Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
  • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
  • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Definitions

• TITLE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRACKING POSTAL ARTICLES DELIVERED THROUGH A "DOOR TO DOOR" POSTAL DISTRIBUTION
• the present invention relates to the field of delivery "door to door" of postal articles, such as leaflets and advertising brochures, through a distribution not addressed realized by a messenger that follows a given delivery path and in particular relates to a method for tracing in respect to time and to the space of the postal articles themselves.
• the invention also relates to an apparatus that carries out this method.
• the identification code can be a bar code printed directly on the item, or a label attached to the article itself, or a RFID-type tag that is incorporated, or applied to the article.
• the methods of the known type realize, therefore, a tracing of the delivery of items through the unique identification of the distributed items.
• a step of acquiring data such as the date and time of delivery and possibly the geographical coordinates of the place of delivery.
• the messenger responsible for the delivery of postal articles may be provided with a reading device, for example of optical type. Upon delivery, the operator must perform a series of operations including the "pointing" with the head of the optical code reading device for pointing and reading the code.
• the postal article to be tracked has, incorporated, or applied externally on itself, an RFI D tag capable of interacting with a reader for the acquisition of the identifying code.
• the label can be a label equipped with a chip and an internal power supply, or a label with a chip but no internal power supply, or without chip and no internal power supply.
• the reading of the code identified by the label does not require specific operations except the respect of a maximum distance, which is predetermined and dependent on the technology and the reading device, between the device itself and the "tagged" article to be read.
• the reading devices can be integrated or coupled wirelessly to GPS devices to acquire the geographical coordinates of the place where the identification of the article has been made and about the date and time of the identification.
• the reading devices may contain storage media in which to keep the data acquired on the occurred identifications and accompanied, if necessary, by their geographical coordinates and by the date and time, said media being downloadable using cable or wireless technology.
• the reading devices may contain chip for transmission GPRS / UMTS to relay in real time to a central management system of the acquired data on the identifications occurred and accompanied, if necessary, by their geographical coordinates and date and time.
• aim of the present invention is to provide a method for tracking postal items, in particular not uniquely identifiable, delivered through the so-called not addressed distribution, or "door to door", which is highly precise and allows to obtain a spatio-temporal "tracking" of the distribution of postal items in real time.
• measuring step carried out at predetermined intervals of time and/or at predetermined operating conditions associated with the geographic position in respect of the time of said container;
• said plurality of spatial-temporal data of localization comprising at least one among: date, time and geographic coordinates of the place where said measuring step has been carried out and/or said change has been occurred in the number of postal articles;
• the above mentioned predetermined operating conditions associated with the geographic location in respect to the time of said container can be chosen between at least one of the following conditions: - arrival at a predetermined position of a predetermined delivery path for the distribution of postal articles;
• postal articles is used for flyers, such as advertising flyers, handbill, or leaflets of various nature, or any other type of paper-based communication "not addressed” normally delivered through a door to door distribution.
• the container body can be provided at least a step of charging the said container body.
• a step of charging the said container body is introduced a certain number of postal items in the container body.
• the step of electronic storage of said plurality of data quantity and / or variation signals and of the space-time localization data associated therewith is adapted to store said data in a local memory, that is mounted on board of the container body.
• the variation in the number of postal articles can be caused by a withdrawal of at least one postal article from the container body, for example to deliver it at a given point in the delivery path.
• the change corresponds to a decrease in the number of articles in respect to the number of items measured in a measurement step prior to said withdrawal.
• the variation in the number of postal items can be caused by an introduction, or charging, of at least one postal article in the container body.
• the variation corresponds to an increase in the number of articles in respect to the number of items measured in the measuring step prior to the introduction, or charging of said, or each, postal article in the container body.
• the step of storing can be a storing of said variation data on a non-volatile memory provided in a detection device, for example mounted on the container body.
• the phase of measurement of the number of said postal articles present in the container body can be achieved through at least a phase of telemetric detection of a minimum distance (d) between the stack, i.e. the nearest postal article (for example, in case of vertical growth of the stack, this is the highest one of the stack), and a predetermined position detection, in particular in correspondence of which is arranged a detection sensor, obtaining a given distance.
• d minimum distance between the stack
• a predetermined position detection in particular in correspondence of which is arranged a detection sensor, obtaining a given distance.
• the step of detection of the data of distance can be performed through at least one of the following technologies: - telemetric infrared light detection carried out by means of at least one infrared light detection sensor arranged in said detection position; - telemetric laser detection carried out by means of at least one laser light distance detection sensor arranged in said detection position; - telemetric ultrasonic detection carried out by means of at least one ultrasonic detection sensor, or sonar, arranged in said detection position, obtaining a data relevant to the distance.
• the step of measuring the number of postal articles present in the container body can be a step of detecting the weight of said plurality of postal articles present in said container body with the achievement of a given weight.
• the detection of weight is achieved by at least one load cell disposed in the measuring compartment of the container, in particular below the stack of postal articles.
• the conversion phase is obtained from the knowledge of a known value among the size of the container body, of the measuring compartment and of the thickness of a single postal article of the stack present in the container body and / or on the basis of the number of items initially loaded in the measurement compartment.
• a reference element such as a tab in material having a known reflective / absorbent capacity
• said reference element being adapted to be disposed adjacent to the first postal article of said stack of postal articles and being free to slide along a direction of growth, or decrease, of the stack of postal articles contained within the measurement compartment, for example along a vertical direction.
• the, or each, sensor for detecting the distance is adapted to detect a given distance corresponding to the distance of the sensor from the element reference. Therefore, the variation in quantity of articles stacked in the container is obtained by monitoring the distance between the sensor for detecting the distance and the reference element.
• the measuring compartment within which are contained the postal articles can be closed by a series of walls, so as to achieve standard operating conditions, i.e. independent in respect to the conditions of light and sun present in the external environment.
• the step of measuring the number of postal articles comprises a step of detecting the weight of the stack obtaining a given weight and is provided a step of converting the weight data in a value of the quantity of articles of said stack.
• said conversion is made on the basis of a value notes comprising at least one of: - a known value of the weight of a single item stacked in said container body; - a known value of the number of items initially present in said container body.
• the senor is advantageously positioned at a predetermined height from the bottom and from the side walls of the compartment of measurement, for example in correspondence with an axial position of the compartment containing the postal items stacked in such a way as to avoid echoes side that could distort the measurement.
• the measurements obtained by said sensors of distance and / or weight, used individually or in combination are subjected to software filters for the elimination of noise.
• an apparatus for tracking postal articles delivered through a "door to door" postal distribution comprises:
• hollow container body having at least one measuring space and being moved along a predetermined delivery path;
• measuring means for measuring acting in said, or each, measuring space, said measuring means arranged to measure the number of postal articles present in said hollow container body obtaining an amount data, said measuring means arranged to measure said number of postal articles at predetermined time ranges and/or at predetermined operating conditions, in particular said operating conditions associated to the geographic position in the time of said container;
• a GPS device arranged to detect the geographic coordinates of said hollow container body during said delivery path, said detection of said geographic coordinates occurring in association to data and/or time of the delivery;
• a GPRS/UMTS transmission device arranged to transmit in real time said data that are obtained by said measuring means and by said GPS device to a central elaboration unit; - a rechargeable supply device for supplying said memorizing device and/or said transmission device and/or said measuring means and/or said GPS device.
• the central unit which receives the data of the measuring devices related to the data of date / time detection and of geographical coordinates, acts on the same data using specific filters that can isolate and eliminate the noise component present in the measures and introduce any correction and calibration parameter.
• the obtained data of the delivery which consist of the amount of postal items delivered in the different places of delivery in a certain date and time, may be used for purposes of control and management and can be made available to customers as evidence of the activity in the delivering of their articles.
• the measuring means comprise at least one of the following sensors: an infrared distance sensor; a laser light distance sensor; an ultrasonic distance sensor; a force sensor for measuring the weight; or a combination thereof.
• said sensors used individually or in combination, can be applied to a container equipped with wheels for manual transport of postal items during delivery path.
• an electronic device provided with a GPS (Global Position System) chip adapted to acquire at least one data among: date, time, and geographical coordinates associated with the time and the geographical position in which said, or each, sensor acquires a data.
• said electronic device which controls said sensors and said GPS chip uses a GPRS / UMTS chip for transmitting said data acquired by said sensors and by said GPS chip to a central system.
• the electronic device that controls said sensors and said GPS chip is adapted to use a non-volatile memory in which to save said acquired data by said sensors and by said GPS chip and / or at predetermined time intervals.
• means may be provided to send signals of different nature, such as acoustic, visual, on the occurrence of events that are symptomatic of detections not correct or, however, or worthy of attention.
• the senor is selected between an infrared distance sensor and a laser light distance sensor and is provided a reference element adapted to be disposed adjacent to the first postal article of said stack of postal articles, said reference element being free to translate along the direction of increase / decrease of said stack, said measuring means being adapted to measure the distance from said detection position to said reference element.
• Figure 1 schematically shows a possible embodiment of a mobile box or container, provided by the method and by the apparatus, according to the invention, for the tracking of postal items delivered through a "door to door” distribution;
• Figure 2 schematically shows, in a partially sectional view, a first embodiment of the measuring compartment of which the container body is provided;
• FIG. 3 shows in detail a possible embodiment of the tracking device of Figure 2;
• Figures 4 and 5 show a schematic view partially in section of two variants of the measuring compartment of Figure 2;
• Figure 6 shows in a block diagram a possible sequence of steps through which is possible to perform the tracking of postal items according to the method provided by the present invention.
• FIG. 1 is schematically shown a container body 101 provided by the present invention to contain a stack 130 of postal articles 100, such as leaflets, advertising flyers or handbills of various nature, or any other type of paper communication "not addressed” and distributed "door to door".
• the container body 101 can be, for example, a trolley provided with wheels 125 through which the cart itself and the postal items to be delivered contained in it are moved along a predetermined delivery path for the door to door distribution.
• the container body can be devoid of wheels, and can be mounted on a wheeled vehicle, such as a bicycle, or a motorcycle, or another vehicle.
• At least one measurement compartment for example a first and a second measuring compartments 102a and 102b schematically represented by a rectangular drawn with a broken line.
• measuring means 103 within each measuring compartment 102a and 102b are provided measuring means 103, described in more detail below, to measure the number of postal articles 100 present in each of them.
• FIG 2 is schematically illustrated a possible embodiment of a measuring compartment 102. It is provided with a tracking device 103 integral with the measuring compartment 102.
• the device 103 for example, can be anchored to the upper outer wall 122 and electronically connected to a distance sensor 104 agent in the compartment 102.
• the distance sensor 104 is disposed at a predetermined height from the base 123 of the compartment 102, for example at a central location.
• the distance sensor 104 through its beam 105 measures the remaining distance "d" (see Figure 2) between the top of the measuring chamber 102 and the upper end of the stack 130 of postal articles 100, obtaining a distance data. Distance data is then acquired by the tracking device 103.
• the tracking device 103 comprising a processing unit 106 adapted to control a distance sensor 104, such as a sonar, a GPS device 107 which can acquire at least a variation data among DATE, TIME and GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES at the occurrence of a signal of change in the number of postal items present in the measurement compartment, a device GPRS / UMTS 1 12 for the transmission of data acquired by the sensor 104 and by the GPS 107 to the central system 1 1 1 , a memory 1 10 for storing the acquired data, a rechargeable battery 108 for powering the device 103, an outlet 109 for charging the battery.
• the sensor 104 is adapted to perform a telemetric detection of the distance (d) between the stack 130, namely the nearest postal article 100a, and the detection position at which the same sensor 1 04 is placed.
• the cart 101 is transported by the messenger along the delivery path of the door to door distribution.
• the tracking device 103 measures the amount of variation in the stack 130 of postal articles 100 stacked in the measuring compartment 102, associating such signal variation to the acquired coordinates of the place of delivery and to the date and time of delivery. These data are then transmitted to the central system 1 1 1 which realizes the processing.
• a reference element 150 such as a tab in material having a known value of the reflective / absorbent capacity, suitable to be arranged adjacent to the first postal article 100a of the stack 130.
• the reference element is provided free to slide along a direction of growth, or decrease, of the stack 130 of postal articles contained within the measurement chamber 102, for example along a vertical direction.
• the, or each, detection sensor 104 of the distance d is adapted to detect a given distance corresponding to the distance sensor 104 of the same from the element reference 150.
• the variation in quantity of articles stacked 100 present in the measurement chamber 102 is obtained by monitoring the distance d between the detection sensor 104 and the reference element 150.
• the measurement of the number of postal items is uniform and independent of the specific reflective/absorbent properties of postal articles to be traced, minimizing measurement errors.
• the means of measurement of the change are adapted to provide a detection of the weight of the stack 130 in the container 101 with the achievement of a given weight.
• the weight detection is carried out through at least one load cell 104' disposed in the measurement chamber 1 02, for example below a support plane 120 of the stack 130.
• FIG. 6 is schematically illustrated a block diagram 200, which indicates the main steps of the method according to the invention, for the tracking of postal items contained in a container body.
• the method comprises, in particular, a step of measurement, at predetermined time intervals, of the number of postal articles present in the container body with obtaining of a quantity data, block 201.
• each change signal detected with a plurality of variation data such as date, time, and geographical coordinates of the place in which occurs the change in the number of postal articles, block 203, and finally an electronic transmission via GPRS / UMTS of the change data to a central management unit 1 1 1 adapted for processing the data of variation and real-time tracking the number of items delivered in a given place and at a certain date and time, block 204.

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• 2012
  • 2012-05-07 IT IT000056A patent/ITPI20120056A1/it unknown
• 2013
  • 2013-05-06 EP EP13737434.4A patent/EP2850567A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2013-05-06 WO PCT/IT2013/000130 patent/WO2013168187A2/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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