A method and apparatus are provided for sorting items to a plurality of sort destinations. The items are fed into the apparatus at an input station having a scanning station. The scanning station evaluates one or more characteristics of each item. The items are then loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles. The delivery vehicles are individually driven to sort destinations. Once at the appropriate sort destination, the delivery vehicle ejects the item to the sort destination and returns to receive another item to be delivered. A re-induction conveyor may be provided for receiving select items from the vehicles and conveying the items back to the input station for re-processing. Additionally, a controller is provided to control the movement of the vehicles based on a characteristic each item being delivered by each vehicle.

A processing system and method for nationwide commingling of mail items to increase efficiency and lower mailing costs includes a pre-sort facility which creates a first set of diverted mail items and a first set of associated data while a print and mail manufacture facility generates a second set of manufactured mail items and a second set of associated data and then receives the first set of diverted mail items and first set of associated data from the pre-sort facility and then commingles the first and second sets of mail items according to a predetermined set of commingling rules applied to the first and second sets of associated data to produce commingled mail items which reduces postal costs in mailing the commingled mail item

A method and apparatus are provided for sorting items to a plurality of sort destinations. The items are fed into the apparatus at an input station having a scanning station. The scanning station evaluates one or more characteristics of each item. The items are then loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles. The delivery vehicles are individually driven to sort destinations. Once at the appropriate sort destination, the delivery vehicle ejects the item to the sort destination and returns to receive another item to be delivered. A re-induction conveyor may be provided for receiving select items from the vehicles and conveying the items back to the input station for re-processing. Additionally, a controller is provided to control the movement of the vehicles based on a characteristic each item being delivered by each vehicle.

A delivery processing apparatus has a recognition unit and a determination unit. The recognition unit executes recognition processing for recognizing information that is provided on a delivery target item based on an image obtained by shooting an image of the delivery target item. The determination unit determines whether or not to extend the recognition processing performed by the recognition unit, based on a degree of progress of the recognition processing that has been performed by the recognition unit in a period from when the information recognition processing was started by the recognition unit until a predetermined time has elapsed, and an extension rate, which indicates a ratio of the number of times that the recognition unit has extended the recognition processing to the number of times that the recognition unit has performed the recognition processing.

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for determining alternative delivery destinations. For example, in various embodiments, a method may be provided comprising receiving shipping information/data for an item indicating the item to be delivered to an original consignee by a carrier and comprising at least a default delivery location, determining whether the original consignee has indicated a first priority alternative consignee among one or more alternative consignees, and in an instance in which a determination is made that the original consignee has indicated the first priority alternative consignee among the one or more alternative consignees, delivering the item to the first priority alternative consignee.

A smart conveyor belt web service is provided. A network device generates recipes for multiple orders. Each recipe provides sorting instructions for a conveyor system. The network device transfers an identifier for a first recipe to a queue of active recipes and sends the first recipe to a server device for the conveyor system. The network device receives a recipe-complete status message indicating completion of the first recipe. The network device deletes the indicator for the first recipe from the queue based on receiving the recipe-complete status message and transfers a second recipe to the queue of active recipes to initiate processing of another order.

A processing system and method for nationwide commingling of mail items to increase efficiency and lower mailing costs includes a pre-sort facility which creates a first set of diverted mail items and a first set of associated data while a print and mail manufacture facility generates a second set of manufactured mail items and a second set of associated data and then receives the first set of diverted mail items and first set of associated data from the pre-sort facility and then commingles the first and second sets of mail items according to a predetermined set of commingling rules applied to the first and second sets of associated data to produce commingled mail items which reduces postal costs in mailing the commingled mail item

A processing system and method for nationwide commingling of mail item to increase efficiency and lower mailing costs includes a pre-sort facility which creates a first set of diverted mail items and a first set of associated data while a print and mail manufacture facility generates a second set of manufactured mail items and a second set of associated data and then receives the first set of diverted mail items and first set of associated data from the pre-sort facility and then commingles the first and second sets of mail items according to a predetermined set of commingling rules applied to the first and second sets of associated data to produce commingled mail items which reduces postal costs in mailing the commingled mail item.

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for determining alternative delivery destinations. For example, in various embodiments, a method may be provided comprising receiving shipping information/data for an item indicating the item to be delivered to an original consignee by a carrier and comprising at least a default delivery location, determining whether the original consignee has indicated a first priority alternative consignee among one or more alternative consignees, and in an instance in which a determination is made that the original consignee has indicated the first priority alternative consignee among the one or more alternative consignees, delivering the item to the first priority alternative consignee.

There is provided a parcel sorting system including: a transport conveyor; a sensor that obtains a distance image of a parcel passing through a sensing region including a part of the transport conveyor; and a projection instruction device that generates a projection image to be projected on the parcel based on the distance image, in which the transport conveyor includes a parcel separation unit that separates adjacent parcels, inside the sensing region.