Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-06
2001-12-18
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S214000, C700S215000, C700S227000, C414S807000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332098
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of freight (from small boxes to the large materials and products on skids) is transported throughout the world, utilizing aircraft as a primary shipping carrier. Typically the freight is picked-up by a shippers employee, loaded onto a truck, and then transported to receiving and shipping facilities where the articles of freight are sorted, combined in Unit Load Devices (ULDs), and loaded into aircraft that transport the packages and freight either directly to or toward their ultimate destination, or to one or more intermediate facilities. At intermediate facilities, the freight is unloaded and sorted again and then combined and loaded onto another aircraft, or other large transportation vehicles such as a train or truck. Small articles of freight such as packages and boxes often are unloaded, sorted, and reloaded by hand, while larger articles of freight, particularly freight on skids, are typically loaded and unloaded by forklift trucks. They also can be transported by conveyors. The packages and freight often are ultimately transported by truck to the final destination.
The customers whose freight is shipped generally pay for the shipping service, based on the weight and size of the freight and the distance the freight is shipped, among other factors. There has been and is a need to efficiently collect and keep data regarding the freight and to optimize the sorting and loading of the freight throughout the shipping process.
Typically, freight to be shipped is ultimately packed in Unit Load Devices (ULDs) which, in turn, are loaded onto and unloaded from aircraft. Large items of freight are loaded and unloaded from ULDs by forklift trucks, based on the operator's individual training and experience. If these ULDs are not loaded efficiently, they are not loaded as fully as possible, resulting in wasted space and money. If the weight of the freight or its dimensions are not accurately determined, billing information is incorrect. In addition, the current measurement systems of the dimensions of an article of freight are often time consuming and inexact. These problems are further complicated by the fact that shippers normally have a limited amount of time to unload, sort, measure, and load freight, in view of the expedited nature of the requested shipping service.
At present, the loading and unloading of freight, the weighing and measuring of freight, and the loading and unloading of ULDs is performed based upon the individual training and expertise of the particular person or persons loading the ULDs. The present invention is directed to methods and systems designed to increase the efficiency of the loading and billing process and make it more uniform.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide improved methods and systems for staging and shipping freight at a receiving and shipping facility.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the descrption, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the dependent claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention comprises a method for staging and shipping articles of freight at a transfer facility comprising the steps of placing on each of a plurality of articles of freight a radio frequency tag capable of receiving and storing transactional data regarding the article to which it is placed; determining at least the approximate weight and outer dimensions of each article of freight; transferring to and storing in said radio frequency tags transactional data representative of at least the weight, the outer dimensions, and the desired destination of the article of freight on which a respective radio frequency tag is placed; reading transactional data from each radio frequency tags as its associated article of freight is transferred from one location to another within the facility and storing the read transactional data in one or more memory devices; temporarily storing the articles of freight in an intermediate holding area, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data; and sequentially loading the articles of freight into one or more ULDs, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing said transactional data.
In a preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention further includes the steps of placing on the articles of freight an identifying bar code associated with transactional data regarding the article of freight on which it is placed, scanning the bar code on each article of freight, and transferring to the radio frequency tag associated with each article of freight the identifying data on the bar code associated with that article of freight. A readable code identifying the destination of each article of freight can be placed on the articles of freight, so that this code can be read by a scanning device and then transferred to the radio frequency tag associated with the article of freight. Preferably, the articles of freight are transferred by a mechanical apparatus or device that can weigh the articles of freight while they are on the mechanical apparatus. Data representing the weight of the articles of freight can then be transferred to the radio frequency tag. Instructions are provided to the operator of the mechanical apparatus, such as a fork lift truck, regarding the transfer and loading of the articles of freight, based on the transactional data and a programmed computer interconnected with a memory device storing the transactional data.
In a preferred embodiment, the articles of freight are temporarily held at an intermediate holding zone that includes a plurality of preselected temporary storage locations for the articles of freight. A radio frequency tag sensor is placed at each temporary storage location, so that it can read transactional data from the radio frequency tag on a given article of freight, when it is placed at a given temporary storage location. The sensed transactional data for a given article is then transferred to a memory device to which the programmed computer is interconnected. The programmed computer will know where the article is at any given time and can use that information to determine loading sequences, provide loading instructions to personnel at the facility responsible for unloading, staging, and loading the articles, and perform quality checks to ensure that the articles are not forgotten or misdirected.
The facility includes a loading area having a plurality of preselected outbound locations where unit containers are to be loaded with articles of freight. A radio frequency tag sensor is provided at each of said outbound locations to read transactional data from an RF tag of a given article of freight, when it is transferred toward or to a given outbound location. The sensed transactional data is then transferred to a memory device to which the programmed computer is interconnected.
The invention further comprises systems that are capable of practicing the above methods. Examples of such systems are described below.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4595331 (1986-06-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 5712789 (1998-01-01), Radican
patent: 5768140 (1998-06-01), Swartz et al.
patent: 5877962 (1999-03-01), Radcliffe
patent: 5953234 (1999-09-01), Singer et al.
Barrios Carlos M.
Cummings William G.
Gampa Ravishanke V.
Ross Michael J.
Segars James E.
Ellis Christopher P.
Fedex Corporation
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Tran Khoi H.
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