Patent ID: 7118034

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: scanning a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag on a package to generate scanned data including a package identifier; sending the scanned data including the package identifier from the scanner to a hub control system remote from the scanner; receiving the scanned data including the package identifier at the hub control system; generating at the hub control system a handling instruction for the package based on the scanned data by using the package identifier to retrieve package information indicating the package's destination, and using the package's destination to determine one of multiple sort destinations within a hub facility to which the package is to be routed by execution of the handling instruction; transmitting the handling instruction from the hub control system to machine controllers associated with respective conveyors and sorting devices along a sortation path to the one sort destination; receiving the handling instruction at the machine controllers for the multiple conveyors and sorting devices along the sortation path; and sorting the package by executing the handling instruction at the machine controllers for the multiple conveyors and sorting devices to route the package along the sortation path to the sort destination corresponding to the package's destination, at least some of the multiple sorting devices positioned at different locations in the hub facility spaced apart from one another by respective ones of the multiple conveyors.