EP3291163A1 - Erkennen von sendungen an postalischen standorten - Google Patents

Erkennen von sendungen an postalischen standorten Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3291163A1
EP3291163A1 EP16187344.3A EP16187344A EP3291163A1 EP 3291163 A1 EP3291163 A1 EP 3291163A1 EP 16187344 A EP16187344 A EP 16187344A EP 3291163 A1 EP3291163 A1 EP 3291163A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
postal
fingerprint data
location
matching service
cms
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP16187344.3A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Pär EMANUELSSON
Michael Zettler
Ulrich Weinhold
Eike Hensler
Jörg-Andreas ILLMAIER
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens AG
Siemens Corp
Original Assignee
Siemens AG
Siemens Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens AG, Siemens Corp filed Critical Siemens AG
Priority to EP16187344.3A priority Critical patent/EP3291163A1/de
Publication of EP3291163A1 publication Critical patent/EP3291163A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; 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
    • G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and to a system for identifying mail items according to the preamble of claims 1 and 11 respectively.
  • Document WO 2013/132164A1 discloses a method for tracking mail in a postal sorting system where correspondence between item identifiers is taken via digital images of mail.
  • An uprising mail identification technique is a technique based on fingerprint.
  • Fingerprinting captures unique visual features of postal objects by means of cameras and uses extracted feature vectors to identify the postal object along the sorting process. Extracted feature vectors comprise physical characteristics of the visual features captured by the image of the mail items which may result helpful for its identification, as for example luminance parameters and histograms, location of address and stamp, content of the address field and other visual identification parameters. Fingerprint data may also include a textual description of the address portion.
  • the fingerprint data is transmitted to the postal site where the postal item is shipped to.
  • a digital image is taken and the fingerprint data is extracted and matched versus all the available data of registered postal items.
  • the registration and matching of postal items along the postal network is a key task for the postal operator and there is a need for an improved technique for managing fingerprint identification of postal items.
  • a method and system for identifying postal items outgoing from a first postal location and incoming at a second postal location comprising:
  • the first postal location may advantageously be, but not limited to, a first mile location; an outgoing sorting site; a dispatching postal location; a delivery unit; a transportation carrier; or, any other convenient location.
  • the second postal location may advantageously be, but not limited to, a last mile location; an incoming sorting site; a dispatching postal location; a delivery unit; a transportation carrier; or any other convenient location.
  • the finger print data may advantageously be extracted from the image by an application invoked by a portable device.
  • the image of the outgoing postal item may be taken at the first mile; the image of incoming postal item may be taken at the last mile; and, the fingerprint data registered at the cloud matching service of a specific mail item may be deleted when a match is found between the registered fingerprint data of outgoing mail items with the registered fingerprint data of incoming mail items.
  • the fingerprint data may preferably be transmitted to the cloud matching service in an encrypted manner.
  • the set of fingerprint data (FPa) of step b) may comprise information on target address and receiver name; and a model of the postal distribution network between the first postal site and the target address is provided to the cloud matching service for advanced service purposes.
  • the purposes of advanced services may include one or more of the following:
  • the fingerprint data may preferably be transmitted to the cloud matching service together with other information data, such as for example time stamps of the extracted fingerprint data; address information data; and/or non-address information data.
  • a computer program element comprising computer program code for performing steps according to the above mentioned method when loaded in a digital processor of a computing device.
  • a computer program product stored on a computer usable medium comprising computer readable program code for causing a computing device to perform the mentioned method.
  • identification of incoming and outgoing fingerprint data are possible along the postal distribution network, in different locations. Identification steps may be several and may take place at sorting centers, delivery units, along the logistic chain of the postal operator.
  • Embodiments of the invention provide a flexible approach by enabling auto scaling in the cloud on demand; e.g. with a pay per use approach.
  • Embodiments of the invention enable to define customer specific requirement for postal items identification along the mail delivery network chain.
  • Embodiments of the invention enable to add hardware on demand to flexible fulfill customer requirements relating to specific higher performances or near-real time functionalities.
  • Embodiments of the invention enable to reduce reduction of hardware investment and of maintenance and repair costs.
  • At least some embodiments of the present invention address the above described issue in which a method or a system is identifying postal item outgoing from a first postal location and incoming at a second postal location.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the path of a postal item and of its corresponding extracted fingerprint data according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
  • a postal item PI outgoing from a first postal location PLa is incoming into a second postal location PLb.
  • the delivery of the postal items PI may be done via a large variety of transportation means as for example ships, trucks, plane and/or trains.
  • the transportation operator may be the same as the postal operator managing the postal items outgoing from the first postal location PLa and/or the postal operator PLb managing the postal items incoming into the second postal location.
  • In international shipping typically three or more operators are involved in the postal delivery chain.
  • the first postal location illustrated in Figure 1 is a postal sorting center where outgoing postal items PI are typically processed by sorting machines.
  • an image camera IC is capturing an image PI_IMa of the outgoing postal item PI.
  • a fingerprint generating module FGM is extracting from the captured image PI_IMa fingerprint data FPa.
  • the second postal location illustrated in Figure 1 is a postal sorting center where incoming postal items PI are typically processed by sorting and sequencing machines.
  • a camera IC is capturing an image PI_1Mb of the outgoing postal item PI.
  • a fingerprint generating module FGM is extracting from the captured image PI_IMa fingerprint data FPb.
  • the first and the second postal locations PLa, PLb may be other locations different than sorting sites as for example, a first or a last mile location, any dispatching postal location, any delivery unit, any postal transportation carrier and similar.
  • the image of the postal items PI may be captured at several different locations along the postal distribution network.
  • the camera IC may capture the image of the postal items PI automatically or may be manually activated by a human operator, who may also be on the move, as for example a postman.
  • the fingerprint data are extracted from the captured image by an application which is residing in the finger generating module FGM.
  • the extracted fingerprint data FPa, FPb are sent to an interface CIF for exchanging information with a cloud matching service CMS in the cloud.
  • the interface CIF is within the cloud, the skilled in the art easily understand that such interface to the cloud matching service may be located in other locations such as, for example, in a datacenter or a premise hardware, centralized at a customer site.
  • the interface CIF is passing the outgoing/incoming fingerprint data FPa, FPb to the cloud matching service CMS where they are registered as data corresponding to the given outgoing/incoming postal item PI.
  • the cloud matching service CMS identifies, if present, a link between registered fingerprint data FPa, FPb of postal items PI by finding, when possible, a match between at least one registered incoming fingerprint data FPb against a set of available registered outgoing fingerprint data FPa.
  • images PI_IMa, PI_IMb of postal items PI may be captured in different locations of the postal distribution network, also the corresponding identification of tracked postal items PI is conveniently possible at various locations.
  • the matching algorithm is though advantageously performed by a cloud matching service in the cloud. In such a manner, computing and storage resources are available from the cloud on demand with a flexible approach.
  • the cloud matching service CMS is provided for managing the data of the postal items PI dispatched between postal locations PLa, PLb; such data management is a resource consuming task in term of required computing resource, technical skills and maintenance.
  • the identification in the cloud of matching postal items does not congest network bandwidth, since, according to the present invention, only already extracted fingerprint data FPa, FPb is sent to the cloud. For example, a rough estimate is that the network required bandwidth is less than 80% than the bandwidth required when images PI_IMa, PI_IMb are sent to the cloud.
  • the fingerprint storage and the matching algorithm is performed in the cloud, while the extraction of fingerprint data from images may be done in in/out-bound and in/out-ward sorting sites or any other convenient locations as required by the postal operator.
  • the finger print data FPa, FPb may be extracted from the image by an application invoked by a portable device (e.g. for example a smartphone or a tablet of postal operator personnel on the move) or by a computer within a postal sorting center.
  • a portable device e.g. for example a smartphone or a tablet of postal operator personnel on the move
  • a computer within a postal sorting center.
  • the images are taken at the first mile for outgoing postal items PI and at the last mile for incoming postal items PI, the corresponding stored fingerprint data at the cloud matching site CMS are then deleted when a match is found between the registered fingerprint data FPa of outgoing postal items with the registered fingerprint data FPb of incoming postal items.
  • the registration might be initiated by a scan and fingerprint calculation in the retail office at first mile.
  • an identification or registration may take place one or multiple times.
  • the fingerprint data may be destroyed when the postal item is delivered, as for example by means of a last mile scan by mobile device followed by fingerprint extraction and identification at the cloud matching site.
  • the fingerprint data FPa, FPb may conveniently be transmitted to the cloud service site in an encrypted manner.
  • encryption of fingerprint data is more secure than encryption of images.
  • the set of fingerprint data FPa of the outgoing postal items PI may comprise information on target address and receiver name.
  • the cloud matching site may comprise a model of the postal distribution network between the first postal site and the target address for advanced service purposes.
  • the network model may conviniently be configured in the cloud software part.
  • the model describes the flow between different site types e.g., collection, delivery unit, hub, hub, delivery unit, carrier.
  • the model of the postal operator distribution network may for example include x retail offices, y depots, n sorting sites and usually again w depots and z routes.
  • the relation between the different node types may be modeled.
  • an operational data store may be introduced for keeping all the information data on postal items being in the process until delivery.
  • information when the postal item is expected and at which sorting site may advantageously be provided.
  • re-routing of items may be supported, based on re-routing service initiated by the receiver of the item.
  • forecasting of volumes for the individual node types and node instances may be provided.
  • the fingerprint data may advantageously be transmitted to the cloud matching service CMS together with other information data such as time stamps of the extracted fingerprint data (e.g. generation time and scan time), address information (e.g. validated address, sender or receiver); and/or non-address information (e.g. stamps, endorsement forwarding information).
  • time stamps of the extracted fingerprint data e.g. generation time and scan time
  • address information e.g. validated address, sender or receiver
  • non-address information e.g. stamps, endorsement forwarding information
  • Finger 2 is a flowchart diagram schematically illustrating a method for identifying postal items outgoing from a first postal location and incoming at a second postal location in accordance with disclosed embodiments..
  • step 20 it is provided an interface for exchanging information with a cloud matching service.
  • the interface receives inputs from the first postal location of fingerprint data of a given postal item outgoing from the first postal location and passes them to the cloud matching service for registration.
  • the interface receives inputs from the second postal location of fingerprint data of a given postal item incoming to the second postal location and passes them to the cloud matching service for registration.
  • the cloud matching service identifies a link between registered fingerprint data of postal items when a match between registered outgoing fingerprint data and its corresponding registered incoming fingerprint data is found.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Primary Health Care (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
EP16187344.3A 2016-09-06 2016-09-06 Erkennen von sendungen an postalischen standorten Withdrawn EP3291163A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP16187344.3A EP3291163A1 (de) 2016-09-06 2016-09-06 Erkennen von sendungen an postalischen standorten

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP16187344.3A EP3291163A1 (de) 2016-09-06 2016-09-06 Erkennen von sendungen an postalischen standorten

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3291163A1 true EP3291163A1 (de) 2018-03-07

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EP16187344.3A Withdrawn EP3291163A1 (de) 2016-09-06 2016-09-06 Erkennen von sendungen an postalischen standorten

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EP (1) EP3291163A1 (de)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2006100357A1 (fr) * 2005-03-24 2006-09-28 Solystic Procédé de traitement d'envois incluant une gestion des empreintes numériques des envois
KR20120127339A (ko) * 2011-05-13 2012-11-21 주식회사 비드라이브 소셜 네트워크 서비스를 제공받는 사용자들 사이의 데이터 공유 방법 및 그 장치
WO2013132164A1 (fr) 2012-03-09 2013-09-12 Solystic Procédé de suivi d'envois postaux pour mesurer des temps de parcours dans un système de tri postal multi réseaux

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2006100357A1 (fr) * 2005-03-24 2006-09-28 Solystic Procédé de traitement d'envois incluant une gestion des empreintes numériques des envois
KR20120127339A (ko) * 2011-05-13 2012-11-21 주식회사 비드라이브 소셜 네트워크 서비스를 제공받는 사용자들 사이의 데이터 공유 방법 및 그 장치
WO2013132164A1 (fr) 2012-03-09 2013-09-12 Solystic Procédé de suivi d'envois postaux pour mesurer des temps de parcours dans un système de tri postal multi réseaux

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