Patent Abstract:
A sorter system includes a plurality of sortation bins with a feed path connected to the plurality of sortation bins for transporting media items to destination sortation bins. A controller is connected to control the plurality of sortation bins and is operable during a sortation process to reassign the destination sortation bin into which a media item is sorted. The system operation may employ a method for sorting media items where a plurality of media items are fed onto a transport system for sortation. Each media items is sorted into a destination sortation bin of a plurality of sortation bins connected to said transport system. Destination sortation bins for media items are dynamically reassigned based of the determined status of the media items in the sortation bins. The status of media items is sensed in each of said plurality of sortation bins may be determined based on sensors associated with the equipment or tracked by a controller or other techniques which track the mail pieces being processed. Destination sortation bins may be assigned to accommodate overflow capacity from existing bins thereby creating larger effective bins. They may also be assigned to allow the reuse of existing bins thereby creating a sortation system with a greater effective number of sortation bins.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to media handling systems and more particularly to a sorting system and method having dynamically re-allocated sortation bins. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sortation systems, such as mail piece sorting equipment, are often large and complex systems having a large number of sortation bins. To sort mail for delivery by a postal service or private carrier may involve equipment having hundreds of sortation bins. This is to enable sortations that will organize the mail pieces into a delivery order sequence for the mail delivery person. The sortation process is often a multiple pass radix-type sortation algorithm process. Sortation equipment may be manufactured with a number of sortation bins to accommodate the largest number of sortation separations that may be required. In such cases, many of the sortation bins are not required for the most of the sortation applications. The equipment and the required space for the equipment can be very costly. Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the size and cost of sorting equipment as well as to increase the equipment flexibility. 
     Reductions in the size of sortation equipment have utilized techniques where the size of the sortation bins are reduced by employing overflow bins. In such case, an overflow sortation bin accommodates mail being processed when the original destination sortation bin is filled. The overflow sortation bin is assigned during each sortation run as a designated overflow bin for a single original destination sortation bin. This allocation remains for the duration of the sortation run. As a result, an estimate is required before the sortation process pass commences as to which original destination sortation bins may become filled and will require during the sortation process run one or more overflow sortation bins. When this estimate is inaccurate, the sortation process may have to be stopped when an original destination sortation bin becomes filled and no overflow sortation bin has been provided. Sortation equipment of this type also does not provide flexibility for mail pieces that may have been roughly sorted prior to the commencement of a sortation run and thereby over flow different original destination sortation bins throughout the course of a sortation run. 
     When mail pieces are roughly grouped as mail to a given geographical area, such as Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, such mail can be combined in a sortation run. Mail pieces from each state are grouped together when loaded into the equipment for sortation run. Moreover, mail even when not roughly sorted, may be created in a way that establishes a rough grouping. If this mail is processed in a single sortation run, the sortation equipment must have a sufficient number of sortation bins to accommodate all the destinations sortation bins required for the sortation separation. Moreover, if the sortation equipment operator does not remove the mail pieces as the sortation bins approach their maximum capacity, the sortation equipment will either stop or, in a more difficult situation, jam. A jam of the sortation equipment will require operator intervention to restart the machine by clearing all of the jammed mail pieces, which also may be mutilated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It has been discovered that a sortation system can be employed that recycles sortation bins to provide enhanced flexibility for sortation equipment. Sortation bins may be recycled as overflow bins for mail pieces directed to various different original destination sortation bins during the sortation process. The sortation bins can also be recycled to accommodate changing sortation requirements for the mail pieces being processed. 
     By dynamically reassigning destination sortation bins, sortation bins are reallocated for mail pieces during the sortation process. The dynamic reassignment of sortation bins during the sortation process for mail pieces to different destination sortation bins, in accordance with the present invention, provides great flexibility. It provides sortation overflow bins for mail pieces directed to original destination sortation bins and re-mapping of sortation bin allocations to accommodate changing sortation requirements and composition of the mail pieces being processed. This dynamic reassignment of sortation bins allows mail pieces to be directed to different sortation bins during the sortation process as experience is obtained with the specific mail being processed. That is, the sortation bins can be dynamically assigned to accommodate the volume of mail pieces directed to a specific sortation bin, based on the actual requirements, thereby enhancing the sortation equipment functionality. 
     The dynamic reassignment of mail pieces to sortation bins during the sortation run enables mail pieces to be grouped together as input for the sortation equipment even when the total number of sortation bins to properly separate the stack of mail is insufficient absent the dynamic sortation bin reassignment for the mail pieces. Displays on the sortation bins assist the machine operator with information as to the status and current assignment of a particular sortation bin. 
     A sorter system embodying the present invention includes a plurality of sortation bins. A feed path is connected to the plurality of sortation bins for transporting media items to destination sortation bins of the plurality of sortation bins. A controller is connected to control the plurality of sortation bins and is operable during a sortation process to reassign the destination sortation bin into which a media item is sorted. 
     In accordance with the present invention a method for sorting media items includes feeding a plurality of media items onto a transport system for sortation. Each media item is sorted into a destination sortation bin of a plurality of sortation bins connected to the transport system. Destination sortation bins for media items are dynamically reassigned based of the status of the media items in the sortation bins. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the status of media items is determined by sensors in each of said plurality of sortation bins. Alternatively the status may be virtually tracked by the controller alone or as an augmentation of the sensors. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference is now made to the various figures wherein like reference numerals designate similar items in the various figures and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a mail piece sorter system embodying the present invention and employing dynamically reallocated mail piece sortation bins for mail pieces being processed; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged diagrammatic view of two of the sortation bins shown in  FIG. 1 , with details as to features of the sortation bins; 
         FIG. 3  is a chart of the possible sortation bin conditions during operation of the sorter system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a chart of the sortation bin conditions during the normal operation of the sorter system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  when no equipment error conditions occur; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart of the operation of the sorter system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in which mail pieces destined to original destination sortation bins are dynamically reassigned to accommodate sortation bin overflow; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic view of three of the sortation bins shown in  FIG. 1 , with an associated chart, illustrating an example of reassignment of mail piece destination sortation bins; and, 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart of the operation of the system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in which mail piece destination sortation bins are dynamically reassigned as the sortation run progresses to accommodate sortation requirements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1 . A mail piece sorter system  1  includes a mail piece magazine  200  containing a stack of mail pieces, shown generally at  201 . A mail piece feeder  210  feeds individual mail pieces out of the magazine  200  and onto the sorter transport  220 . A barcode reader (BCR)  225  mounted along the transport path reads barcodes printed on passing mail pieces, such as mail piece  202 , for use by a sorter control computer  100 . The sorter control computer  100  controls the operation of the sorter system and utilizes sort plan data base  110  and re-mapper data base  120 . On any given radix sortation pass, the sort plan data base  110  provides a sortation bin assignment for each address or ZIP code, which is often represented by a POSTNET barcode on the mail piece. The re-mapper data base  120  is provided to re-map or dynamically reassign mail pieces in the mail piece stack  201  to different destination sortation bins from that provided by the sort plan data base  110 . The re-mapper data base  120  translates the sort plan data base physical sortation bin assignment lookup (e.g. number  301 ) into a temporary or reassigned sortation bin number (e.g.  303 ) when the original sortation bin is not available for use. 
     Therefore, the sort plan data base  110  can be prepopulated with the desired sortation patterns for each sortation pass while the re-mapper data base  120  maintains tracking of the temporary reassignments and the required relabeling of the sortation bins for operator instruction so that the intended outcome of the original sort plan is achieved regardless of the use of any temporary interim reallocation and reassignment of sortation bins to meet operational requirements. 
     Sortation bins  300 ,  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304  and  305  are connected to the transport  220 . The sortation bins each have an associated bin diverter, respectively bin diverters  230 ,  231 ,  232 ,  233 ,  234  and  235 . Bin diverters  231 ,  232 ,  233 ,  234  and  235  are shown in their closed positions. Bin diverter  230  is shown in the deployed (open) position. When deployed, such as bin diverter  230 , the bin diverter will cause the mail pieces on the transport  220  to move into the associated sortation bin (e.g.  300 ). The sort plan data base  110  identifies the desired destination sort bin for each address and therefore for each mail piece. For example, a mail piece, such as mail piece  203 , may be addressed to Shelton, Conn., having a ZIP code 06484. Based on the reading of the bar code printed on the mail piece by BCR  225 , the sorter control computer  100  identifies from the sort plan data base  110  that this mail piece should be directed to bin  300  and therefore causes the bin diverter  230  to be deployed. As the mail piece  203  approaches sortation bin  300 , the deployed bin diverter  230  causes the mail piece to move into bin  300 . As will be explained hereinafter, the re-mapper data base  120  may dynamically reassign the sortation bin and therefore cause a different diverter to be deployed based on the condition of the sortation equipment without changing the sort plan data base  110 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 2 , showing details of sortation bins  300  and  301 . Sortation bin  300  includes a status sensor  420  for bin full and a status sensor  430  for bin empty as well as a display  410  for identifying the status and the contents of the sortation bin. In the event that the sortation bin  300  becomes filled with mail pieces destined, for example, to ZIP code 06484, shown at the bin display  410 , the bin full sensor  420  will detect this condition and activate the local 
     bin full alarm  440 . The bin full alarm may be a visual and/or auditory alarm for the machine operator to remove (sweep) the mail pieces from the sortation bin. Simultaneously, the bin full sensor  420  will alert the sorter control computer  100  as to the status of sortation bin  300 . The sorter control computer will, through the re-mapping data base  120 , assign an available sortation bin, e.g. sortation bin  301 , as the overflow sortation bin for sortation bin  300 . The sortation bin display  411  for bin  301  will now be updated to reflect this new assignment to read “06484 overflow” and bin display  410  for sortation bin  300  will now be updated to read “06484 clear first”. Subsequent mail pieces destined for bin  300  in accordance with the sort plan data base  110  will now be redirected in accordance with the re-mapper data base  120 . The mail pieces will now be directed to sortation bin  301 . 
     When the machine operator has removed all mail pieces from sortation bin  300  and the bin empty sensor  420  detects this empty condition, the sort computer  100  will reset the destination sortation bin for 06484 mail pieces to sortation bin  300  and update the display  410  at sortation bin  300 , as for example, “06484 after  301 ”. This reflects that the mail pieces in sortation bin  300  are later in sequence than the overflow mail pieces in sortation bin  301 , which is now updated to read “06484 clear first.” This assists the operator to maintain the proper sequence for the mail pieces in order to implement a multipass radix-type mail piece sortation. When the machine operator has removed all mail from sortation bin  301  and the bin empty  431  detects this empty condition, the sort computer  100  will update the display  411  at sortation bin  301  as “unused.” This will visually indicate to the operator that sortation bin  301  is currently unassigned and is available for reallocation as needed. The display  410  at sortation bin  300  may now be restored to the default label “06484”. Should another sortation bin, e.g.,  302  for ZIP code 06801, subsequently become full, the sortation bin  301  may be dynamically reallocated or reassigned during the sortation run for overflow mail pieces from the sortation bin and relabeled accordingly on the sortation bin display. It should be recognized that the description of dynamic reassignment of sortation bins to accommodate overflow of mail pieces is an example of how the dynamic reassignment of sortation bins and sortation bin displays may be utilized. The specific reassignment and display labeling will depend on the type of mail piece being processed and the type of sortation being implemented. 
     Some of the sortation bin instrumentation illustrated in  FIG. 2  may be augmented or substituted with virtual sensors in the controller computer  100  in which case the number of mail pieces and their thickness (based upon a mail run data file or other prior knowledge of the mail piece thickness) are tracked and used to compute the status of the sortation bin. As an example, prior knowledge of the sortation bin dimensions (configured during initial machine setup) combined with information from the mail run data file which reports each mail piece to have a thickness of ⅛ inch would enable the controller computer to determine that when 80 mail pieces have been directed to a particular bin, that will cause the 10 inch bin to become full. The computer may be programmed with a margin of error to ensure that bins are not overloaded and therefore indicate a bin full condition when 70 pieces have been directed to a sortation bin. Likewise, a push button may be placed at each bin, which the operator can press when they have cleared the mail from that bin thereby indicating a bin empty condition. The bin full indicators may be present only on the control computer  100  display screen although often the local indicator at the bin is considered valuable in that it helps direct the sweeper to the specific bin that is full. The bin full indicators might also be incorporated into the bin displays (e.g.  410 ,  411 ) as additional visual elements such as an additional marker. Bin full might also be signaled by a convention such as flashing the display text, inverting the text and background colors, or changing the color of the display to indicate various conditions. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a chart setting out the various possible conditions for sortation bins  301  and  303 , where bin  303  is provided as an overflow sortation bin for sortation bin  301 . Each sortation bin can be in a condition where the sortation bin is empty, some mail pieces are present in the sortation bin, or the sortation bin is full. In this table, activation of a sensor is represented as “1” while an unactivated sensor is represented as “0”. Machine bin status codes are defined ( 0  to  15 ) which represent all possible combinations and permutations of the full and empty sensor conditions associated with a pair of bins. For example, machine status  0  for sortation bins  301  and  303  represents the case in which neither the empty sensor nor the full sensor for either sortation bin is activated. Accordingly, some mail pieces are present in each of the sortation bins. As another example of the state summary chart, in machine bin status  5 , the sortation bin  301  has its full sensor activated (denoted by a 1) and its empty bin sensor not activated (denoted by a 0). The overflow sortation bin  303  has its full sensor activated and the empty sensor not activated. In this condition, both the original sortation bin  301  and the overflow sortation bin  303  are full of mail. As another example, at machine bin status  10 , both the original sortation bin  301  and the overflow sortation bin  303  are empty. In this machine bin status, the bin empty sensor for each of the sortation bins is activated and the bin full sensor for each of the sortation bins is not activated. 
     It should be recognized that some sensor activation combinations represent some form of malfunction, the bin full and bin empty sensors are simultaneously activated in the same bin. This is a condition that is not in accordance with normal operation of the machine. As an example, machine bin status  3  shows an error condition for sortation bin  301  where both the bin empty sensor and the bin full sensor are simultaneously activated. Since the sortation bin cannot be both full and empty, this would indicate an equipment or sensor failure. Similar types of error conditions are noted for machine bin status codes  7  and  11 - 15 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  is a chart of the normal operational sequence and machine bin status codes for original sortation bin  301  and overflow sortation bin  303 . The machine bin status references are the same as set out in  FIG. 3 . At the start of a sortation run, both the original sortation bin  301  and the overflow sortation bin  303  are empty. At this time, both the bin empty sensors are activated (machine bin status code  10 ). As mail pieces are processed and moved into the original sortation bin  301 , neither bin empty nor bin full” sensors are activated, indicating that some mail pieces are in the sortation bin  301  (machine bin status  8 ). When the original sortation bin  301  becomes full (machine status  9 ), the overflow sortation bin  303  is empty. At this time, the dynamic reassignment results in overflow mail pieces being directed, based on the re-mapper data base  120 , into overflow sortation bin  303 ; and some mail pieces are now in sortation bin  303  while the original sortation bin  301  is full (machine bin status  1 ). As the alerted operator starts removing mail from the full bin  301 , it becomes partly full (machine status  0 ) and both bin full and bin empty sensors are denoted as being inactive. Eventually, when the operator has fully removed the mail pieces from original sortation bin  301 , the sortation bin  301  status is changed to bin empty (machine bin status  2 ). The overflow mail continues to be processed and moved into overflow sortation  303 . 
     Once the original sortation bin  301  has been cleared and the overflow sortation bin  303  is full (machine bin status  6 ), the reassignment is reversed and mail pieces are again moved into the original sortation bin  301 . At machine bin status  4 , the overflow sortation bin  303  has been filled and the original sortation bin  301  is in use having mail pieces moved into the sortation bin. This is denoted by both the bin full sensor and bin empty sensor being inactive for sortation bin  301 . It should be noted, however, that the reassignment of mail pieces to the original sortation bin  301  can occur whenever the original sortation bin  301  is empty and is available for use even though the overflow sortation bin  303  is not full (machine bin status  2 ). 
     If the operator had not cleared mail from the original bin  301  and mail continued to flow to sortation bin  303  then both the original sortation bin  301  and the overflow sortation bin  303  would become full (machine bin status  5 ). The sorter system would need to be stopped so that the operator could sweep the mail from the full sortation bins. 
     It should be recognized at this point in the operation of the system that because of the flexibility of dynamic reassignment of sortation bins, another unused sortation bin, as for example sortation bin  304  or  305 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , can be dynamically reassigned to be the overflow sortation bin for original sortation bin  301 . This would avoid the need to shut down the equipment to clear the full sortation bins  301  and  303 . With the dynamic reassignment of overflow sortation bins, there is no need to stop the equipment until all the available bins in the entire sorter system are full. 
     As can be seen from the above, the ability to dynamically reassign sortation bins during the sortation run enables the sorting system to continuously operate, even though various sortation bins have been filled. The ability to loop back and repeat the process and to also utilize other sortation bins, such as sortation bins  304  and  305 , provides flexibility in the sortation of mail pieces. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 5 , showing the operation of the sorter system of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The balloon portions on the flow chart arrows indicate the machine bin status, which will result in the particular branching of the program as shown in the figure. 
     At  1000 , a mail piece is fed and the bar code on the mail piece read by the sorter system. At  1005 , the mail piece destination sortation bin for that ZIP code bar code is looked up in the sort plan data base  110  and identified. At  1010 , the status sensors ( 421  and  431 ) of bin  301  are read to determine the operational condition of the sortation bin  301 . At  1015 , the status sensors of bin  303  are read. A determination is made at  1020 , based on the machine status of bins  301  and  303 , as to the next step in continued operation of the equipment. 
     If at decision block  1020 , the machine status is  0 ,  2  or  4 , the operation progresses to decision block  1035 . At this point, a determination is made whether the destination sortation bin  301  is remapped in the re-mapper data base  120  which redirects mail pieces to an overflow sortation bin. If so, the mail pieces are directed to the overflow bin  303  at  1040 . If not, the mail pieces are directed to the original sortation bin  301  at  1030 . 
     If at decision block  1020 , the machine status is  1 , the mail pieces are directed (sort plan data base  110  lookup modified by re-mapper data base  120 ) to overflow sortation bin  303  at  1040 . When the machine status is  6  at  1020 , the system clears (turns off) the re-mapping or bin reassignment in the re-mapping data base  120  at  1055  and directs the mail pieces to original sortation bin  301 . The displays are updated at  1065  on both the original and overflow sortation bins  301  and  303 . Where the machine status is  9  at decision block  1020 , the bin remap status in the re-mapping data base  120  is turned on at  1060  and the next available overflow sortation bin (e.g. bin  303 ) is assigned in the re-mapping translation data base. The mail pieces are directed to overflow sortation bin  303 . Again, at  1065 , the displays are updated on both the original and overflow bins  301  and  303 . 
     The process continues with a determination being made at  1070  if more mail (sensor  205 ) is in the mail piece magazine  200 . Where more mail is present in mail piece magazine  200 , the process loops back to  1000  and continues. At  1075 , an alert is activated for the operator to sweep any full sortation bins so to allow the machine to continue to operate. Where no further mail (sensor  205 ) is determined to be in the feeder at decision block  1070 , the sortation process is ended at  1080 . 
     If the machine status is  3 ,  7 , or  11 - 15  at decision block  1020 , there is a machine or sensor failure. This requires the sorter system to be stopped the error condition corrected. The process loops around back to block  1010  until the condition is corrected. 
     Where the machine status is  5  at  1020 , meaning both sortation bins  301  and  303  are full, the system is stopped at  1045  to enable the operator to sweep the full bins. It should be noted that while the description involves only sortation bins  301  and  303 , as previously noted, other unused sortation bins can be dynamically reassigned for the purpose of handling overflow mail and those additional sortation bins can allow the equipment to continue to operate when dynamically reassigned to be an overflow sortation bin for original sortation bin  301 . In such instances, the machine status code would be computed, for example, based upon the original and current active bins for a particular ZIP code. Alternatively, additional overflow bins could be added to  FIG. 3  and the additional machine bin status code cases could be encoded in the decision process at step  1020 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic view of several sortation bins demonstrating their dynamic utilization during a sortation run, as shown in the associated chart. Sortation bin  301  and all of the other sortation bins  301   a ,  301   b  and  301   c  in bank A are permanently assigned to a particular sortation separation functionality. Mail pieces bearing ZIP code 06484 are always destined to bin  301  in this sortation plan as shown in the associated chart. Likewise other ZIP codes can be permanently assigned to the other bins in bank A ( 301   a ,  301   b ,  301   c ). 
     In contrast, banks B and C of sortation bins are dynamically reassigned for mail pieces with different ZIP codes during the sortation run. With respect to sortation bin  303  and the other sortation bins  303   a ,  303   b  and  303   c  in bank B, the bin assignments for mail pieces are changed during the sortation run. As an example, as shown in the associated chart, the first sortation bin assignment for sortation bin  303  may be for mail pieces bearing ZIP codes 01451, a second sortation bin dynamic reassignment later in the sortation run is for mail pieces with a different ZIP code, that is, mail pieces bearing ZIP code 06470. Yet another sortation bin dynamic reassignment for sortation bin  303  is implemented still later in the sortation run for mail pieces bearing to ZIP code 08540. In a similar fashion, sortation bin  305  and sortation bins  305   a ,  305   b  and  305   c  in bank C are also dynamically reassigned during the sortation run. Thus, sortation bin  305  is dynamically reassigned during the sortation run from mail pieces bearing ZIP code 02108 to mail pieces bearing ZIP code bearing 06801 to mail pieces bearing ZIP code 10022. 
     In the above manner by dynamically reassigning sortation bins  303  and  305  during the sortation run to be the destination sortation bin for mail pieces with different delivery ZIP codes, six different ZIP codes on mail pieces can be processed with these 2 bins. The dynamic reassignment of the sortation bin is implemented after mail pieces in the bin have been removed during the sortation run by the machine operator while mail pieces are being moved into other sortation bins in the sorter system. Thus the system operation is not interrupted even though the sorter system has fewer sortation bins than the required sortation separation for various different delivery ZIP codes of the mail pieces being processed. Depending on the particular sortation application it may be desirable to first process sortation bin  303  with mail pieces bearing ZIP code 01451. While mail pieces are being removed from sortation bin  303 , mail pieces bearing ZIP code 02108 are directed into sortation bin  305 . In like fashion, while mail pieces are being removed from sortation bin  305 , mail pieces bearing ZIP code 06470 are directed into sortation bin  303 . This process may be implemented by creating sort plan data bases  110  that allocate bin numbers from  300  to  399  even though the sorter system contains only 40 physical bins. The re-map data base  120  then remaps the out of range bin numbers to bin numbers within the physical range. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 7 . While  FIG. 5  allows a single ZIP code destination (bin  301 ) to be mapped to two physical bins ( 301  and  303 ),  FIG. 7  describes the mapping of three ZIP code destinations (02108, 06801, and 10022) to a single sortation bin  303  as the sortation run progresses. It should be noted that the system enables great flexibility. One destination sortation address may be mapped to multiple physical sortation bins through the sortation bin overflow functionality illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Alternatively, many destination sortation addresses may be sequentially mapped to a single physical bin during a sortation run as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . These two functionalities may be combined and coexist on a single sortation run on a sorter. 
     Mail is fed and the bar code on the mail piece read at  2000 . The bar code is looked up and a destination sortation bin determined at  2010  from the sort plan data base  110 . A decision is made at  2020  whether the destination sortation bin is a new (out of) range of ZIP codes. If this is not the case, mail is directed to the destination sortation bin at  2030 . A determination is made if more mail is in the mail magazine at  2090 . If mail is present in the magazine, the process loops back to block  2000 . If no further mail is in the feeder, the process ends at  2095 . 
     One embodiment of this system would be to create a sortation data base  110  that includes entries for a larger number of destination bins than physically exist in the equipment. When the sortation data base  110  identifies a destination sortation bin that is beyond the physical number existing on the sorter, the destination bin is remapped through the remapper data base  120  to accommodate the out of range bin numbers. Referring again to  FIG. 7 , when a determination is made at decision block  2020  that the ZIP code and destination sortation bin are out of range (beyond the physical bin numbers of the current sorter), the system branches to block  2040  and the sortation bin status is polled. A determination is made at decision block  2050  if the next sortation bin bank for the new mail piece ZIP code range is empty. If this is the case, the dynamic destination sortation bin reassignment for the mail pieces is set for the next sortation bin bank at  2070  in the re-map data base  120 . The displays on the sortation bins are then updated at  2080 . The process continues to decision block  2090 . Where at decision block  2050  a determination is made that the next bin bank is not empty, the machine operator or sweeper is alerted at  2060  to clear the next sortation bin bank and the sorter is stopped. The process loops back to decision block  2050  until the bank has been cleared. 
     It should be recognized that these two processes ( FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 ) can be combined. A single sortation system may incorporate both the overflow and the reuse features of the present invention. It should also be recognized that the various systems and methods described above in connection with the figures may be employed with any media items to be processed that are suitable for sortation. The term media item is intended herein to be a broad term and to include mail pieces such as various types of mail pieces such as letter mail, postcards and flats. The USPS considers mail pieces to be flats when the mail piece exceeds at least one of the dimensional regulations of letter-sized mail (e.g. over 11.5 inches long, over 6⅛ inches tall, or over ¼ inch thick) but does not exceed 15¾ inches by 12 inches by 1¼ inch thick. Flats include such mail as pamphlets, annual reports and the like. Other examples of media items include sheets of paper, checks, compact discs, DVD discs, books, packages of greeting cards, and any other items that can be sorted or sequenced on automated processing equipment. Accordingly, while the detailed description is directed to the processing mail pieces, any other suitable media items can be substituted for the mail pieces in the description. A sortation plan would be employed which is appropriate for the specific type of media, the particular application and the specific sortation equipment employed. Various sortation systems may be employed. These sortation systems may, for example, process mail pieces in a horizontal (lying down) or in a vertical (on edge) orientation. Mail pieces may be moved unescorted, as described above, or escorted, that is, contained within a carrier as is common on flats sorting systems because of the difficulty of handling such a wide range of materials. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1