GENERATION OF UNIQUE MAIL ITEM IDENTIFICATION WITHIN A MULTIPLE DOCUMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090287343A1
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bowe Bell & Howell Company
• Inventors: Bowers, Brian, LEE, Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/227
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode

Abstract

The present teachings relate to a method and system for the processing of mail items within a multiple device document processing environment to ensure generation of unique mail items. The present teachings provides for an improved system and method for assigning and maintaining unique mail item identifiers and processing of the unique mail items in a multiple mail processing device environment to qualify for maximum postal work sharing discounts.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a unique value to each of a plurality of mail items received from one or more mailers, the assigned unique values used in connection with processing of the mail items by a plurality of mail processing devices, the method comprising:

establishing an initial range of values for use in generating a postal authority approved code to be applied to each respective mail item of the one or more mailers during processing by one of the plurality of mail processing devices, the initial range having a maximum value relating to a specific mailer identification;

allocating a portion of the initial range of values to the plurality of document processing devices based at least in part on one of a historical mail count of the one or more mailers, an actual mail count of the one or more mailers or a mailer provided portion of said range;

assigning a unique value from the allocated portion to each of the plurality of mail items processed by one of the plurality of document processing devices, the assigned value to be incorporated within the postal authority approved code applied to the respective mail item; and

storing a record of each of the values assigned.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step includes:

recording a date of assignment of the value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigned value is restricted from further assignment for a predetermined period of time beyond the date of assignment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more mail processing devices is selected from sorting equipment, inserting equipment, accumulating equipment, vision integrity equipment or data integrity equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a postal authority approved code to each of the plurality of mail items, the postal authority approved code applied to each respective mail item containing the respectively assigned value and the specific mailer identification.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the postal authority approved code is selected from a barcode, alpha-numeric character set or a graphic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the barcode is an intelligent mail barcode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific mailer identification is selected from a 6 digit or 9 digit value assigned by a postal authority.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of loading mailer data onto the plurality of sorters, wherein the mailer data is selected from profile data, mail item volume, job requirements or billing particulars.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sorting the plurality of mail items.

11. A computer programmed to implement the steps of the method of claim 1.

12. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine readable storage medium; and

an executable program embodied in the storage medium for causing a computer to implement the steps of the method of claim 1.

13. A method for configuring a plurality of mail item sorters, the method comprising steps of:

receiving job information pertaining to a plurality of mail items received from a mailer to be processed amongst the plurality of sorters;

registering each of the respective sorters, the registration step including;

accessing the job information for a respective sorter from an interface to a server;

accessing a range of values to be used in connection with a postal authority approved code to be applied on each of the plurality of mail items, said range being accessed from the interface to the server, each range of values conforming to a specific mailer identification;

allocating a portion of each of the ranges of values to be used by the sorters based at least in part on said received job information; and

verifying that no values in the allocated portion have been used within an associated date of usage by each respective sorter prior to processing.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the receiving step includes:

the server receiving the job information selected from mailer profile data, mail item volume, job requirements or mailer billing particulars.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the distributing step includes:

distributing the mail items between the sorters based on the received job information and resource capability of the one or more sorters.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the specific mailer identification is selected from a 6 digit or 9 digit value assigned by a postal authority and incorporated into the postal authority approved code.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

loading the sorters with a respective sort scheme; and

starting sorter operations.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

for each mail item processed on a first sorter, assigning a next available value from the allocated range of values associated with mail item.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

updating the server of a last used value from within the allocated range.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

alerting the server when a predetermined percentage of values in the range of allocated values is assigned.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

generating a report upon completion of sorting of the plurality of mail items.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

applying a postal authority approved code of on each of the plurality of mail items.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the postal authority approved code includes the respectively assigned value for a particular mail item together with the specific mailer identification.

24. A computer programmed to implement the steps of the method of claim 13.

25. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine readable storage medium; and

an executable program embodied in the storage medium for causing a computer to implement the steps of the method of claim 13.

26. A system for processing mail items comprising:

a plurality of mail processing devices for processing the mail items of a particular mailer;

a server device adapted to perform the following steps;

allocating the mail items amongst the plurality of mail processing devices based on one or more received job requirements;

establishing an initial range of values for use in generating a postal authority approved code to be applied to each mail item during processing by the plurality of mail processing devices, the initial range having a maximum value relating to a specific mailer identification; and

allocating a portion of each of the ranges of values to be used by the mail processing devices based at least in part on said received job requirements;

a control processor associated with each mail processing device for;

accessing the one or more job requirements for a respective mail processing device from the server; and

reporting a last used value from within each of the ranges and an associated date of usage by each respective sorter during processing.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of mail processing devices are selected from sorting equipment, inserting equipment, accumulating equipment, vision integrity equipment or data integrity equipment.