Method and device for monitoring stamps on mail

• US 20040096081A1
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Diefenbach, Jorg, Denzer, Rudi, Vullriede, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/00 Measures preceding sorting according to destination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00709 Scanning mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00725 Reading symbols, e.g. OCR

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the stamps on mail items. According to the invention, said method is characterized in that graphic information is captured in at least one selected read area of the mail, whereupon the stored graphic information is compared to the graphic representation of the stamps. If the graphic information does not match one of the stored images, said mail is subjected to a another monitoring step. The invention also relates to a device which is suitable for carrying out the above-mentioned method.

Claims

1. A method for checking a postage indicium applied onto a mailpiece, characterized in that, in at least one selected reading area of the mailpiece, graphic information is detected, in that subsequently, the detected graphic information is compared to stored representations of postage indicia and in that the result of the comparison is evaluated.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the graphic information matches one of the stored depictions of the postage indicia, the mailpiece is subjected to a further checking step in order to ascertain whether a security feature is present.

3. A method according to one or both of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, if the graphic information matches one of the stored depictions of the postage indicia, the mailpiece is subjected to a further checking step.

4. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, if the graphic information does not match a stored depiction of a stamp, the mailpiece is subjected to a checking routine that differs from the further checking step.

5. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the further checking step comprises irradiation with light.

6. The process according to claim 5, characterized in that it is checked whether the irradiation with light takes place in the selected reading area.

7. The method according to one or both of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that it is detected whether the irradiation with light has caused fluorescence.

8. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graphic information in the selected reading area is detected with a sensor.

9. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graphic information is detected by a camera.

10. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graphic information is detected in a symbol recognition unit (ACR).

11. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the graphic representations of postage indicia are stored in a memory of a data processing unit before the detection of the graphic information.

12. A device to check postage indicia applied onto mailpieces, characterized in that the device has a means for detecting graphic information in at least one area of the mailpiece, in that the device comprises a means for comparing the graphic information with graphic reproductions of postage indicia, in that the device comprises a means for checking the presence of at least one security feature and in that the device comprises a means for selecting the means for checking the presence of the security feature.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the device has a means for rejecting mailpieces in which the security feature is not present.

14. A checking center for checking postage indicia applied onto mailpieces, characterized in that it comprises several devices that detect graphic information in selected reading areas of mailpieces, and in that the checking center comprises a computer that compares the graphic information with stored representations of postage indicia.