SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ELECTRONIC AND PHYSICAL MAIL CATEGORIZATION AND TARGETED DELIVERY
First Claim
1. A method of processing items to be delivered, the method comprising:
- receiving data indicative of addressing information from a source associated with the item to be delivered;
generating a hash value based on the received data;
searching for the hash value in a database stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database associates at least one hash value indicative of character data with a delivery address associated with the character data;
identifying a delivery address for the item based on the searching; and
applying indicia of the delivery address to the item.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments include systems and methods of a service that allows hard copy and electronic media customers to proactively specify, across a broad range of categories, the hard copy mail and/or electronic media mail that they would or would not like to receive. Embodiments include methods and systems configured to allow customers of delivery services to customize the flow of physical items such as hard copy or other letters or parcels, for delivery or electronic media mail from mailers based on highly specific customer-designated criteria. The delivery service acts as a trusted third party to serve as the intermediary between the recipient of the items and mailers to provide privacy and manage a repository for a customer-selected criteria database. In addition, one embodiment provides verification and/or identification that mail being sent meets the customer'"'"'s designated criteria.
64 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of processing items to be delivered, the method comprising:
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receiving data indicative of addressing information from a source associated with the item to be delivered; generating a hash value based on the received data; searching for the hash value in a database stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database associates at least one hash value indicative of character data with a delivery address associated with the character data; identifying a delivery address for the item based on the searching; and applying indicia of the delivery address to the item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for processing items to be delivered, the system comprising:
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a computer readable medium configured to store a database that associates at least one hash value indicative of character data with a delivery address associated with the character data; at least one processor configured to; receive data indicative of addressing information from the item to be delivered; generate a hash value based on the received data; search for the hash value in the database; identify a delivery address for the item based on the searching; and provide indicia of the delivery address associated with the item, the delivery address to be applied to the item for delivery. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for processing items to be delivered, the system comprising:
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a computer readable medium in communication with a database that associates at least one hash value indicative of address information with delivery preferences associated with the address information; at least one processor configured to; receive data indicative of addressing information from a surface associated with an item to be delivered; generate a hash value based the received data; search for the hash value in a database stored on a computer readable medium; identify delivery preference information for the item based on the searching; and provide delivery instructions for the item based on the identified delivery preference information. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of processing items to be delivered, the method comprising:
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receiving from a user a list of data indicative of addressing information; receiving at least one user criteria for filtering the list; generating a hash value based on the received data; searching for the hash value in a database stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database associates at least one hash value indicative of character data with a delivery address associated with the character data; accessing delivery preferences for the hash value from the database; filtering the list based on the user criteria; identifying a delivery address for the item based on the searching; and providing to the user, a revised list of data indicative of addressing information wherein the revised list is based on at least the filtering. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of setting user-defined preferences for receiving communications, the method comprising:
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receiving data indicative of delivery preferences from a user associated with a delivery address; associating the data indicative of delivery preferences with the delivery address; generating a representation of the data in a form such that the represented data is unidentifiable to an unauthorized party; storing the representation of the data in a preferences database; and evaluating at least a portion of the preferences that the user has defined and processing the communication in accordance with the user-defined preferences. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A system for defining user preferences for items to be received, the system comprising:
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a computer readable medium configured to store a database that associates at least one customer-defined delivery preference for each delivery address; at least one processor configured to; receive data indicative of delivery preferences; receive data indicative of an address associated with the delivery preferences; generate a representation of the data in a form such that the represented data is unidentifiable to an unauthorized party; store the representation of the data in a preferences database stored on a computer readable medium; and
.evaluate at least a portion of the preferences that the user has defined and processing the communication in accordance with the user-defined preferences. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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Specification