Method and apparatus for processing and reducing the amount of return to sender mailpieces

• US 6,791,050 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Daniels, Edward P. Jr., Mallozzi, Joseph D., Gottlieb, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH C
• Application Number:
  US10/008,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 209/584, 209/900, 209/737, 700/220, 700/226, 700/227, 382/306
• US Class Current: 209/584
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/939 Video scanning

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a mailpiece sorting apparatus video coding station, inserter system, return mail workstation and a web server for interconnecting several components of the system. The system provides a closed loop solution for reducing return to sender mailpieces generated by a company that is sorting incoming mailpieces using an automated system. This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art providing updated data to inserting systems producing such mailpieces. This helps to solve data quality problems at their source and reduce processing costs by reducing the number of return to sender mailpieces.

Claims

1. A system for sorting incoming mailpieces and preparing outgoing mailpieces, the system comprising:

a mailpiece sorting apparatus for sorting incoming mailpieces and obtaining a video image of the mailpieces;

a video coding station linked to the mailpiece sorting apparatus for viewing the video image of the mailpieces obtained by the mailpiece sorting apparatus and identifying return-to-sender mailpieces, the video coding station configured for an operator to input address information for the return-to-sender mailpieces for use by the system;

a return mail workstation linked to the video coding station for providing update information for the return-to-sender mailpieces to the system regarding the input address information input by the operator;

an inserting apparatus for preparing outgoing mailpieces, the inserting apparatus linked to the return mail workstation; and

a data file for use with the inserting apparatus, the data file containing address information for preparing outgoing mailpieces;

whereby the update information provided by the return mail workstation is used to update the data file for use with the inserting apparatus, thus reducing the amount of return to sender mailpieces created by the inserting apparatus.

2. An method for sorting incoming mailpieces and preparing outgoing mailpieces, the method comprising:

a. sorting incoming mailpieces and obtaining a video image of the mailpeces using a mailpiece sorting apparatus;

b. viewing me video image of the mailpieces obtained by the mailpiece sorting apparatus at video ceding station, the video coding station configured to identify return-to-sender mailpieces and for an operator to input address information;

c. inputting address information by the operator regarding the return-to-sender mailpieces;

d. providing update information regarding the return-to-sender mailpieces using a return mail workstation, the update information regarding the input address information input by the operator;

e. storing the update information in a return mail workstation database;

f. updating a data file with update information from the return mail workstation database, the data file for use with an inserting apparatus and containing address information for preparing outgoing mailpieces; and

g. preparing outgoing mailpieces using the inserting apparatus;

whereby the method reduces the amount of return to sender mailpieces created by the inserting apparatus.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the step of:

h. sending update information to the sender for updating the sender'"'"'s addressee information.

4. A method for sorting incoming mailpieces and preparing outgoing mailpieces, the method comprising:

a. sorting incoming mailpieces and obtaining a video image of the mailpieces using a mailpiece sorting apparatus;

b. viewing the video image of the mailpieces obtained by the mailpiece sorting apparatus at video coding station, the video coding station configured for an operator to input address information

e. inputting address information by the operator,

d. providing update information using a return mail workstation, the update information regarding the input address information input by the operator;

e. updating a data file with update information from the return mail workstation database, the data file for use with an inserting apparatus and containing address information for preparing outgoing mailpieces;

g. preparing outgoing mailpieces using the inserting apparatus; and

h. sending update information to the sender for updating the senders address information, whereby the method reduces the amount of return to sender mailpieces created by the inserting apparatus.