Importance

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Abstract

A manually operated mail sorting station is disclosed which includes a case having numerous bins in which sorted mail will be placed. The mail to be sorted typically includes articles rejected, for example, from high speed mail sorting machines. The mail sorting station includes a scanner that reads an address printed on the pieces of unsorted mail. The scanner includes a communications interface over which the scanner sends signals during operation. A computer for the mail sorting station is also provided and is connected to the communications interface of the scanner. The computer further includes a program responsive to the signals transmitted by the scanner on the communications interface. The program generally includes instructions that translate the signals into an internal address representation (for example, translating the signals sent by the scanner to a sequence of letters and numbers representing an address). The program also defines or stores a scheme representing an assignment of addresses to bins in the sorting case, including a neighborhood bin as well as instructions that match the internal address representation against the scheme to select one of the bins as the correct bin for the piece of unsorted mail. Optionally, the manually operated mail sorting station provides each of the bins in the sorting case with an indicator having an ON state and an OFF state. The indicator may be a light, bell or chime, or the like. The computer is further connected to the case for controlling each of the indicators and the program also includes instructions selectively setting an indicator to the ON state in response to the correct bin as determined by the instructions that match the internal address representation against the scheme. The program also includes instructions that set the indicator to the OFF state in response to the piece of unsorted mail being placed in the bin associated with the indicator in the ON state.

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First Claim