending, thereby increasing overall system reliability. 
   The third, fourth and fifth steps of the process occurs when the leading edge of a mail tray reaches photo sensor  14   a . In step 3, the states (blocked or not blocked) of photo sensor  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c , and  14   d  are sensed to determine the tray type as per a photo sensor matrix  26 , as illustrated in FIG.  4 . Due to tray lengths and photo sensor placement of the preferred embodiment, the photo sensor states are valid for up to 5.75″ of tray travel after photo sensor  14   a  is blocked by the leading edge of a tray. 
   At steps 4 and 5, the tray is classified by setting a “Tray Type” bit, as illustrated in FIG.  5 . This operation occurs approximately 150 msec (˜5.5″ of travel @180 fpm based on the debounce logic) after the leading edge of the tray passes photo sensor  14   a . Concurrently, a global “Tray Classified” bit is broadcast as a request for the controller  18  to poll for the tray type. When the tray arrives at the exit photo sensor  14   f  of the conveyor  12 , the tray type bits are reset to zero. 
   Now returning to  FIG. 4 , the controller  18  compares the photo sensor states to the photo sensor matrix  26  to identify the tray type. The controller  18  then forwards, step 6, the tray type information to the conveyor control system  28  for determining which mail stream  30  to diverge the tray downstream, as illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
   Any combinations of photo sensor blocked v. not blocked which are not covered by the photo sensor matrix  26  are classified as unknown trays and diverted to a special handling area downstream. For example, when all sensors are blocked, the tray may be too long and too high for the downstream distribution stations to accommodate. Another situation may arise that sensors  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c , and  14   d  are not blocked when a tray passes sensor  14   f , indicating that a tray is shorter than accepted and its length is unknown. In these and similar cases, the controller  18  will signal the conveyor control system  28  that an unknown tray has exited the conveyor. The conveyor control system  28 , in response to the signal by the controller  18 , will divert the unknown tray downstream to a holding area. 
   Although the invention has been described with respect to various embodiments, it should be realized this invention is also capable of a wide variety of further and other embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.