Systems and methods for mid-stream postage adjustment

• US 20090182687A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• 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: Phillips, John R., McPherson, Donald, Stickler, Vantresa
• Application Number:
  US12/382,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/402
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4148 for controlling postal rate in articles to be mailed franking apparatus with means for computing G07B17/02
• 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 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0062 Label
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00717 Reading barcodes

Abstract

A method and system for receiving payment for postage by a delivery system operator from a customer is provided. The method includes receiving payment from the customer for a first postage value; receiving the parcel for delivery, the parcel including a machine-readable postage indicia indicating the amount of the received payment; determining parcel attributes; calculating a determined postage value for the parcel based on the determined parcel attributes; determining the first postage value from the indicia; and transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount based on a comparison between the first postage value and the determined postage value.

Claims

1. A method for receiving payment for postage for a parcel by a delivery system operator from a customer, comprising:

receiving payment from the customer for a first postage value;

receiving the parcel for delivery, the parcel including a machine-readable postage indicia indicating the amount of the received payment;

determining attributes of the parcel;

calculating a determined postage value for the parcel based on the determined attributes;

determining the first postage value from the indicia; and

transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount based on a comparison between the first postage value and the determined postage value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the payment is received from the customer over a network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the payment is received by the delivery system operator over the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine-readable postage indicia is one of a bar code and an image indicating an account from which delivery payment has been made.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount further comprises:

requesting additional payment when the determined postage value is greater than the first postage value.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount further comprises:

generating a credit when the determined postage value is less than the first postage value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the parcel is at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a package, an oversized package, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount comprises transmitting data by at least one of regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response system.

9. A system for receiving payment for postage for a parcel by a delivery system operator from a customer, comprising:

a payment receiving component to receive payment from the customer for a first postage value;

a parcel receiving component to receive the parcel for delivery, the parcel including a machine-readable postage indicia indicating the amount of the received payment;

a parcel determining component to determine parcel attributes;

a calculating component to calculate a determined postage value for the parcel based on the determined parcel attributes;

a postage determining component to determine the first postage value from the indicia; and

a transmitting component to transmit a postage payment adjustment amount based on a comparison between the first postage value and the determined postage value.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the payment receiving component receives payment from the customer over a network.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the payment receiving component receives payment by the delivery system operator over the Internet.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the machine-readable postage indicia is one of a bar code and an image indicating an account from which delivery payment has been made.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitting component further comprises:

a requesting component to request additional payment when the determined postage value is greater than the first postage value.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitting component further comprises:

a generating component to generate a credit when the determined postage value is less than the first postage value.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the parcel is at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a package, an oversized package, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitting component to transmit a postage payment adjustment amount comprises a component for transmitting data by at least one of regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, Internet, and an interactive voice response system.

17. A system for receiving payment for postage for a parcel by a delivery system operator from a customer, comprising:

means for receiving payment from the customer for a first postage value;

means for receiving the parcel for delivery, the parcel including a machine-readable postage indicia indicating the amount of the received payment;

means for determining parcel attributes;

means for calculating a determined postage value for the parcel based on the determined parcel attributes;

means for determining the first postage value from the indicia; and

means for transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount based on a comparison between the first postage value and the determined postage value.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for receiving payment includes means for receiving Payment data from the customer over a network.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the means for receiving payment includes means for receiving payment data by the delivery system operator over the Internet.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the machine-readable postage indicia is one of a bar code and an image indicating an account from which delivery payment has been made.

21. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for requesting additional payment when the determined postage value is greater than the first postage value.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for generating a credit when the determined postage value is less than the first postage value.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the parcel is at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a package, an oversized package, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the means for transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount comprises means for transmitting data by at least one of regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, Internet, and an interactive voice response system.

25. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for receiving payment for postage for a parcel by a delivery system operator from a customer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving payment from the customer for a first postage value;

receiving the parcel for delivery, the parcel including a machine-readable postage indicia indicating the amount of the received payment;

determining parcel attributes;

calculating a determined postage value for the parcel based on the determined parcel attributes;

determining the first postage value from the indicia; and

transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount based on a comparison between the first postage value and the determined postage value.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the payment is received from the customer over a network.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein the payment is received by the delivery system operator over the Internet.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the machine-readable postage indicia is one of a bar code and an image indicating an account from which delivery payment has been made.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein transmitting further comprises:

requesting additional payment when the determined postage value is greater than the first postage value.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein transmitting further comprises:

generating a credit when the determined postage value is less than the first postage value.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the parcel is at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a package, an oversized package, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein transmitting a postage payment adjustment amount comprises transmitting data by at least one of regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, Internet, and an interactive voice response system.

33-47. -47. (canceled)

48. A method, implemented using a computer system, for correcting a postage value determined by a customer, comprising:

storing a first postage value derived from customer-determined attributes of a parcel in a memory device;

receiving, by the computer system, data representing payment for the first postage value;

receiving the parcel at a delivery system operator;

determining attributes of the parcel by the delivery system operator to generate, using the computer system, a second postage value;

comparing the first and second postage values using the computer system; and

if the first postage value is greater than the second postage value, providing a credit to the customer; and

if the second postage value is more than the first postage value, generating a charge to the customer.

49-63. -63. (canceled)

64. A system for correcting a postage value determined by a customer, comprising:

a first component to store a first postage value derived from customer-determined attributes of a parcel;

a second component to receive payment for the first postage value;

a third component to receive the parcel at a delivery-system operator;

a fourth component to determine attributes of the parcel by the delivery system operator to generate a second postage value;

a fifth component to compare the first and second postage values; and

if the first postage value is greater than the second postage value, providing a credit to the customer; and

if the second postage value is greater than the first postage value, generating a charge to the customer.

65-79. -79. (canceled)

80. A system for correcting a postage value determined by a customer, comprising:

means for storing a first postage value derived from customer-determined attributes of a parcel;

means for receiving payment for the first postage value;

means for receiving the parcel at a delivery-system operator;

means for determining attributes of the parcel by the delivery system operator to generate a second postage value;

means for comparing the first and second postage values;

means for providing a credit to the customer if the first postage value is greater than the second postage value, and

means for generating a charge to the customer if the second postage value is greater than the first postage value.

81-94. -94. (canceled)

95. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for correcting a postage value determined by a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a first postage value derived from customer-determined attributes of a parcel;

receiving payment for the first postage value;

generating a second postage value based on attributes of the parcel determined by the delivery system operator;

comparing the first and second postage values;

providing a credit to the customer if the first postage value is greater than the second postage value; and

generating a charge to the customer if the second postage value is greater than the first postage value.

96. A system for correcting a postage value determined by a customer, comprising:

a memory having program instructions; and

a processor responsive to the program instructions to;

store a first postage value derived from customer-determined attributes of a parcel;

receive data representing payment for the first postage value;

generate a second postage value based on attributes of the parcel determined by the delivery system operator;

compare the first and second postage values;

provide a credit to the customer if the first postage value is greater than the second postage value; and

generate a charge to the customer if the second postage value is greater than the first postage value.