System for personal mail piece tracking and tracing from multiple sources by user identifier

• US 8,527,284 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Escher Group, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Escher Group, Ltd.
• Inventors: Smith, Joshua R., Yarin, Paul Michael, Murphy, Michael J., Sutherland, Andrew V., Metois, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Brooks, Matthew L.
• Application Number:
  US09/966,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,358 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/401, 705/410
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

A system and method for linking data objects and physical objects of various kinds to an identified user is described. The system provides to the identified user information relating to the delivery status of mail pieces directed to or sent by the user, and the user then tracks and traces the mail pieces. The system further provides to the identified user information relating to continued sessions through which the user provides to a postal service system information relating to mailing labels and postage.

Claims

1. A mail piece tracking system including:

A. one or more servers that are configured to perform the operations of;

i. acquiring delivery information, about a plurality of mail pieces electronically, by receiving messages from and/or by access to respective databases of

(1) multiple different delivery companies,

(2) a postal service and at least one delivery company, or

(3) one or more senders and either of (1) or (2)

the delivery information about a given mail piece identifying an intended recipient of the given mail piece,

ii. associating the delivery information about the given mail piece, and the actual given mail piece, with a user identifier that corresponds, in the system, to the intended recipient,

iii. at a linking component creating linked information corresponding to the given mail piece, said linked information including (1) delivery status information (2) address and delivery particulars, (3) a digital copy of the mail piece, and (4) an excerpt from the mail piece;

associating said linked information with the user identifier of the intended recipient; and

sending an email with a link or providing access to the linked information to a web component, thereby providing the user with the capability to track and trace the given mail piece, said linked information being sent or accessible to the user by logging onto a website;

iv. at the web component upon clicking on the sent link, or while logging into website, authenticating a user-supplied user identifier and associated password and providing, for display to the user, the delivery status information linked to the user identifier including (1) the date of shipment of the given mail piece, (2) the date of delivery of the mail piece, and (3) one or more dates of debiting or crediting one or more payments associated with the mail piece; and

B. a web browser displaying the one or more graphical user interfaces through which the user enters their user identifier and their associated password and, after authentication by the web component, displaying the delivery status information linked to the user identifier on the website.

2. The mail piece tracking system of claim 1 wherein the sender of the given mail piece is one of a billing company, a utility company, a bank, a magazine subscription service, a catalog company, and a shop.

3. The mail piece tracking system of claim 2 wherein the one or more servers are further configured to receive messages, not actually contained in the mail piece, from one or more of the sender of the mail piece, the postal service and the delivery company and at the linking component link the messages to the delivery status information for the given mail piece.

4. The mail piece system of claim 2 wherein the one or more servers are further configured to

associate the given mail piece with a second user identifier associated in the system with the source of the given mail piece, and

associate the linked information for the given mail piece with the second user identifier.