Method for determining if mail contains life harming materials

• US 6,754,366 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Sansone, Ronald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Au, Amelia M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Charles
• Application Number:
  US09/818,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 382/101, 382/102, 382/139, 382/140, 382/143, 705/60, 705/401-411, 209/584, 209/900, 463/43
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/022 sampling for security purposes, e.g. contraband, warfare agents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

A method that enables the carrier of letters, flats and/or packages (mail) that are addressed to a recipient to determine if the mail contains life harming materials, before the mail is delivered to the recipient. The invention accomplishes the foregoing by receiving mail that is addressed to a recipient which contains material that may or may not be life harming; capturing an image of the face of the mail, which includes the name and physical address of the recipient; processing the image on the face of the mail to determine if characteristics of the image match characteristics of known mail that may contain life harming materials; testing the mail if the image contains characteristics of life harming material; and delivering the mail to the recipient if the image does not contain life harming characteristics.

Claims

1. A method for a carrier to determine whether or not mail contains life harming materials, said method comprises the steps of:

receiving mail that is addressed to a recipient which contains material that may or may not be life harming;

capturing an image of the face of the mail, which includes the name and physical address of the recipient;

determining whether the carrier has been notified that mail addressed to particular recipients should be checked to see if it contains life harming material;

processing the image on the face of the mail to determine if characteristics of the image match characteristics of known mail that may contain life harming materials;

testing the mail if the image contains characteristics of life harming material; and

delivering the mail to the recipient if the image does not contain life harming characteristics.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

capturing an image of the face of the mail, which includes the name and physical address of sender and;

determining whether the carrier has been notified that mail sent by particular senders should be checked to see if it contains life harming material.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of placing a unique number on the mail to positively identify the mail.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the testing step further includes the step of weighing the mail.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the testing step further includes the steps of x-raying the mail.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the testing step further includes the step of detecting the emission of volatile organic chemicals from the mail.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of charging the recipient for determining whether or not recipient mail is likely to contain life harming materials.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of charging the recipient for disposing of mail that is likely to contain life harming materials.