US 11,717,859 B2
Devices and corresponding methods to reduce sorting of mailings to produce grouped mailings
Marc Fagan, Folsolm, CA (US)
Assigned to Broadridge Output Solutions, Inc., Newark, NJ (US)
Filed by Broadridge Output Solutions, Inc, Newark, NJ (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/895,931.
Application 16/895,931 is a continuation of application No. 16/440,660, filed on Jun. 13, 2019, granted, now 10,675,660, issued on Jun. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/684,543, filed on Jun. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0298280 A1, Sep. 24, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B07C 5/04 (2006.01); B07C 5/16 (2006.01); B07C 3/00 (2006.01); G07B 17/00 (2006.01); B07C 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B07C 5/04 (2013.01) [B07C 1/04 (2013.01); B07C 3/00 (2013.01); B07C 3/008 (2013.01); B07C 5/165 (2013.01); G07B 17/00661 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00685 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mail item sortation system, comprising:
an external controller configured to cull candidate letters in a mailing job to establish pocket demand for sorting according to a mixing factor analysis based on a given number of letters in the mailing job to place all of the candidate letters going to a single address adjacent to each other; and
an internal controller, interfaced with the external controller, that is configured to control a plurality of letter sorters based on the pocket demand by at least selecting each specific letter sorter of the plurality of letter sorters to pair a calculated number of pockets to accommodate the candidate letters with a number of available pockets in each specific selected letter sorter to obtain sorted letters.
 
11. A method of mail item sortation, comprising:
culling, by an external controller, candidate letters in a mailing job to establish pocket demand for sorting according to a mixing factor analysis based on a given number of letters in the mailing job to place all of the candidate letters going to a single address adjacent to each other; and
controlling, by an internal controller, interfaced with the external controller, a plurality of letter sorters based on the pocket demand, by at least selecting each specific letter sorter of the plurality of letter sorters to pair a calculated number of pockets to accommodate the candidate letters with a number of available pockets in each specific selected letter sorter to obtain sorted letters.