(19)
(11) EP 0 947 962 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
17.05.2000 Bulletin 2000/20

(43) Date of publication A2:
06.10.1999 Bulletin 1999/40

(21) Application number: 99105376.0

(22) Date of filing: 16.03.1999
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G07B 17/02, B07C 3/02
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 17.03.1998 IT TO980233

(71) Applicant: ELSAG SPA
16154 Genova (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • De Leo, Guido
    16134 Genova (IT)

(74) Representative: Jorio, Paolo et al
STUDIO TORTA S.r.l., Via Viotti, 9
10121 Torino
10121 Torino (IT)

   


(54) A method of balancing the load in a process for sorting objects


(57) The sorting process comprises performing a first and at least a second consecutive sorting cycle by means of a postal machine and the present invention relates to a method of balancing to be performed before the commencement of the sorting process and comprising the step of performing, in at least one of the sorting cycles, at least one of the following procedures:
  • a) a first procedure of balancing the load of the outputs of the postal machine in the current sorting cycle based on at least one of the following balancing criteria:shifting the delivery addresses from the outputs to which they are assigned to respective logically contiguous outputs associated with the same postman;bisection of delivery address into respective pairs of virtually separate delivery address and allocating them to a respective pair of logically contiguous outputs associated with the same postman; andallocation of further outputs to postmen on the basis of an order of criticality of the outputs already allocated to the postman themselves; and
  • b) a second procedure of balancing the load of the outputs of the postal machine in the current sorting cycle based on at least one of the following balancing criteria:distribution over outputs utilised in the current sorting cycle of delivery addresses allocated to each output at the end of the subsequent sorting cycle;shifting the delivery addresses from the outputs to which they are allocated to respective logically contiguous outputs;exchange of delivery addresses between logically contiguous outputs; andbisection of delivery addresses into respective pairs of virtually separate delivery addresses and allocating them to a respective pair of logically contiguous outputs.






Search report