Electrocom Automation

Siemens Electrocom, L.p.

Other

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Rapistan Systems Advertising Corp.

Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems Inc.

George R Mondie

Gerald A Isaacs

James Moody Pippin

Dale E Redford

Floyd W Worth, Ii

Richard G Van Tyne

Marion W Neff

Ottmar Karl Kechel

Homer L Dickerson

Morgan H Dunn

A method for sorting mail to a case having a plurality of slots is described, wherein each slot corresponds to a destination. The method includes steps of loading a mail piece to be sorted into a delivery robot, determining for the mail piece a destination slot the mail piece is to be delivered to, moving the delivery robot along a rail disposed at the front of the case near the slots into proximity with an open end of the destination slot, inserting the mail piece from the delivery robot into the associated slot, and returning the delivery robot to a loading station whereby the cycle may be repeated. Such a method, when using a large number of robots moving along a common rail system, can sort a large volume of mail in carrier delivery order.

Method of removing a flat article from a holder

Apparatus and method for mail sorting

A method of forming symbols, characters, and other images from a light polarizing material including machine readable indicia enabling automated identification of articles is disclosed. A light polarizing material is applied over a reflective layer in a machine readable pattern. The material may be an image imprinted on a label with a light polarizing material on a substrate such as a transparent oriented film. In one aspect, a mail processing system includes a computer including a database of destination codes corresponding to a plurality of mail pieces for delivery to at least some of the destination codes. A media applicator utilizes the database for generating and applying a light polarizing material to a label or article to form a machine readable indicia, including the destination code for each of the plurality of mail pieces. A mail sorting system utilizing the label includes a camera with polarized lenses for filtering light reflected from indicia formed from a light polarizing material on the label. A detector associated with each of the lenses for detecting reflected light and generating a signal in response thereto. Signals from the detector are compared by a computer that produces an electronic image or pattern corresponding to the machine readable indicia and generates a sorting signal based upon the indicia which is transmitted to a mail sorter where the mail pieces are sorted.

Low visual impact labeling method and system

A singulator is disclosed for singulating the flow of articles in a conveyor system. The singulator includes a mechanism for actuating a portion of a conveyor to remove one item at a time from the conveyor end. A control system singulates items by selectively actuating portions on the conveyor underlying the items and extending toward the end of the conveyor. After one item has been singulated, another item is singulated when a gap between the trailing edge of the first item and a leading edge of the second hem reaches a predetermined size. This process repeats itself for singulating more articles.

Selective advance intelligent singulator

A flat article turntable for use in a flat article sorting system having a flat article holding cartridge, a cartridge handling mechanism and an automatic flat article feeder is provided with an empty cartridge presentation mechanism for presenting empty cartridges to a cartridge handling system. A full cartridge acceptor mechanism for receiving full cartridges from the cartridge handler system. A rotary mechanism is provided for rotating a full cartridge 90&deg;. An index mechanism is provided to matingly index the cartridges with the automatic feeder of the sorting system. An extraction mechanism is provide including a cartridge opener for opening the cartridge. A pushing mechanism is operatively connected for pushing stacked articles from the cartridge. A pause mechanism is interconnected to allow a finger on the automatic feeder to take the stacked articles, and a closing mechanism is attached to close the cartridge. A rotating mechanism rotates the cartridge back to face the cartridge handler and an index mechanism indexes the empty cartridge from an active to a passive side of the turntable.

Method and system for sorting flat articles

Apparatus and method for detection of leading and trailing edges of objects moving along a defined path. A light radiation source directs a light beam toward a beamspot on the path. Light reflected from the beamspot is received by two light sensors. An edge of an object moving along the defined path substantially blocks the light from being received by one light sensor. Circuitry is provided for distinguishing the difference in reflected light received at each light sensor and determining whether the leading edge or trailing edge of the object is blocking the reflected light. Length of detections (leading and trailing edges) and time interval between the detections of the leading and trailing edge are processed to provide information about the object such as height of the leading and trailing edges of the object and length of the object. Further processing of leading and trailing edge detections can detect overlapped objects having relatively uniform surfaces.

Dichotomous scan system for detection of edges of objects and overlapped

Apparatus and method are disclosed for detection of overlapped objects moving along a defined path. A light radiation source directs a light beam toward the path. As an object moves into the light beam, reflected light is received by two light sensors. An edge of an overlapping object moving along the defined path substantially blocks the light reflected from the underlying object from being received by one light sensor. The edges of an overlapping object are detected when a there is a difference in the amount of reflected light received by the light sensors and there exists a substantial rate of change in the amount of reflected light (indicative of a true edge of an overlapping object as opposed to warps, wrinkles, creases, etc. on the surface of an object) received by either light sensor due to the substantial blockage of reflected light by the edge.

Dichotomous scan system for detection of overlapped objects

The present invention provides for a bar code location and recognition processing system. The surface on which the bar code appears is optically scanned and converted to binary digital signals by a digital video processor. The output of the digital video processor is provided to a bar code image processor for location and reading of the bar code. The bar code is located by summing the 'black' pixels in segments of predetermined width for each horizontal scan line, and determining the location of the 'L' pattern characteristic of a digitized image of a bar code summed in this manner. Reading of the binary data corresponding to the bar code is carried out by summing the 'black' pixels in each vertical scan line in a rectangular region generally corresponding to the location of the bar code within the digitized image, selecting a threshold value proportional to the average maxima of these sums, and, by determining which sums substantially exceed and which substantially fall below the threshold values, decode a binary code pattern corresponding to the bar code.

Growing community of inventors

Bedford, TX, United States of America

George R Mondie