Mailing system

• US 5,963,927 A
• Filed: 01/30/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neopost Ltd (Quadient SA)
• Original Assignee: Neopost Ltd (Quadient SA)
• Inventors: Herbert, Raymond John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/792,429
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 29/592, 340/531, 340/539, 340/825.54, 342/44, 361/749, 364/478.13, 364/478.14, 705/401, 705/410
• US Class Current: 705/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• 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 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder

Abstract

A mail item is disclosed comprising a cover for carrying contents and formed of flexible electrically insulating material. The cover acts as a substrate on which semi-conductor elements and electrical connections are formed or deposited. The electronic circuit comprises semi-conductor elements interconnected to provide at least a memory and an interface to said memory and electrical connections are formed to be flexible. Mail handling apparatus is disclosed for communicating with the interface of the mail item and for writing information to and reading information from the memory via the interface.

Claims

1. A mail item including an envelope;

said envelope being formed of a substrate of flexible electrically insulating material;

an electronic circuit;

said electronic circuit comprising at least first and second semi-conductor elements and conductive tracks interconnecting said first and second semi-conductor elements;

said semi-conductor elements and said conductive tracks being deposited on said substrate of flexible electrically insulating material;

said semi-conductor elements and said conductive tracks being flexible to enable flexing of the mail item;

said electronic circuit including at least a memory for storage of postal information relating to the mail item and an interface for external communication with said memory.

2. A mail item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible electrically insulating material comprises a polymer.

3. A mail item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible electrically insulating material comprises polyester.

4. A mail item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the semi-conductor elements comprise polymer semi-conductor material deposited on the substrate of flexible electrically insulating material.

5. A mail item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic circuit includes data processing means connected by the conductive tracks to the memory and to the interface.

6. A mail item as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interface provides contactless external communication with the electronic circuit.

7. An article for use as a mail item including a flexible cover;

said flexible cover being formed of a substrate of flexible electrically insulating material;

an electronic circuit;

said electronic circuit comprising at least first and second semi-conductor elements and conductive tracks interconnecting said first and second semi-conductor elements;

said semi-conductor elements and said conductive tracks being deposited on said substrate of flexible electrically insulating material;

said semi-conductor elements and said conductive tracks being flexible to enable flexing of the mail item;

said electronic circuit including at least a memory for storage of postal information relating to the mail item and an interface for external communication with said memory.

8. A mail item including an envelope;

said envelope being formed of a substrate of flexible electrically insulating material;

an electronic circuit;

said electronic circuit comprising at least first and second semi-conductor elements and conductive tracks interconnecting said first and second semi-conductor elements;

said semi-conductor elements comprising flexible semi-conductor material deposited on said substrate of flexible electrically conductive material and said conductive tracks comprising flexible electrically conductive material deposited on said substrate of flexible electrically insulating material;

said electronic circuit including at least a memory for storage of postal information relating to the mail item and an interface for external communication with said memory.