Mail processing system for determining mail entity defects and correcting mail entity defects

• US 7,991,705 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Pintsov, Leon A, Obrea, Andrei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KEVIN H
• Application Number:
  US11/200,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/462.01, 700/225, 380/55, 705/330, 705/336
• US Class Current: 705/336
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0835 Relationships between shipper or supplier and carriers
• 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 method for providing a mailer with detailed information regarding the mailer'"'"'s preparation of mail entities and the post'"'"'s processing of mail entities. The foregoing allows the mailer to improve subsequent preparation of mail entities to make it easier for the post to process and deliver mail in a timely manner. The invention also allows the post and the mailer to distinguish between mailer'"'"'s processing defects and errors caused by faulty postal equipment.

Claims

1. A method for providing a Mailer, Post or Recipient with detailed information regarding attributes of mail entities, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) determining values of a plurality of attributes during preparation taken at two different points of time and during delivery taken at two different points of time of the mail entity;

(B) determining unique identity information present on a mail entity;

(C) detecting values of the plurality of attributes which are outside of expected ranges;

(D) classifying, by a processing device, the attributes which are outside of expected ranges;

(E) communicating the attributes which are outside of expected ranges to the mailer using the unique identity information as a reference to a mailer and a post to allow the mailer, the post and a recipient to distinguish between mailer processing defects of the mail entities and errors caused by faulty post equipment or faulty recipient process; and

(F) communicating by the Recipient to one of the Post and the Mailer corrections to the attributes.

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

applying by the mailer the classified attributes to correct information on future mail entities.

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

communicating by the Post the classified attributes to the Recipient.

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

communicating by the Post the mail entity attributes to the Mailer.

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

communicating by the Post the mail entity attributes to the Recipient.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein step C further includes the step of:

comparing a value of the plurality of attributes during preparation of the mail entity at the second point in time with the value of the plurality of attributes during preparation of the mail entity at the first point in time.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein step C further includes the step of:

deciding whether or not the detected values of the plurality of attributes are within a expected range.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein if a detected value is not within the expected range then a change in value of the plurality of attributes of the mail entity will be stored and/or communicated.

9. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein if a detected value is within the expected range then a change in value of the plurality of attributes of the mail entity attribute will:

not be noted and not communicated;

or

be noted and not communicated;

or

not be noted and communicated.

10. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

creating an expectation for a value of the plurality of attributes at a future point in time; and

observing a value of the plurality of attributes at the future point in time.

11. The method claimed in claim 10, further including the step of:

comparing the expectation for a value of the plurality of attributes with the observed value of the plurality of attributes.

12. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

creating an expectation for a range of values for the attribute at a future point in time; and

observing a value of the plurality of attributes at the future point in time.

13. The method claimed in claim 12 further including the step of:

comparing the expectation of a range of values of the plurality of attributes with the observed value of the attribute.

14. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of attributes represents spacing between recorded lines of material recorded on the mail entity.

15. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of attributes represents skewing of material recorded on the mail entity.

16. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of attributes represents a skew angle or angles of material recorded on the mail entity.

17. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of attributes represents position of recorded material recorded on the mail entity.

18. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

defining events during preparation of the mail entity as changes in values, of the plurality of attributes within ranges taken at two different points of time during preparation of the mail entity due to observations at the two different points of time; and

defining events during delivery of the mail entity as changes in values of the plurality of attributes within ranges taken at two different points of time during delivery of the mail entity due to observations at the two different points of time.

19. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of defining events as changes in values of combinations of the plurality of attributes due to observations taken at the two different points of time.

20. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

defining events during preparation of the mail entity as changes in values of the plurality of attributes within probabilities of values taken at two different points of time during prepared of the mail entity due to observations at the two different points of time; and

defining events during delivery of the mail entity as changes in values of the plurality of attributes within probabilities of values taken at two different points of time during delivery of the mail entity due to observations at the two different points of time.

21. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein step C further includes the step of:

Comparing a value of an attribute during delivery of the mail entity at the second point of time with the value of the attribute during delivery of the mail entity at the first point of time.