Method and apparatus for processing mail to obtain image data of contents
First Claim
1. A method for processing documents having folds, comprising the steps of:
- manually dropping a document having a fold onto a generally horizontal conveyor;
scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the document;
flattening the fold of the document between the step of manually dropping and scanning, wherein the step of flattening folds of the document comprises flattening folds of the documents while the documents are in a generally horizontal orientation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. Mail is placed into an input bin having a conveyor that conveys the mail towards a feeder. The feeder serially feeds the envelopes by engaging the lead envelope in the stack of mail and displacing the lead envelope transverse the stack of mail. The mail is then cut on a side edge and the top edge to cut open each envelope. A transport conveys the cut envelopes to an extractor. The extractor opens the edge-severed mail and presents the contents of the envelopes to an operator who manually extracts the contents. The operator drops the extracted contents onto a conveyor that conveys the contents to an imaging station. The contents are automatically separated and imaged to obtain image data for the contents. The contents are then sorted into a plurality of output bins.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for processing documents having folds, comprising the steps of:
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manually dropping a document having a fold onto a generally horizontal conveyor; scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the document; flattening the fold of the document between the step of manually dropping and scanning, wherein the step of flattening folds of the document comprises flattening folds of the documents while the documents are in a generally horizontal orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for processing documents, comprising the steps of:
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manually dropping a document onto a generally horizontal conveyor; scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the documents; re-orienting the document without nipping the document as the conveyor conveys the document toward the scanner; and nipping the document between opposing drive elements after the document is dropped onto the conveyor, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the document toward the scanner. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for processing documents, comprising:
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a generally horizontal conveyor configured to receive and convey documents dropped onto the conveyor; a scanner for obtaining optical image data for the documents dropped onto the conveyor; and a nip configured to nip the documents between opposing drive elements after the documents are dropped onto the conveyor and while the documents are in a generally horizontal orientation, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the documents toward the scanner. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for processing documents, comprising:
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a generally horizontal conveyor configured to receive and convey documents dropped onto the conveyor; a scanner for obtaining optical image data for the documents dropped onto the conveyor; a re-orientation element operable to re-orient the documents as the conveyor conveys the documents toward the scanner; and a nip configured to nip the documents between opposing drive elements after the documents are dropped onto the conveyor, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the documents toward the scanner. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for processing documents, comprising the steps of:
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manually dropping a document onto a generally horizontal conveyor; scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the documents; re-orienting the document as the conveyor conveys the document toward the scanner in a generally horizontal orientation; and nipping the document between opposing drive elements after the document is dropped onto the conveyor, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the document toward the scanner. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification