System and method of identification codes to allow tracking of outbound mail and corresponding inbound reply mail

• US 7,644,010 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Obrea, Andrei, Haas, Bertrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung; Allen J
• Application Number:
  US11/222,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 229/68.1, 229/300, 229/301, 229/303
• US Class Current: 705/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• 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 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases

Abstract

A system and method to provide identification codes to track outbound mail and corresponding replies. Tracking is enabled where an intended recipient is not determined until after physical components of the mailpiece are assembled. A first ID code is associated with a second ID code on a return envelope. The first ID code is positioned on a front of the return envelope proximal to a return address on the return envelope. The second ID code is positioned on a back of the return envelope proximal to a recipient address region on the return envelope. The return envelope is inserted into a carrier envelope with the front of the return envelope facing the back of the carrier envelope, and the second ID code and the recipient address region being visible through a front window in the front of the carrier envelope. A recipient address is printed in the recipient address region of the reply envelope, through the front window on the carrier envelope. To allow mail piece tracking, the first and second ID codes are associated with the intended recipient of the outbound mail.

Claims

1. A method for providing identification codes to allow tracking of outbound mail and corresponding reply mail in a delivery system, the method facilitating tracking of mail wherein an intended recipient of an outbound mailpiece is not determined until after all of the physical components of the mailpiece have been assembled together, the method comprising:

associating, using a computer, a first ID code with a second ID code that are both printed on a return envelope, the first ID code being positioned on a front of the return envelope, the return envelope having return address on the front; and

the second ID code being positioned on a back of the return envelope, the back of the return envelope having a recipient address region;

inserting, using an inserter machine, the return envelope into a carrier envelope;

the front of the return envelope facing the back of the carrier envelope, and the second ID code and the recipient address region being visible through a front window in the front of the carrier envelope;

inserting, using the inserter machine, a content document into the carrier envelope;

determining, using a scanner coupled to the computer, an attribute of the content document through a window in the carrier envelope;

determining, using the computer, the intended recipient based on the attribute of the content document;

printing, using a printer, a recipient address in the recipient address region of the return envelope, through the front window on the carrier envelope; and

associating, using the computer, the first ID code and the second ID code with the intended recipient of the outbound mail.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

tracking the outbound mail to the recipient in the delivery system using the second ID code; and

tracking the corresponding reply mail in the return envelope from the recipient in the delivery system using the first ID code.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second ID codes are PLANET codes and the delivery system is the United States Postal Service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second ID codes are pre-printed on the return envelope prior to insertion into the carrier envelope, and wherein the step of associating the first ID code with the second ID code is always based on a predetermined relationship such that either ID code can be determined from the other one.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined relationship is that the first ID code will always have a one digit difference from the second ID code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating the first ID code and the second ID code with the intended recipient includes scanning the second ID code through the front window of the carrier envelope and associating the second ID code with a recipient whose address is printed in the printing step.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein inserting the content document comprises positioning the content document in the carrier envelope between the front of the return envelope and the back of the carrier envelope.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the content document is a ballot, wherein the ballot cannot have recipient information included on it.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier envelope includes a back window on the back of the carrier envelope, and further including the step of printing the first and second associated ID codes onto the return envelope after the return envelope has been inserted into the carrier envelope, the first ID code printed through the back window of the carrier envelope, and the second ID code printed through the front window of the carrier envelope.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of associating the first ID code and the second ID code with the intended recipient occurs prior to the steps of printing, and printing steps print the ID codes with the corresponding recipient address based on their preexisting association.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein inserting the content document comprises positioning the content document between a flap and a body of the return envelope.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the content document is a ballot, wherein the ballot cannot have recipient information included on it.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first ID code is positioned proximal to the return address on the return envelope;

and the second ID code is positioned proximal to the recipient address region on the return envelope.

14. A system for providing identification codes to allow tracking of outbound mail and corresponding reply mail in a delivery system, the system facilitating tracking of mail wherein an intended recipient of an outbound mailpiece is not determined until after all of the physical components of the mailpiece have been assembled together, the system comprising:

a computer having a database associating a first ID code with a second ID code that are both printed on a return envelope, the first ID code being positioned on a front of the return envelope, the front of the return envelope having a return address; and

the second ID code being positioned on a back of the return envelope, the back of the return envelope having a recipient address region;

an inserter machine arranged to insert the return envelope into a carrier envelope;

the front of the return envelope facing the back of the carrier envelope, and the second ID code and the recipient address region being visible through a front window in the front of the carrier envelope, the inserter machine further arranged to insert a content document into the carrier envelope;

a scanner coupled to the computer, wherein the scanner is arranged to scan data from the outbound mailpiece and transmit the data to the computer;

wherein the scanner attribute data on the content document through a window in the carrier envelope; and

wherein the computer determines the intended recipient based on the attribute of the content document; and

a printer arranged to print a recipient address in the recipient address region of the return envelope, through the front window on the carrier envelope;

wherein the computer associates the first ID code and the second ID code with the intended recipient of the outbound mail.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first and second ID codes are PLANET codes and the delivery system is the United States Postal Service.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second ID codes are pre-printed on the return envelope prior to insertion into the carrier envelope, and wherein the association the first ID code with the second ID code is always based on a predetermined relationship such that either ID code can be determined from the other one.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined relationship is that the first ID code will always have a one digit difference from the second ID code.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the scanner is further arranged to scan the second ID code through the front window of the carrier envelope, and wherein the computer associates the second ID code with a recipient whose address is printed by the printer.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the content document is positioned in the carrier envelope between the front of the return envelope and the back of the carrier envelope.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the carrier envelope includes a back window on the back of the carrier envelope, and wherein the printer is further arranged to print the first and second associated ID codes onto the return envelope after the return envelope has been inserted into the carrier envelope, the first ID code printed through the back window of the carrier envelope, and the second ID code printed through the front window of the carrier envelope.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the computer that associates the first ID code and the second ID code with the recipient does the association prior to printing, and the printer prints the ID codes with the corresponding recipient address based on their preexisting association in the computer.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the first ID code is positioned proximal to the return address on the return envelope;

and the second ID code is positioned proximal to the recipient address region on the return envelope.