Interactive process for applying or printing information on letters or parcels

• US 5,819,241 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Joshua J. Reiter
• Inventors: Reiter, Joshua J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/863,631
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 705/401, 705/408
• US Class Current: 705/408
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4311 Making personalised books or mail packets according to personal, geographic or demographic data
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00161 from a central, non-user location, e.g. for updating rates or software, or for refilling funds
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00604 Printing of advert or logo
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00725 Reading symbols, e.g. OCR

Abstract

A computer system for providing commercial advertisements, messages, coupons, or other types of information on letters, parcels, and other written communications to a receiver of the letter, parcel, or other written communications includes a processor coupled to the letter or parcel delivery network. The processor is configured to print or apply messages on letters or packages and to gather statistics regarding actions performed by the receivers of the communications; the processor is further configured to process the statistics to generate user data and to provide commercial advertisements to the receivers of letters and packages based on user data. The system also includes a processor coupled to the delivery network, and is configured to send advertisements to an apparatus to print or apply them on appropriate, targeted letters or packages during any of the phases of letter or parcel delivery, and to gather statistics regarding actions performed by the user. The processor will be configured to process statistics and to generate user data. The processor will further be configured to provide commercial advertisements to the user based on user data. The system is also used to calculate postage and apply postage indications to the letters or parcels.

Claims

1. A process for handling mail comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a database having data and targeted information therein;

(b) reading recipient data from a piece of mail;

(c) comparing the recipient data with the data in the database to determine if there is a match;

(d) if there is a match, applying targeted information to the piece of mail; and

(e) updating the database to reflect the results of step (c).

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said database further comprises non-application data of recipients on whose mail information is not to be applied, and wherein said step (d) is skipped, when there is a match with non-application data.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises printing targeted information on said piece of mail.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises attaching a removable coupon to said piece of mail.

5. A process according to claim 1, further comprising the step, after said step (b) of calculating postage based on said recipient data and applying postage data to said piece of mail.

6. A process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reading sender data from a piece of mail, and wherein step (c) further comprises comparing sender data with data in the database to determine whether there is a match.

7. A process according to claim 6, wherein said database further comprises non-application data of senders and/or recipients on whose mail information is not to be applied, and wherein said step (d) is skipped, when there is a match with non-application data.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein said database further comprises non-targeted information, and wherein the process further comprises, after step (c), if there is no match, the step of applying non-targeted information to the piece of mail.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein said database further comprises non-application data of recipients on whose mail information is not to be applied, and wherein said step (d) is skipped, when there is a match with non-application data.

10. A process according to claim 8, further comprising the step, after said step (b) of calculating postage based on said recipient data and applying postage data to said piece of mail.

11. A postage handling system, comprising:

a reading device, for reading recipient data from a piece of mail;

a memory device containing a database, wherein said database contains data and targeted information;

a processor for processing data, operationally connected to the reading device and the memory device; and

an applicator device operationally connected to the processor for applying targeted information to the piece of mail upon instructions from the processor;

wherein the processor is programmed to compare recipient data read from the piece of mail with data in the database, to instruct the applicator device to apply targeted information to the piece of mail when the recipient data matches the data in the data base, and to update the data in the database with a result of the comparison of recipient data with data in the database.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said data base further comprises non-application data of recipients on whose mail information is not to be applied, and wherein said processor is programmed not to instruct said applicator device to apply targeted information to said piece of mail when there is a match between recipient data and non-application data.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein said applicator device is a printer.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein said applicator device is a device for attaching a removable coupon.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate postage based on said recipient data, and to instruct said applicator device to apply a postage indication to said piece of mail.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein said reading device further reads sender data from said piece of mail, and said processor is further programmed to compare sender data with data in the database, and to instruct the applicator device to apply targeted information to the piece of mail when the sender data matches the data in the data base, and to update the data in the database with a result of the comparison of sender data with data in the database.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said data base further comprises non-application data of recipients or senders on whose mail information is not to be applied, and wherein said processor is programmed not to instruct said applicator device to apply targeted information to said piece of mail when there is a match between recipient data or sender data and non-application data.

18. A system according to claim 11, wherein said database further comprises non-targeted information, and said processor is further programmed to apply non-targeted information to the piece of mail when there is no match between the recipient data and the data in the database.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said data base further comprises non-application data of recipients on whose mail information is not to be applied, and wherein said processor is programmed not to instruct said applicator device to apply targeted or non-targeted information to said piece of mail when there is a match between recipient data and non-application data.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate postage based on said recipient data, and to instruct said applicator device to apply a postage indication to said piece of mail.