Transport equipment label bracket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11562667-B2
Application number	US-202016886508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

A transport equipment label bracket that can be used during tracking and/or locating of delivery item(s) (e.g. mail) positioned on or in delivery-item transport equipment such as a delivery-item transport cart. The bracket can have positioned thereon a permanent first identifier and a permanent second identifier, which may include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip. The bracket can further include a placard mount for temporarily positioning a placard such as a delivery-item transport equipment label, which can represent the delivery item(s) that are in or on the delivery-item transport equipment. The placard and either/both of the first identifier and the second identifier can be scanned to associate or conjoin the placard with the RFID chip as represented in a computerized delivery-item-tracking system. Thereafter, the RFID chip can be scanned to identify a location of the placard and thus the location of the delivery-item transport cart.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for tracking and/or locating a delivery item, comprising:
temporarily attaching a first delivery-item transport equipment label to a bracket, wherein the bracket comprises a main body with a first identifier permanently attached to the bracket and a second identifier comprising a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip permanently attached to the bracket;
scanning the first delivery-item transport equipment label and at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier to associate the first delivery-item transport equipment label with at least the RFID chip;
scanning the RFID chip during use of a delivery-item transport equipment to which the bracket is attached;
identifying a location of the first delivery-item transport equipment label based on the scanning of the RFID chip;
detaching the first delivery-item transport equipment label from the bracket;
temporarily attaching a second delivery-item transport equipment label to the bracket; and
scanning the second delivery-item transport equipment label and at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier to associate the second delivery-item transport equipment label with at least the RFID chip.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
permanently attaching the first identifier to a first zone of the bracket; and
permanently attaching the RFID chip to a second zone of the bracket.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the first zone of the bracket has a first thickness;
the second zone of the bracket has a second thickness; and
the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second zone has a thickness of from 5 millimeters (mm) to 20 mm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporarily attaching of the first delivery-item transport equipment label to the bracket comprises:
inserting the first delivery-item transport equipment label between a front face of the main body and a display rail of the bracket; and
applying a tension to the display rail using a plurality of spring clips, the plurality of spring clips comprising a plurality of spring clip mounting tabs extending through a plurality of slots in the main body, and the plurality of spring clips physically contacting and cooperatively engaging the display rail such that the first delivery-item transport equipment label is held against the front face by way of the tension applied to the display rail by the plurality of spring clips.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
permanently attaching the bracket to a metal surface of the delivery-item transport equipment;
permanently attaching the first identifier to a first zone of the bracket; and
permanently attaching the RFID chip to a second zone of the bracket, wherein:
the first zone of the bracket has a first thickness;
the second zone of the bracket has a second thickness; and
the second thickness is greater than the first thickness such that the RFID chip is separated from the metal surface by a greater distance than the first identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising permanently attaching the first identifier to the first zone of the bracket using a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the main body of the bracket comprises a front face and the method further comprises:
permanently attaching the first identifier to the front face of the main body; and
permanently attaching the RFID chip to the front face of the main body.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bracket comprises a front face and an upper surface that intersects the front face at an angle of from 80° to 100°, and the method further comprises:
permanently attaching the first identifier to the upper surface; and
permanently attaching the second identifier to the upper surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scanning the RFID chip using a fixed RFID interrogator during transport or movement of the delivery-item transport equipment, thereby locating a delivery item positioned on or within the delivery-item transport equipment.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a first location of the delivery-item transport equipment and a first delivery item positioned on or within the delivery-item transport equipment based on the scanning of the RFID chip during the use of the delivery-item transport equipment; and
subsequent to the temporarily attaching of the second delivery-item transport equipment label to the bracket, scanning the RFID chip to identify a second location of the delivery-item transport equipment and a second delivery item positioned on or within the delivery-item transport equipment.

12. A method for tracking and/or locating a delivery-item transport equipment, comprising:
permanently attaching a bracket to a surface of the delivery-item transport equipment;
permanently attaching a first identifier to a first zone of the bracket;
permanently attaching a second identifier to a second zone of the bracket;
temporarily attaching a first delivery-item transport equipment label to the bracket;
scanning the first delivery-item transport equipment label and at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier to associate the first delivery-item transport equipment label with at least the second identifier;
scanning at least the second identifier during or after movement of the delivery-item transport equipment to identify a first location of the delivery-item transport equipment and the first delivery-item transport equipment label;
detaching the first delivery-item transport equipment label from the bracket;
temporarily attaching a second delivery-item transport equipment label to the bracket;
scanning the second delivery-item transport equipment label and at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier to associate the second delivery-item transport equipment with at least the second identifier; and
scanning at least the second identifier during or after movement of the delivery-item transport equipment to identify a second location of the delivery-item transport equipment and the second delivery-item transport equipment label.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein permanently attaching the second identifier to the second zone of the bracket comprises permanently attaching a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip to the second zone of bracket.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second zone has a thickness of from 5 millimeters (mm) to 20 mm.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein temporarily attaching the first delivery-item transport equipment label to the bracket comprises:
inserting the first delivery-item transport equipment label between a front face of a main body of the bracket and a display rail of the bracket; and
applying a tension to the display rail using a plurality of spring clips, the plurality of spring clips comprising a plurality of spring clip mounting tabs extending through a plurality of slots in the main body, and the plurality of spring clips physically contacting and cooperatively engaging the display rail such that the first delivery-item transport equipment label is held against the front face by way of the tension applied to the display rail by the plurality of spring clips.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
permanently attaching the bracket to a metal surface of the delivery-item transport equipment;
permanently attaching the first identifier to a first zone of the bracket; and
permanently attaching the second identifier to a second zon

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Bonnell Clayton C

Classifications

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• G09F21/00

  Mobile visual advertising (combined visual and audible advertising G09F27/00) · CPC title

• G09F2007/1847

  Brackets to grip the sign board · CPC title

• G09F2007/1856

  characterised by the supporting structure · CPC title

• G09F7/18 Primary

  Means for attaching signs, plates, panels, or boards to a supporting structure · CPC title