System and method for providing information to a recipient of a physical mail object

• US 9,105,002 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Secured Mail Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Secured Mail Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Fitzsimmons, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US14/528,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/487, 235/462.01, 705401-402, 705/408, 705/1.1, 705/64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and method is provided for transmitting information over a wide area network, such as the Internet, in response to receiving at least a portion of mail data. In one embodiment of the present invention, information is stored in a memory. Mail data is then affixed to a mail object. The mail object is then manually delivered to a recipient. The mail data is then provided to a reception device. The reception device then uses the mail data to retrieve the information from a mail device in communication with the memory. In a preferred embodiment, the mail data includes data corresponding to the recipient of the mail object, and the information includes data that identifies the recipient of the mail object and data that corresponds to a content of the mail object.

Claims

1. A method for providing electronic data to a recipient of a mail object, comprising:

using an output device to affix a single set of mail ID data to said mail object, said single set of mail ID data including at least recipient data, said recipient data comprising a personalized network address associated with said recipient of said mail object;

submitting said mail object to a mail carrier for delivery to said recipient of said mail object;

receiving said recipient data from a reception device of said recipient via a network; and

providing by at least one processor said electronic data to said reception device via said network in response to receiving said recipient data, said electronic data comprising a sender'"'"'s web page that identifies said recipient of said mail object and includes data corresponding to a content of said mail object;

wherein said electronic data is configured to be displayed to said recipient via a web browser on a display of said reception device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing by said at least one processor a second set of electronic data to a sender of said mail object indicating that said recipient requested said electronic data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said second set of electronic data includes at least a portion of said recipient data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said second set of electronic data includes data corresponding to said mail object.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said second set of electronic data includes data corresponding to said mail object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of affixing said single set of mail ID data to said mail object, further comprises encoding said single set of mail ID data prior to being affixed to said mail object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said reception device is a cellular telephone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said electronic data is formatted for being displayed via a web browser on said cellular telephone.

9. A system for providing electronic data to a recipient of a mail object, said mail object including a single set of mail ID data that includes at least recipient data, comprising:

at least one database for storing at least a first set of electronic data;

a mail device; and

at least one application operating on at least said mail device, said at least one application being in communication with said at least one database and a reception device of said recipient having at least an input device and a display, and being configured to;

receive said recipient data from said reception device, said recipient data including personalized data that can be used to identify said recipient of said physical mail object; and

provide said first set of electronic data to said reception device via said network in response to receiving said recipient data, said first set of electronic data comprising a sender'"'"'s web page that identifies said recipient and includes data corresponding to a content of said mail object;

wherein one of receiving said recipient data from said reception device and providing said first set of electronic data to said reception device results in a second set of electronic data being provided to said sender of said mail object.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one application is further configured to encode said single set of mail ID data and to affix said single set of encoded data on said mail object.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said at least one application is further configured to generate an email addressed to said recipient in response to receiving said recipient data.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said second set of electronic data includes at least a portion of said recipient data.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said second set of electronic data includes data corresponding to said recipient of said mail object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one application is further configured to provide said second set of electronic data to said sender via a web page.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said second set of electronic data includes data corresponding to said reception device.

16. A system for providing electronic data to a recipient of a mail object, said mail object including a single set of mail ID data that includes at least recipient data, wherein said recipient data corresponds to said recipient of said mail object, comprising:

a processor;

at least one database for storing at least said electronic data; and

at least one application operating on at least said processor, configured to;

affix the single set of mail ID data to said mail object, said mail object being submitted to a mail carrier for delivery to said recipient of said mail object;

at least one other application in communication with at least a reception device of said recipient having at least one input device for receiving said recipient data from said mail object, said at least one other application being configured to;

receive said recipient data from said reception device; and

provide said electronic data to said reception device via a network in response to receiving said recipient data, said electronic data including a sender'"'"'s web page that identifies said recipient and includes data that corresponds to a content of said mail object;

wherein one of receiving said recipient data and providing said electronic data results in other electronic data being provided to a sender of said mail object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said reception device is a cellular telephone.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said electronic data is formatted for being displayed via a web browser operating on said cellular telephone.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said other electronic data includes at least one of at least a portion of said recipient data and data corresponding to said recipient of said mail object.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said single set of mail ID data is encoded before it is affixed to said mail object.