System for generating machine readable codes to facilitate routing of correspondence using automatic mail sorting apparatus

• US 5,291,002 A
• Filed: 05/17/1993
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Z Mark International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Z Mark International, Inc.
• Inventors: Nespoli, Oscar G., Agnew, Edward G. K., Mohaupt, Udo H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/062,648
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 209/3, 209/3.2, 209/3.3, 209/583, 209/584, 209/900, 364/464.02, 235/375, 235/432, 235/454, 235/462, 235/475, 235/476, 235/479
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 3/02 Translating markings on a record carrier into printed data on the same record carrier, i.e. interpreting
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00491 Mail/envelope/insert handling system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

The method of the present invention is intended to facilitate routing of correspondence to a destination address by automatic mail sorting apparatus comprising the steps:

(a) marking a letter with an easily machine readable first code corresponding to the human readable postal code of the destination address;

(b) stuffing the letter into a window envelope such that the first code is positioned within the window;

(c) machine reading the first code within the window; and

(d) printing a machine readable second code corresponding to the first code and the human readable postal code of the destination address in the location and format utilized by a particular automatic mail sorting apparatus such that the envelope is suitable for processing by the apparatus. The apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyor track for passing window envelopes through a read station and a print station. At the read station, an optical sensor reads the first code, in the form of printed marks signifying the postal code, through the window, the information being passed to a computer. At the print station, the second code, in the form of fluorescent or other marks are placed on the envelope, as instructed by the computer.

Claims

1. A method of encoding correspondence bearing a human readable postal code to facilitate routing of the correspondence to a destination address by automatic mail sorting apparatus adapted to use a particular location and format for the destination address, said method comprising the steps:

(a) marking a letter with an easily machine readable first code, said first code being generated from and corresponding to the human readable postal code of the destination address;

(b) stuffing the letter into a window envelope such that the first code is positioned within the window;

(c) machine reading the first code within the window;

(d) printing a machine readable second code corresponding to the first code in the human readable postal code of the destination address in the location and format utilized by the particular automatic mail sorting apparatus such that the envelope is suitable for processing by the apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first code is a bar code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first code includes a parity element providing a parity check for indicating a valid first code and wherein, said parity element is checked in step (c) when reading the first code and if the parity element of the machine read first code on an envelope is invalid, a reject signal is generated for identifying the envelope for later separation from the envelopes bearing valid first codes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second codes are generated using the same encoding and printing format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reading of the first code and the printing of the second code are carried out as the envelope and letter are carried along an envelope path by a conveyor through a reading and printing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first code is printed on the letter in conventional black ink simultaneously with the destination address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second code is printed on the envelope in fluorescent ink.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second code is printed by a pair of dot matrix printers, one printer printing a lower portion of the code, and the second printer printing an upper portion of the code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first code is marked on the letter in a location proximate to the destination address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first code is read by an optical sensor, which is effective to produce a series of electrical signals in accordance with said code, which signals are arranged into a sequence of spaced pulses, and the second code is printed by a printer in the form of spaced apart marks in sequence in accordance with the pulses originating from the optical sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the displacement of envelopes on the envelope path is monitored and is transduced into electrical signals corresponding to the displacement of the envelopes and these electrical signals are correlated with the electrical signals from the optical sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing of the electrical signals generated by the optical sensor are disabled until after the leading edge of the window of an envelope has passed the optical sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the window through which the first code is read is pressed against the letter during reading of the code.

14. A method of encoding correspondence bearing a human readable postal code to facilitate routing of the correspondence to a destination address by automatic mail sorting apparatus, said method comprising the steps:

(a) marking a piece of mail with an easily machine readable first code, said first code being generated from and corresponding to the human readable postal code of the destination address;

(b) machine reading the first code; and

(c) printing a machine readable second code corresponding to the first code and the human readable postal code of the destination address in a location and format utilized by the particular automatic mail sorting apparatus.

15. An apparatus for printing coding markings on an envelope, in accordance with machine readable pre-printed marks relating to a human readable destination address on an item of correspondence, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a read station and a print station, and a conveyor for transporting the envelope there between, along a conveyor line;

(b) means for determining displacement of the envelope along said conveyor line and for producing signals indicative of said displacement;

(c) said read station including an optical sensor, which is effective to produce a series of electrical signals in response to reading the machine readable pre-printed marks;

(d) computing means coupled to said read and print stations, which accepts said signals of displacement of the envelope through said stations and controls said read and print stations;

(e) means for transmitting said electrical signals from said optical sensor to the computing means;

(f) means for producing a sequence of spaced pulses from said electrical signals, said computing means transmitting said pulses to said print station;

(g) said print station including at least one signal-control printer, which, during normal operation of the apparatus, remains at a fixed print-point at said print station;

(h) and said printer being effective to print a marking on the envelope as the envelope passes said print-point, and to print a series of such marking son the passing envelope in spaced-apart sequence in accordance with said pulses received from said computing means;

(i) said means for determining displacement of the envelope including a print station displacement counter at said print station, and a read station displacement counter at said read station, each of said displacement counters being coupled to said computing means and generating said signal indicative of the displacement of a passing envelope relative to each respective station, and said computing means utilizing said displacements for controlling said read and print stations;

(j) each of said displacement counters comprising a transducer, said transducers producing said signals corresponding to the displacement of a passing envelope, and said computing means including means for correlating said displacement signals with said electrical signals received from said optical sensor, the correlation such as to insure that the spacing and positioning of the coding marking sprinted by said printer correspond to the pre-printed marks as read by said optical sensor;

(k) wherein the envelope has a window, and the pre-printed marks are upon the item of correspondence readable through the window, and the window has a leading edge; and

(l) the apparatus includes means for disabling said electrical signals produced by said optical sensor, in respect of a particular passing envelope, until after the leading edge of the window of that envelope has passed said optical sensor.

16. An apparatus for printing coding markings on an envelope in accordance with machine readable pre-printed marks relating to a human readable destination address on an item of correspondence, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a read station and a print station, and a conveyor for transporting the envelope there between, along a conveyor line;

(b) means for determining displacement of the envelope along said conveyor line means and for producing signals indicative of said displacement;

(c) said read station including an optical sensor, which is effective to produce a series of electrical signals in response to reading the machine readable pre-printed marks;

(d) computing means coupled to said read and print stations, which accepts said signals of displacement of the envelope through the stations, and controls said read and print stations;

(e) means for transmitting said electrical signals from said optical sensor to said computing means;

(f) means for generating a sequence of spaced pulses from said electrical signals and said computing means transmitting said pulses to said print station;

(g) said print station including at least one signal-control printer, which, during normal operation of the apparatus, remains at a fixed print-point at said print station;

(h) said printer being effective to print a marking on the envelope as the envelope passes said print-point, and to print a series of such markings on the passing envelope in spaced-apart sequence in accordance with the pulses received from said computing means;

(i) wherein the envelope has a window and the window includes a pane of transparent material, through which the pre-printed marks are readable;

(j) during normal operation of the apparatus, said optical sensor remains at a read point at said read station the read point being fixed in the longitudinal sense relative to said conveyor line;

(k) said read station includes means for compressing a zone of the pane of transparent material against the item of correspondence; and

(l) said compressed zone comprises at least that portion of the pane that lies momentarily at the read point as the envelope passes the read point.

17. Apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

said means for compressing the read zone comprises a resilient slipper, which is mounted for engagement directly with the pane;

the resilient slipper comprises a length of springy sheet material;

and the material is curved, the convex side of the curve being in engagement directly with the pane.

18. Apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

said slipper is provided with a hole, through which the markings on the correspondence are visible to said optical sensor;

and the hole is, in substance, small, whereby glare and reflections from the pane are minimized.

19. An apparatus for printing coding markings on an envelope in accordance with machine readable pre-printed marks relating to a human readable destination address on an time of correspondence, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a read station and a print station, and a conveyor for transporting the envelope there between, along conveyor line;

(b) means for determining displacement of the envelope along said conveyor lien and for producing signals indicative of said displacement;

(c) said read station including an optical sensor, which is effective to produce a series of electrical signals in response to reading the machine readable pre-printed marks;

(d) computing means coupled to said read and print stations, which accepts said signals of displacement of the envelope through said stations, and controls said read and print stations;

(e) means for transmitting said electrical signals from said optical sensor to said computing means;

(f) means for producing a sequence of spaced pulses from said electrical signals, said computing means transmitting said pulses to said print station;

(g) said print station including at least one signal-control printer, which, during normal operation of the apparatus, remains at a fixed print-point at said print station;

(h) said printer being effective to print a marking on the envelope as the envelope passes said print-point, and to print a series of such markings on the passing envelope in spaced-apart sequence in accordance with the pulses received from said computing means;

(i) wherein the apparatus includes a fixed conveyor trays, the arrangement being such that as the envelope runs on the tray, the pre-printed marks facing upwards;

(j) said optical sensor is positioned above the tray;

(k) the apparatus includes means for mounting said optical sensor for up/down movement; and

(l) the apparatus includes means for raising said optical sensor, said means for raising being operatively responsive to the presence of an envelope passing along the tray.

20. Apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

said means for raising said optical sensor includes a bearing means which is engageable with the passing envelope;

the bearing means is, in substance, rigid with respect to the optical sensor;

the bearing means is so positioned in the apparatus that the optical sensor is raised by the passing envelope well before the said margins pass under the optical sensor.

21. Apparatus of claim 19, wherein said means for mounting the optical sensor includes means for aligning the optical sensor at a constant vertical orientation independent of any upward and downward movement.

22. Apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for aligning the optical sensor comprises a parallelogram linkage.

23. An apparatus for printing coding marking son an envelope in accordance with machine readable pre-printed marks relating to a human readable destination address on an item of correspondence, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a read station and a print station, and a conveyor for transporting the envelope there between, along a conveyor line;

(b) means for determining displacement of the envelope along said conveyor line and for producing signals indicative of said displacement;

(c) said read station including an optical sensor, which is effective to produce a series of electrical signals in response to reading the machine readable pre-printed marks;

(d) computing means coupled to said read and print stations, which accepts said signal of displacement of the envelope through said stations and controls said read and print stations;

(e) means for transmitting said electrical signals from said optical sensor to said computing means;

(f) means for producing a sequence of spaced pulses from said electrical signal, said computing means transmitting said pulses to said print station;

(g) said print station including at least on signal-control printer, which, during normal operation of the apparatus, remains at a fixed print-point at said print station;

(h) said printer being effective to print a marking on the envelope as the envelope passes said print-point, and to print a series of such markings on the passing envelope in spaced-apart sequence in accordance with the pulses received from said computing means;

(i) means for applying tension to the passing envelope, as the envelope passes through said read station;

(j) said means for applying tension comprising two separate drive means for conveying the envelope through the apparatus, positioned on leading and one trailing with respect to said read station, said leading drive means being operated at a slower speed than said trailing drive means.