Method of outsorting return to sender mail using an incoming mail sorting apparatus

• US 6,740,835 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Daniels, Edward P. Jr., Gottlieb, Robert K., Steinmetz, John H, Mallozzi, Joseph D
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US09/996,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 209/584, 209/583, 209/900, 700/223-226
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

The an embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a mailpiece sorting apparatus including an addressee database and a state/ZIP Code list generated from the addressee database. Mailpieces for which the addressee cannot be determined are processed using ZIP Code and/or State information read from the mailpiece. The state/ZIP Code information read from the mailpiece is compared to the state/ZIP Code list to determine if there is a match. If there is not match, the mailpiece is sorted to a “return to sender” bin.

Claims

1. A method of sorting mailpieces using a mailpiece sorting apparatus, the mailpiece sorting apparatus comprising a control system, memory devices and an addressee database, the method comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining addressee information and address information for an addressee from a mailpiece using the mailpiece sorting apparatus;

b. comparing information obtained from the mailpiece to addressee and address information from the addressee database in an attempt to determine the addressee of the mailpiece;

c. determining whether address information was determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information if the addressee can not be determined in step b;

d. comparing the address information with information from the addressee database if the address information was determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information;

e. delivering the mailpiece to a return to sender bin if address information compared to information from the addressee database does not match information in the addressee database;

f. storing information about the number of mailpieces sent to the return to sender bin;

g. determining a sender for each of the mailpieces sent to the return to sender bin; and

h. compiling statistical information regarding the number of mailpieces attributable to each of the senders determined in step g.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein in step b the address information is a ZIP Code.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the address information is a state.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the address information is geographic information regarding the location of the addressee.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the address information is ZIP Code and state information.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein in step d the Zip Code is first compared to the address information from the addressee database if the ZIP Code was determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information and if the ZIP Code was not determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information, then the State is compared to the address information from the addressee database.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

i. calculating sorting costs for return to sender mailpieces attributable to each of the senders determined in step g using statistical information compiled in step h.

8. A method of sorting mailpieces using a mailpiece sorting apparatus, the mailpiece sorting apparatus comprising a control system, memory devices and an addressee database, the method comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining addressee information including state and ZIP Code information for an addressee from a mailpiece using the mailpiece sorting apparatus;

b. creating a state/ZIP Code list from the addressee database;

c. comparing addressee information obtained from the mailpiece to addressee and address information from the addressee database in an attempt to determine the addressee of the mailpiece;

d. comparing information obtained from the mailpiece to addressee and address information from the addressee database to determine whether the addressee can be determined;

e. determining if the ZIP code information for the addressee was determined with an level of confidence indicative of correct information if the addressee was not determined in step d;

f. delivering the mailpiece to a return to sender bin if the ZIP Code is not in state/ZIP Code list created from the addressee database;

g. determining if the state information for the addressee was determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information if the ZIP Code was not determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information in step e;

h. determining if the state is in the state/ZIP Code list created from the addressee database if the state information for the addressee was determined with a level of confidence indicative of correct information;

i. delivering the mailpiece to a reject bin if in step i the state is in the state/ZIP Code list created from the addressee database;

j. delivering the mailpiece to a return to sender bin if the state is not in state/ZIP Code list created from the addressee database;

k. storing information about the number of mailpieces sent to the return to sender bin;

l. determining a sender for each of the mailpieces sent to the return to sender bin; and

m. compiling statistical information regarding the number of mailpieces attributable to each of the senders determined in step 1.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising the step of:

n. calculating sorting costs for return to sender mailpieces attributable to each of the senders determined in step l using statistical information compiled in step m.