Patent ID: 8748768

Claim:
A mail processing system comprising: a processor for receiving and processing mail data, wherein the mail data, obtained during a first pass sorting operation, includes at least delivery point data and a unique number associated with each of the plurality of mail items, and wherein the processor determines a listing of mail item unique numbers for mail items expected at each of a plurality of bins for a subsequent sorting pass by analyzing the delivery point data and mail item unique number associated with each of the plurality of mail items; and at least one sorter for sorting the plurality of mail items, during a subsequent pass sorting operation, to the bins in accordance with the delivery point data, wherein: the sorter maintains a count of mail items sorted to each bin when the at least one sorter sorts the plurality of mail items to the bins, the sorter maintains a record of the mail item unique numbers at each of the one or more bins when the plurality of mail items are sorted, the sorter triggers an alert associated therewith when the number of mail items expected at one of the bins is reached by the count of mail items sorted to the one bin, each of the bins accumulates mail items and includes a display for displaying the incremental or decremental count of mail items received therein or to be received therein, respectively, relative to the number of mail items expected at each bin, such that an operator can visually inspect the decremental or incremental count for each bin, and the sorter generates a report indicating a discrepancy between the unique mail item numbers expected at each bin and the unique mail item numbers received at each bin.