Automatic business reply mail funding

• US 7,131,572 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Konstance, Suzanne, Miller, Kenneth G., Winkelman, John H., McNab, Cornelius S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koyama, Kumiko C.
• Application Number:
  US10/890,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20050011943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 235/378, 235/462.01, 235/462.02, 235/375, 235/381, 235/383, 235/462.08, 705/401, 705/402, 209/584, 209/900
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method for enabling a mailer to infer the amount of business reply that he/she is going to receive on a given day and determine the amount of postage that is due. The foregoing is accomplished by placing a planet code that references the mailer'"'"'s permit number on the business reply so that when a scanner at the USPS reads the planet code, the postage for the business reply will be calculated, and the mailer will be notified of the calculation so that the mailer may deposit sufficient funds in a deposit account to pay for the postage. The mailer may deposit funds in the account by issuing a check, having funds automatically transferred from some account, or automatically having a check issued so that someone may take the check to the USPS and receive the business reply. Thus, the mailer will be able to determine the amount of postage that is going to be charged to his/her account.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a mailer to infer a number of business reply mail pieces that the mailer is going to receive on a given day and determine an amount of postage and fees that are due, the method comprising steps of:

(a) placing a code that references a mailer'"'"'s permit number and the postage associated with the business reply mail pieces, on the business reply mail pieces;

(b) scanning the code on the business reply mail pieces;

(c) determining the amount of postage and fees due for the scanned business reply mail pieces;

(d) estimating a date on which the business mailer would receive the scanned mail piece;

(e) funding an account at a carrier for the amount of business reply mail that the mailer is expected to receive on the estimated date so that the mailer will have on a daily basis sufficient funds in the account to cover the postage and fees due for the receipt of the expected business reply mail pieces; and

(f) mapping the method to calculate a confidence level using scanning location to determine an amount of funding that is required.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning step further comprises the step of:

determining a read rate to more accurately determine the number of business reply mail pieces being processed.

3. The method claims in claim 1 wherein the mapping step further comprises the step of:

determining a mean and standard deviation to calculate a new confidence level to determine the amount of funding that is required. pieces being processed.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

determining the number of mail pieces actually received by the mailer to calculate a process s proportion.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, further including the step of:

using the process proportion to calculate a next confidence interval.

6. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the process proportion is determined by:

dividing the number of business reply mail pieces scanned by the number of business reply mail pieces received.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the code is a planet code.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier is the United States Postal Service.