Apparatus and methods for reading an identification code from a mailpiece

• US 20090173672A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Reidel, Simon Franklin, Brandt, Bruce A., Fadely, Jay David, Avant, Oscar Lee, Little, Michael Ray
• Application Number:
  US12/314,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20090173672A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10683 Arrangement of fixed elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00709 Scanning mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

Apparatus and methods consistent with the present invention provide for reading an identification code from a mailpiece. In one embodiment, there are a reader unit and a reader head assembly connected by an optical cable, which provide for the identification of a mailpiece in an identification code sorting system.

Claims

1-84. -84. (canceled)

85. A mail processing system for processing a mailpiece, comprising:

a mail processing device;

a two-part identification code reader connected to the mail processing device; and

sorter application software for communicating between the mail processing device and an identification code server.

86. The system of claim 85, wherein the mail processing device is a Mail Processing Bar Code Sorter.

87. The system of claim 85, wherein the mail processing device is a Delivery Bar Code Sorter.

88. The system of claim 85, wherein the mail processing device is a Carrier Sequence Bar Code Sorter.

89. The system of claim 85, wherein the mail processing device is an Output Subsystem/Bar Code Sorter.

90. The system of claim 85, wherein the identification code reader is a RBCS ID Tag Reader.

91. The system of claim 85, wherein the identification code reader is a Universal ID Tag Reader.

92. The system of claim 85, wherein the identification code server is a PICS server.

93. The system of claim 85, wherein the identification code server is a SICS server.

94. A method for processing a mailpiece by a mail processing device, comprising the steps of:

reading an identification code from the mailpiece, using a two-part identification code reader;

transmitting the identification code to an identification code server, via sorter application software; and

processing mailpiece information between the mail processing device and the identification code server, via the sorter application software.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the mail processing device is a Mail Processing Bar Code Sorter.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein the mail processing device is a Delivery Bar Code Sorter.

97. The method of claim 94, wherein the mail processing device is a Carrier Sequence Bar Code Sorter.

98. The method of claim 94, wherein the mail processing device is an Output Subsystem/Bar Code Sorter.

99. The system of claim 94, wherein the identification code reader is a RBCS ID Tag Reader.

100. The method of claim 94, wherein the identification code reader is a Universal ID Tag Reader.

101. The method of claim 94, wherein the identification code server is a PICS server.

102. The method of claim 94, wherein the identification code server is a SICS server.

103. A system for processing a mailpiece by a mail processing device, comprising:

a reading component configured to read an identification code from the mailpiece, using a two-part identification code reader;

a transmitting component configured to transmit the identification code to an identification code server, via sorter application software; and

a processing component configured to process mailpiece information between the mail processing device and the identification code server, via the sorter application software.

104. The system of claim 103, wherein the mail processing device is a Mail Processing Bar Code Sorter.

105. The system of claim 103, wherein the mail processing device is a Delivery Bar Code Sorter.

106. The system of claim 103, wherein the mail processing device is a Carrier Sequence Bar Code Sorter.

107. The system of claim 103, wherein the mail processing device is an Output Subsystem/Bar Code Sorter.

108. The system of claim 103, wherein the identification code reader is a RBCS ID Tag Reader.

109. The system of claim 103, wherein the identification code reader is a Universal ID Tag Reader.

110. The system of claim 103, wherein the identification code server is a PICS server.

111. The system of claim 103, wherein the identification code server is a SICS server.

112. A system for processing a mailpiece by a mail processing device, comprising:

means for reading an identification code from the mailpiece, using a two-part identification code reader;

means for transmitting the identification code to an identification code server, via sorter application software; and

means for processing mailpiece information between the mail processing device and the identification code server, via the sorter application software.

113. A computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing a mailpiece by a mail processing device, the computer readable code comprising:

a reading module configured to read an identification code from the mailpiece, using a two-part identification code reader;

a transmitting module configured to transmit the identification code to an identification code server, via sorter application software; and

a processing module configured to process mailpiece information between the mail processing device and the identification code server, via the sorter application software.