EP2197596A1

EP2197596A1 - Method and device for transporting articles

Info

Publication number: EP2197596A1
Application number: EP08804336A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gisbert Berger; Jörg-Andreas ILLMAIER
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2007-09-18
Filing date: 2008-09-17
Publication date: 2010-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2028-09-17
Also published as: DE102008007009A1; WO2009037287A1; US20090076649A1; DE102008017190A1; CA2699688A1; US8050794B2; CA2699688C; AU2008300587A1; EP2197596B1; DK2197596T3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for transporting articles (A-1,..., B-1,...), especially postal items. The articles (A-1,..., B-1,...) are transported to respective handling systems in a plurality of transport processes. Prior to transport, every article (A-1,..., B-1,...) is measured to determined whether the article has a predetermined property, and if so, to what degree of distinction. The measurement is repeated once the article (A-1,..., B-1,...) is supplied to a handling system (Anl-3). It is determined for every article by way of which transport process (TV-1) the article was transported. For this purpose, it is determined which articles having which distinction of the property were transported by way of which transport process.

Description

description

Method and device for transporting objects

The invention relates to a method and a device for transporting objects, in particular postal items.

A mail item typically passes through a sorting system at least twice and is then transported to the respectively predetermined destination address. On the first pass, the destination address of the mailpiece is read. On the second pass, the read target address is determined again.

Traditionally, during the first pass, an encoding of the destination address is printed on the mailpiece. This encoding is read on the second pass. In order to avoid the printing of mail, it is proposed in DE 4000603 C2 to measure a feature vector of the mail item during the first pass and store it together with the read target address. During the second pass, the mail item is measured again, as a result of which a further feature vector is generated. This further feature vector is compared with the stored feature vectors to find the stored feature vector of the same object.

The destination address, which is stored together with the found feature vector, is used as the destination address to which the item of mail is to be transported.

This search requires many feature vectors to be compared with each other, which is time consuming. As the number of transported mail items increases, the risk increases that the wrong feature vector is found among the stored feature vectors. Therefore, limitations of the search space have already been suggested.

A method having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a device having the features of the preamble of claim 6 are known from EP 1222037 Bl. The items are also there mail that go through sorting machines. Such a sorting machine passes Mail items in sorting stations that act as a buffer. In order to reuse read results, a method known as "fingerprinting" is used, for example as presented in DE 4000603 C2.

For each mail item, a data record is generated and stored in a central database. This record includes the read delivery address. In order to limit the search space when searching for this data record, it is stored which mail item is transported in which container. This approach requires that it is known exactly which mail item is being transported in which bin. Sometimes this can not be determined with sufficient certainty in reality.

In DE 102005040689 Al it is proposed to identify a postal item in two steps. First, the mailpiece is registered by means of a pictorial feature and external information, e.g. In a central database. As soon as this mail item passes through a sorting installation a second time, an attempt is first made to identify this mailpiece on the basis of the pictorial feature. If this is not successful, the mail item is identified on the basis of the external feature.

The invention has for its object to provide a method having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and an apparatus having the features of the preamble of claim 6, wherein it is not necessary, the

Identify means of transport used for the transport operations.

The object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and a device having the features of claim 6. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

Several objects are transported by different transport processes. In each of these transport operations, the following steps are performed: - At least one object is spent in a means of transport.

- The means of transport with the at least one object is transported to a processing plant.

- The transported with the transport items are supplied to the processing plant. In this case, mixing with objects from other transport processes is avoided. This is achieved by the objects of this transport process are supplied in such a way that first all objects from the means of transport of this transport process means of transport are supplied to the processing plant before further objects are supplied to the processing plant.

At least one characteristic is specified. This feature is by solution in the form of an optically measurable property.

A transported object either has this property in one of several possible expressions or the object does not have the property.

For each item, a first measurement is made of what value this given feature will take on that item. Here it is measured whether this object has the given property or not, and if so, with which characteristic he has this property. This first measurement is performed before this object is placed in one of the means of transport.

For each transport operation, the transportation process information is determined and stored, which objects are transported together by this transport process and which feature value which of these objects accepts. For this the results of the first measurements are used. The transport process information comprises, for each item of information, the information as to whether or not this item has a predetermined characteristic in the first measurement and, if so, with which characteristic it has this property. After this object has been supplied to the respective processing plant, it is again measured what value the feature assumes for this article. In this case, it is again measured whether or not this object has a given property during the first measurement or not, and if so, with which characteristic it possesses this property.

It is automatically searched for by which transport process this item was transported. For this search, the transport operation information of each transport process is used. Each transportation process is determined by which an object with this characteristic of the property has been transported to and transported in a means of transport.

Accordingly, it is determined for each item by which transport process the item was transported. For this purpose, it is determined and evaluated which objects were transported with which characteristic of the property by which transport process.

The invention takes advantage of the fact that only very few items - often only a single one - have a certain expression of the property. The transport process - or at least the transportation processes still to be considered - can be determined without it being necessary to identify the means of transport used. Such an identification would be a machine-readable or human-readable identifier z. B. in the form of a bar pattern and may be error prone.

The susceptibility to errors is further reduced by specifying several properties and using them to determine transport processes. The susceptibility to errors is also reduced by searching for several objects with the property and taking into account the different forms of these found objects. Preferably, at least one measurable transport attribute is further specified. This transport attribute is, for example, the respective destination address to which an item is to be transported, or a dimension or weight or z. B. the evaluation of a franking mark, with which the object is provided.

Before an item is brought into one of the means of transport, the following steps are carried out:

- Measure the value of the transport attribute for this item.

- A record for the object is generated and stored. This data set includes the measured transport attribute value as well as each feature value measured at the first measurement.

After this item has been fed to the respective processing plant, the following steps are carried out:

- The stored record for the item is determined. For the determination, every feature value measured when re-measuring is used.

- During the determination, the search is restricted to the data records of those objects that were transported in one of the ascertained transportation processes.

- A further transport of the item is triggered. For this, the transport attribute value of the determined data set is used, eg. B. the previously determined destination address.

In the following, the invention will be shown with reference to an embodiment. Showing:

Fig. 1 shows a network with three processing systems;

Fig. 2 shows the transport of the mail items A1, ..., A5 and B1, ..., B4;

3 shows the transport of the mail items Cl, ..., C6 and Dl and D2;

4 shows the search for mailpieces with globally secure features using a flowchart.

In the figures, material flows are shown by solid lines, data flows by dashed lines.

In the exemplary embodiment, the objects to be transported are mail items. Each item of mail is provided with an identification of that delivery address to which this item of mail is to be transported. The delivery address acts as the destination of the mailing. The marking has usually been applied to the postal consignment prior to commencement of transport. But it is also possible that it is attached only during transport.

Each mail item goes through a sorting system at least twice. It is possible for a mail item to pass through the same sorting system several times or to pass through a sorting system three times.

At the first pass, at least the delivery address is determined. It is possible that further features are measured, for. B. the weight of the mail or with which franking the mail item is provided.

Preferably, a reading device tries that of the first

Once a sorting system has been used, it automatically determines the delivery address automatically by means of "Optical Character Recognition" (OCR) If this is not successful, a person reads the delivery address and enters at least part of the read delivery address, eg the postal code.

Each possible delivery address is assigned to a delivery area. All mail items to the same delivery area are ejected into the same output bin each time they pass. possible lent is that mail is sent to different delivery areas in the same output tray. It is possible for a mail item to pass through the same sorting system several times, for example because the number of output pockets is less than the number of predetermined delivery areas. In this case, an "n-pass sequencing" is preferably carried out Such a method is known from EP 948416 Bl After the first pass, the mail items which the sorting system has discharged into an output tray are brought into a container the feeding device of the second sorting system transported, and the mail items are fed to the sorting system for the second pass.

It is also possible that a container with mail items, which have passed through a sorting system for the first time, is transported to another location and the mailpieces there are fed to a further sorting system. It is also possible that some mail items are transported from an output tray of the further sorting system in a container to a feeding device of another sorting system and these mail items are fed to the other sorting system.

It would be very inconvenient if every other sorting system again had to read the delivery address that the first sorting system has already read. The classic approach to avoid this is that the first sorting system prints a coding of the delivery address on the mailpiece, z. B. in the form of a bar pattern ("bar code") .Each additional sorting system reads this bar pattern.

Often, however, it is not desired that a postal item is provided with a line pattern. An agreement by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) stipulates that cross-border mailings are not provided with a bar pattern, because different postal service providers usually use different systems of coding. Therefore, in the embodiment, a method is used, which has become known under the name "Fingerprint" or "Virtual ID" and z. B. in DE 4000603 C2 and EP 1222037 Bl is described and which makes it possible that each additional sorting system determines that delivery address that has read the first sorting system without a bar pattern.

In the exemplary embodiment, m different features of a mail item are predefined, which can be measured optically, while the mail item passes through a sorting system without damaging the mailpiece. Examples of such features are

a bar code on the front of the mail piece,

A dash pattern on the back of the mail piece,

Dimensions of the item of mail,

the distribution of gray values and / or hues on a surface of the mail piece,

- the location and dimensions of the franking mark (eg postage stamp or postage stamp),

- the location and size of the address block and / or details of the sender,

- a logo on the mailing, z. As a logo of the sender or an advertising imprint, as well

- Characteristics of the delivery address, z. B. the postcode or a "ZIP code".

Not necessarily each mail item is provided with a bar pattern. But even if a "fingerprinting" procedure is used, a significant proportion of the mailpieces may be provided with a bar pattern

Bar pattern coded z. B. the delivery address of the mail item or distinguishes the mail item from all other mail fertilize that undergo one of the sorting systems within a predetermined period, so is a machine-readable identifier of the mailpiece.

1 shows a network with three processing systems AnI-I, Anl-3 and Anl-4. These three processing plants are designed in the embodiment as sorting. Each sorting installation has a feeder in the form of a feeder, a reading device and a large number of output compartments, and mailpieces are fed to the material inlets of such a sorting system The sorting system uses the image to determine the delivery address and sends the postal item to one of the output bins depending on the recognized delivery address: Each of the three sorting systems AnI-I, Anl-4, Anl-4 and one another sorting system Anl-2 is connected to a central database DB and has read and write access to this database DB.

In the example of FIG. 1, mailpieces of the first

Material input ZE-I fed to the sorting system AnI-I. The sorting system AnI-I generates a digital image of each mail item and determines the delivery address. Initially, the sorting system AnI-I attempts to automatically determine the delivery address by means of "Optical Character Recognition" (OCR) If this is not successful, the image is transmitted to a video coding station and an agent manually enters the delivery address - or at least the postal code - Depending on the respectively determined delivery address, the sorting system AnI-I discharges the mail item into one of the output compartments.

In the example of FIG. 1, three output bins Af-A, Af-B and Af-E of the sorting system AnI-I are shown. The mail items which the sorting system AnI-I has discharged into the output compartment Af-E are moved in the example of FIG. 1 into a container Beh-3. The container Beh-3 with these postal items is again the material input ZE-I of the sorting system AnI-I transported. The mail items from the container Beh-3 are separated from the material input ZE-I and again go through the sorting system AnI-I.

In the exemplary embodiment, containers function as the means of transport. Instead of containers, other means of transport can be used. The mail items from the output tray Af-E of the sorting system AnI-I can be z. B. also with a conveyor belt or by means of a Umladebrücke back to the feeder ZE-I of AnI-I transport.

The mail items which the sorting system AnI-I has discharged into the output compartment Af-A are moved in the example of FIG. 1 into a container Beh-2. The container Beh-2 with these postal items is transported to the material input ZE-2 of the second sorting system Anl-2. The mail items from the container Beh-2 are separated from the material input ZE-2 and go through the sorting system Anl-2. The corresponding happens with the mail items that the first sorting system AnI-I has discharged into the output tray Af-B. These are transported in container Beh-3 for substance input ZE-3 of the third sorting plant Anl-3.

In the example of Fig. 1, the mail items from the output tray Af-E are again fed to the feeder ZE-I and again run through the system AnI-I. One reason for this may be that "n-pass sequencing" is performed, as just described It is also possible that individual mail items pass through the sorting system AnI-I several times because an "off-line video coding" is performed. During the first pass, a digital image of the mailpiece is generated. It is not possible to automatically detect the address in this image, so that the image is transmitted to a video coding station. There, the address is entered manually. After this has been done, the mail item again passes through the sorting system and is discharged into an output tray depending on the entered address. It is also possible that mail items are shipped within a location or delivery area and the first sorting system AnI-I for this Therefore carries out both the incoming sorting and the subsequent outgoing sorting.

The two remaining sorting systems Anl-3 and Anl-4 again use the reading result that the sorting system AnI-I has achieved. For this to be possible, the sorting installation AnI-I generates a data record for each mail item which the sorting installation AnI-I passes through and stores it in the central database DB as part of a transport information item I. This record includes

An internal identification of the mailing as well

An identifier for the delivery address which the first sorting system AnI-1 has read.

Each additional sorting system, through which the mailpiece is running, recognizes this mail item again. Therefore, the already mentioned m features are given, which are optically measurable.

The first sorting system AnI-I determines, for each mail item that passes through the sorting system AnI-I, which value each predefined feature assumes in this mail item. As a result, the first sorting system AnI-I generates a feature vector (more precisely, a feature value vector), which consists of n feature values given n characteristics. The data record for the mailing is supplemented by the first sorting system AnI-I by the feature vector, d. H. an identification of the n feature values.

The third sorting system Anl-3 also measures for each mail item that passes through the sorting system Anl-3, which value assumes each predetermined feature for this mail item. As a result, the third sorting system Anl-3 also generates a feature vector with n feature values. The third sorting system Anl-3 performs a read access to the central database DB. The feature vectors of stored data sets are compared with the currently measured feature vector. As a result, the data record is determined which depends on the current comes to be examined mailing. This data record includes the delivery address of the mail item which the first sorting system AnI-1 has read.

In this embodiment, a coding of the delivery address to which the item of mail is to be transported is stored in the data record of a mail item. This delivery address acts as the edit attribute of the item. In other embodiments, other processing attributes are additionally measured and stored during the first sorting run, eg. B. a weight or a dimension or a surface finish of the mailpiece.

Fig. 2 illustrates the transport of the mail items Al, ..., A5 and Bl, ..., B4. The mail items Al, ..., A5 and Bl, ..., B4 first pass through the first sorting system AnI-I. The reading device of this first sorting system AnI-I reads the respective identification of the delivery address, with which the mailpieces Al,..., A5, Bl,..., B4 and other continuous mailpieces are provided. A measuring device of the first sorting system AnI-I measures which values the predefined characteristics for the mail items Al,..., A5 assume. This measuring device also measures which values the predefined characteristics for the mail items Bl,..., B4 assume.

Fig. 3 illustrates the transport of the mail items Cl, ..., C6 and Dl and D2. The mail items Cl, ..., C6 pass through a second sorting system Anl-2. A reading device of this second sorting system Anl-2 reads the respective identification of the delivery address, with which the postal items Cl,..., C6, D1, D2 and further continuous mailpieces are provided. A measuring device of the second sorting system Anl-2 measures which values the predetermined characteristics for the mail items Cl,..., C6 assume. This measuring device also measures which values the predefined characteristics assume for the mailpieces D 1 and D 2.

A transport process is thus characterized in the exemplary embodiment by: an output bin of a sorting plant as a starting point of the transport process,

- A feeder of a sorting system as the destination of the transport process and

- The mail items that are transported in this transport process.

In the exemplary embodiment, each sorting system registers which items of mail are ejected into which output bin. In addition, each sorting system registers which transport processes emanate from this sorting system.

In the exemplary embodiment, two of the total m features are given as specially marked optically detectable properties, namely

the presence of a machine-readable identifier, e.g. B. a bar pattern ("bar code") or a matrix code, on the front of the mailpiece (Merk_V) and

the presence of a machine-readable identifier, e.g. B. a bar pattern or a matrix code, on the back of the mail item (Merk_R).

These two features are "globally secure", that is to say, a mail item of a certain type of one of these features is globally unique among the mail items that pass through the sorting systems within a certain period of time In the exemplary embodiment, the identifier is one that uniquely identifies the mail item.

The first sorting system AnI-I and the second sorting system Anl-2 register information about transport processes. This transportation process information I TV-I, I TV-2, I TV-3, I_TV-4 are stored in the central database DB. The following transport process information I TV-I is stored via the first transport process TV-I:

The symbol ./. means that the respective mailpiece does not carry a bar pattern on the front or back. The transport operation information I TV-I further comprises the respective value of each other feature for the five mailpieces A-I to A-5, which is not shown in the table.

The corresponding transport process information I_TV-2, I TV-3, I TV-4 are also stored on the other three transport processes TV-2, TV-3 and TV-4.

In the transport process TV-I, the mail items AI, ..., A-5 are transported from the output compartment Af-A of the first sorting system AnI-I in the first container Beh-1 to the feeding device ZE-3 of the third sorting system Anl-3. However, the invention eliminates the need for the third sorting system Anl-3 to measure an identifier of the first container Beh-1 and a point in time at which the transport process TV-I was started or ended. It suffices that the third sorting system Anl-3 registers that a transport process TV-w reaches the feeding device ZE-3. Furthermore, the third sorting installation Anl-3 registers which items of mail which pass through the third sorting installation Anl-3 were transported in this transport operation TV-w to the third sorting installation Anl-3. Accordingly, the fourth sorting system Anl-4 registers that Transport process TV-x with the postal items BI, ..., B-4 reaches the feeder ZE-4.

The mailpieces Al,..., A5 are singulated by the feeder ZE-3 of the third sorting system Anl-3. A measuring device of the third sorting system Anl-4 again measures which values the predefined characteristics for the mailpieces Al,..., A5 assume. In the exemplary embodiment, these are the values of the two marked features Merk V and Merk R as well as the values of further features.

The mail items Bl, ..., B4 are separated by the feeder ZE-4 of the fourth sorting system Anl-4. A measuring device of the fourth sorting system Anl-4 again measures which values the predetermined characteristics for the mailpieces Bl, ..., B4 accept. The corresponding applies to the postal items Cl, ..., C6, Dl and D2.

Whenever a mail item again passes through a sorting system, in the central database DB the data record which was stored for this mail item is searched for. If, therefore, the mail item A-I passes through the third sorting system Anl-3, the database for the mailpiece A-I is searched for in the central database DB. This data record was created when the mail item A-I passed through the first sorting system AnI-I.

Each record for a mailing includes

The read identification of the delivery address of the item of mail,

the feature values measured for this mail item

And preferably the information to which cluster the feature values measured for this mail item belong.

In addition, the information is stored by which

Transport process - or which transport operations - each mail item is removed from a sorting system. These Information is stored as part of the transportation process information.

To find this record, the feature values measured when re-measuring for a mailpiece are compared with feature values of stored records. This comparison is carried out automatically by a data processing system DVA, which is connected to the central database DB. It would be very time-consuming if the measured feature values would have to be compared with the feature values of all stored data records. Therefore, a preselection is made among the stored records.

Therefore, the third sorting system Anl-3 carries out a restriction of the search space and first determines from which outgoing transport process the mail items originate from an arriving transport process.

The third sorting system Anl-3 determines that mail items from a transport process Tv-w pass through the third sorting system Anl-3. The measuring device of the third sorting system Anl-3 measures the two first values of the first n consecutive postal fertilizers which the two marked features Merk V and Merk R assume for these n mailings. In the exemplary embodiment, these two features Merk V and Merk R are the presence of a bar pattern or a matrix code on the front side and a bar pattern or a matrix code on the back side and the respectively coded string - or the statement that the mail item does not have a bar pattern on the front side and / or or none on the back.

In the exemplary embodiment, the mail items from the transport process Tv-w pass through the third sorting system Anl-3 in FIG

Order A-I, A-2, ..., A-5. The order under the mail does not need to be adhered to.

First, n = 2. A safety limit s min> = 1 and a maximum number n_max> = 2 is specified. The measurements will be interrupted as soon as possible - are among the first n mail s s Mail items that have one of the predetermined characteristics marked, where s> = s_min or

- a total of n max mail items were measured.

In the exemplary embodiment, s_min = 2, and n_max = 5. First, n = nθ = 2. The third sorting system Anl-3 counts how many mail items among the n mail items have a given characteristic, ie have a bar pattern here. If this number determines that among the first n = 2 mailings there is no postal item with a bar pattern, ie s = 0.

Now n is increased by 1, ie n = 3. The sorting system Anl-3 determines that among the first n = 3 mailings s = l is located, which has a bar pattern, namely the bar pattern for "01224" on the front. For this mail item, the characteristic Merk_V thus assumes the value "01224".

However, because s <s_min still applies, n is again increased by 1, that is to say n = 4. The sorting system Anl-3 determines that among the first n = 4 postal items there are s = 2 postal items each having a bar pattern. One mail piece carries the bar pattern for "01224" on the front, another the bar pattern for "aldkrje" on the back. Now s> = s_min and the measurements are interrupted.

In the exemplary embodiment, the central database DB is searched for the transport process information. Here, each outgoing transport process is determined, the

comprises a mail item in which the feature Merk_V assumes the value "01224", and

- Which also comprises a mail item, in which the feature Merk R takes the value "aldkrje". The transport process TV-I is determined as the only transport process. From this it is concluded that the incoming transport process TV-w is identical to the transport process TV-I.

The upper limit n_max is used so that the complete measurement of each mail item does not start too late. If the transport process can not be determined after n_max mail items at the latest, it will no longer be determined in the exemplary embodiment, and no search space restriction will be carried out.

Now every m every feature is measured every m feature values. With the aid of these m feature values, the data record for this mail item is determined in the central database DB. For each mail item from the transport process TV-w = TV-I, the data record that was stored for this mail item in the central database DB is searched. This search is restricted to those records that come from mail that was transported in the TV-I transport process. For this search, the transport process information I TV-I and the m feature values of the mailing are used.

FIG. 4 illustrates this sequence for searching mailpieces with globally secure features by means of a flowchart. The reference signs have the following meanings:

Sl (n) is the step of measuring the first n consecutive postal items, the two values of the two features Merk V and Merk_R being measured by each of these n mailpieces.

- S2 (n) is the step of counting how many of these n mail items have at least one predetermined property, that is, in the embodiment, have a bar pattern on the front side or on the back side. This number is called s. - S3 (n) is the step that the now nth [previously (n + 1) - th] mail item is measured, whereby it is measured which values the two features Merk_V and Merk_R assume for this mail item.

- S4 (s) is the step that the at least s characteristics for the s found mailings are determined with at least one identified feature.

El is the result consisting of the at least s occurrences found by step S4 (s).

S5 (s) is the step of searching for an outbound transport operation comprising s mailpieces which have just the s occurrences of El found in step s4 (s). The transport operation information is used for this search.

- E2 is the result of the ones found by means of El

Transport operations exists. The search for the data records for mailpieces is then restricted to the mailpieces from these ascertained transport processes.

- E3 is the result that no search space restriction is possible using globally secure features.

Thanks to the invention, it is not necessary to read a machine-readable identifier on the container in which the mail items were transported in the transport process TV-I = TV-w. Furthermore, it is not necessary to follow a certain order among these mailpieces. The first sorting system AnI-I can thus discharge the mailpieces in a different order into the sorting compartment Af-A, as these mail items later pass through the feed device ZE-3 of the third sorting system Anl-3.

Claims

claims

1. A method for transporting multiple items (A-I, ..., B-I, ...), the method comprising a plurality of transport operations (TV-I, ...),

being in every transport process

- at least one object (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) is transported to a means of transport (Beh-1, ...),

- The means of transport (Beh-1, ...) with the at least one object (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) to a processing plant (Anl-3, Anl-4) is transported and

- The transported with the means of transport (Beh-1, ...) objects (AI, ..., BI, ...) are supplied to the processing plant (Anl-3, Anl-4) such that all objects from this means of transport (Beh-1, ...) the processing plant (Anl-3, Anl-4) are supplied before it is supplied to other items,

the method further comprising the steps of

- For each item (AI, ..., BI, ...) is measured a first time, which value at least one predetermined feature (Merk_V, Merk_R) for this item assumes before this item in one of the transport (Beh-1 , ...),

The transport process information is determined and stored for each transport process, which objects are transported together by this transport process and which feature value assumes which of these objects, for which the result of the respective first measurement is used, for each item (AI, ..., BI, ...) after it has been supplied to the respective processing equipment (Anl-3, Anl-4),

- again measured, which value assumes the feature (Merk V, Merk_R) for this item, and

- it is searched by which transport process this item was transported,

characterized in that

as the feature an optically measurable property (Merk V, Merk_R) is given, which has an object either in one of different possible forms or not,

for each item (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) at the first measurement

- It is measured whether this object has the given property (Merk V, Merk R) or not, and if so, with which characteristic he possesses this property (Merk V, Merk R), and

This measurement result as part of the transport process information of the transport process (TV-I,

...) by which this object (A-1, ..., B-I, ...) is transported,

for each transport process (TV-w, ...) after transport of the used means of transport to the respective processing plant (Anl-3, Anl-4)

- Is measured, whether by this transport process (TV-w, ...) at least one object of the processing plant

(Anl-3, Anl-4) was supplied, which has the predetermined property (Merk V, Merk R), and if so, with which characteristic he has this property,

- every transport operation (TV-I, ...) is determined, by which an object with this characteristic of its own (Merk_V, Merk_R) in a means of transport (Beh-1, ...) was spent and transported in this, for which the stored transport operation information is used, and

- For each item that was supplied by this transport process (TV-I, ...) of the processing system (Anl-3, Anl-4), the amount of thus determined transport operations (TV-I, ...) as the result the transport operation search is used.

2. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

as a further feature, a further optically measurable property is given, which has or has not an object either in one of various possible further manifestations, for each object in the first measurement

In addition it is measured whether this object has the given further property or not and, if so, with which further expression it possesses this further property, and

- This further measurement result is stored as an additional part of the transport process information of that transport process through which this item is transported, for each transport operation after transport of the transport used to the respective processing plant

In addition, it is measured whether at least one object of the processing plant has been supplied by this transport process, which has the predetermined further property, and if so, with what further expression he has this further property, and - the determination of transport processes comprises the step of determining each transport process by which both an object with the characteristic of the property and an article with the further characteristic of the further property were transported to and transported in a means of transport, for which stored transport information is used.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2,

characterized in that

for each transport operation after the transport of the used means of transport to the respective processing plant

is searched for s_min objects that were supplied by this transport process of the respective processing plant and have the predetermined property, where s min> = 1 is a predetermined minimum number, then, if s min such objects found are, the s_min characteristics of these items are measured

the determination of transport processes comprises the step of determining each transport process by which s min objects with the measured s min characteristics were transported.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that

for each item (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) before this item is placed in one of the means of transport (Beh-1, ...),

Measured is the value which at least one predefined transport attribute assumes for this object, a record is generated and stored for the object comprising an encoding measured transport attribute value and each feature value measured at the first measurement,

for each item (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) after being supplied to the respective processing equipment (Anl-3, Anl-4),

the stored data record for the object is determined, for which each feature value measured upon remeasurement is used,

- whereby the search is limited to the data records of those items that were transported in one of the determined transport operations (TV-I, ...), and

- a further transport of the object is triggered, for which the transport attribute value from the ascertained data record is used.

5. The method according to claim 4,

characterized in that

at least one object is used with indications of a destination to which the object is to be transported,

as the transport attribute value of this item, the destination items are used, and

the processing plant to which the article has been transported triggers a transport of the article to the destination point,

whose coding is included in the determined data record.

6. Device for transporting multiple objects (A-I, ..., B-I, ...), wherein the device

A first processing plant (AnI-I, Anl-2),

At least one further processing installation (Anl-3, AnI-4),

- At least one means of transport (Beh-1, ...) and

A data storage device (DB) connected to each of the processing plants (AnI-I, Anl-2, Anl-3, Anl-4),

includes and

is designed to perform several transport operations (TV-I, ...) in such a way

that in every transport process (TV-I, ...)

- The means of transport (Beh-1, ...) with the at least one object to one of the further processing plant

(Anl-3, Anl-4) is transported and

- The objects (AI, ..., BI, ...) transported with the means of transport are supplied to the further processing installation (Anl-3, Anl-4) in such a way that all objects from this means of transport (Beh-1, .. .) are fed to the further processing plant (Anl-3, Anl-4) before it is supplied with additional objects,

wherein the first processing facility (AnI-I, Anl-2) is configured to

- to measure for each item (AI, ..., BI, ...) a first time which value at least one given times (Merk_V, Merk_R) for this item before this item is placed in one of the means of transport (Beh-1, ...),

for each transport operation (TV-I,...) to determine the transport process information and to store in the data storage device (DB) which objects are transported together by this transport process (TV-I,...) and which feature value which of these objects accepts what the result of the first measurement is used for,

wherein each further processing equipment (Anl-3, Anl-4) is designed for each object (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) after it has been supplied to the further processing equipment (Anl-3, Anl-4)

- again to measure the value of the characteristic (Merk V,

Merk_R) for this item (A-I, ..., B-I, ...), and

using information in the data storage device (DB) to search by which transport process (TV-I, ...) this object (A-I, ..., B-I, ...) was transported,

characterized in that

as the feature is given an optically measurable property (Merk_V, Merk R) which either has or does not have an object in one of different possible expressions,

the first processing equipment (AnI-I, Anl-2) is configured for each item in the first measurement

- to measure, whether this object (AI, ..., BI, ...) has the given property (Merk V, Merk R) or not, and if so, with which characteristic he / she has this property (Merk V, Merk R ), and to store this measurement result as part of the transport process information of the transport process by which this article is transported,

Each further processing system (Anl-3, Anl-4) is designed to, after the transport of a transport operation (TV-w, ...) used transport means (Beh-1, ...) to this processing plant (Anl-3 , Anl-4)

- to measure whether at least one object of the processing plant by this transport process (TV-w, ...)

(Anl-3, Anl-4) has been supplied, which has the predetermined property (Merk V, Merk R), and if so, with which characteristic he has this property (Merk_V, Merk R), - each transport process (TV-I , ...) by which an object with this characteristic of the property (Merk V, Merk R) was transported to and transported in a means of transport (Beh-1, ...), for which the further processing plant (plant) 3, Anl-4) uses the stored transportation process information, and

- For each item that was supplied by this transport operation of the other processing system (Anl-3, Anl-4), the amount of thus determined transport operations (TV-I, ...) as the result of the transport operation search to use ,