Pitney Bowes Inc.

Other

Munson Electronics, Inc.

Joseph D Mallozzi

Robert K Gottlieb

Edward P Daniels

Edward Paul Daniels, Jr

William E Ryan, Jr

John H Steinmetz

Neale C Hutcheson

Gerald L Munson

Michelle S Breault

Cindy Mangiameli

Mark F Cullen

Alberta A Vitale

James F Giordano

John R Mamone

Chikou Cheng

David E Dinan

A system including a mailpiece sorting apparatus which includes a feeder, an OCR scanner, a mailpiece deliverer, a diverter and output module, compartments or bins for receiving sorted mailpieces, an optical character recognition system for reading addressee information, an addressee database, and microprocessor based control system is described. In an illustrative example, harmful materials are detected in mailpieces and such mailpieces are diverted from the mail stream. In another example, the system is contained in a detection area and clean room; and/or the system uses x-ray technology to determine the content of the mailpieces. The system provides for detection of harmful materials in mailpieces so as to help deter delays in incoming mail delivery caused by the presence of life harming material and to sanitize the mail so as to protect the intended recipients from harm.

System for detecting the presence of harmful materials in an incoming mail stream

The present invention is directed, in a general aspect, system including a mail sorting apparatus which generally comprises a feeder, a line scan camera, an in-line printer, a control system which may be the microprocessor based personal computer system, at least one addressee database and sort plan, a mailpiece transporter, a bin module with compartments or sort bins for receiving mailpieces. This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by enabling a mail sorting apparatus to address sort internal mailings (business to employee mail). The foregoing is accomplished by addressing and sorting employee mailpieces in one process by using information from one or more databases of the mail sorting apparatus, including the addressee database and sort plan, and an in-line printer for printing employee and/or delivery information on the employee mailpiece. Thus, the method of the present invention provides a less costly, simplified way to prepare internal mailings.

Method of addressing and sorting an interoffice distribution using an incoming mail sorting apparatus

A mailpiece sorting apparatus is described which includes a feeder, an OCR scanner, a mailpiece transporter, a sanitizer and compartments or bins for receiving sorted mailpieces, an optical character recognition system (OCR) for reading addressee information, an addressee database, and a personal computer (PC) or microprocessor based control system. In one configuration, mailpieces are feed, singulated and sanitized. In another configuration, mailpieces are fed, singulated, sanitized and sorted. In another configuration, the system is contained in a sanitization area and clean room. The system provides for sanitization of mailpieces so as to help deter delays in incoming mail delivery caused by the presence of life harming material and sanitize the mail so as to protect the intended recipients from harm.

System for sanitizing and sorting mail

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a mailpiece sorting apparatus video coding station, inserter system, return mail workstation and a web server for interconnecting several components of the system. The system provides a closed loop solution for reducing return to sender mailpieces generated by a company that is sorting incoming mailpieces using an automated system. This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art providing updated data to inserting systems producing such mailpieces. This helps to solve data quality problems at their source and reduce processing costs by reducing the number of return to sender mailpieces.

Method and apparatus for processing and reducing the amount of return to sender mailpieces

The an embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a mailpiece sorting apparatus including an addressee database and a state/ZIP Code list generated from the addressee database. Mailpieces for which the addressee cannot be determined are processed using ZIP Code and/or State information read from the mailpiece. The state/ZIP Code information read from the mailpiece is compared to the state/ZIP Code list to determine if there is a match. If there is not match, the mailpiece is sorted to a &ldquo;return to sender&rdquo; bin.

Method of outsorting return to sender mail using an incoming mail sorting apparatus

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

An embodiment of the present invention comprises a mailpiece sorting apparatus including a voice recognition system performing a method of processing &ldquo;return to sender&rdquo; mailpieces using voice recognition. The operator obtains a &ldquo;return to sender&rdquo; mailpiece and determines a sender address segment for identification. The sender address segment is spoken by the operator to the recognition system. The voice recognition software interprets the information and communicates it to recipient matching software. The software narrows the potential sender matches in the mailpiece sorting apparatus addressee database. If a match is made, the operator is prompted to place the mailpiece onto mailpiece sorting apparatus which sends the mailpiece to the proper sort bin based on the identification performed by the matching software. The present invention may also calculate statistical information regarding reject mailpieces and chargeback information for the cost of sorting the &ldquo;return to sender&rdquo; mailpiece.

Method of processing return to sender mailpieces using voice recognition

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method of sorting mailpieces which requires less stopping of the sorting process for bin emptying. The present invention is directed to a mailpiece sorting method which indicates when a bin is partially full to the level of a partially full sensor so that an operator can empty that bin. Additionally, a bin-full calculation is performed for determining if redirection of the mailpieces to an alternate bin is necessary should the operator not empty the bin as directed. If a bin is partially full to the level of the sensor, the process performs an addition of thicknesses of all of the mailpieces which are in the mailpiece delivery system, but not yet delivered to the bin to determine whether those mailpieces would fill the bin. If the bin would be full, it is determined whether an alternate bin is available and, if so, the mailpieces are routed to the alternate bin. If an alternate bin is not available, the sorting system is shut down and the full bin(s) is(are) emptied.

Method for sorting mailpieces

A method of teaching a student and using a computer game teaching system, a computer game and educational information contained in one or more tutorial modules. A plurality of questions contained in the tutorial module are presented to the student at pause points in the game, the scoring algorithm for the game is modified as a result of positive responses to the questions to permit higher probability of scoring in the game. The student's responses to the questions are stored in a scores database which is transmitted for analysis, at a central location which analyzes the responses from many students and prepares a report for transmittal to a parent or teacher to guide the student's further education.

Computer game teaching method and system

A system for accounting for postage expended by a postage meter. The system includes a keyboard and display for entry of commands and postal information, a printer, a memory for storing account records and program data, the memory further including a non-volatile memory for storing account records and other data, an interface to an electronic postage meter, and a processor including a CPU. The processor controls an electronic postage meter through the interface in accordance with the program data and entered postal information to set the meter and then responds to signals from the meter to update account records. The processor may also edit selected account records in accordance with entered information. In one disclosed embodiment the system responds to an operator request to print the account data base by repetitively scanning the account data base and sequentially printing accounts. In another disclosed embodiment the system stores images of accounts to be edited in selected regions of non-volatile memory before beginning to edit the account. These embodiments increase the security of the data in the accounts by avoiding exposure to data loss due to power failures or transients while accounts are being processed. In another disclosed embodiment a record of edited accounts is maintained by the system to allow a service technician to detect unauthorized editing of accounts. In still another disclosed embodiment the system tracks the contents of the postage meter ascending register to detect off-line meter usage.

System for accounting for postage expended by a postage meter having

A system for accounting for postage expended by a postage meter. The system includes a keyboard and display for entry of commands and postal information, a printer, a memory for storing account records and program data, the memory further including a non-volatile memory for storing account records and other data, an interface to an electronic postage meter, and a processor including a CPU. The processor controls an electronic postage meter through the interface in accordance with the program data and entered postal information to set the meter and then responds to signals from the meter to update account records. The processor may also edit selected account records in accordance with entered information. In one disclosed embodiment the system responds to an operator request to print the account data base by repetitively scanning the account data base and sequentially printing accounts. In another disclosed embodiment the system stores images of account to be edited in selected regions of non-volatile memory before beginning to edit the account. These embodiments increase the security of the data in the accounts by avoiding exposure to data loss due to power failures or transients while accounts are being processed. In another disclosed embodiment a record of edited accounts is maintained by the system to allow a service technician to detect unauthorized editing of accounts. In still another disclosed embodiment the system tracks the contents of the postage meter ascending register to detect off-line meter usage.

An interface is connected between an OCIA type port and a mailing system peripheral, such as a weighing cell. The interface comprises an input data circuit, operatively connected to a serial data input line and to an associated input clock line, for receiving serial data input words comprising 8 serial data bits and an end-of-message (EOM) bit. The input circuit converts the serial input words into parallel form and transfers them to a programmable interface controller. The interface also includes an output circuit for transforming parallel output words from the interface controller into serial format. The output circuit is operatively connected to a serial data output line and an output data clock line from the OCIA type port. When an output data word is loaded into the output circuit the output line is forced to a predetermined logical level signalling the port the data is available. The port then provides a series of clock pulses to shift the data word out from the output circuit. When the data word is shifted out from the output circuit the circuit returns the output line to the initial state removing the data available signal. The programmable interface controller is responsive to a series of input words as messages from the OCIA type port. The interface controller is operatively connected to a weighing cell for providing weight and status information, and in response to a particular message, returns a message to the OCIA type port providing weight information and status information. In response to other messages, the programmable interface controller enters certain error routines, clears the interface to initial conditions, or resets the weighing cell to zero. The messages are provided in a predetermined format having header words descriptive of the meassage contents and ending in an error check word. The EOM bit of the error check word is of an opposite logical level from the EOM bit of the other words in a message and so indicates the end of the message.

Growing community of inventors

Trumbull, CT, United States of America

Joseph D Mallozzi