Method for tracking mail piece data

• US 20060173797A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Original Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Inventors: Sheehan, Robert, Gilham, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US11/047,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20060173797A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/404
• 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 2017/0004 Determining the location of mailpieces outside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases

Abstract

A method for tracking data related to mail pieces. The method is provided having steps of: assigning a mail delivery service code to the mail piece; storing the mail delivery service code in a database; receiving data corresponding to the mail piece; storing the data in the database; and linking the mail delivery service code to the data in the database.

Claims

1. A method for tracking data related to a mail piece, comprising:

assigning a mail delivery service code to the mail piece;

storing the mail delivery service code in a database;

receiving data corresponding to the mail piece;

storing the data in the database; and

linking the mail delivery service code to the data in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery service code comprises a USPS information based indicia.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery service code comprises a USPS information based indicia, and wherein the data comprises a destination address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the delivery service code comprises a USPS information based indicia, and wherein the data comprises:

a destination address;

a tracking number;

a postal reading location; and

a delivery date.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data corresponding to the mail piece comprises:

reading an address on the mail piece;

reading the mail delivery service code on the mail piece;

posting the address and the mail delivery service code on a website; and

reading the address and the mail delivery service code from the website.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the originator in the database and linking the originator with the mail delivery service code.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the mail delivery service code includes a user field having data corresponding to the originator.

8. A method for tracking data related to mail pieces, comprising:

assigning a machine readable information based indicia to a mail piece corresponding to a unique number;

printing the machine readable information based indicia on the mail piece;

posting the unique number to a database on an internet service provider'"'"'s server;

posting a destination address corresponding to the mail piece to the database; and

linking the unique number to the destination address in the database.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising posting data comprising a tracking number and a postal reading location corresponding to the mail piece to the database;

and linking the unique number to data in the database.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising posting an originator corresponding to the mail piece to the database;

and linking the unique number to the originator in the database.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a user access application enabling the user to access the unique number or data linked to the unique number.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a user access application on the server enabling the user to access the unique number or data linked to the unique number, wherein the user access application is accessible by a user over the internet and wherein the user can search for other unique numbers corresponding to other mail pieces originated by the user.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the machine readable information based indicia is printed on the mail piece with a franking machine, and wherein the franking machine posts the unique number to the database.

14. A method for tracking data related to mail pieces for multiple users comprising:

a. providing a database on an internet service provider'"'"'s server;

b. providing a user access application on the server enabling the multiple users to access the database;

d. storing data corresponding to originators of the mail pieces in the database;

d. storing unique numbers corresponding to machine readable information based indicia on the mail pieces in the database;

e. storing additional data corresponding to the mail pieces in the database; and

f. linking the data corresponding to originators and the additional data to the unique numbers in the database.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the additional data comprises destination addresses, and wherein the destination addresses are read from a postal web site.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the additional data comprises tracking numbers, and wherein the tracking numbers and the unique numbers are read from a postal web site.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the user access application allows the user to search the database by originator or additional data corresponding to destination address.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the user access application segregates the additional data and the unique numbers by user.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the application tracks the number of times a user accesses the application.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the application provides at least two different levels of access rights corresponding to administrative users and originating users.