Pitney Bowes Inc.

Alberta A Vitale

Christian A Beck

Robert K Gottlieb

Joseph D Mallozzi

John H Winkelman

William E Ryan, Jr

Mark F Cullen

Melissa Cacace-Bailey

An embodiment of the system of the present invention generally comprises a mailpiece sorting apparatus which includes a feeder, an OCR scanner, a video scanner, a mailpiece transporter, a diverter and output module, compartments or bins for receiving sorted mailpieces, optical character recognition system for reading addressee information, an addressee database, a suspect database, and microprocessor based control system. In alternate embodiments of the present invention: the system is contained in a detection area and clean room and/or connection to an investigation entity. The system and method of integrates prediction of the presence of life harming material in mailpieces with mailpiece processing so as to help deter delays in incoming mail delivery caused by the presence of life harming material the suspected presence of life harming material and to protect the intended recipients from harm.

System and method for outsorting suspect mail from an incoming mail stream

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method of removing mail from the mail stream using a mail sorting apparatus. The foregoing is accomplished by providing a method that can determine whether mail is wanted or unwanted. Thus, the present invention is directed to, in a general aspect, a method of removing unwanted mail from a mail stream using an incoming mail sorting apparatus comprising the steps of: obtaining information from a mailpiece using the mail sorting apparatus; evaluating the information obtained from the mailpiece to determine whether the mailpiece should be delivered; delivering the mailpiece if it is determined that the mailpiece should be delivered to an intended recipient or out-sorting the mailpiece if it is determined that the mailpiece should not be delivered to the intended recipient. The method may also include the steps of collecting data regarding the mailpiece including data regarding mailpieces that should not be delivered and associating the data with the intended recipient. Additionally, the data collected could be used for calculating a cost of sorting the mailpiece. The method may also include the steps of determine whether future mailpieces from the mailer should be delivered; updating the database to include information obtained regarding delivery of the future mailpieces from the mailer.

Method of removing mail from a mailstream using an incoming mail sorting apparatus

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East Haven, CT, United States of America

Alberta A Vitale