System, method, and article of manufacture for filtering mail items based upon recipient preference

• US 8,799,179 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Amato, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, TONYA S
• Application Number:
  US10/474,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,501 Days
• Field of Search: 705401-411, 705/332, 705337-338
• US Class Current: 705/332
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• 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 2017/00483 Batch processing of mailpieces

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for filtering of a mail item addressed to a recipient. In accordance with an embodiment, preference information about mail items from the recipient is obtained. The preference information is compared with information on the mail item and based on the comparison, it is determined whether the mail item should be delivered. The preference information may include at least one of a size of the mail items, a type of the mail items, a classification of the mail items, a weight of the mail items, and preference information abut senders. In accordance with another embodiment, the preference information of a recipient may be provided to a sender so that the sender can determine whether the recipient wants mail items from the sender.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for filtering a physical mail item addressed to a recipient, comprising the steps performed by a processor of a computer of:

receiving, by the processor, from the recipient, address information and recipient preference information about physical mail items, the preference information indicating the recipient'"'"'s desire to receive particular mail items;

receiving, by the processor, information about the physical mail item;

determining, by the processor, not to deliver the physical mail item based at least on a comparison between the information about the physical mail item and the recipient preference information;

prompting, by the processor, the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after determining not to deliver the physical mail item; and

storing, by the processor, information into a database, the information reflecting the instructions received from the recipient and indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item from the sender.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving preference information from the recipient comprises receiving preference information on at least one of a size of the physical mail items, a type of the physical mail items, a classification of the physical mail items, a weight of the physical mail items, and preference information about senders.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about the physical mail item comprises using an image recognition device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing of the physical mail item without delivering the item to the recipient, if the physical mail item does not match the preference information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning the physical mail item to a sender of the physical mail item without delivering the physical mail item to the recipient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the physical mail item for delivery to the recipient upon demand in the future, if the physical mail item does not match the preference information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the preference information in a database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the physical mail item comprises a classification of the physical mail item, the classification indicating whether the physical mail item is a bulk-class mail item.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to a sender, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from the sender.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, using the preference information, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from a sender.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a sender of the preference information.

8. A computer-implemented method for determining whether to deliver a physical mail item to a recipient, comprising the steps performed by a processor of a computer of:

receiving, by the processor, from the recipient, address information and recipient preference information about physical mail items, the preference information indicating the recipient'"'"'s desire to receive particular mail items;

receiving, by the processor, information about the physical mail item;

determining, by the processor, not to deliver the physical mail item based at least on a comparison between the information about the physical mail item and the recipient'"'"'s preference information;

prompting, by the processor, the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after determining not to deliver the physical mail item; and

notifying, by the processor, a sender of the physical mail item that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item from the sender.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sending at least part of the preference information to the sender comprises informing the sender that the recipient does not want to receive a certain physical mail item from the sender.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein sending at least part of the preference information to the sender comprises sending at least part of the preference information for a monetary charge.

18. The method of claim 8, the information about the physical mail item comprises a classification of the physical mail item, the classification indicating whether the physical mail item is a bulk-class mail item.

23. The method of claim 8, wherein obtaining information about the physical mail item comprises using an image recognition device.

30. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, to a sender, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from the sender.

31. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating, using the preference information, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from a sender.

32. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

notifying a sender of the preference information.

11. A system for filtering a physical mail item addressed to a recipient, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, from the recipient, address information and recipient preference information about physical mail items, the preference information indicating the recipient'"'"'s desire to receive particular mail items;

obtain information about the physical mail item;

determine not to deliver the physical mail item based at least on a comparison between the information about the physical mail item and the recipient preference information;

prompt the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after determining not to deliver the physical mail item; and

store information into a database after determining not to deliver the physical mail item, the information reflecting the instructions received from the recipient and indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item from the sender.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein preference information comprises at least one of a size of the physical mail items, a type of the physical mail items, a classification of the physical mail items, a weight of the physical mall items, and preference information about senders.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the information about the physical mail item is obtained using an image recognition device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the information about the physical mail item comprises a classification of the physical mail item, the classification indicating whether the physical mail item is a bulk-class mail item.

33. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

provide, to a sender, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from the sender.

34. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

generate, using the preference information, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from a sender.

35. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

notify a sender of the preference information.

14. A system for determining whether to deliver a physical mail item to a recipient, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, from the recipient, address information and recipient preference information about physical mail items, the preference information indicating the recipient'"'"'s desire to receive particular mail items;

obtain information about the physical mail item;

determine not to deliver the physical mail item based at least on a comparison between the information about the physical mail item and the recipient'"'"'s preference information;

prompt the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after determining not to deliver the physical mail item; and

notify a sender of the physical mail item that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item from the sender, after determining not to deliver the physical mail item.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the information about the physical mail item comprises a classification of the physical mail item, the classification indicating whether the physical mail item is a bulk-class mail item.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the information about the physical mail item is obtained using an image recognition device.

36. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

provide, to a sender, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from the sender.

37. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

generate, using the preference information, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from a sender.

38. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

notify a sender of the preference information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for filtering a physical mail item addressed to a recipient, the method comprising:

receiving, from the recipient, address information and recipient preference information about physical mail items, the preference information indicating the recipient'"'"'s desire to receive particular mail items;

obtaining information about the physical mail item;

determining not to deliver the physical mail item based at least on a comparison between the information about the physical mail item and the recipient preference information;

prompting the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after determining not to deliver the physical mail item; and

storing information into a database, the information reflecting the instructions received from the recipient and indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item from the sender.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information about the physical mail item comprises a classification of the physical mail item, the classification indicating whether the physical mail item is a bulk-class mail item.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein obtaining information about the physical mail item comprises using an image recognition device.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

providing, to a sender, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from the sender.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

generating, using the preference information, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from a sender.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

notifying a sender of the preference information.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for determining whether to deliver a physical mail item to a recipient, the method comprising:

receiving, from the recipient, address information and recipient preference information about physical mail items, the preference information indicating the recipient'"'"'s desire to receive particular mail items;

obtaining information about the physical mail item;

determining not to deliver the physical mail item based at least on a comparison between the information about the physical mail item and the recipient'"'"'s preference information;

prompting the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after determining not to deliver the physical mail item; and

notifying a sender of the physical mail item that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item from the sender.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the information about the physical mail item comprises a classification of the physical mail item, the classification indicating whether the physical mail item is a bulk-class mail item.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein obtaining information about the physical mail item comprises using an image recognition device.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

providing, to a sender, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from the sender.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

generating, using the preference information, a list of recipients that do not wish to receive physical mail items from a sender.

44. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

notifying a sender of the preference information.