Messaging services for the visually impaired

• US 7,386,457 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Sansone, Ronald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov; Igor N
• Application Number:
  US09/817,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/400, 705/401, 705/402, 705/404, 705/406, 705/409, 705/410, 705/500
• US Class Current: 705/346
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/0008 Communication details outside or between apparatus coin-freed apparatus for franking per se G07F17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00072 Hybrid mail, i.e. mail delivered using different physical means along the mail delivery path, e.g. email and envelope
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00153 for sending information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression

Abstract

A method that enables the recipient to receive notification of the mailpieces, flats and/or packages (mail) that the recipient is going to receive prior to the delivery of the mail. The recipient is then able to inform a post or courier i.e., Federal Express®, Airborne®, United Parcel Service®, DHL®, etc. of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered. The post and courier will hereinafter be referred to as “carrier”. For instance, the recipient may want the mail physically delivered to their house faster or slower, or the mail physically redirected to the recipient'"'"'s temporary address, or physically delivered to the recipient'"'"'s agent, or physically delivered to the recipient'"'"'s attorney, or physically returned to the mailer, or have the carrier open the physical mail and have the post e-mail or fax the contents of the envelope to the recipient and/or parties designated by the recipient.

Claims

1. A method that enables a recipient to inform a carrier of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered, said method comprises the steps of:

depositing with the carrier mail containing the recipient'"'"'s name and physical address and the sender'"'"'s name and address;

capturing the name and physical address of the recipient and the sender in the form of an image;

transmitting the image to a data center where the image is processed by translating the image consisting of text and graphics to alphanumerics;

translating the name and physical address of the recipient into a telephone number;

utilizing the telephone number of the recipient and the translated image alphanumerics to inform the recipient of the expected delivery of the deposited mail via a tactile communication device;

if the recipient desires to destroy the mail, notifying the carrier by the recipient to destroy the mail, if the recipient does not want to destroy the mail,

notifying the carrier of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered;

delivering mail to the recipient in the manner specified by the recipient to the carrier; and

charging the recipient for delivering mail to the recipient in the manner specified by the recipient to the carrier.

2. A method that enables a recipient to inform a carrier of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered, said method comprises the steps of:

depositing with the carrier mail containing the recipient'"'"'s name and physical address and the sender'"'"'s name and address;

capturing the name and physical address of the recipient and the sender in the form of an image;

transmitting the image to a data center where the image is processed by translating the image consisting of text and graphics to alphanumerics;

translating the name and physical address of the recipient into a telephone number;

utilizing the telephone number of the recipient and the translated image alphanumerics to inform the recipient of the expected delivery of the deposited mail via a tactile communication device;

if the recipient desires to recycle the paper in the mail, notifying the carrier by the recipient to recycle the paper in the mail, if the recipient does not want to recycle the paper in the mail,

notifying the carrier of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered;

delivering mail to the recipient in the manner specified by the recipient to the carrier; and

charging the recipient for delivering mail to the recipient in the manner specified by the recipient to the carrier.