WO2007058940A2

WO2007058940A2 - Method for sorting, packaging and aggregating oconus military mail letters, flats and parcels before transporting overseas

Info

Publication number: WO2007058940A2
Application number: PCT/US2006/043781
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos Macia
Original assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
Priority date: 2005-11-10
Filing date: 2006-11-09
Publication date: 2007-05-24
Also published as: WO2007058940A3

Abstract

A method for delivering military mail to OCONUS locations includes receiving the mail at a military mail processing center, sorting the mail by military unit division, bundling the mail together such that each package contains mail for one military unit division, collecting the bundled mail together in packages to be sent to a common military unit division and placing the packages to be sent to a common military unit division into a common container labeled for delivery to that common military unit division and delivering the containers to the respective military unit divisions.

Description

METHOD FOR SORTING, PACKAGING AND

AGGREGATING OCONUS MILITARY MAIL LETTERS,

FLATS AND PARCELS BEFORE TRANSPORTING OVERSEAS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to transporting, distributing and delivering OCONUS military mail destined to American troops stationed overseas. It applies to the fields of automated mail processing and mailing solutions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The United States Postal Service (USPS) currently handles all mail addressed to U.S. military personnel stationed Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). Mail delivery to military personnel is a difficult process, especially when the troops are deployed in locations such as Iraq or Afghanistan, where permanent military base installations are nonexistent, and where military units tend to change geographic locations quite frequently. When an item is shipped from an originating point A to a destination address B, it travels a specified route to reach the geographic location of destination address B. In most cases, the geographic location of destination address B does not change while the item is in transit from point A to destination address B. Therefore, current transportation systems do not contemplate the need to consider the possibility of a change in the geographic location of their destination addresses. These existing systems rely on the assumption that destination addresses are always located in the same geographic location. For example, a destination address such as "1401 Nolan Ryan Expressway, Arlington, Texas 76011-4907" is assumed to always be at the same location in the city of Arlington, Texas.

Unfortunately, the above assumption does not always hold true, as can be easily demonstrated with some military addresses, for example. A military address such as "USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), FPO AE 09599-2871", could be located in a port in San Diego, California one day, and in a port in Honolulu, Hawaii a week later. The same can be observed for a military address such as "101st Airborne Division, APO AE 09325"; it could be located in Kuwait one day, and then somewhere inside Iraq a few days later. In these cases, the mapping between the destination addresses and their geographic locations is temporary and is subject to change at any time.

Current postal address processing normally acquires address information appearing on mail pieces in electronically captured binary form. This information is then used by automated mail sorting equipment and processing systems to sort the mail based upon the captured destination information. In these systems, scanners of various types are used to capture an image of one or more surfaces of a mail piece. The image is then analyzed using automated or human-aided systems such as optical character recognition (OCR), a bar code reader (BCR), specialized video processing systems, image processing systems, forms readers, forms video processing, and video coding systems. Allen et al. U.S. Patent No. 5,422,821 describes one such system wherein mail piece addresses and bar codes are scanned and checked against a forwarding address database so that forwarding to the new address can occur without first sending the mail piece to the old address. However, the described forwarding system does not take into account the possibility that the destination itself might change its location, as opposed to a recipient moving from one known postal destination to another.

O'Martin et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20040220888, published November 4, 2004, describes a method for distributing military mail. The method includes the initial step of compiling military unit and associated delivery code information into a computer searchable military address management system database which associates a military unit zip code with a current geographic location for that unit. Military unit personnel change of address information is obtained from a number of sources, including a national change of address database maintained by a federal postal service and input from a military unit to which a military mail recipient belongs. This information is compiled into a computer searchable military change of address database, which information includes change of address information more recent than change of address information reflected in a federal national change of address database. Information from the military address management system database and the military change of address database is used to redirect incorrectly addressed mail pieces to a military mail recipient's current address. The present invention addresses the need to organize and package military mail more effectively so that it can be distributed according to such a system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is directed to a method for efficiently sorting, packaging and aggregating OCONUS military letters, flats, parcels and special mail before transporting it overseas. In one embodiment, a method of sorting military mail includes the steps of: (a) receiving mail addressed to military personnel through the U. S Postal Service, including different types of mail pieces, at a military mail processing center, (b) sorting the mail at the processing center according to a sort scheme based on military unit divisions, (c) packaging the sorted mail addressed to each military unit division into packages, each containing mail for one military unit division, (d) collecting together the packages destined for a military unit division, (e) placing the packages to be sent to a common military unit division into a common container labeled for delivery to that common military unit division, (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for all of the military unit divisions to which mail is to be delivered, and (g) delivering the containers to the respective military unit divisions. In one embodiment, each package contains only one type of mail and each package is labeled for the receiving military unit division in step (c). In another aspect, letters and flats destined for delivery to a military unit division are initially sorted separately and bundled and then collected together with parcels addressed to the unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures 1 and 2 are schematic representations of military mail flow in accordance with a prior art method currently used by the USPS;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation illustrating a sorting process for military mail in accordance with the invention in which mail is sorted by military unit division;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation illustrating a packaging process for military mail in accordance with the invention;

Figure 5 is a schematic representation illustrating an aggregation process for military mail in accordance with the invention wherein groupings of mail are aggregated by military unit division; and

Figure 6 illustrates the packaging of aggregated military mail according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the USPS currently sorts mail addressed to OCONUS destinations to 5 zip code digits and routes the mail to designated collection sites 10 such as the San Francisco (SF) international service center, New York (JFK) international service center, Miami (MIA) international service center and bulk mail centers 15 such as the New Jersey bulk mail center. Collection sites 10 receive letters 12, flats 14, parcels 16 and special (e.g., ExpressMail®, certified, registered, etc.) mail 18 for a number of pre-assigned special military ZJP codes. As illustrated, each mail type, i.e., letters, flats, special mail, and parcels, are individually sorted at each site 10, packaged in containers such as mail bags or crates and then transported by air or sea to a distribution point associated with a military ZIP code. The sorting process in all cases uses a ZIP code sort plan that limits the number of address locations and provides only a coarse level of destination sorting. A finer level of destination sorting is accomplished by the U.S. military at the destination distribution points.

When the military receives the mail overseas, it is still separated by type. Letters 12 may be delivered in trays 20 or inside sacks, flats 14 may be carried in tubs 22 or inside their own bags, parcels 16 may be transported in sacks 24, in some other type of container or simply as individual packages. Special mail 18 may be delivered inside special sacks or containers 26. The military must then individually sort letters 12, flats 14, parcels 16 and special mail 18 before determining the next step in distribution of the mail. Typically, this process has to be repeated multiple times before each mail type reaches its final destination.

An example of such a sorting and redistribution step is shown in Figure 2 wherein mail for hypothetical military unit divisionsl23, 345, 778, and 334 arrives at an OCONUS military mail center 30. In one embodiment, letters 12, flats 14, parcels 16 and special mail 18 received at collection sites 10 are shipped or transferred to military mail center 30 along with parcels 16 from USPS bulk mail centers 15. Since the USPS has only sorted the mail to a coarse level, all letters 12 for these four unit divisions are inside the same letter tray 20, all flats 14 are inside the same tub 22, and likewise, all parcels 16 are grouped together in, for example sacks 24. For the purpose of this example, unit divisions 123 and 345 are assumed to be in one location and unit divisions 778 and 334 are assumed to be in a different location. Consequently, letters, flats and parcels for units 123 and 345 will be grouped together as will letters, flats and parcels for units 778 and 334. Upon receiving the mail, a downstream military mail distribution facility must manually separate, resort and repackage each mail piece by type for each of those unit divisions before being able to dispatch the mail to the next distribution or delivery point.

Referring now to Figure 3, in a method according to the invention, letters and flats received at military mail center 30 in the U.S. are sorted according to unit. As used herein, the term "military unit" or "military unit division" may be a ship, squadron, company, platoon or other group of military mail recipients that normally remain together. As such, a "military unit division" may include varying numbers of assigned personnel, from less than 100 or 300 to thousands, depending upon the particular unit. Preferably, each such military unit division is assigned a unique unit identification or zip code that identifies the unit division rather than a geographical location. The unit division zip code may be correlated with a geographical destination code through the use of computerized data bases as described in commonly assigned O'Martin et al. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10/429,194, filed May 2, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein..

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, letters directed to hypothetical military unit divisions Unit 123, Squad 4A, 7^th Platoon and Division X-I are sorted by unit division using known letter sorting equipment and packaged into bundles 34 of letter mail. Similarly, mail comprising flats is sorted by unit division into flats bundles 36. As used herein, a "bundle of mail" is a collection of letters, flats or special mail pieces destined for the same military unit division. Bundles 34, 36 may be tied, bound with rubber bands, wrapped in paper or shrink wrapped in plastic, separated in trays with separator cards or otherwise separated depending upon the volume of mail, the processing equipment available and other factors. A destination label 42 identifying the unit division and including a unit division identification code 44 is printed and applied to each bundle 34, 36.

Turning to Figures 5 and 6, bundles 34 of letter mail and bundles 36 of flats mail are sorted, again by unit, to aggregate the bundles into groupings 38 of mail. A "grouping of mail" is a collection of bundles 34, 36 of letter and/or flat mail along with parcels 16 destined for the same delivery point or final destination. Bundles 34 and 36 may be sorted using known parcel sorting systems such as the Small Parcel and Bundle Sorter (SPBS) or the Automated Package Processing System (APPS). These systems can automatically sort mail bundles along with parcels and individual special mail pieces, thus allowing the aggregation of letters, flats, parcels and special mail pieces. Each grouping 38 of mail is then packaged or containerized for delivery to the appropriate unit division. In some cases, it may be desirable to package groupings of mail destined for a particular unit by type, for example letters and flats in mail sacks with parcels being palletized. In other cases, where only small volumes of mail are destined for a given unit division, it may be more efficient to package letters, flats and parcels together in a single container. As illustrated in Figure 6, a grouping 38 is packaged in a mail sack 40; however, groupings 38 may be also be containerized using boxes, crates, carts, trays and other shipping containers depending upon the volume of the groupings. Groupings 38 could also be palletized and wrapped or packaged in bulk bags if the volume of mail warrants. A destination label 42 identifying the unit division and including a unit division identification code 44 is printed and applied to each packaged grouping 38.

After groupings 38 have been appropriately packaged, the groupings 38 are shipped to the destination unit divisions by air, sea, or land. According to the invention, after each grouping 38 of mail is properly packaged and labeled, it stays together and intact until it reaches its final destination. Thus, deployed military organizations overseas will be able to receive all their mail as a single aggregate of letters, flats, parcels and/or special mail pieces. Groupings 38 are shipped directly to the destination unit divisions, eliminating the need for destination sorting by the U.S. Military at various distribution points. Further, in the event that a military unit division is moved while mail for the unit is in transit, the method of the invention facilitates redirection of the mail since the mail for that unit has been packaged or containerized separately from other mail in one or more common containers destined for the unit.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated for the purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes in the method and apparatus of the invention presented herein may be made by those skilled in the art, such changes being embodied within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claimed:

1. A method for delivering military mail, comprising:

(a) receiving mail addressed to military personnel through the U. S Postal Service, which mail includes multiple types of mail pieces, at a military mail processing center;

(b) sorting such mail at the processing center by a sort scheme based on military unit divisions;

(c) packaging sorted mail addressed to each military unit division into packages, wherein each package contains mail for one military unit division;

(d) collecting together packages that are to be sent to a common military unit division;

(e) placing the packages to be sent to a common military unit division into a common container labeled for delivery to that common military unit division; (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for all of the military unit divisions to which mail is to be delivered; and

(g) delivering the containers to the respective military unit divisions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (c), each package contains only one type of mail.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (c), each package is labeled for the receiving military unit division.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the types of mail pieces received at the collection center include letters, flats and parcels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each military unit division is a unit comprising 300 or fewer persons.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each military unit division is a unit comprising 100 or fewer persons.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the container is one of a bag, tub, cart, crate and pallet.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the mail received includes OCONUS mail.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein in steps (b) and (c), each type of mail is sorted and packaged separately, then brought together in step (d).