Installation for identifying handled parcels

Abstract

An installation for identifying handled parcels, said installation including a linear conveyor for conveying parcels in series. The installation further includes a monitoring and control central unit suitable for instantly determining the three-dimensional position of each parcel on the conveyor, and at least one handheld electronic unit that is suitable for detecting identification information on a parcel when it is placed in the vicinity of said parcel, and for transmitting said information to the central unit. The central unit is arranged to read an instantaneous three-dimensional position for said handheld unit in response to receiving said information coming from said handheld unit, and to detect a match between said instantaneous three-dimensional position of the handheld unit and said instantaneous three-dimensional position of the parcel as determined by the central unit.

Claims

1. An installation for conveying handled parcels, said installation including a linear conveyor for conveying parcels in series, and a monitoring and control central unit that stores, in a memory, the instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of each parcel moving on the conveyor, said installation being characterized in that it further includes at least one nomadic handheld electronic unit that is suitable for detecting information on a parcel when it is placed in the vicinity of said parcel, and for transmitting said information to the central unit, and in that the central unit is arranged to read an instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location for said nomadic handheld electronic unit in response to receiving said information coming from said nomadic handheld electronic unit, and in that said central unit is further arranged to detect a match between the instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of a certain parcel on the conveyor and said instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of the nomadic handheld electronic unit substantially at a time at which said information is transmitted to the central unit, and to respond to such a match being detected by recording said information in a memory in correspondence with data associated with said certain parcel.

2. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said handheld unit is a bar code reader.

3. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said handheld unit is a camera.

4. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said handheld unit is equipped with a geotag.

5. An installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the parcels are postal parcels.

6. A method for processing parcels comprising: conveying said parcels in series on a linear conveyor under control of a monitoring and control central unit which store in memory the instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of each parcel moving on said conveyor, moving a nomadic handheld electronic unit towards a parcel moving on said conveyor and detecting on the fly with said nomadic handheld electronic unit information on the parcel when said nomadic handheld electronic unit is placed in the vicinity of said parcel and transmitting said information to the central unit, transmitting to said central unit an instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of said nomadic handheld electronic unit in response to said central unit receiving said information coming from said handheld unit, detecting with said central unit a match between the instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of a certain parcel on the conveyor and said instantaneous three-dimensional spatial location of the nomadic handheld electronic unit substantially at a time at which said information is transmitted to the central unit, and in response to such a match, recording said information in memory of the central unit in correspondence with data associated with said certain parcel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention can be better understood and other advantages appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a very diagrammatic view of an installation having a conveyor for transporting postal parcels, and a handheld unit in the vicinity of a parcel for the purpose of inputting its identification information on the fly.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

(3) FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a logistics installation 1 for conveying handled parcels such as 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, by means of a linear conveyor 3 that is adapted for transporting the parcels in series, e.g. towards sorting outlets that are not shown in FIG. 1. It should be understood that the invention also relates to a postal parcel sorting facility including the logistics installation 1.

(4) The conveyor 3 is provided with a conveying section 4 along which an operator can approach the parcels moving on the conveyor 3.

(5) The arrow V1 indicates the speed of movement of the parcels on the conveyor. The speed V1 may be relatively constant.

(6) A passage sensor 5 is also shown, upstream from the conveying section 4. The sensor 5 may be a photoelectric detection cell.

(7) FIG. 1 also shows a monitoring and control central unit 6 that is suitable for storing, in a memory, the instantaneous three-dimensional position of each parcel on the conveyor from the instant at which the parcel in question goes past a passage sensor such as the passage sensor 5.

(8) Data representative of the instantaneous three-dimensional position of the parcel such as 2a may, for example, be computed by the central unit 6 on the basis of the speed V1 and of the time that has elapsed since the instant T at which the parcel 2a went past the passage sensor 5.

(9) In accordance with the invention, the installation 1 also includes a handheld electronic unit 8 that is suitable for detecting identification information 7 on a parcel when it is placed in the vicinity of said parcel, e.g., in this example, a few centimeters (cm) from the parcel, and for transmitting said information 7 to the central unit 6, which, in response, is adapted for reading the instantaneous three-dimensional position of the handheld unit 8 and for searching for a match between the instantaneous three-dimensional position of the handheld unit as read substantially at the time at which the information is input and the instantaneous three-dimensional position of a certain parcel on the conveyor (the parcel for which the information on it has been input).

(10) If a match is found by the central unit 6, said central unit can record the input information in a memory in correspondence with data associated with said parcel and stored in the memory.

(11) Said information may be a unique parcel identification code or else, for example, an image of the parcel including delivery address information.

(12) The handheld unit 8 may be a bar code reader or, for example, a digital camera if the information 7 is an image.

(13) The handheld unit 8 is preferably a handheld unit that communicates remotely and in wireless manner with the monitoring central unit 6. It is possible to have a plurality of handheld units 8 that are independent from one another in the installation 1.

(14) The handheld unit 8 may be provided with a geotag that can supply an instantaneous three-dimensional position in a three-dimensional reference frame to the central unit 6.

(15) It should be understood that the instantaneous three-dimensional position of the handheld unit 8 and the instantaneous three-dimensional positions of the parcels can be determined periodically by the central unit 6, and that it is possible to associate a time stamp with each of the three-dimensional positions, in such a manner as to facilitate match detection.

(16) Naturally, the present invention is in no way limited to the above description of one of its embodiments, which can undergo modifications without going beyond the ambit of the invention. The invention is also applicable to articles other than parcels.