A -- AUTOMATED TRAY LABEL ASSIGNMENT SYSTEM (ATLAS)

Notice Date

March 13, 2001

Contracting Office

US Postal Service, Headquarters Automation Purchasing, 8403 Lee Highway, Merrifield, Virginia 22082-8150

ZIP Code

22082-8150

Solicitation Number

N/A

Response Due

April 6, 2001

Point of Contact

Pauline McTeer, Purchasing Specialist, 703-280-7804

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the Purchasing Specialist via (pmcteer@email.usps.gov)

Description

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is seeking information on existing products and sources that can provide products that function to the general specifications described in this notice. This is a request for information ONLY, this is NOT a solicitation to purchase equipment or services. The Automated Tray Label Assignment System (ATLAS) is an integrated system (hardware/software) capable of printing 24-digit USS Code 128c barcodes, creating transaction records, managing resident and non-resident databases, processing tracking records and interfacing with the USPS mail processing infrastructure and internal / external customers. As technical information, some of the USPS objectives for ATLAS are to: communicate with printers, the IDS server and the Terminal Label Collector interface; accept, verify and manage information from Sort Plan System (SPS) via National Directory Support System (NDSS); provide implementation of a serialization system that provides time-dependent unique identification; provide Mail Processing Equipment (MPE) sort-plan specific data to label/tag printers; provide independent operation of workstations in network connectivity loss situations; provide data communication to higher-level database and application servers in near real-time; provide browser-based interfaces for multiple internal users (TLC-workstations); provide WEB-based label/tag printing interfaces for multiple external users; print single, multiple and collated batch sets of unique 24-digit USS Code 128c labels/tags; print single, multiple and collated batch sets of unique 24-digit USS Interleaved 2 of 5 labels/tags; provide browser-based applications to manage and mine information from ATLAS databases. Integral to the ATLAS design is the Terminal Label Collector (TLC). The TLC is a barcode collection/scanning system component consisting of label/tag scanning hardware that will allow barcoded label/tag data to be captured at the last point of label/tag use. Barcoded labels/tags will be inserted through a slot or guide into the device. A mechanism will automatically detect, transport and scan barcoded labels/tags, regardless of label/tag orientation (barcode side up or down). The device should utilize commercial off the shelf (COTS) barcode scanner technology to decode the 10-digit Interleaved 2 of 5 and the 24-digit USS code 128c barcode label/tag. Upon successful scanning of the label/tag, the label/tag will be defaced and deposited in a label collection container attached to the device. The captured data should be accessible through a serial or Ethernet port. The remote system architecture shall be designed and built with wireless IEEE 802.11 / 802.11b technology. The following describes secondary features and functions of ATLAS. The system will be expected to: manage and forward transaction specific information including date, time and ID, in addition to the captured data for each transaction; provide individual TLC-workstations the ability to return/reject unreadable barcodes and invalid/unassigned codes; provide a user interface to the system at individual TLC-workstations capable of basic data entry; provide and manage the basic computer terminal functions (pc/pc104) of the TLC; manage barcode verification hardware and software internal to the TLC; provide power failure tolerant design and non-volatile data storage configuration; and be upgradeable to emerging data acquisition technologies (i.e. RFID). In summary, the objective of this request for information is to gather product information from current vendors of the aforementioned technology and vendors with the capability of developing this technology. Interested parties are to submit a total of three hard copies (one original and two duplicate copies) and one soft copy (if available) of any company promotional handouts, brochures, catalogs and operations manuals of equipment that meets or exceeds the general specifications and requirements to the address provided above. Overly elaborate responses are neither expected nor required. Brochures or company promotional handouts are requested, but not required. Responses are due on or before COB Friday, April 6, 2001.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010315/ASOL010.HTM (W-072 SN50G0G9)