PROCESSING SHINY MAIL PIECES

• US 20090301947A1
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAF Software Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RAF Technology, Incorporated (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brandt, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,056,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/12 using electric or electronic detecting means B07C3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1465 using several successive scans of the optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1473 error correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/32 Post and telecommunications franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, software and systems are disclosed for improved processing of mailpieces in order to reduce expensive manual steps. Shiny mail, i.e., mailpieces having glossy surfaces that sometimes interfere with printing of barcodes and or ID Tags may lead to rejects. In some embodiments, shiny mailpieces are identified, and at least one new (non-shiny) label is over-labeled in the POSTNET clear zone (108), the ID Tag zone (202), or both. In one embodiment, a specially-configured Reject Encoding Machine (REM) (1142) is employed to label or over-label a POSTNET clear zone (1110), resolve the destination address (1112) if possible, and print the barcode (1114) in a single operation. Thereafter, the mailpiece may be transferred from the REM into a downstream DBCS (1144), thereby re-introducing the mailpiece into the automated mail stream rather than being relegated to a manual stream.

Claims

1. A method for processing a shiny mailpiece, comprising:

identifying a mailpiece as a shiny mailpiece (1100);

transferring the shiny mail piece to a Reject Encoding Machine (REM) (1142);

running the mail piece face-forward in the REM;

in the REM, over-labeling the shiny mail piece (1110) with a non-shiny label over a Postnet clear zone (108) on the front side of the mail piece;

in the REM, attempting to resolve an address of the mail piece (1112), based on a previously captured image of the front side of the mail piece;

if the address is resolvable (1112), in the REM, printing a barcode corresponding to the resolved address on to the non-shiny label (1114); and

then

forwarding the mail piece for subsequent automated sorting (1116) based on the printed barcode.

2. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising the steps of:

if the address is not resolvable in the REM (1112), applying a label in the ID Tag clear zone (202) on the mail piece; and

then

running the shiny mail piece on an input sub-system (ISS); and

attempting to resolve an address of the shiny mail piece in the Input Sub-System (ISS).

3. A method according to claim 2, and further comprising:

if the address is not resolvable by the ISS, attempting to resolve the address using Remote Computer Recognition (RCR), or keying of the image at a Remote Encoding Center (REC);

if the address is so resolved, printing a corresponding destination barcode onto the non-shiny label (1032) in the POSTNET clear zone of the shiny mail piece;

and then sorting the shiny mail piece automatically (1026) rather than manually by using the applied barcode.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said over-labeling includes applying new labels on both the POSTNET clear zone and the ID Tag clear zone of the mail piece.

5. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising:

providing a connection for electronic communications between the REM and a mail piece database; and

sending an update over the connection to the mail piece data base to update address information of the mail piece to reflect the resolved address.

6. A method according to claim 5 and further comprising transferring the mailpiece from the REM into a downstream DBCS thereby re-introducing the mailpiece into the automated mail stream rather than being relegated to a manual stream.

7. A method for processing a mailpiece having a destination address, the method comprising:

receiving a mailpiece for processing;

if the mailpiece has not been identified as a shiny mail piece, inputting the mailpiece to a processing machine operating in an Input Sub-System (ISS) mode of operation;

in the ISS, if the destination address is resolvable, printing a barcode in a POSTNET clear zone on the mailpiece that corresponds to the resolved address;

testing whether the printed barcode is resolvable;

if the printed barcode is resolvable, sorting the mailpiece automatically (1116) by using the applied barcode;

if the printed barcode is not resolvable, transferring the mailpiece to a standalone Reject Encoding Machine (REM) (1142);

in the REM, over-labeling the shiny mail piece (1110) with a non-shiny label over a Postnet clear zone (108) on the front side of the mail piece;

in the REM, attempting to resolve an address of the mail piece (1112), based on a previously captured image of the front side of the mail piece;

if the address is resolvable (1112), in the REM, printing a barcode corresponding to the resolved address on to the non-shiny label (1114); and

then

forwarding the mail piece for subsequent automated sorting (1116) based on the printed barcode.

8. A method according to claim 7 and further comprising:

in the REM, if the address is not resolvable, applying a label in the ID Tag clear zone on the mail piece, so as to over-label any pre-existing label in the ID Tag clear zone;

and then transferring the mail piece to a processing machine operating in an Input Sub-System (ISS) mode of operation;

in the ISS machine, if the destination address is resolvable, printing a barcode in a POSTNET clear zone on the mailpiece that corresponds to the resolved address;

and then transferring the mail piece to an automated sorting machine.

9. A method according to claim 7, and further comprising:

if the address is not resolvable in the ISS, accessing a Remote Encoding Center (REC) or using Remote Computer Recognition (RCR) to resolve the address.

10. A method according to claim 7, including both over-labeling the mailpiece and printing the destination barcode onto the non-shiny label in a single machine.

11. A method according to claim 7, including transferring the mailpiece to a reject encoding machine (REM) for both over-labeling the mailpiece and printing the destination barcode onto a new label.

12. A method according to claim 11 and further comprising transferring the mailpiece from the REM into a downstream DBCS thereby re-introducing the mailpiece into the automated mail stream rather than being relegated to a manual stream.

13. A method according to claim 8 wherein the destination barcode printed on the label comprises one of an 11 digit delivery point code, a 9-digit zip code+4 code, and a 5-digit barcode representing zip code only.

14. A method according to claim 8 comprising, instead of said printing a corresponding destination barcode onto the new label, applying a non-barcode machine-readable indicia to the label for identification of the mailpiece.

15. A mail sorting system comprising:

input means for identifying a mailpiece as a shiny mailpiece;

a REM arranged to receive the shiny mailpiece for processing;

means in the REM for applying a label to a POSTNET clear zone on the shiny mailpiece;

means in the REM for attempting to resolve an address of the shiny mailpiece;

means in the REM for printing a corresponding barcode on the applied label if the address is resolved; and

means in the REM to output the labeled shiny mailpiece for automated sort.

means in the REM for using the existing ID tag if it exists and updating the RBCS system with the newly resolved address information.

means in the REM for spraying an ID tag and updating the RBCS system with the new ID tag and resolved address information.

16. A mail sorting system according to claim 15 wherein the input means for identifying a mailpiece as a shiny mailpiece comprises a means for measuring reflectivity of a surface of the mailpiece.

17. A mail sorting system according to claim 15 wherein the input means for identifying a mailpiece as a shiny mailpiece comprises a manual input means.

18. A software product comprising:

a series of executable instructions stored in a machine-readable digital memory device, wherein the executable instructions are adapted for operating a reject encoding machine (REM); and

wherein the executable instructions include;

first instructions for the REM to receive a mailpiece identified as shiny mail;

second instructions for the REM to over-label the mailpiece with at least one non-shiny label;

third instructions for the REM to recognize a destination address of the mailpiece based on a captured digital image;

fourth instructions for the REM to print a barcode corresponding to the destination address onto the non-shiny label; and

fifth instructions for the REM to output the mailpiece for return to downstream processing.

19. A software product a series of executable instructions stored in a machine-readable digital memory device, wherein the executable instructions are adapted for operating a reject encoding machine (REM);

and wherein the executable instructions include;

first instructions for the REM to run mailpiece face-forward on REM;

second instructions for the REM to apply a label in the POSTNET clear zone;

third instructions for the REM, if the address is not resolvable, to run the unresolved mailpiece with backside to labeler on the REM;

fourth instructions for the REM to apply a label to ID Tag clear zone on mailpiece; and

fifth instructions for the REM to output the mailpiece for transfer to an ISS system.

20. A software product according to claim 19 and wherein the executable instructions further include:

sixth instructions for the REM, if the address is resolvable, to print a barcode in the POSTNET clear zone corresponding to the resolved address; and

seventh instructions for the REM to output the mailpiece from the REM for transfer into a downstream DBCS for automated sorting using the printed barcode.