Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Plural – diverse separating operations – Including sorting of special items or sorting by methods or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2002-05-28
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Plural, diverse separating operations
Including sorting of special items or sorting by methods or...
C209S584000, C209S702000, C209S900000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394278
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to sorting objects, and more particularly to a system and method which uses a voice-recognition unit to aid an operator in sorting letters, parcels, and other items of mail.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sorting systems have been used for decades by public and private organizations to route mail from one location to another. These systems generally take one of two approaches; they are either manual in nature or automated.
Manual sorting requires a worker to read name and address information on each piece of mail before placing it by hand into one of a number of bins. This approach has proven to be slow and inefficient and thus unsuitable for use in high-volume applications. Further, this kind of sorting tends to be inaccurate because it relies on the worker's memory and concentration skills. In order to sort, for example, a worker must have a fore knowledge of the mail routes and the bins corresponding to each route. And, if the worker forgets this information or is unfamiliar with a name or address, he must reference sorting tables, which further slows the process.
Automated sorting systems tend to be faster and more efficient than manual sorting techniques. This improved performance is achieved mainly through the use of a workstation situated between a feeder and sorting machine. The workstation typically includes a minimum of a processor, display terminal, database of addressee information, and keyboard. In operation, the feeder sends a letter to the workstation whereupon an addressee name on the letter is input into the system. The processor searches the database to locate a record matching the name, and the sorting machine then sorts the letter into a bin based on information in the matching record.
Improvements in automated sorting systems have principally focused on the input and output of information at the workstation. In early systems, information input was performed by an operator-controlled keyboard. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,759. Because keyboard entry tends to be slow, systems of this type are undesirable, especially for high-volume applications. Other systems use optical scanners to read the information on mail. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,358,017, 4,503,977, and 4,641,753 each of which discloses a system that reads computer-generated marks, e.g., bar codes. Another system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,252, uses optical character recognition techniques to input names and addresses. While these systems sort letters at a potentially faster rate than keyboard-based systems, their use is limited to only sorting mail having computer-generated marks.
Still other systems are multiple-input systems, i.e., they accept input information from more than one device. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,587,856, 4,307,293, and 4,921,107 disclose systems of this type which accept either keyboard or optical scanner input depending on the operator's choice or upon whether the letters have computer-generated codes.
Another type of multiple-input system allows an operator to input addressee information via a keyboard and voice-recognition unit. In this system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,107 to Hofer, when letters are transported to a viewing position of a workstation, an operator speaks the addressee's name into a microphone. The voice-recognition unit translates the speech into digital signals identical to a keyboard input, and the workstation processor then controls an automatic sorting machine to sort the letter based on destination information in a matching database record.
Voice-driven systems like Hofer represent an improvement in the art because they allow addressee information to be input in a hands-free manner. Nevertheless, these systems have significant drawbacks. For example, the Hofer system sorts letters using a conventional sorting machine, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,293 to Lazzarotti. Sorting machines of this type have a finite number of bins of limited capacity. Consequently, the volume they are able to handle is limited. Also, the voice-recognition unit of Hofer, made by Kurzweil Artificial Intelligence Corporation, is a primitive, hardware-based speech-recognition circuit which is costly by today's standards and often inaccurate.
In addition to the individual shortcomings discussed above, conventional automated sorting systems all have at least one additional drawback: They require an operator to be confined to a workstation. This is true even in optical scanning systems since the operator if required to make decisions, for example, when conflicts occur that can only be resolved through keyboard entry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,834 to Mooneyham discloses a system which attempts to overcome this drawback by combining the manual and automated sorting approaches discussed above. The Mooneyham system does this by including a body-supported computer linked to a headset which functions as both an input and output unit. As shown in
FIGS. 11A and 11B
, computer
70
is adapted for attachment to a user's belt and includes a database for storing addressee information
71
, a processor
72
, a voice synthesis unit
73
, a voice recognition unit
74
, an input keypad
75
, and a display
76
. Headset
77
is equipped with a microphone
78
and speaker
79
and is connected to the portable computer by an electrical cord.
In operation, a user is presented with a number of mail items to be sorted. One by one, the user announces a street address into the headset microphone. The voice recognition unit recognizes the address and the processor searches the database for a matching record. If a match is found, the voice synthesis unit is activated to output destination information (e.g., a delivery route or bin number) to the user through the headset speakers.
The Mooneyham system has a number of drawbacks which make it undesirable from an efficiency standpoint. First, Mooneyham encumbers its user's mobility by requiring him to wear essentially the entire workstation on his body. This makes the system susceptible to physical damage and excessive wear, as the user may be expected to be very active within a confined area and thus the computer may knock into objects or be dropped on the floor during sorting.
Second, the information database must be limited in size in order to fit within the body-worn computer. As a result, the number of records stored in the database is small in comparison to conventional workstations. Also, the Mooneyham computer is a completely stand-alone system and therefore cannot access multiple databases at once or other databases through a network connection, all of which further limits functionality.
Third, when an error occurs or the voice recognition unit is unable to understand a microphone input, the user is required look at the portable computer display on his belt. This diverts the user's attention away from sorting, slowing the sorting process.
From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that a need exists for an improved, voice-driven system and method for assisting an operator in sorting items of mail without requiring the operator to be confined to a workstation, and more particularly a system and method which provides the operator with maximum mobility without sacrificing processing power, memory capacity, and system functionality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a system and method for assisting an operator in sorting items of mail that gives the operator virtually unlimited mobility, while at the same time maximizing system processing power, memory capacity, and functionality.
It is a second object of the present invention to achieve the first objective by providing a headset equipped with a microphone which allows the operator to wirelessly transmit addressee information to a workstation.
It is another object of the present invention to increase the range of the wireless headset so that it may be operated from virtually any distance, thereby allowi
Ntiros Samuel W.
Schlak Daniel K
Sort-It Incorporated
Walsh Donald P.
LandOfFree
Wireless system and method for sorting letters, parcels and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wireless system and method for sorting letters, parcels and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wireless system and method for sorting letters, parcels and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2908569