Patent ID: 6888084

Claim:
A method of sorting items of mail by means of sorting machines with sorting endpoints, which comprise sorting bins ( 14 ) or replaceable containers ( 16 ), in multiple sorting passes, the surface of the item of mail with a distribution address being recorded and read during each first sorting pass, characterized in that during the first sorting pass, characteristic features of the item of mail or features of the address are additionally determined for each item of mail as a defined character feature set of features for distinguishing at least n items of mail, where n=a maximum multiple delivery rate, when a defined level is reached in each sorting endpoint, the container ( 16 ) is changed or the sorting bin ( 14 ) is emptied and the items of mail emptied out are storied temporarily in containers ( 16 ) while maintaining the items of mail order, the containers ( 16 ) being identified at least with a sorting endpoint number, for each item of mail, an order of reading ta distribution address, the associated sorting endpoint number and/or the number of the container ( 16 ) in which the item of mail is stored in this sorting pass, a distribution code determined from the address read and a characteristic feature set are stored in a database ( 10 ), in a second and each further sorting pass, the items of mail from each container ( 16 ) from the respective previous sorting pass are put into this or another sorting machine in the order in which the items of mail were stored in the container ( 16 ), an associated endpoint or container number is reported to a sorting machine and therefore the database section relevant to the respective container ( 16 ) is determined, the data in each database section being ordered in accordance with the order of reading the distribution address, for each item of mail the defined characteristic feature set is determined, with the aid of which the respective distribution code is then determined, by the characteristic feature set of lea first item of mail being compared with n characteristic feature sets stored one after another in this database section, beginning with the feature set of the first item of mail, and, if there is agreement within a defined range, the associated stored distribution code being assigned to the first item of mail, by the characteristic feature set of the second item of mail being compared with n characteristic feature sets stored one after another in this database section, beginning with the feature set of the second item of mail, and, if there is agreement, the stored distribution code for the feature set being assigned to the second item of mail, and the method of sorting items is repeated until the feature sets of all the items of mail supplied have been compared with the associated stored feature sets.