Processing shiny mail pieces

• US 9,056,336 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAF Software Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RAF Technology, Incorporated (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brandt, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Karmis, Stefanos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US12/543,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: 700/224, 209/584, 382/101, 382/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/12 using electric or electronic detecting means B07C3/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1465 using several successive scans of the optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1473 error correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1495 the method including an image compression step
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, software and systems are disclosed for improved processing of mailpieces in order to reduce expensive manual steps. Shiny mail, i.e., mailpieces having glossy surfaces that sometimes interfere with printing of barcodes and or ID Tags may lead to rejects. In some embodiments, shiny mailpieces are identified, and at least one new (non-shiny) label is over-labeled in the POSTNET clear zone (108), the ID Tag zone (202), or both. In one embodiment, a specially-configured Reject Encoding Machine (REM) (1142) is employed to label or over-label a POSTNET clear zone (1110), resolve the destination address (1112) if possible, and print the barcode (1114) in a single operation. Thereafter, the mailpiece may be transferred from the REM into a downstream DBCS (1144), thereby re-introducing the mailpiece into the automated mail stream rather than being relegated to a manual stream.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

automatically sorting a plurality of mail pieces according to a delivery point sequence (DPS) sorting, wherein the DPS sorting comprises a first pass for sorting the plurality of mail pieces by delivery stop and a second pass for sorting the plurality of mail pieces by mail carrier;

identifying a mail piece as a shiny mail piece having a non-resolvable identification (ID) tag during the first pass, wherein the mail piece is identified as a shiny mail piece according to a first glossy surface of the shiny mail piece;

in response to said identifying, automatically transferring the shiny mail piece to a Reject Encoding Machine (REM);

in the REM, over-labeling at least a portion of the first glossy surface of the shiny mail piece with a first non-shiny label over a Postnet clear zone on the front side of the shiny mail piece;

in the REM, over-labeling a second glossy surface of the shiny mail piece with a second non-shiny label over an ID Tag clear zone on the back side of the shiny mail piece;

in the REM, attempting to resolve an address of the shiny mail piece, based on a previously captured image of the front side of the shiny mail piece;

if the address is resolvable, in the REM, printing a barcode corresponding to the resolved address on to the first non-shiny label;

in the REM, printing a new ID tag on to the second non-shiny label; and

then

returning the shiny mail piece to resume automated sorting in the first pass based on the printed barcode, wherein the shiny mail piece is sorted together with the plurality of mail pieces according to the DPS sorting;

wherein the new ID tag is printed on to the second non-shiny label before returning the shiny mail piece for subsequent automated sorting.

2. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising:

if the address is not resolvable in the REM, applying a label in an ID Tag clear zone on the shiny mail piece; and

then

running the shiny mail piece on an input sub-system (ISS); and

attempting to resolve an address of the shiny mail piece in the ISS.

3. A method according to claim 2, and further comprising:

if the address is not resolvable by the ISS, attempting to resolve the address using Remote Computer Recognition (RCR), or keying of the image at a Remote Encoding Center (REC).

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the barcode comprises a destination barcode printed onto the first non-shiny label in the Postnet clear zone of the shiny mail piece, and wherein the method further comprises sorting the shiny mail piece automatically rather than manually by using the destination barcode.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein both the Postnet clear zone and the ID Tag clear zone of the shiny mail piece are over-labeled prior to returning the shiny mail piece to resume automated sorting in the first pass.

6. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising:

providing a connection for electronic communications between the REM and a mail piece database; and

sending an update over the connection to the mail piece data base to update address information of the shiny mail piece to reflect the resolved address.

7. A method according to claim 6, and further comprising transferring the shiny mail piece from the REM into a downstream Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS) thereby re-introducing the shiny mail piece into the automated mail stream rather than being relegated to a manual stream.

8. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising determining that an original barcode located in the Postnet clear zone of the shiny mail piece is non-resolvable, and wherein the shiny mail piece is transferred to the REM based, at least in part, on the determination that the original barcode is non-resolvable.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the original barcode is printed on the first glossy surface, and wherein the non-shiny label is placed over the original barcode.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the shiny mail piece is transferred to the REM based, at least in part, on identifying both the non-resolvable barcode and the non-resolvable ID tag.

11. A memory device having machine-readable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

sorting a plurality of mail pieces according to a delivery point sequence (DPS) sorting, wherein the DPS sorting comprises a first pass for sorting the plurality of mail pieces by delivery stop and a second pass for sorting the plurality of mail pieces by mail carrier;

identifying a mail piece as a shiny mail piece having a non-resolvable identification (ID) tag during the first pass, wherein the mail piece is identified as a shiny mail piece according to a first glossy surface of the shiny mail piece;

transferring, in response to said identifying, the shiny mail piece to a Reject Encoding Machine (REM);

over-labeling, in the REM, at least a portion of the first glossy surface of the shiny mail piece with a first non-shiny label over a Postnet clear zone on the front side of the shiny mail piece;

over-labeling, in the REM, at least a portion of a second glossy surface of the shiny mail piece with a second non-shiny label over an ID Tag clear zone on the back side of the shiny mail piece;

attempting to resolve, in the REM, an address of the shiny mail piece, based on a previously captured image of the front side of the shiny mail piece;

printing a barcode, in the REM, corresponding to the resolved address on to the first non-shiny label;

printing a new ID tag, in the REM, on to the second non-shiny label; and

returning the shiny mail piece to resume automated sorting in the first pass based on the printed barcode, wherein the shiny mail piece is sorted together with the plurality of mail pieces according to the DPS sorting;

and wherein the new ID tag is printed on to the second non-shiny label before returning the shiny mail piece for subsequent automated sorting.

12. A memory device according to claim 11, wherein both the Postnet clear zone and the ID Tag clear zone of the shiny mail piece are over-labeled prior to returning the shiny mail piece to resume automated sorting in the first pass.

13. A memory device according to claim 11, wherein the new ID tag is printed on to the second non-shiny label before returning the shiny mail piece for subsequent automated sorting.

14. A memory device according to claim 11, wherein the second glossy surface includes substantially the entire surface of the back side of the shiny mail piece.

15. A memory device according to claim 11, wherein the first glossy surface includes substantially the entire surface of the front side of the shiny mail piece.