Publication personalization
First Claim
1. A method of forming a book, having a cover adapted to receive address information, from a plurality of signatures, comprising the steps of automatically:
- (a) printing at least one personalized signature with variable, detectable, personalized printing;
(b) assembling the personalized signature with at least one other signature;
(c) detecting the detectable personalized printing on the personalized signature; and
(d) in response to (c), printing address information on the cover.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus provide for the personalization of magazines and like "book" publications. A book, having a cover which provides address information, is formed from a number of signatures. This is accomplished by automatically printing at least one personalized signature with variable personalized printing (such as by ion deposition), assembling the personalized signature with at least one other signature, detecting the personalized printing on the personalized signature (as by optically scanning OCR characters), and in response to such detecting, printing address information on the cover. The personalized printing can be the addressee'"'"'s name, photograph, or identification number. The personalized signature may be assembled with other business documents, such as a business reply envelope, and may be perfed to provide a return form. Alternatively, complete address information may be printed on the signature and a die cut window formed in the cover, through which the address information is visible once the book is assembled. All of the books having address information with common postal codes are produced in a sequence--regardless of the demographic form of the signature that has been personalized--so as to maximize the chances for securing a minimum postal rate.
81 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of forming a book, having a cover adapted to receive address information, from a plurality of signatures, comprising the steps of automatically:
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(a) printing at least one personalized signature with variable, detectable, personalized printing; (b) assembling the personalized signature with at least one other signature; (c) detecting the detectable personalized printing on the personalized signature; and (d) in response to (c), printing address information on the cover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of forming a book, having a cover adapted to receive address information, from a plurality of signatures, comprising the steps of automatically:
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(a) printing at least a first signature having specific demographic appeal in a plurality of different types of forms, each type of form having different demographic appeal than the others; (b) assembling the first signature with at least a second signature, to form a book; (c) correlating said plurality of different types of forms to address information in a data base with common postal codes; (d) assembling in sequence the books with common postal code address information to be applied thereto regardless of type of first signature forms, so as to obtain the greatest chance for the lowest possible postal rate; and (e) printing address information on the cover of each book so that each addressee has a book with a first signature of desired demographic appeal; steps (a)-(e) being practiced by printing personalized indicia on the first signatures, detecting the personalized indicia, and printing address information on the cover corresponding to the personalized indicia detected. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. Apparatus for forming books having a cover adapted to receive address information, from a plurality of signatures, comprising:
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(a) means for printing at least one personalized signature with variable personalized printing; (b) means for assembling the personalized signature with at least one other signature; (c) means for detecting the personalized printing on the personalized signature; and (d) means for, in response to (c), printing address information on the cover. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification