System and method for predelivery notifcation using mail image

• US 8,799,183 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOSEPH, TONYA S
• Application Number:
  US13/426,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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

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 form 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 about 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 method for filtering a physical mail item addressed to a recipient, comprising:

obtaining preference information about physical mail items from the recipient;

comparing, by a processor, information about the physical mail item to the preference information;

determining, by the processor, that the physical mail item is unwanted based on the comparison;

prompting, by the processor, the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after the determination that the physical mail item is unwanted; and

storing, by the processor, the instructions in a database, the instructions indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining preference information from the recipient comprises obtaining 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, further comprising obtaining information about the physical mail item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining information about the physical mail item comprises obtaining at least one of a size of the physical mail item, a type of the physical mail item, a classification of the physical mail item, a weight of the physical mail item, and information about a sender of the physical mail item.

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

6. 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.

7. 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, if the physical mail item does not match the preference information.

8. 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.

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

10. A method for preventing a sender from sending a physical mail item to a recipient, comprising:

obtaining preference information about physical mail items from the recipient;

sending, by a processor, at least part of the preference information to the sender;

comparing, by the processor, information about the physical mail item to the preference information;

determining, by the processor, that the physical mail item is unwanted based on the comparison;

prompting, by the processor, the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after the determination that the physical mail item is unwanted; and

storing, by the processor, the instructions in a database, the instructions indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item.

11. The method of claim 10, 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.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the physical mail item from the sender.

13. The method of claim 10, 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.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein sending at least part of the preference information to the sender comprises sending at least part of the preference information only after the recipient consents.

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

a processor; and

a memory storing a set of instructions executable by the processor to;

obtain preference information about physical mail items from the recipient;

compare information about the physical mail item to the preference information;

determine that the physical mail item is unwanted based on the comparison;

prompt the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after the determination that the physical mail item is unwanted; and

store the instructions in a database, the instructions indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item.

16. The system of claim 15, 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 mail items, and preference information about senders.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to obtain information about the physical mail item, the information including at least one of a size of the physical mail item, a type of the physical mail item, a classification of the physical mail item, a weight of the physical mail item, and information about a sender of the physical mail item.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the information about the physical mail item is obtained using an image recognition device.

19. A system for preventing a sender from sending a physical mail item to a recipient, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a set of instructions executable by the processor to;

obtain preference information about physical mail items from the recipient;

send at least part of the preference information to the sender;

compare information about the physical mail item to the preference information;

determine that the physical mail item is unwanted based on the comparison;

prompt the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after the determination that the physical mail item is unwanted; and

store the instructions in a database, the instructions indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

receive the physical mail item from the sender.

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

obtaining preference information about physical mail items from the recipient;

comparing information about the physical mail item to the preference information;

determining that the physical mail item is unwanted based on the comparison;

prompting the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after the determination that the physical mail item is unwanted; and

storing the instructions in a database, the instructions indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for preventing a sender from sending a physical mail item to a recipient, the method comprising:

obtaining preference information about physical mail items from the recipient;

sending at least part of the preference information to the sender;

comparing information about the physical mail item to the preference information;

determining that the physical mail item is unwanted based on the comparison;

prompting the recipient for instructions indicating what to do with the physical mail item after the determination that the physical mail item is unwanted; and

storing the instructions in a database, the instructions indicating that the recipient does not want to receive the physical mail item.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the physical mail item from the sender.