Mechanism for generating personalized mailpieces in a manufacturing system

• US 8,792,123 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions, LLC (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Palmer, Dwight Ross, Jones, Scott Matthew, Hogan, Brian Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US13/474,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 700/221, 382/101, 358/1.15, 358/1.9, 358/1.12, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping

Abstract

A manufacturing system is disclosed. The manufacturing system may include a personalization mechanism to evaluate personalization information relating to mailpieces, wherein the mailpieces include mail containers and mail content components. The manufacturing system may further include a matching mechanism to compare the containers with their corresponding content components using unique verification codes assigned to each of the containers and content components, wherein the unique verification codes are assigned based on the evaluated personalization information, and a production machine to produce personalized containers and their corresponding content components based on comparison results of the comparison.

Claims

1. A manufacturing system comprising:

a personalization mechanism to evaluate personalization information relating to mailpieces, wherein the mailpieces include mail containers and mail content components;

a matching mechanism to compare the containers with their corresponding content components using unique verification codes assigned to each of the containers and content components, wherein the unique verification codes are assigned based on the evaluated personalization information; and

a production machine to produce personalized containers and their corresponding content components based on comparison results of the comparison, wherein the personalization mechanism and the matching mechanism reside at a print controller coupled to the production machine over a network, wherein the network includes the Internet.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the personalization mechanism is further to identify the personalization information obtained from one or more of a print data stream, a companion data source or file, a database, user input, and marketing survey.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the mailpieces are personalized based on the evaluated personalization information, and wherein the personalized mailpieces are provided to the matching mechanism as a print job.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the matching mechanism is further to receive the print job and assign unique verification codes to the containers and the content components identified in the print job.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 4, wherein the matching mechanism is further to read the unique verification codes and compare first unique verification codes assigned to the containers with second unique verification codes assigned to the content components.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein the matching mechanism is further to confirm the comparison of the first and second unique verification codes and forward the print job to the production equipment.

7. The manufacturing system of claim 6, wherein the production system comprises one or more of an envelope maker, a finisher, and an inserter.

8. The manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein the unique verification codes comprise barcodes.

9. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the mail content components comprise one or more of a utility bill, a credit card or financial statement, a letter, a commercial or political advertisement, a marketing insert, and a public announcement.

10. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the mail containers comprise envelopes.

11. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the personalization mechanism is further to track, via a page generator, responses to the displayed banner advertisements.

12. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the print controller further comprises a camera mechanism to read the unique verification codes, and a communication module to facilitate communication of the print job and relevant data between the print controller and the production machine.

13. A method comprising:

evaluating personalization information relating to mailpieces, wherein the mailpieces include mail containers and mail content components;

comparing the containers with their corresponding content components using unique verification codes assigned to each of the containers and content components, wherein the unique verification codes are assigned based on the evaluated personalization information, wherein the containers and their corresponding content components are personalized based on comparison results of the comparison; and

producing, via a production machine, the personalized containers and content components, wherein the production machine comprises one or more of an envelope maker, a finisher, and an inserter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying the personalization information obtained from one or more of a database, user input, and marketing survey.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the mailpieces are personalized based on the evaluated information, and wherein the personalized mailpieces are provided to the matching mechanism as a print job.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the print job and assign unique verification codes to the containers and the content components identified in the print job.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising reading the unique verification codes and comparing first unique verification codes assigned to the containers with second unique verification codes assigned to the content components.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising confirming the comparison of the first and second unique verification codes and forward the print job to the production machine.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the unique verification codes comprise barcodes.

20. A multifunction manufacturing device comprising:

a controller to evaluate personalization information relating to mailpieces, wherein the mailpieces include mail containers and mail content components, and comparing the containers with their corresponding content components using unique verification codes assigned to each of the containers and content components, wherein the unique verification codes are assigned based on the evaluated personalization information, wherein the containers and their corresponding content components are personalized based on comparison results of the comparison,

wherein the controller is further to assign unique verification codes to the containers and the content components identified in the print job,

wherein the controller is further to read the unique verification codes and compare first unique verification codes assigned to the containers with second unique verification codes assigned to the content components,

wherein the controller is further to confirm the comparison of the first and second unique verification codes and forward the print job to a production machine, and

wherein the production machine to produce the personalized containers and content components, wherein the production machine comprises one or more of an envelope maker, a finisher, and an inserter.

21. The manufacturing device of claim 20, wherein the controller is further to identify the personalization information obtained from one or more of a database, user input, and marketing survey.

22. The manufacturing device of claim 20, wherein the mailpieces are personalized based on the evaluated information, and wherein the personalized mailpieces are provided to the matching mechanism as a print job.

23. The manufacturing device of claim 20, wherein the unique verification codes comprise barcodes.

24. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform one or more operations comprising:

evaluating personalization information relating to mailpieces, wherein the mailpieces include mail containers and mail content components;

comparing the containers with their corresponding content components using unique verification codes assigned to each of the containers and content components, wherein the unique verification codes are assigned based on the evaluated personalization information, wherein the containers and their corresponding content components are personalized based on comparison results of the comparison; and

producing, via a production machine, the personalized containers and content components, wherein the production machine comprises one or more of an envelope maker, a finisher, and an inserter.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the data when accessed, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving the print job and assign unique verification codes to the containers and the content components identified in the print job; and

reading the unique verification codes and comparing first unique verification codes assigned to the containers with second unique verification codes assigned to the content components.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the data when accessed, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

confirming the comparison of the first and second unique verification codes; and

forwarding the print job to the production machine.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the unique verification codes comprise barcodes.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the data when accessed, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying the personalization information obtained from one or more of a database, user input, and marketing survey, and wherein the mailpieces are personalized based on the evaluated information, and wherein the personalized mailpieces are provided to the matching mechanism as a print job.