Method and apparatus for sorting and rearranging mails in sequence sorting

摘要

An apparatus for sorting and rearranging mails in the sequence sorting is disclosed, in which a multiplicity of mails are loaded in a sorter controlled by a computer to cause the sorter to perform a plurality of sorting passes. A delivery information list has recorded therein the delivery information including the sequence sorting and addresses. A serial number list has stored therein two-digit serial numbers including first-order digit of serial numbers for the first sorting pass and second-order digits of the serial numbers for the second sorting pass set in the sequence sorting corresponding to the delivery information list. A recognition unit recognizes the address of each of the mails loaded in the sorter and sorted in the order of the first-order digit of the serial number. A number-of-mails matrix table records the number of mails by the address recognized in the recognition unit in the first sorting pass. Before the sorting operation by the second-order digit, the second-order digit of the serial number is reassigned based on the number-of-mails matrix table to prevent the overflow at any bins or stackers during the sorting operation by the second-order digit. Then, the mails sorted by the first-order digit are loaded in the sorter in the order of the particular serial number to perform the sorting operation in accordance with the reassigned second-order digit of the serial number.