Postal stamp tracking system and method

• US 20050116047A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Lu, Binh T., Laska, Casimir F., Otterlee, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder

Abstract

A trackable postage stamp includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second surface is adapted to adhere to a piece of mail. The stamp also includes a passive tracking device including stamp identification (ID) information.

Claims

1. A trackable postage stamp comprising:

a first surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface and adapted to adhere to a piece of mail; and

a passive tracking device without an onboard power supply and including stamp identification (ID) information, wherein the passive tracking device includes a radio frequency identification device (RFID).

4. The postage stamp of claim 1, wherein the stamp ID information includes encrypted data corresponding to at least two of a date, a location, a postage value, and a unique designation.

5. The postage stamp of claim 4, wherein encrypted data are combined to at least partially yield the stamp ID information.

6. The postage stamp of claim 1, wherein the passive tracking device is coupled to one of the first surface and the second surface.

7. The postage stamp of claim 1, wherein the stamp identification (ID) information is unique to each stamp.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

8-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A postage stamp dispensing system comprising:

a plurality of postage stamps, each stamp including a tracking device that includes stamp ID information;

a stamp dispenser adapted to contain and dispense the stamps;

a reader operatively associated with the stamp dispenser to read the stamp ID information when the relative position between the stamp and the reader changes as the stamp is dispensed; and

a database operable to store the read stamp ID information, wherein each tracking device includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) device that does not include an onboard power supply, and wherein the RFID device is passive.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the stamp ID information includes encrypted data corresponding to at least two of a date, a location, a postage value, and a unique designation.

13. The postage stamp of claim 12, wherein encrypted data are combined to at least partially yield the stamp ID information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the encrypted data that makes up the stamp ID information is stored as separate values in the database.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the dispenser is a vending machine and the device reader is part of the vending machine.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein a portion of the plurality of stamps are arranged in a book and the book includes book identification data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reader is operable to read the book identification data and the database is operable to store the book identification data.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising an imaging device operatively associated with the stamp dispenser to capture an image of the user of the stamp dispenser.

19. A method of tracking a postage stamp, the method comprising:

coupling tracking information to the stamp, the tracking information including a stamp ID;

dispensing the stamp to a customer;

reading the tracking information as the stamp is dispensed; and

storing the stamp ID in a database,

wherein the tracking information is stored within a passive RFID device that does not include an onboard power supply.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising capturing an image of the customer and storing the captured image in the database.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing a dispensing location within the database.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising reading the tracking information as the stamp is deposited into a postal mailbox, and storing the stamp ID and a mailbox location within a database.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising comparing the mailbox location and the dispensing location, and identifying the stamp if the mailbox location is more than a predefined distance from the dispensing location.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising

sensing when an article is deposited in a mailbox;

determining when tracking information was not properly read for all the articles placed in the mailbox; and

providing a perceivable indication when it has been determined that tracking information was not properly read for all the articles placed in the mailbox.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the dispensing step includes dispensing the stamp as part of a book of stamps, and wherein the book includes book identification information.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the reading step also includes reading the book identification information, and the storing step also includes storing the book ID in the database.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the database includes a list of individual stamp IDs associated with the book ID.

21. (canceled)