Patent ID: 8301296

Claim:
A method for transporting and sorting physically different transportation items, which comprises: ascertaining, with one or more sensors, automatically readable information associated with each transportation item as specific physical features of the respective transportation item before or while the transportation item is surrendered to a transportation and/or sorting system; storing the automatically readable information as an electronic feature data record (signature) together with an identification code associated with said transportation item in a database; handling the transportation item in accordance with the respective identification code; if it is impossible to identify a given transportation item using the electronically readable identification code: preparing a further feature data record for the given transportation item and comparing with the feature data records stored in the database; if an at least adequate match is found between the further feature data record and one of the feature data records previously stored in the database, identifying, sorting, and transporting the transportation item using the identification code associated with the previously stored feature data record and the information contained in the identification code.