EP3205412B1 - Method for sorting pre-sorted mail items - Google Patents

Method for sorting pre-sorted mail items Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3205412B1
EP3205412B1 EP17151476.3A EP17151476A EP3205412B1 EP 3205412 B1 EP3205412 B1 EP 3205412B1 EP 17151476 A EP17151476 A EP 17151476A EP 3205412 B1 EP3205412 B1 EP 3205412B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
lexicon
machine
batch
address
mailpieces
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Not-in-force
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EP17151476.3A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP3205412A1 (en
Inventor
Belkacem Benyoub
Bruno Volta
Gilles Arcas-Luque
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Solystic SAS
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Solystic SAS
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Publication of EP3205412A1 publication Critical patent/EP3205412A1/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C3/10—Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination
    • B07C3/14—Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination using light-responsive detecting means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C7/00—Sorting by hand only e.g. of mail
    • B07C7/005—Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C2301/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C2301/0066—Check for destination address in a database or list
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C2301/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C2301/0083—Merging of mail pieces of different categories, e.g. letters with flats

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for sorting in a postal sorting machine mail items and more particularly pre-sorted mail items, comprising the steps of loading the articles into a feed inlet of the said machine and to the one by one to be passed in series to a camera that forms a digital image of a current mail item having a distribution address and then to operate a control / command unit of the machine which from the digital image of the current mail article is able to automatically read OCR distribution address data and compare the reading result to a reference base to recognize the distribution address that corresponds to this mail item current to automatically direct the mail item to a sorting outlet of the corresponding machine.
  • the method according to the invention is here particularly adapted to be implemented in a postal distribution center with pre-sorted mail from large issuers.
  • the process of automatic recognition of distribution addresses on mail items uses an OCR any destination that probes the entire file of postal addresses at the national level which involves significant processing time especially if it requires video coding operations.
  • the tri-distribution is started during the transit of mail items between the sorting center and the tri-distribution center to save processing time.
  • the object of the invention is therefore to optimize the processing time of the pre-sorted mail in order to reduce the operating costs at the postal operator.
  • the idea underlying the invention is therefore to rely on prior knowledge in the large transmitter of the distribution addresses of pre-sorted mail items. Indeed, it manufactures the mail items from a base of postal addresses of recipients that is reliable.
  • FIG. 1 very schematically illustrated by way of example a postal sorting machine 1 adapted for sorting mail items P which are pre-sorted in batches according to the invention.
  • the mail items P can be letters, catalogs, parcels or any other type of mail items.
  • the figure 2 illustrates very schematically a lot 2 of pre-sorted mail items P stored in pile on edge here in a storage bin 3 on which is affixed a bar code 4 which serves as unique identifier for the lot of mail items .
  • the sorting machine 1 comprises a feed inlet 5, a sorting conveyor 6 including a unstacker and an image pick-up system and which serially seals the mailpieces, forms a digital image of each article of mail with a distribution mailing address and moves them in series on edge following the arrow F to sorting outlets 7 in which they are sorted according to their distribution address.
  • control / command and data processing unit 8 of the sorting machine which is able to recognize automatically from the image of a mail item the distribution address which is in this image and thus directing each mail item to the corresponding sorting outlet 7 in the sorting plan.
  • the unit 8 is also connected here to a bar code reader 10 for detecting the entry of a unique identifier corresponding to a batch of pre-sorted mail items.
  • a transmitter manufactures (by mailing) a batch of mail items from a recipient address database which are all from a certain geographical area corresponding to a main destination. of postal distribution.
  • the issuer associates this batch with a unique identifier of batch of pre-sorted mail items.
  • the association can be made by affixing the unique batch identifier in the form of a barcode on the wall of a storage bin of the batch of mail items.
  • the batch identifier may be in the form of an identifier that can be detected automatically or manually loaded by an Operator in unit 8.
  • the transmitter builds in an electronic file having for example as logical name the unique identifier of the batch, a lexicon indicated by D on the figure 3 of rather small size containing all the postal addresses of the recipients D1 of the mail items of the lot.
  • the lexicon can be seen for example as a file with data accessible by a word processor editor.
  • the batch identification code with the batch of pre-sorted mail items and the reduced lexicon are transmitted to the Postal Operator who will ensure the distribution of the mail items of the batch.
  • the lexicon can be transmitted for example by e-mail.
  • the issuer of a batch of pre-sorted shipments sent the lexicon D to the Postal Operator who stores in memory the control / command unit 8 of the sorting machine that lexicon D.
  • the Postal Operator then feeds into the feed inlet of the sorting machine the batch 2 of pre-sorted mail items corresponding here to the bar code 4.
  • the code 4 that is read using the reader 10 is detected by the unit 8 as an identification code of a lot 2 of pre-sorted mail items and therefore the unit 8 continues a special treatment of these mail items according to the following steps.
  • step 300 the unit 8 loads the lexicon D into the reference base 9 of the address recognition system.
  • step 400 the unstacking of the mail items stored in the feed inlet begins and a current mail piece P is unstacked and enters the sorting conveyor 6.
  • step 500 the imaging system forms a digital image of the current mail item P which includes the distribution address affixed to that mail piece.
  • step 600 the unit 8 reads, by OCR, postal address data automatically derived from the digital image (sequences of characters or alphanumeric symbols that can constitute postal address field values: Street No. - way - postal code - city) and at step 700, it compares the OCR reading result of step 600 with the destination addresses D1 in the lexicon D to evaluate a similarity in order to recognize the distribution address which corresponds to this article of current mail.
  • OCR postal address data automatically derived from the digital image (sequences of characters or alphanumeric symbols that can constitute postal address field values: Street No. - way - postal code - city) and at step 700, it compares the OCR reading result of step 600 with the destination addresses D1 in the lexicon D to evaluate a similarity in order to recognize the distribution address which corresponds to this article of current mail.
  • step 800 in which the unit 8 controls the sorting conveyor for direct the current mail item P into a corresponding sorting outlet 7.
  • the lexicon advantageously comprises other information that can be affixed to the mail items by the issuer, namely by way of example a client code assigned to the recipient by the issuer of the mail item (this client code can be a sequence of numbers and letters).
  • This other information is generally affixed near the recipient's distribution address data.
  • D2 denotes these other information called "transmitter specific data". Without limiting the scope of the invention, these transmitter specific data may further include textual data of the distribution address.
  • the unit 8 compares to 900 then the result of the OCR read produced in step 600 (address data distribution and issuer-specific data) with D2 data from lexicon D to assess concordance.
  • a single datum D2 (in association with a distribution address) can be very discriminating for the concordance assessment if it is unique in lexicon D.
  • step 900 If in step 900, a match is detected with a data item D2 in the lexicon D, then the unit 8 retrieves by association a corresponding postal address D1 in the lexicon D and continues the process in step 800.
  • steps 700 and 900 can also be performed in parallel (as illustrated by the arrow between blocks 600 and 900 on the figure 3 ) in the unit 8 so as to be combined, which makes the evaluation reliable and increases the good recognition performance significantly in order to obtain read rates equivalent to those of the barcode readers.
  • the distribution address data D1 can be ordered according to the sequence of pre-sorted mail items in the batch.
  • the lexicon D in file form may also contain a header that describes the location and orientation of the address block in the image of a mail item to guide the OCR over the detection area in the image. . It can also contain an indication of the number of mail items in the batch which allows a reliability check.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)

Description

Domaine techniqueTechnical area

L'invention concerne une méthode pour trier dans une machine de tri postal des articles de courrier et plus particulièrement des articles de courrier pré-triés, comprenant les étapes consistant à charger les articles dans une entrée d'alimentation de la ladite machine et à les dépiler un à un pour les faire passer en série devant une caméra qui forme une image numérique d'un article de courrier courant comportant une adresse de distribution et ensuite à faire fonctionner une unité de contrôle/commande de la machine qui à partir de l'image numérique de l'article de courrier courant est apte à lire automatiquement par OCR des données d'adresse de distribution et à comparer le résultat de la lecture à une base de référence pour reconnaitre l'adresse de distribution qui correspond à cet article de courrier courant de sorte à diriger automatiquement l'article de courrier vers une sortie de tri de la machine correspondante.The invention relates to a method for sorting in a postal sorting machine mail items and more particularly pre-sorted mail items, comprising the steps of loading the articles into a feed inlet of the said machine and to the one by one to be passed in series to a camera that forms a digital image of a current mail item having a distribution address and then to operate a control / command unit of the machine which from the digital image of the current mail article is able to automatically read OCR distribution address data and compare the reading result to a reference base to recognize the distribution address that corresponds to this mail item current to automatically direct the mail item to a sorting outlet of the corresponding machine.

La méthode selon l'invention est ici particulièrement adaptée pour être mise en oeuvre dans un centre de distribution postal avec du courrier pré-trié provenant de gros émetteurs.The method according to the invention is here particularly adapted to be implemented in a postal distribution center with pre-sorted mail from large issuers.

Technique antérieurePrior art

Il est connu que des articles de courrier produits par un gros émetteur à l'attention de plusieurs milliers de destinataires peuvent être regroupés par l'émetteur, en amont du tri-distribution chez l'Opérateur postal, en lots selon des destinations géographiques principales de distribution.It is known that mail items produced by a large issuer for the attention of several thousand recipients can be grouped by the issuer, upstream of the tri-distribution at the postal operator, in batches according to main geographic destinations of distribution.

Cela permet à l'Opérateur postal de traiter chaque lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés directement au centre de distribution postal qui correspond à la zone géographique du lot sans avoir à effectuer une passe de tri-acheminement.This allows the Postal Operator to process each lot of mail items pre-sorted directly to the postal distribution center which corresponds to the geographical area of the lot without having to perform a sorting pass.

Lors du tri-distribution en machine, le processus de reconnaissance automatique des adresses de distribution sur les articles de courrier utilise un OCR toute destination qui sonde tout le fichier des adresses postales au niveau national ce qui implique des temps de traitement important surtout si cela nécessite des opérations de video codage.During the tri-distribution machine, the process of automatic recognition of distribution addresses on mail items uses an OCR any destination that probes the entire file of postal addresses at the national level which involves significant processing time especially if it requires video coding operations.

Quand le tri-acheminement est réalisé par l'Opérateur postal, le tri-distribution est démarré pendant le transit des articles de courrier entre le centre de tri-acheminement et le centre de tri-distribution pour gagner du temps de traitement.When the tri-routing is carried out by the postal operator, the tri-distribution is started during the transit of mail items between the sorting center and the tri-distribution center to save processing time.

Avec le courrier pré-trié, il n'y a pas de tri-acheminement et donc tout le temps de traitement pour la reconnaissance d'adresse doit être pris en charge dans le centre de tri-distribution ce qui entraîne des coûts de fonctionnement importants pour ce centre de tri-distribution.With pre-sorted mail, there is no tri-routing and therefore all the processing time for address recognition must be handled in the tri-distribution center which results in significant operating costs for this tri-distribution center.

Le document WO-A-00/00300 décrit une méthode selon le préambule de la revendication 1.The document WO-A-00/00300 describes a method according to the preamble of claim 1.

Résumé de l'inventionSummary of the invention

Le but de l'invention est donc d'optimiser le temps de traitement du courrier pré-trié afin de diminuer les coûts de fonctionnement chez l'Opérateur postal.The object of the invention is therefore to optimize the processing time of the pre-sorted mail in order to reduce the operating costs at the postal operator.

A cet effet, l'invention a pour objet une méthode pour trier dans une machine de tri postal des articles de courrier, comprenant les étapes consistant à charger les articles de courrier dans une entrée d'alimentation de la ladite machine et à les dépiler un à un pour les faire passer en série devant une caméra qui forme une image numérique d'un article de courrier courant comportant une adresse de distribution et ensuite à faire fonctionner une unité de contrôle/commande de la machine qui à partir de l'image numérique de l'article de courrier courant est apte à lire automatiquement par OCR des données d'adresse de distribution et à comparer le résultat de la lecture à une base de référence pour reconnaitre l'adresse de distribution qui correspond à cet article de courrier courant de sorte à diriger automatiquement l'article de courrier vers une sortie de tri de la machine correspondante, caractérisée en ce qu'elle comprend en outre les étapes consistant à :

  • détecter un chargement dans l'entrée d'alimentation de la machine d'un lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés par un émetteur des articles de courrier selon leur adresse de distribution,
  • et en réponse à ladite détection, charger dans la base de référence un lexique comprenant les adresses de distribution pour seulement les articles de courrier pré-triés du lot et comparer à l'aide de l'unité de contrôle/commande pour chaque article de courrier courant le résultat de la lecture par OCR avec lesdites adresses de distribution du lexique pour reconnaître l'adresse de distribution dudit article de courrier courant.
To this end, the subject of the invention is a method for sorting mail items in a postal sorting machine, comprising the steps of loading mail items into a feed inlet of said machine and stripping them to one to make them serializing in front of a camera that forms a digital image of a current mail item having a distribution address and then operating a control / command unit of the machine that from the digital image of the article of current mail is able to automatically read OCR distribution address data and compare the reading result to a reference base to recognize the distribution address that corresponds to this current mail item so as to automatically direct the delivery address. article of mail to a sorting outlet of the corresponding machine, characterized in that it further comprises the steps of:
  • detecting a loading in the feed input of the machine of a batch of mail items pre-sorted by a sender of the mail items according to their distribution address,
  • and in response to said detecting, loading into the reference database a lexicon comprising the distribution addresses for only the pre-sorted mail items of the batch and comparing using the control / command unit for each mail item running the OCR reading result with said lexicon distribution addresses to recognize the delivery address of said current mail item.

L'idée à la base de l'invention est donc de s'appuyer sur une connaissance préalable chez le gros émetteur des adresses de distribution des articles de courrier pré-triés. En effet, celui-ci fabrique les articles de courrier à partir d'une base d'adresses postales des destinataires qui est fiable.The idea underlying the invention is therefore to rely on prior knowledge in the large transmitter of the distribution addresses of pre-sorted mail items. Indeed, it manufactures the mail items from a base of postal addresses of recipients that is reliable.

Il suffit donc qu'il envoie à l'Opérateur postal un segment de cette base de référence postale correspondant à chaque fois à un lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés sur une destination principale de sorte à constituer un lexique réduit qui sera exploité par la reconnaissance automatique d'adresse dans la machine de tri postal chez l'Opérateur postal.It is sufficient that he send to the Postal Operator a segment of this postal reference base each time corresponding to a batch of mail items pre-sorted on a main destination so as to constitute a reduced lexicon which will be exploited by automatic address recognition in the postal sorting machine at the Postal Operator.

La reconnaissance automatique d'adresse à partir des résultats de lecture par OCR est donc basée sur une recherche lexicale à horizon réduit, à savoir quelque centaines de mots ou caractères, au lieu de plusieurs centaines de milliers pour une reconnaissance classique toute destination, ce qui réduit considérablement les temps de traitement. Cette reconnaissance sur lexique réduit permet en outre de tolérer des adresses de distribution déstructurées au niveau syntaxique.Automatic address recognition from OCR reading results is therefore based on a short horizon lexical search, ie a few hundred words or characters, instead of several hundreds of thousands for a conventional all-destination recognition, which greatly reduces treatment times. This recognition on the reduced lexicon also makes it possible to tolerate unstructured distribution addresses at the syntactic level.

La méthode selon l'invention peut présenter les particularités suivantes:

  • le lexique comprend en outre en association avec les adresses de distribution, des données spécifiques à l'émetteur, et si l'adresse de destination de l'article de courrier courant ne peut pas être évaluée par détection de similitude avec lesdites adresses de distribution dans le lexique, l'unité de contrôle/commande compare le résultat de la lecture OCR de l'article de courrier courant avec lesdites données spécifiques à l'émetteur dans le lexique pour détecter une concordance et par association évaluer l'adresse de distribution dudit article de courrier courant ;
  • la comparaison du résultat de la lecture par OCR avec les adresses de distribution du lexique et la comparaison du résultat de la lecture par OCR avec les données spécifiques de l'émetteur sont réalisées en parallèle et sont combinées pour l'évaluation de l'adresse de distribution dudit article de courrier courant ;
  • elle peut comprendre l'étape consistant à introduire dans l'unité de contrôle/commande un identifiant pour ledit lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés qui est associé en mémoire dans l'unité de contrôle/commande audit lexique ;
  • l'introduction de l'identifiant de lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés peut être réalisée par une lecture machine d'un code à barres, ou tout autre moyen tel que la lecture automatique d'un identifiant ou son introduction manuelle par un opérateur.
The method according to the invention may have the following particularities:
  • the lexicon further comprises in association with the distribution addresses, transmitter-specific data, and if the destination address of the current mail item can not be evaluated by detecting similarity with said distribution addresses in the lexicon, the control / command unit compares the OCR read result of the current mail item with said issuer-specific data in the lexicon to detect a match and by association evaluate the distribution address of said article current mail;
  • the comparison of the result of the reading by OCR with the distribution addresses of the lexicon and the comparison of the result of the reading by OCR with the specific data of the transmitter are realized in parallel and are combined for the evaluation of the distribution address of said current mail item;
  • it may include the step of introducing into the control / command unit an identifier for said batch of pre-sorted mail items which is associated in memory in the control / command unit to said lexicon;
  • the introduction of the batch identifier of pre-sorted mail items can be achieved by a bar code reading machine, or any other means such as the automatic reading of an identifier or its manual introduction by a operator.

Présentation sommaire des dessinsBrief presentation of the drawings

La présente invention sera mieux comprise et d'autres avantages apparaîtront à la lecture de la description qui suit et des dessins annexés dans lesquels :

  • la figure 1 illustre très schématiquement sous la forme d'un schéma blocs une machine de tri postal conçue pour trier un lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés selon l'invention.
  • la figure 2 illustre très schématiquement un lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés muni d'un code à barres.
  • la figure 3 est un ordinogramme illustrant schématiquement les étapes de tri selon l'invention.
The present invention will be better understood and other advantages will appear on reading the description which follows and the appended drawings in which:
  • the figure 1 very schematically illustrates in the form of a block diagram a postal sorting machine designed to sort a batch of pre-sorted mail items according to the invention.
  • the figure 2 Very schematically illustrates a batch of pre-sorted mail items provided with a bar code.
  • the figure 3 is a flowchart schematically illustrating the sorting steps according to the invention.

Description des modes de réalisationDescription of the embodiments

Sur la figure 1, on a illustré très schématiquement à titre d'exemple une machine de tri postale 1 adaptée pour le tri d'articles de courrier P qui sont pré-triés en lots selon l'invention.On the figure 1 very schematically illustrated by way of example a postal sorting machine 1 adapted for sorting mail items P which are pre-sorted in batches according to the invention.

Les articles de courrier P peuvent être des lettres, des catalogues, des colis ou tout autre type d'articles de courrier.The mail items P can be letters, catalogs, parcels or any other type of mail items.

La figure 2 illustre très schématiquement un lot 2 d'articles de courrier P pré-triés stockés en pile sur chant ici dans un bac de stockage 3 sur lequel est apposé un code à barres 4 qui sert d'identifiant unique pour le lot d'articles de courrier.The figure 2 illustrates very schematically a lot 2 of pre-sorted mail items P stored in pile on edge here in a storage bin 3 on which is affixed a bar code 4 which serves as unique identifier for the lot of mail items .

Sur la figure 1, la machine de tri 1 comprend une entrée d'alimentation 5, un convoyeur de tri 6 incluant un dépileur et un système de prise d'images et qui met en série sur chant les articles de courrier, forme une image numérique de chaque article de courrier comportant une adresse postale de distribution et les déplace en série sur chant suivant la flèche F vers des sorties de tri 7 dans lesquelles ils sont triés en fonction de leur adresse de distribution.On the figure 1 the sorting machine 1 comprises a feed inlet 5, a sorting conveyor 6 including a unstacker and an image pick-up system and which serially seals the mailpieces, forms a digital image of each article of mail with a distribution mailing address and moves them in series on edge following the arrow F to sorting outlets 7 in which they are sorted according to their distribution address.

Sur la figure 1, on a aussi représenté une unité de contrôle/commande et de traitement de données 8 de la machine de tri qui est apte à reconnaître automatiquement à partir de l'image d'un article de courrier l'adresse de distribution qui est dans cette image et donc diriger chaque article de courrier courant vers la sortie de tri 7 correspondante dans le plan de tri. L'unité 8 est reliée aussi ici à un lecteur 10 de codes à barres pour détecter la saisie d'un identifiant unique correspondant à un lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés.On the figure 1 a control / command and data processing unit 8 of the sorting machine is also shown which is able to recognize automatically from the image of a mail item the distribution address which is in this image and thus directing each mail item to the corresponding sorting outlet 7 in the sorting plan. The unit 8 is also connected here to a bar code reader 10 for detecting the entry of a unique identifier corresponding to a batch of pre-sorted mail items.

En pratique, avec la méthode selon l'invention, un émetteur fabrique (par mailing) un lot d'articles de courrier à partir d'une base d'adresses de destinataires qui sont tous d'une certaine zone géographique correspondant à une destination principale de distribution postale.In practice, with the method according to the invention, a transmitter manufactures (by mailing) a batch of mail items from a recipient address database which are all from a certain geographical area corresponding to a main destination. of postal distribution.

Quand le lot d'articles est constitué, l'émetteur associe ce lot à un identifiant unique de lot d'articles de courrier pré-triés. L'association peut s'effectuer en apposant l'identifiant unique de lot sous la forme d'un code à barres sur la paroi d'un bac de stockage du lot d'articles de courrier. Sans restreindre la portée de l'invention, l'identifiant de lot peut se présenter sous la forme d'un identifiant pouvant être détecté automatiquement ou être chargé manuellement par un Opérateur dans l'unité 8.When the batch of articles is constituted, the issuer associates this batch with a unique identifier of batch of pre-sorted mail items. The association can be made by affixing the unique batch identifier in the form of a barcode on the wall of a storage bin of the batch of mail items. Without restricting the scope of the invention, the batch identifier may be in the form of an identifier that can be detected automatically or manually loaded by an Operator in unit 8.

Par ailleurs, l'émetteur construit dans un fichier électronique ayant par exemple comme nom logique l'identifiant unique du lot, un lexique indiqué par D sur la figure 3 de taille assez réduite contenant toutes les adresses postales des destinataires D1 des articles de courrier du lot. Le lexique peut être vu par exemple comme un fichier avec des données accessibles par un éditeur de traitement de texte.Furthermore, the transmitter builds in an electronic file having for example as logical name the unique identifier of the batch, a lexicon indicated by D on the figure 3 of rather small size containing all the postal addresses of the recipients D1 of the mail items of the lot. The lexicon can be seen for example as a file with data accessible by a word processor editor.

Le code d'identification du lot avec le lot des articles de courrier pré-triés et le lexique réduit sont transmis vers l'Opérateur postal qui assurera la distribution des articles de courrier du lot. Le lexique peut être transmis par exemple par messagerie électronique.The batch identification code with the batch of pre-sorted mail items and the reduced lexicon are transmitted to the Postal Operator who will ensure the distribution of the mail items of the batch. The lexicon can be transmitted for example by e-mail.

Maintenant la méthode de tri selon l'invention qui est mise en oeuvre chez l'Opérateur postal consiste dans les étapes suivantes en relation avec la figure 3.Now the sorting method according to the invention which is implemented at the Postal Operator consists of the following steps in connection with the figure 3 .

En 100 sur la figure 3, l'émetteur d'un lot d'envois pré-triés a envoyé le lexique D à l'Opérateur postal qui enregistre en mémoire de l'unité de contrôle/commande 8 de la machine de tri ce lexique D. L'Opérateur postal charge ensuite dans l'entrée d'alimentation de la machine de tri le lot 2 d'articles de courrier pré-triés correspondant ici au code-barres 4.In 100 on the figure 3 , the issuer of a batch of pre-sorted shipments sent the lexicon D to the Postal Operator who stores in memory the control / command unit 8 of the sorting machine that lexicon D. The Postal Operator then feeds into the feed inlet of the sorting machine the batch 2 of pre-sorted mail items corresponding here to the bar code 4.

En 200, le code 4 qui est lu à l'aide du lecteur 10 est détecté par l'unité 8 comme un code d'identification d'un lot 2 d'articles de courrier pré-triés et donc l'unité 8 poursuit un traitement spécial de ces articles de courrier selon les étapes suivantes.In 200, the code 4 that is read using the reader 10 is detected by the unit 8 as an identification code of a lot 2 of pre-sorted mail items and therefore the unit 8 continues a special treatment of these mail items according to the following steps.

En réponse à cette détection, dans l'étape 300, l'unité 8 charge le lexique D dans la base de référence 9 du système de reconnaissance d'adresse.In response to this detection, in step 300, the unit 8 loads the lexicon D into the reference base 9 of the address recognition system.

A l'étape 400, le dépilage des articles de courrier stockés dans l'entrée d'alimentation commence et un article de courrier courant P est dépilé et entre dans le convoyeur de tri 6.In step 400, the unstacking of the mail items stored in the feed inlet begins and a current mail piece P is unstacked and enters the sorting conveyor 6.

A l'étape 500, le système de prise d'images forme une image numérique de l'article de courrier courant P qui comprend l'adresse de distribution apposée sur cet article de courrier.In step 500, the imaging system forms a digital image of the current mail item P which includes the distribution address affixed to that mail piece.

A l'étape 600, l'unité 8 lit par OCR des données d'adresse postale dérivées automatiquement de l'image numérique (des suites de caractères ou symboles alphanumériques pouvant constituer des valeurs de champs d'adresse postale : N° de rue - voie - code postal - ville) et à l'étape 700, elle compare le résultat de la lecture OCR de l'étape 600 avec les adresses de destination D1 dans le lexique D pour évaluer une similitude afin de reconnaître l'adresse de distribution qui correspond à cet article de courrier courant.In step 600, the unit 8 reads, by OCR, postal address data automatically derived from the digital image (sequences of characters or alphanumeric symbols that can constitute postal address field values: Street No. - way - postal code - city) and at step 700, it compares the OCR reading result of step 600 with the destination addresses D1 in the lexicon D to evaluate a similarity in order to recognize the distribution address which corresponds to this article of current mail.

Suite à la bonne reconnaissance de l'adresse de distribution, le processus se poursuit dans l'étape 800 dans laquelle l'unité 8 commande le convoyeur de tri pour diriger l'article de courrier courant P dans une sortie de tri 7 correspondante.Following the good recognition of the distribution address, the process continues in step 800 in which the unit 8 controls the sorting conveyor for direct the current mail item P into a corresponding sorting outlet 7.

Dans une variante de réalisation de l'invention représentée sur la figure 3, le lexique comprend avantageusement d'autres informations qui peuvent être apposées sur les articles de courrier par l'émetteur, à savoir à titre d'exemple un code client affecté au destinataire par l'émetteur de l'article de courrier (ce code client pouvant être une suite de chiffres et de lettres). Ces autres informations sont en général apposées à proximité des données d'adresse de distribution du destinataire. Sur la figure 3, D2 désigne ces autres informations dites « données spécifiques de l'émetteur ». Sans restreindre la portée de l'invention, ces données spécifiques de l'émetteur peuvent en outre comprendre des données textuelles de l'adresse de distribution.In an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in the figure 3 , the lexicon advantageously comprises other information that can be affixed to the mail items by the issuer, namely by way of example a client code assigned to the recipient by the issuer of the mail item (this client code can be a sequence of numbers and letters). This other information is generally affixed near the recipient's distribution address data. On the figure 3 , D2 denotes these other information called "transmitter specific data". Without limiting the scope of the invention, these transmitter specific data may further include textual data of the distribution address.

Dans cette variante de réalisation de l'invention, il peut être nécessaire de réaliser un prétraitement de structuration et d'indexation chez l'émetteur ou chez l'Opérateur postal pour permettre le balayage de ces données par un processus standard de reconnaissance d'informations postales.In this variant embodiment of the invention, it may be necessary to carry out a structuring and indexing pretreatment at the transmitter or at the postal operator to enable the scanning of these data by a standard information recognition process. post.

Sur la figure 3, si l'adresse de destination de l'article de courrier courant ne peut pas être reconnue à l'étape 700, l'unité 8 compare en 900 alors le résultat de la lecture OCR produit à l'étape 600 (données d'adresse de distribution et données spécifiques de l'émetteur) avec les données D2 du lexique D pour évaluer une concordance.On the figure 3 if the destination address of the current mail item can not be recognized in step 700, the unit 8 compares to 900 then the result of the OCR read produced in step 600 (address data distribution and issuer-specific data) with D2 data from lexicon D to assess concordance.

Plus particulièrement dans cette étape 900, il faut comprendre qu'une seule donnée D2 (en association avec une adresse de distribution) peut être très discriminante pour l'évaluation de concordance si elle est unique dans le lexique D.More particularly in this step 900, it should be understood that a single datum D2 (in association with a distribution address) can be very discriminating for the concordance assessment if it is unique in lexicon D.

Si à l'étape 900, une concordance est détectée avec une donnée D2 dans le lexique D, alors l'unité 8 récupère par association une adresse postale D1 correspondante dans le lexique D et poursuit le processus à l'étape 800.If in step 900, a match is detected with a data item D2 in the lexicon D, then the unit 8 retrieves by association a corresponding postal address D1 in the lexicon D and continues the process in step 800.

En pratique, les comparaisons dans les étapes 700 et 900 peuvent également être réalisées en parallèle (comme illustré par la flèche entre les blocs 600 et 900 sur la figure 3) dans l'unité 8 de sorte à être combinées, ce qui permet de fiabiliser l'évaluation et augmenter les performances de bonne reconnaissance de façon significative afin d'obtenir des taux de lecture équivalents à ceux des lecteurs de codes à barres.In practice, the comparisons in steps 700 and 900 can also be performed in parallel (as illustrated by the arrow between blocks 600 and 900 on the figure 3 ) in the unit 8 so as to be combined, which makes the evaluation reliable and increases the good recognition performance significantly in order to obtain read rates equivalent to those of the barcode readers.

A noter que dans le lexique D, les données d'adresse de distribution D1 peuvent être ordonnées suivant la séquence des articles de courrier pré-triés dans le lot. Le lexique D sous forme de fichier peut aussi contenir un entête qui décrit l'emplacement et l'orientation du bloc d'adresse dans l'image d'un article de courrier pour guider l'OCR sur la zone de détection dans l'image. Il peut contenir aussi une indication du nombre d'articles de courrier dans le lot ce qui permet un contrôle de fiabilité.Note that in the D lexicon, the distribution address data D1 can be ordered according to the sequence of pre-sorted mail items in the batch. The lexicon D in file form may also contain a header that describes the location and orientation of the address block in the image of a mail item to guide the OCR over the detection area in the image. . It can also contain an indication of the number of mail items in the batch which allows a reliability check.

Claims (5)

  1. A method of sorting mailpieces (P) in a postal sorting machine (1), said method comprising the steps consisting in loading (100) the mailpieces into a feed inlet of said machine (1), and in unstacking them one-by-one to cause them, in series, to go past a camera that forms a digital image of a current mailpiece including a delivery address, and then in causing a monitoring and control unit (8) of the machine to operate, which unit, on the basis of the digital image of the current mailpiece, is suitable for automatically reading delivery address data by OCR, and for comparing the result of that reading with a reference database so as to evaluate the delivery address that corresponds to said current mailpiece in order to direct the current mailpiece automatically to a corresponding sorting outlet of the machine, said method being characterized in that it further comprises the steps consisting in:
    • detecting (200) loading in the feed inlet of the machine of a batch of mailpieces pre-sorted by a mailer of the mailpieces on the basis of their delivery addresses;
    • and, in response to said detection, loading (300), in the reference database, a lexicon comprising the delivery addresses for only the pre-sorted mailpieces of the batch, and, by means of the monitoring and control unit (8) and for each current mailpiece, comparing (700) the result of the OCR reading with said delivery addresses of the lexicon so as to detect similarity in order to evaluate the delivery address of said current mailpiece.
  2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in association with the delivery addresses, said lexicon further comprises data specific to the mailer (D2), and in that if the recipient address of the current mailpiece cannot be evaluated by detecting similarity with said delivery addresses in the lexicon, the monitoring and control unit compares (900) the result of the OCR reading of the current mailpiece with said data specific to the mailer in the lexicon so as to detect a match and, by association, so as to evaluate the delivery address of said current mailpiece.
  3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that comparing (700) the result of the OCR reading with the delivery addresses of the lexicon, and comparing (900) the result of the OCR reading with the data specific to the mailer are performed in parallel and are combined for evaluating the delivery address of said current mailpiece.
  4. A method according to claim 1 or claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises a step consisting in inputting into the monitoring and control unit an identifier for identifying said batch of pre-sorted mailpieces, which identifier is associated in the memory of the monitoring and control unit with said lexicon.
  5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the identifier for identifying the batch of pre-sorted mailpieces is input by machine reading of a bar code.
EP17151476.3A 2016-02-10 2017-01-13 Method for sorting pre-sorted mail items Not-in-force EP3205412B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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FR1651041A FR3047426B1 (en) 2016-02-10 2016-02-10 METHOD FOR SORTING PREVIOUS MAIL

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US11911797B1 (en) * 2022-09-28 2024-02-27 Amazon Technologies, Inc. Systems and methods for multi-path package sortation

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AU4768399A (en) * 1998-06-29 2000-01-17 Crisplant A/S A method and a system for processing postal items
AU2007253305A1 (en) * 2006-05-23 2007-11-29 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft System and method for sorting objects using OCR and speech recognition techniques
JP5098302B2 (en) * 2006-11-10 2012-12-12 日本電気株式会社 Mail sorting system and mail sorting method
DE102007038186B4 (en) * 2007-08-13 2009-05-14 Siemens Ag Method and device for transporting bulk mail
FR2967277B1 (en) * 2010-11-05 2013-05-31 Solystic METHOD FOR PROCESSING WIRELESS COURIER COMPRISING AN AUTOMATIC LOCATION OF AN ADDRESS BLOCK USING MATRIX STORES
FR2986888B1 (en) * 2012-02-09 2014-02-21 Solystic METHOD FOR SORTING SHIPMENTS WITH RECEIVER SORTING
US9463492B2 (en) * 2013-02-05 2016-10-11 Solystic Method of merging non-machine-sortable postal articles with machine-sorted mail pieces

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EP3205412A1 (en) 2017-08-16
FR3047426B1 (en) 2018-02-02
FR3047426A1 (en) 2017-08-11
US20170225201A1 (en) 2017-08-10
ES2666207T3 (en) 2018-05-03
US10471477B2 (en) 2019-11-12
PT3205412T (en) 2018-04-19

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