Bell & Howell, LLC

Bowe Bell + Howell Company

Gary Van Ermen

Brian Bowers

Walter S Conard

Steven Seburn

Richard Wojdyla

Raymond W Lee

Mark Woolston

William Andrew Grady

Paul Kostyniuk

Steven Ksiazek

Christopher Crutchfield

Kenneth Yuen

Processing and tracking of individual mail items processed through a document processing system such as a sorter or inserter utilize a mail item identifier that is unique with respect to each individual mail item. A mail item may have a postal authority approved code representing or containing its associated unique identifier. If not, an identifier is generated and a corresponding postal authority approved code is applied to the mail item. Processing entails associating the unique mail item identifier for each respective mail item with collected metadata for the respective mail item and storing the identifier and associated the metadata. In a sorter example, each mail item is sorted into a postal sort group, and the processing entails identifying the sort group to which each item is sorted and storing the identified sort in association with the unique mail item identifier.

System and method for tracking a mail item through a document processing system

The present application generally relates to address data maintenance services using a mail processing system. The present application discloses techniques and equipment to update address information and usage of mail processing equipment to print delivery point barcodes that represent the current and accurate address information available for the addressee. The present application also provides a new approach for storing and searching address and name run time directories as part of a mail processing system using address reader technology.

Method and system for run time directories for address services on a mail processing system

The present subject matter relates generally to techniques and/or equipment for validating mail items within a mail processing system. Sort scheme data and mail item identification data are loaded into the mail processing system. The mail item identification data includes a mail owner identification value and a unique mail item identifier. Then, mail item identification data is acquired from each of the mail items processed in the system and validated against the loaded mail item identification data. The method may involve storing mail item validation data. The mail items are sorted in accordance with the loaded sort scheme data. Further, the present subject matter relates generally to building reports based on the information derived from the techniques and/or equipment utilized therein.

System and method for validating mailings received

The present subject matter relates generally to a system and method for controlling functions in a mail sorting system based on gap length measurement and tracking. The system and method includes a plurality of sensors located along one or more mail piece transport paths. The sensors are used to collect data regarding the gap length between each mail piece transported through the system. The gap length data is processed and stored within a controller/processor that uses the gap lengths to control the operation of one or more devices within the mail sorting system. For example, the gap lengths may be used to control the operation of a diverter, a printer or any other electromechanical, hardware or software device. The gap lengths can be used to trigger and/or inhibit the operation of the one or more devices.

System and method for gap length measurement and control

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Palatine, IL, United States of America

Gary Van Ermen