Systems for assembling mailings and methods for external control thereof

• US 20040204788A1
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, Clinton, Liberty, Kelly A., Gross, Gerald F., Oswald, Dan, Ellwanger, Michelle Marie
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/220
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 1/10 Machines for both collating or gathering and interposing inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/40 Identification
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/43 Bar code reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00491 Mail/envelope/insert handling system

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting inserts. In some cases, the inserts can be advertisements or offers, and the inserts are included with an offer item that can be, for example, a scheduled bill or other planned mailing. In particular cases, the systems can include a multi-bay insert holder, an offer item, and an associated offer item holder. A microprocessor associated with a computer readable medium is included with instructions executable by the microprocessor to: receive an external tickler, receive a decision rule, receive a decision information, apply the decision rule to the decision information, and send a control signal to the multi-bay insert holder. The control signal indicates an insert associated with the multi-bay insert holder to be placed in the offer item. Various methods are also disclosed for associating inserts with offer items.

Claims

1. A system for selecting inserts, the system comprising:

a multi-bay insert holder;

an offer item and an associated offer item holder; and

a microprocessor associated with a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium comprises instructions executable by the microprocessor to;

receive an external tickler;

receive a decision rule;

receive a decision information;

upon receiving the external tickler, apply the decision rule to the decision information; and

sending a control signal to the multi-bay insert holder, wherein the control signal indicates an insert associated with the multi-bay insert holder to be associated with the offer item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the external tickler includes an indication of a scheduled offer item for a particular recipient.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the scheduled offer item is selected from a group consisting of:

an account statement;

a bill; and

an appointment notification.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the insert is an advertisement.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision rule indicates a threshold amount of the decision information at which the insert is to be provided to the recipient.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the decision information is selected from a group consisting of:

a credit limit, a personal income, an account type, a credit rating, an age, an account balance, and a number of dependents.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision information is selected from a group consisting of a zip code and an area code.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the decision information includes a plurality of data points, and wherein the decision rule operates on two or more of the plurality of data points.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality of data points is selected from a group consisting of:

an age and an income;

another of the plurality of data points is an account type; and

the decision rule selects the insert based on both of the plurality of data points.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is a first microprocessor, the system further comprising:

a second microprocessor, wherein the second microprocessor is locally coupled to the multi-bay insert holder, and wherein the first microprocessor is communicably coupled to the second microprocessor via a communication network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control signal includes a data packet provided by the first microprocessor to the second microprocessor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control signal further includes an electrical signal based on the data packet and provided to the insert holder.

13. A method for selecting inserts for inclusion with an offer item, the method comprising:

receiving an external tickler;

receiving a decision rule;

based on the external tickler, applying the decision rule to a decision information to create an insert set, wherein the insert set includes at least one insert to be included with an offer item; and

associating the insert set with the offer item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein associating the insert set with the offer item includes providing a control signal to a multi-bay insert holder.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the insert is an advertisement.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the external tickler includes an indication of an offer item that is scheduled for a particular recipient.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the offer item is selected from a group consisting of:

an account statement;

a bill; and

an appointment notification.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the decision information is selected from a group consisting of a zip code and an area code.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the decision information includes a plurality of data points, and wherein the decision rule operates on two or more of the plurality of data points.

20. A method for preparing customized insert sets for distribution with offer items, the method comprising:

providing a control interface, wherein the control interface is operable to receive an external tickler and a decision rule;

receiving the external tickler, and the decision rule;

based on the external tickler, applying the decision rule to a decision information to create an insert set, wherein the insert set includes at least one insert to be included with an offer item; and

associating the insert set with the offer item.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein associating the insert set with the offer item includes providing a control signal to a multi-bay insert holder.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the insert is an advertisement.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the decision information is selected from a group consisting of a zip code and an area code.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the decision information includes a plurality of data points, and wherein the decision rule operates on two or more of the plurality of data points.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the external tickler includes an indication of an offer item that is scheduled for a particular recipient.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the offer item is selected from a group consisting of:

an account statement;

a bill; and

an appointment notification.