Integrated on-demand placarding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11602774-B2
Application number	US-202017031541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2020
Priority date	Sep 25, 2019
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure relates to systems and methods of integrated on-demand labeling of item containers. In particular, this disclosure relates systems and methods for automatically creating and using placards to label, track, and organize item containers and items.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of tracking items in a distribution network, the method comprising:
placing a first item container at a bin of a processing machine;
generating a first placard, wherein the first placard comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag;
applying the first placard to the first item container;
generating a first assign event assigning the first placard to the first item container;
storing, in a memory, the first assign event;
sorting items to the bin and the first item container of the processing machine such that the items are directed into the first item container;
determining, in a processor, that the first item container is full of the items;
generating, in response to determining the first item container is full of the items, a second placard;
generating a close event for the first placard;
storing, in the memory, the close event for the first placard;
placing a second item container at the bin; and
generating a second assign event, assigning the second placard to the second item container.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maneuvering the first item container having the first placard thereon through a vestibule with an RFID reader such that the RFID tag of the first placard interacts with the RFID reader;
generating a stage scan event; and
associating, in the memory, the stage scan event with the items in the first item container.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maneuvering the first item container having the first placard thereon on to a transportation vehicle through a portal having an RFID reader that interacts with the RFID tag of the first placard; and
generating a load scan event, indicating that the first item container has been loaded onto the transportation vehicle at an origin facility.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
maneuvering the first item container from the transportation vehicle such that a second RFID reader interacts with the RFID tag of the first placard; and
generating an unload scan event indicating that the first item container with the applied first placard has been unloaded from the transportation vehicle at a destination facility.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RFID tag comprises a unique identifier, and wherein the method further comprises updating, in an item database, item records for the items sorted to the first item container to include the unique identifier of the RFID tag of the first placard.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first placard comprises unique identifying information, origin facility information, and destination information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first placard comprises data including a bin number, network destination, unique code, sort program identification, sort machine type, item category, destination code range, trip information, sequence number, and/or network origin.

8. A method of tracking distribution items, the method comprising:
placing an item container at a bin of a processing machine, the item container comprising a unique computer readable identifier thereon;
creating, via a processor, placard information for the item container, the placard information comprising a computer readable code and destination information;
associating, in a memory, the unique computer readable identifier of the item container with the computer readable code of the placard information;
sorting items to the bin of the processing machine such that the items are directed into the item container;
generating a closed event when the item container is full or sortation of the items by the processing machine is complete;
associating the closed event with the unique computer readable identifier of the item container;
scanning, via a reader, the unique computer readable identifier on the item container;
querying the memory to identify destination information for the item container based on the scanned unique computer readable identifier; and
directing the item container to a destination within a distribution facility according to the destination information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the unique computer readable identifier is an RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein associating the closed event with the unique computer readable identifier of the item container comprises associating item identifiers for the items in the item container with the unique computer readable identifier of the item container and with the computer readable code of the placard information.

11. A system of tracking items in a distribution network, the system comprising:
an item processing machine comprising a plurality of bins, each bin configured to receive one or more item containers of a plurality of item containers, the item processing machine configured to sort items to the plurality of bins and to an item container of the plurality of item containers at each of the plurality of bins; and
a processor in communication with the item processing machine configured to:
generate a first placard, wherein the first placard comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and placard information, the first placard configured to be attached to a first item container of the plurality of item containers;
generate a first assign event assigning the first placard to one of the plurality of bins and to the first item container of the plurality of item containers;
store, in a memory, the first assign event and an association between the one of the plurality of bins the first item container located at the one of the plurality of bins, and the first placard;
determine that the first item container is full of the items;
generate, in response to determining the first item container is full of the items, a second placard, the second placard comprising a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag and placard information, the second placard configured to be attached to a second item container of the plurality of item containers;
generate a close event for the first placard;
store, in the memory, the close event for the first placard; and
generate a second assign event, assigning the second placard to the second item container.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the placard information of the first placard and of the second placard comprises destination information.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the destination information of the first placard and the second placard is the same.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a vestibule comprising an RFID reader positioned at a location in a distribution facility;
wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect the RFID tag of the first placard when the first item container moves through the vestibule;
generate a scan event based on the detection;
identify the location of the vestibule within the distribution facility; and
store, in the memory, a type of scan event for the first item container, the type of scan event being based on the identified location of the vestibule within the distribution facility.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the vestibule is located at a transition between a processing area and a dock area of the distribution facility, and wherein the type of scan event is a stage scan event.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a previous location of the first item container by querying the memory to identify a previous scan event for the first item container, and wherein the processor determines the type of scan event based on the location of the vestibule within the distribution facil

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Moran Robert Charles
• Wells Marlon Guy

Classifications

• B07C3/14 Primary

  using light-responsive detecting means {(for information carriers G06K7/14)} · CPC title

• B07C3/20

  Arrangements for facilitating the visual reading of addresses, e.g. display arrangements {coding stations} · CPC title

• B07C3/18

  Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks {(applying data to information carriers G06K1/12)} · CPC title