Method and system for automated document processing

• US 6,775,590 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Pintsov, Leon A., Brand, Patrick M., Cordery, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US10/310,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 700/223, 700/224, 700/225, 700/226, 209/564, 209/583, 209/584, 209/902, 209/900
• US Class Current: 700/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A business reply mail piece and associated processing system that allows information contained within business reply mail to be scanned and interpreted before the business reply mail reaches its ultimate destination is provided. A machine-readable block of control information that instructs computer-driven actuators what to do with the business reply mail document itself, its digital image (or parts of thereof) and the data elements contained in the document, based on selections made by the recipient, is provided on the business reply mail piece. A scanner module scans the business reply mail piece to read the selection made by the recipient and the corresponding instructions from the block of control information. A control module interprets the data to provide instructions for the processing of the business reply mail piece based on the recipient'"'"'s selection.

Claims

1. A business reply mail processing system comprising:

a scanner module to read a business reply mail piece, the business reply mail piece including a plurality of selection areas, each of the plurality of selection areas being associated with a respective option available to a recipient, and control information including a plurality of processing instructions for the business reply mail piece, each of the plurality of processing instructions corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of selection areas; and

a control module in operative communication with the scanner module, the control module receiving information read from the business reply mail piece by the scanner module and determining, based on an option selected by the recipient as indicated by a mark made by the recipient in one of the plurality of selection areas, the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient that should be executed for processing the business reply mail piece.

2. The business reply mail processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator module operatively coupled to the control module, wherein the control module, upon execution of the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions that should be executed, provides instructions to the actuator module for processing of the business reply mail piece.

3. The business reply mail processing system of claim 2, wherein the instructions provided to the actuator module from the control module include an instruction to divert the business reply mail piece from a normal processing path.

4. The business reply mail processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit operatively coupled to the control module, wherein the control module, upon execution of the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions that should be executed, electronically sends at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece to a remote processing system via the communication unit.

5. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein an address of the remote processing system is obtained from the control information.

6. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes an image of the business reply mail piece.

7. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes the option selected by the recipient.

8. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein the control module electronically sends a self-identifier along with the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece.

9. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein the control module electronically sends an indication when the business reply mail piece was scanned.

10. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes an identification of the business reply mail piece.

11. The business reply mail processing system of claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes an identification of the recipient.

12. The business reply mail processing system of claim 11, wherein the identification of the recipient includes an account number associated with the recipient.

13. The business reply mail processing system of claim 12, wherein the account number is for a payment account.

14. The business reply mail processing system of claim 12, wherein the account number is for a credit card account.

15. A business reply mail processing system comprising:

a scanner module to obtain an image of a business reply mail piece, the business reply mail piece including a plurality of selection areas, each of the plurality of selection areas being associated with a respective option available to a recipient, and control information including a plurality of processing instructions for the business reply mail piece, each of the plurality of processing instructions corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of selection areas; and

a control module in operative communication with the scanner module, the control module using the image of the business reply mail piece obtained by the scanner module and determining, based on an option selected by the recipient indicated by a mark made by the recipient in one of the plurality of selection areas, the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient that should be executed for processing the business reply mail piece.

16. The business reply mail processing system of claim 15, further comprising:

a communication unit operatively coupled to the control module, wherein the control module, upon execution of the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions that should be executed, electronically sends at least a portion of data obtained from the image of the business reply mail piece to a remote processing system via the communication unit.

17. A method of processing a business reply mail piece comprising:

scanning the business reply mail piece, the business reply mail piece including a plurality of selection areas, each of the plurality of selection areas being associated with a respective option available to a recipient, and control information including a plurality of processing instructions for the business reply mail piece, each of the plurality of processing instructions corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of selection areas;

determining an option selected by the recipient as indicated by a mark made by the recipient in one of the plurality of selection areas;

determining, based on the option selected by the recipient, the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient that should be executed for processing the business reply mail piece; and

performing the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein scan the business rely mail piece further comprises:

scanning the control information to obtain information related to a location of the plurality of selection areas on the business reply mail piece; and

scanning the location of the plurality of selection areas.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining, based on the option selected by the recipient, the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient that should be executed for processing the business reply mail piece further comprises:

decrypting at least a portion of the control information.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

obtaining information related to evidence of postage payment for the business reply mail piece from the control information.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

archiving the business reply mail piece.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein scanning the business reply mail piece further comprises:

obtaining an image of the business reply mail piece.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining an option selected by the recipient as indicated by a mark made by the recipient in one of the plurality of selection areas further comprises:

determining, from the image of the business reply mail piece, an option selected by the recipient as indicated by a mark made by the recipient in one of the plurality of selection areas.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining, based on the option selected by the recipient, the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient that should be executed for processing the business reply mail piece further comprises:

determining, from the image of the business reply mail piece, the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient that should be executed for processing the business reply mail piece based on the option selected by the recipient.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein performing the respective one of the plurality of processing instructions included in the control information corresponding to the selection area marked by the recipient further comprises:

sending at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece to a remote processing system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein sending at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece to a remote processing system further comprises:

obtaining an address of the remote processing system from the control information; and

sending the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece to the address of the remote processing system.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes an image of the business reply mail piece.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes an identification of the recipient.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes the option selected by the recipient.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending an identification of a system that processed the business reply mail piece.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sending an indication when the business reply mail piece was scanned.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least a portion of data read from the business reply mail piece includes an identification of the business reply mail piece.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the identification of the recipient includes an account number associated with the recipient.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the account number is for a payment account.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the account number is for a credit card account.