Process and apparatus for administering promotional mailings
First Claim
1. A process for preparing multiple individual promotional mailing items based on a plurality of promotions, for mailing to multiple destinations in a manner selected to facilitate mailing the items at a reduced cost, including the steps of:
- storing a plurality of promotion entries, each uniquely associated with one of a plurality of promotions, in a first bit-encoded data storage means, each of said promotion entries including a unique promotion flag and a promotion legend identifier unique to the associated promotion;
loading multiple data entries into a second bit-encoded data storage means, each data entry including a mailing address and one of said promotion flags;
matching the promotion flags to operatively associate said first data storage means and said second data storage means, and adding each of said promotion entries to each of its associated data entries, to form multiple combined entries;
storing the combined entries in a third bit-encoded data storage means;
storing a plurality of account entries in a fourth bit-encoded data storage means, each account entry associated with one of a plurality of checking accounts and further associated with hat least one of said promotions, each account entry including a unique account flag, a checking account number corresponding to the account flag, and drawee information identifying a financial institution in which the checking account is maintained;
assigning a check number to each account entry and incrementing the check number each time its associated account flag is matched to one of its associated data entries;
storing each of said account flags in said first data storage means in connection with each of its associated promotions, and storing a check amount in said second data storage means in connection with each data entry;
assigning a check number to each of said account entries, matching the account flags to operatively associate said third data storage means and said fourth data storage means, thereby too add each of said account entries to each of its associated combined entries, and incrementing the check number each time the associated checking account is matched with one of said combined entries;
sorting said combined entries into sets and subsets independently of said promotion flags, with each of said sets corresponding to one of a plurality of different postal mailing rate classifications, and with each of said subsets corresponding to one of a plurality of different designated postal delivery areas based upon said mailing addresses;
arranging said sets and subsets in a predetermined sequence of said combined entries;
generating a plurality of entry images, one image associated with each of said combined entries, wherein each one of said images includes its associated address, promotion legend, check number, account number, amount and drawee information; and
printing said entry images individually upon pieces of printing stock and in a printing sequence depending upon said predetermined sequence, thereby to form individual printed mailing items, with said mailing items serially arranged to facilitate their grouping into bundles corresponding to said subsets of combined entries.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process is disclosed for merging promotional information, based on multiple requests and relating to different promotions, into a single stream for the printing and mailing of coupons, checks or other promotional items. The requests relating to a particular promotion are matched with an associated promotion control record, with one or more promotions similarly associated with an account control record in the case of preparing checks. Prior to printing, individual data entries for various promotions are combined, and sorted in a sequence predetermined for qualification for various postal rate classifications, thus to minimize the cumulative cost of mailing the entries. Pertinent information associated with each entry is printed on sheets of card stock, each sheet separable into four individual segments to provide four checks or coupons. Prior to printing, the entries are re-sequenced such that eventual severing of the card stock creates stacks or bundles of mailing items arranged in the desired mailing sequence.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A process for preparing multiple individual promotional mailing items based on a plurality of promotions, for mailing to multiple destinations in a manner selected to facilitate mailing the items at a reduced cost, including the steps of:
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storing a plurality of promotion entries, each uniquely associated with one of a plurality of promotions, in a first bit-encoded data storage means, each of said promotion entries including a unique promotion flag and a promotion legend identifier unique to the associated promotion; loading multiple data entries into a second bit-encoded data storage means, each data entry including a mailing address and one of said promotion flags; matching the promotion flags to operatively associate said first data storage means and said second data storage means, and adding each of said promotion entries to each of its associated data entries, to form multiple combined entries; storing the combined entries in a third bit-encoded data storage means; storing a plurality of account entries in a fourth bit-encoded data storage means, each account entry associated with one of a plurality of checking accounts and further associated with hat least one of said promotions, each account entry including a unique account flag, a checking account number corresponding to the account flag, and drawee information identifying a financial institution in which the checking account is maintained; assigning a check number to each account entry and incrementing the check number each time its associated account flag is matched to one of its associated data entries; storing each of said account flags in said first data storage means in connection with each of its associated promotions, and storing a check amount in said second data storage means in connection with each data entry; assigning a check number to each of said account entries, matching the account flags to operatively associate said third data storage means and said fourth data storage means, thereby too add each of said account entries to each of its associated combined entries, and incrementing the check number each time the associated checking account is matched with one of said combined entries; sorting said combined entries into sets and subsets independently of said promotion flags, with each of said sets corresponding to one of a plurality of different postal mailing rate classifications, and with each of said subsets corresponding to one of a plurality of different designated postal delivery areas based upon said mailing addresses; arranging said sets and subsets in a predetermined sequence of said combined entries; generating a plurality of entry images, one image associated with each of said combined entries, wherein each one of said images includes its associated address, promotion legend, check number, account number, amount and drawee information; and printing said entry images individually upon pieces of printing stock and in a printing sequence depending upon said predetermined sequence, thereby to form individual printed mailing items, with said mailing items serially arranged to facilitate their grouping into bundles corresponding to said subsets of combined entries. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6)
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5. The process of claim 5 including the further steps of:
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before operatively associating said third and fifth data storage means, separating said combined entries into primary entries for zip code processing and secondary entries not subject to zip code processing; performing said operations only upon said primary data entries; and following said operations, re-associating said primary and secondary entries.
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7. A process for preparing multiple checks and for arranging the checks in a predetermined sequence to facilitate mailing them to multiple destinations, including the steps of:
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loading multiple data entries into a first bitencoded data storage means, each data entry including a payee name, a payee mailing address, a check amount, and one of a plurality of account flags, each account flag uniquely identifying a checking account maintained in a drawee financial institution; storing a plurality of account entries in a second bit-encoded data storage means, each account entry including one of said account flags, a checking account number and drawee information identifying the associated drawee; sorting said data entries into sets and subsets independently of said account flags, with each of said sets corresponding to one of a plurality of different postal mailing rate classifications, and with each of said subsets corresponding to one of a plurality of different designated postal delivery areas based upon said payee mailing addresses, and arranging said sets and subsets in a predetermined sequence of said data entries; assigning a check number to each of said account entries, matching said account flags to operatively associate said first data storage means and said second data storage means, to add each of said account entries to each of its associated data entries, and incrementing the check number each time the associated checking account is matched with one of said data entries; generating a plurality of entry images, one image associated with each of said data entries, each of said images including its associated payee name, payee mailing address, check amount, check number, account number and drawee information; and printing said entry images individually upon pieces of printing stock and in a printing sequence dependent upon said predetermined sequence, thereby to form individual printed checks, serially arranged to facilitate their grouping into bundles of checks corresponding to said subsets of entries. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for preparing multiple individual promotional items involving a plurality of promotions, for mailing to multiple destinations in a sequence selected to reduce the cost of such mailing, including:
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a first bit--encoded data storage means for storing a plurality of promotion entries, each promotion entry including a promotion flag and a promotion legend unique to one of said promotions; a second bit-encoded data storage means for storing multiple data entries, each data entry including a mailing address and one of said promotion flags; a third bit-encoded data storage means for storing said combined entries; a fourth bit-encoded data storage means for storing a plurality of account entries, each account entry associated with at least one of said promotions and including a checking account number and drawee information identifying a drawee financial institution where a checking account identified by said checking account number is maintained, and wherein each said account number further is stored in said first data storage means in connection with each of its associated promotions; a control means for matching the promotion flags to operatively associate said first data storage means and said second data storage means, thereby to add each of said promotion entries to each of its associated data entries, thus to form multiple combined entries;
said control means further matching said account numbers to operatively associate said third and fourth data storage means, thereby too add each of said account entries to each of its associated combined entries;a first sorting means operatively associated with said control means and third data storage means, for sorting said combined entries into sets and subsets, with each of said sets corresponding to one of a plurality of different postal mailing weight classifications, and with each of said subsets corresponding to one of a plurality of different designated postal delivery areas based upon said mailing addresses, and further for arranging said sets and subsets in a predetermined sequence of said combined entries; image generating means operatively associated with said control means and said third data storage means, for generating a plurality of entry images, one image associated with each of said combined entries, each of said images including the mailing address and promotion legend of its associated combined entry; a second sorting means operatively associated with said control means and third storage means for arranging said entry images in a printing sequence dependent upon said predetermined sequence; and a printing means for printing said entry images upon printing stock according to said printing sequence to form multiple mailing items, serially arranged to facilitate their collection into bundles corresponding to said subsets. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus for preparing multiple checks and for arranging the checks in a predetermined sequence to facilitate mailing them to multiple destinations, including:
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a first bit-encoded data storage means for storing multiple data entries, each data entry including a payee name, a payee mailing address, a check amount, and one of a plurality of account flags, each account flag identifying a checking account maintained in a drawee financial institution; a second bit-encoded data storage means for storing a plurality of account entries, each account entry including one of said account flags, a checking account number and drawee information identifying the associated drawee; a control means for matching said account flags to operatively associate said first data storage means and said second data storage means, thus to add each of said account entries to each of its associated data entries, and a check number generating means operatively associated with said control means, for assigning a check number to each said amended data entry corresponding to the associated account number, and for incrementing the check number associated with each of said checking accounts each time the associated checking account is matched with one of said data entries; a first sorting means operatively associated with said first control means for sorting said data entries into sets of different postal mailing rate classifications, and into subsets of different designated postal delivery areas, based upon said payee mailing addresses, and arranging said sets and subsets in a predetermined sequence of said data entries; an image generating means operatively associated with said control means, for generating a plurality of entry images, one image associated with each of said data entries, each of said images including its associated payee name, payee mailing address, check amount, check number, account number and drawee information; and a printing means for printing said entry images upon printing stock according to a printing sequence corresponding to said predetermined sequence, to form a multiplicity of individual printed checks, serially arranged to facilitate their grouping into bundles of checks corresponding to said subsets of entries. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification