Method and system for postal payments and addressing

• US 20100036777A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Korosec, Jason Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/188,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036777A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/408
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• 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 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 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0058 Printing of code

Abstract

Methods and systems for postal payments and addressing are described. In one embodiment, an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item may be accessed for automated payment. Source user data associated with the postal item may be accessed. A user associated with an electronic communication associated may be identified. Information from the identification of the user may be utilized for addressing or otherwise delivering the postal item, or for securing a payment approval, or for otherwise verifying previous blanket approval for payments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

accessing source user data associated with the postal item;

identifying a user associated with the electronic communication identifier;

verifying that the user is associated with the source user data; and

providing a confirmation of verification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing user data from a database based on the electronic communication identifier,

wherein the identifying of the user and the verifying is performed using the user data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing machine discernible data associated with the postal item; and

deriving the electronic communication identifier from the machine discernible data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a postage amount from the machine discernible data;

verifying the postage amount of the postal item; and

providing a postage amount match based on the verifying of the postage amount.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the machine discernible data is single dimension bar code, a multidimensional bar code, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the electronic communication identifier comprises:

optically detecting the electronic communication identifier from the postal item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the electronic communication identifier comprises:

detecting a radio frequency from the postal item, the radio frequency being associated with the electronic communication identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning the postal item; and

identifying a presence of the electronic communication identifier on the postal item based on the scanning of the postal item.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing recipient data from the postal item;

verifying the recipient data meets a recipient criterion,

wherein the providing of the confirmation of verification is responsive to the verifying of the user and the verifying of the recipient data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the recipient data includes a recipient name, a recipient street address, a recipient city, a recipient state, a recipient zip code, a recipient country, a recipient phone number, a recipient e-mail address, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the electronic communication identifier comprises:

receiving the electronic communication identifier from a mail scanner device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the postal item is a post card, a letter, a telegram, a packages, overnight mail, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication identifier is an e-mail address, a mobile phone number, a postal account identifier, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the source user data includes a source user name, a source user street address, a source user city, a source user state, a source user zip code, a source user country, a source user phone number, a source user e-mail address, or combinations thereof.

16. A method comprising:

accessing an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

accessing source user data associated with the postal item;

identifying a user associated with the electronic communication identifier;

verifying that the user is associated with the source user data; and

processing the postal item for delivery based on the verifying of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

accessing machine discernible data associated with the postal item; and

deriving the electronic communication identifier from the machine discernible data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a postage amount paid from the machine discernible data;

determining a postage amount due for the postal item;

verifying that the postage amount paid satisfies the postage amount due;

wherein the processing of the postal item is based on the verifying of the user and the verifying of the postage amount paid.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a payment request to a payment provider based on an insufficient amount of the postage amount paid; and

receiving confirmation of payment from the payment provider,

wherein the processing of the postal item is based on the verifying of the user and the receiving of the confirmation.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a payment request to a payment provider based on an insufficient amount of the postage amount paid; and

receiving electronic payment of the insufficient amount from the payment provider,

wherein the processing of the postal item is based on the verifying of the user and the receiving of the electronic payment.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a delivery priority rate from the machine discernible data,

wherein the processing of the postal item for delivery is based on the verifying of the user and the identifying of the delivery priority rate.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a postage amount due for the postal item;

providing a payment request for the postage amount due to a payment provider; and

receiving confirmation of payment from the payment provider,

wherein the processing of the postal item is based on the verifying of the user and the receiving of the confirmation.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining whether the postage amount due satisfies a payment criterion associated with the user,

wherein the providing of the payment request is based on satisfaction of the payment criterion.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the payment criterion is a payment minimum value, a payment maximum value, a predetermined user, a non-excluded user, an authorized reverse billing sender where the user-addressee pays the postage for the user-sender, or combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a postage amount due for the postal item;

providing a payment request for the postage amount due to a payment provider; and

receiving electronic payment in the postage amount due from the payment provider,

wherein the processing of the postal item is based on the verifying of the user and the receiving of the electronic payment.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a delivery priority rate based on the accessing of the electronic communication identifier,

wherein the processing of the postal item for delivery is based on the verifying of the user and the determining of the delivery priority rate.

27. A method comprising:

accessing an electronic communication identifier, source user data, and recipient data;

verifying that a user is associated with the source user data and the electronic communication identifier,

providing the electronic communication identifier for writing on a postal item, the electronic communication identifier associated with the user;

providing source user data for writing on the postal item, the source user data associated with the user; and

providing recipient data for writing on the postal item,

wherein the postal item is capable of being provided to a recipient associated with the recipient address after the writing of the electronic communication identifier, the source user data, and the recipient data on the postal item.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

writing the electronic communication identifier, the source user data, and the recipient data on the postal item

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing the electronic communication identifier, the source user data, and the recipient data to a printing device, the printing device being capable of writing the electronic communication identifier, the source user data, and the recipient data on the postal item.

30. A method comprising:

accessing an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

identifying a user associated with the electronic communication identifier;

verifying authorization of the user for use of the electronic communication identifier for postal item utilization; and

providing a confirmation of verification based on the verifying of the authorization.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

accessing user data from a database based on the electronic communication identifier,

wherein the identifying of the user and the verifying is based on the user data.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

accessing machine discernible data associated with the postal item; and

deriving the electronic communication identifier from the machine discernible data.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

scanning the postal item;

identifying a presence of the electronic communication identifier on the postal item based on the scanning of the postal item,

wherein the accessing of the electronic communication identifier is based on the identifying of the presence.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the user is a source user, a recipient, or combinations thereof.

35. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

access an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

access source user data associated with the postal item;

identify a user associated with the electronic communication identifier;

verify that the user is associated with the source user data; and

provide a confirmation of verification.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 35 further comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

access machine discernible data associated with the postal item; and

derive the electronic communication identifier from the machine discernible data.

37. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

access an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

access source user data associated with the postal item;

identify a user associated with the electronic communication identifier;

verify that the user is associated with the source user data; and

process the postal item for delivery based on verification of the user.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37 further comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

determine a postage amount due for the postal item;

provide a payment request for the postage amount due to a payment provider; and

receive confirmation of payment from the payment provider,

wherein processing of the postal item is based on verification of the user and receipt of the confirmation.

39. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more processors perform the following operations:

accessing an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

identifying a user associated with the electronic communication identifier;

verifying authorization of the user for use of the electronic communication identifier for postal item utilization; and

process the postal item for delivery based on verification of the authorization.

40. A system comprising:

an identifier access module to access an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

a source user data access module to access source user data associated with the postal item;

a user identification module to identify a user associated with the electronic communication identifier accessed by the identifier access module;

a user verification module to verify that the user is associated with the source user data by the source user data access module; and

a confirmation provider module to provide a confirmation of verification by the user verification module.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising:

a postal item scanner module to scan the postal item;

a presence identification module to identify a presence of the electronic communication identifier on the postal item based on the scanning of the postal item by the postal item scanner module,

wherein accessing of the electronic communication identifier by the identifier access module is based on identification of the presence by the presence identification module.

42. A method comprising:

automatically determining an electronic communication identifier associated with a postal item;

determining a postal charge due for delivery of the postal item by a postal item processor; and

communicating a payment request for the postal charge to a payment provider, the electronic communication identifier being associated with an account of a user accessible by the payment provider, and the payment request including the electronic communication identifier.

43. The method of claim 42, including receiving payment, via the payment provider, of the postal charge from the user responsive to the payment request.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the account of the user is a funded account and is maintained by the payment provider.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the electronic communication identifier is associated with a sender of the postal item, the method including identifying the sender of the postal item using the electronic application identifier, identifying a recipient of the postal item, and verifying that the recipient is approved by the sender.