Automatic business reply mail funding

• US 20050011943A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth G., Winkelman, John H., McNab, Cornelius S., Konstance, Suzanne
• Granted Patent: US 7,131,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method for enabling a mailer to infer the amount of business reply that he/she is going to receive on a given day and determine the amount of postage that is due. The foregoing is accomplished by placing a planet code that references the mailer'"'"'s permit number on the business reply so that when a scanner at the USPS reads the planet code, the postage for the business reply will be calculated, and the mailer will be notified of the calculation so that the mailer may deposit sufficient funds in a deposit account to pay for the postage. The mailer may deposit funds in the account by issuing a check, having funds automatically transferred from some account, or automatically having a check issued so that someone may take the check to the USPS and receive the business reply. Thus, the mailer will be able to determine the amount of postage that is going to be charged to his/her account.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a mailer to infer the number of business reply mail pieces that the mailer is going to receive on a given day and determine the amount of postage and fees that are due, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) placing a code that references the mailer'"'"'s permit number, on business reply mail pieces;

(b) scanning the code on the business reply mail pieces;

(c) determining the amount of postage and fees due for the business reply mail piece whose code was scanned;

(d) estimating the date on which the business mailer would receive the business reply mail piece whose code was scanned; and

(e) funding an account at a carrier for the number of business reply mail pieces that the mailer is expected to receive on the estimated day.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning step further comprises the step of:

determining the read rate to more accurately determine the number of business reply mail pieces being processed.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

mapping the method to calculate a confidence level to determine the amount of funding that Is required.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the mapping step further comprises the step of:

determining the mean and standard deviation to calculate a new confidence level to determine the amount of funding that is required.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

determining the number of mail pieces actually received by the mailer to calculate a process proportion.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, further including the step of:

using the process proportion to calculate a next confidence interval.

7. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the process proportion is determined by:

dividing the number of business reply mail pieces scanned by the number of business reply mail pieces received.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the code is a planet code.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier is the United States Postal Service.