System and method for selecting optional inserts with optimal value in an inserting machine

• US 5,367,450 A
• Filed: 12/21/1992
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Pintsov, Leon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/993,753
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/466, 364/478, 364/402, 364/464.03, 270/58, 53/502, 53/54, 53/154
• US Class Current: 705/7.37
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/00 Measures preceding sorting according to destination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change

Abstract

A method of making a selection of optional enclosures for a mailpiece including required enclosures. The method comprises the steps of assigning to each of the optional enclosures a weight, a cost and a benefit, creating a list of the potential compositions of the mailpiece, the list including a total of 2ⁿ combinations of the optional enclosures, where n equals the number of optional enclosures, computing a total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, computing a value of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, the value being any computable function of the benefit and the cost of each optional enclosure included in each of the potential compositions, and selecting from one of the potential compositions based on the one having the optimal value.

Claims

1. A method of making a selection of optional enclosures for a mailpiece including required enclosures, comprising the steps of:

assigning to each of the optional enclosures a weight, a cost and a benefit;

creating a list of potential compositions of the mailpiece, the potential compositions including a total of 2ⁿ combinations of the optional enclosures, where n equals the number of optional enclosures;

computing a total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions;

computing an incremental cost of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, said incremental cost including the cost of each optional enclosure included in each of the potential compositions and a postage amount based on the total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions;

computing a value of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, the value being a computable function of the benefit and the incremental cost of each of the potential compositions;

selecting from the potential compositions the one providing an optimal value to determine which of the optional enclosures are to be included in the mailpiece; and

using an inserting machine to assemble the mailpiece with the selected optional enclosures.

2. In a mailing system of the type having a processing means operable for selecting individual ones of a plurality of enclosure feeding stations for feeding optional enclosures contained therein for insertion in a mailpiece, the improvement comprising;

means for entering enclosure related data into the processing means, said data including a weight, a cost and a benefit for each type of the optional enclosures;

means for creating a list in the processing means of potential compositions of the mailpiece, the potential compositions including a total of 2ⁿ combinations of the optional enclosures, where n equals the number of optional enclosures;

means for computing in the processing means a total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions;

means for computing in the processing means an incremental cost of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, said incremental cost including the cost of each optional enclosure included in each of the potential compositions and a postage amount based on the total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions;

means for computing in the processing means a value of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, the value being a computable function of the benefit and the incremental cost of each of the potential compositions; and

means for selecting from one of the potential compositions based on the one having an optimal value wherein the individual ones of the plurality of enclosure feeding stations are selected by said means for selecting based on the selected one of the potential compositions.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein the means for computing said value of the mailpiece includes subtracting the cost from the benefit of each optional enclosure included in each of the potential compositions.

4. A method of optimizing an entire mail run comprising the steps of:

entering the weight of each non-optional enclosure;

entering for each optional enclosure a weight, a cost and a benefit;

creating a list of the potential compositions for each of the mailpieces in the mail run, the potential compositions including a total of 2ⁿ combinations of the optional enclosures for each of the mailpieces, where n equals the number of optional enclosures;

computing a total weight for each of the potential compositions for each of the mailpieces in the mail run;

computing an array of postage entries including postage for each of the potential compositions for each of the mailpieces in the mail run;

computing an array of all possible compositions of the mail run;

computing a list of potential values of the mail runs by computing a value for each of the potential combinations of mailpieces in the mail run;

selecting an optimal value from the list of values to determine the selection of optional enclosures for each of the mailpieces of the mail run for providing an optimal composition of the mail run; and

using an inserting machine to assemble the mailpieces with the selected optional enclosures.

5. A method of selectively determining which ones of a plurality of different enclosure types are to be provided by a mailing system for inclusion within a mailpiece, the system comprising a processing means operable at least for having enclosure related data therein and also for selectively activating individual ones of a plurality of enclosure feeding stations for feeding individual ones of an enclosure type contained therein, the method comprising the steps of:

entering into the processing means data indicative of a weight, a cost and a benefit for each of the optional enclosures;

generating in the processing means a list of potential compositions of the mailpiece;

determining in the processing means a total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions;

determining an incremental cost of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, said incremental cost including a postage amount based on the total weight of the mailpiece for each of the potential combinations;

determining a value of the mailpiece for each of the potential compositions, the value being a function of the benefit and the cost of each optional enclosure included in each of the potential compositions; and

selecting from the potential compositions the one providing the optimal value wherein the individual ones of the plurality of enclosure feeding stations are selected based on the selected one of the potential compositions.