METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING MAIL ITEMS DURING PROCESSING

• US 20100292833A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bell & Howell LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Conard, Walter S., GORP, Mark Van, Keirsbilck, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/221
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2301/0066 Check for destination address in a database or list
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/006 Electric or electronic control circuits, e.g. delay lines delay devices per se H03H7/30, H03H11/26
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3412 according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

The present application relates to a system and related method for processing a mailpiece through the steps associated with its manufacture and post processing. The present system and method allow for mailpiece item tracking data collection at each step in the mailpiece manufacturing and processing. The present system and method allow for the integration of mailpiece item data from a postage device by utilizing information based barcode data included as part of the postage evidence, together with the production and sorting processes.

Claims

1. A system to process a plurality of mailpieces, the system comprising:

a postage device configured to print postage evidence on each respective mailpiece, the printed postage evidence including an information based barcode containing a first unique identifier associated with each respective mailpiece;

a sorter for sorting the plurality of mailpieces, the sorter including an image reading device for reading address data and the first unique identifier from the information based barcode printed on each respective mailpiece;

a first processor associated with the postage device configured to collect first parametric data associated with each respective mailpiece; and

a second processor, associated with the sorter, for receiving the collected first parametric data from the first processor, wherein;

the second processor is configured to associate each first unique identifier obtained from reading of the information based barcode printed on each respective mailpiece with second parametric data associated with each respective mailpiece collected during sortation of the respective mailpieces on the sorter, and

the second processor is configured to generate a delivery point barcode containing a second unique identifier for each respective mailpiece, and combine the respective first and second parametric data together with the respective first and second unique identifiers for generation of a postal authority report and/or client report.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each postage evidence comprises printed meter indicia or a permit imprint.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage device is selected from a postage meter device or a permit imprint device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor is further configured to:

associate one of the first unique identifiers from a first mailpiece associated with a first mail client and collect second parametric data associated with the first client; and

associate one of the first unique identifiers from a second mailpiece associated with a second mail client and collect second parametric data associated with the second client, wherein

the second mailpiece immediately trails the first mailpiece on the sorter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the sorter does not have to be stopped between sorting of the first and second mailpieces.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the postal authority report categorizes each respective mailpiece by client and associated mailpiece item data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the information based barcode is an information based indicia (IBI) barcode and the delivery point barcode is an intelligent mail barcode (IMb).

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the association of the first unique identifier in the IBI and the second unique identifier in the IMb, enables tracking of a respective mailpiece in the system each time the IBI or IMb is read.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information based barcode is printed adjacent to a permit imprint on each respective mailpiece.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein weight category is printed adjacent to a permit imprint on each respective mailpiece.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of postage devices and sorters each operably connected to a central processor.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a barcode reader, operably connected to the central processor, for reading the information based barcode or delivery point barcode and accesses item data associated with a respective mailpiece.

13. A method for processing a plurality of mailpieces, the method comprising steps of:

printing postage evidence on each respective mailpiece, the printed postage evidence including an information based barcode containing a first unique identifier associated with each respective mailpiece;

collecting and transferring first parametric data associated with each respective mailpiece to a sorter;

sorting the plurality of mailpieces on the sorter;

reading address data and the first unique identifier from the information based barcode printed on each respective mailpiece during the sorting step;

associating the first unique identifier with second parametric data associated with each respective mailpiece collected during sortation of the respective mailpieces on the sorter;

generating a delivery point barcode containing a second unique identifier for each respective mailpiece; and

combining the respective first and second parametric data together with the respective first and second unique identifiers for generation of a postal authority report and/or client report.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reading step further comprises the step:

reading address data with an optical character recognition (OCR) system and accessing one or more postal authority address quality processes to obtain a delivery point address code.

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

associating one of the first unique identifiers from a first mailpiece associated with a first mail client and collecting second parametric data associated with the first client; and

associating one or the first unique identifiers from a second mailpiece associated with a second mail client and collecting second parametric associated with the second client, wherein

the second mailpiece immediately trails the first mailpiece on the sorter.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

sorting the first and second mailpieces without stoppage of the sorter.

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

tracking of a respective mailpiece in the system each time the information based barcode or the delivery point barcode is read.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

printing the information based barcode is adjacent to a permit imprint on each respective mailpiece.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

printing weight category information adjacent to a permit imprint on each respective mailpiece.

20. A system for processing a plurality of mailpieces, the system comprising:

an inserter for manufacturing the plurality of mailpieces, the inserter configured to collect first parametric data associated with each respective mailpiece during manufacturing on the inserter, and assign a first unique identifier to each respective mailpiece;

a postage device for receiving the plurality of mailpieces from the inserter, the postage device configured to print postage evidence on each respective mailpiece, and collect second parametric data from each respective mailpiece as it is processed by the postage device, the printed postage evidence including an information based barcode containing a second unique identifier associated with each respective mailpiece;

a central processor in operable connection with the inserter and the postage device, the central processor configured to collect the first and second parametric data and first and second unique identifiers for each respective mailpiece, and transfer the first and second parametric data and first and second unique identifiers for each respective mailpiece to a sorter; and

a sorter for receiving the plurality of mailpieces from the postage device, the sorter configured to read the second unique identifier from the information based barcode printed on each respective mailpiece and associate the first and second unique identifiers with third parametric data associated with each respective mailpiece collected during sortation of the respective mailpieces on the sorter, and generate a delivery point barcode containing a third unique identifier for each respective mailpiece, wherein

the central processor is configured to combine the respective first, second and third parametric data together with the respective first, second and third unique identifiers for generation of a postal authority report and/or client report.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first unique identifier is selected from one or more of:

an inserter data file (IDF) barcode or sequence number.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the sorter is further configured to:

associate one of the first unique identifiers from a first mailpiece associated with a first mail client and collect third parametric data associated with the first client; and

associate one of the first unique identifiers from a second mailpiece associated with a second mail client and collect third parametric associated with the second client, wherein

the second mailpiece immediately trails the first mailpiece on the sorter.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the sorter does not have to be stopped between sorting of the first and second mailpieces.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the postal authority report categorizes each respective mailpiece by client and associated mailpiece item data.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the information based barcode is an information based indicia (IBI) barcode and the delivery point barcode is an intelligent mail barcode (IMb).

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the association of the first unique identifier in the IBI and the second unique identifier in the IMb, enables tracking of a respective mailpiece in the system each time the IBI or IMb is read.

27. A method of processing a plurality of permit imprinted mailpieces, the method comprising steps of:

by way of a postage device, printing an information based barcode adjacent to the permit imprint on each respective mailpiece, the information based barcode including a first unique identifier for each respective mailpiece;

obtaining first parametric data for each respective mailpiece and associating the first unique identifier and first parametric data for each respective mailpiece;

transferring the first unique identifier and first parametric data for each respective mailpiece from the postage device to a sorter;

during sorting on the sorter, reading each first unique identifier from the information based barcode printed on each respective mailpiece; and

using the read first unique identifier and transferred first parametric data for each respective mailpiece to control at least one aspect of sorter operation.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of:

printing the information based barcode adjacent to a permit imprint on each respective mailpiece.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of:

printing weight category information adjacent to a permit imprint on each respective mailpiece.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the reading step includes:

reading the first unique identifier by way of a image reading device.