Pitney Bowes Inc.

Michael J Critelli

Judith D Auslander

Perry A Pierce

Charles R Malandra, Jr

Ronald P Sansone

Frederick W Ryan, Jr

Leon A Pintsov

Ronald Reichman

Ian A Siveyer

Steven J Shapiro

Organized coercion or buying of votes can be detected based upon information associated with the return of vote by mail ballots, and more specifically an induction parameter related to the location where and time at which vote by mail ballots are inducted into a carrier system for return to the election officials. Upon receipt of the vote by mail ballots by election officials, at least one induction parameter is obtained from the envelope. The data that is collected can be analyzed to detect situations that indicate potential coercion or vote buying by comparing it with expected induction parameters. If a situation that indicates potential coercion or vote buying is detected, those voters whose ballots are involved can be contacted by the election officials, before the votes are tallied, to ensure that the specific voters have not been coerced or sold their vote.

Method and system for detecting potential coercion or vote buying in vote by mail systems

A method and system that enables the accurate identification of the originator of a mail piece within a corporate mail room environment is provided. Each person that generates mail items is provided with tracking information to be placed on each mail item. The tracking information can include, for example, an employee identification number, an equipment identification number and a unique sequence number. When the mail item is received in the corporate mail room, the tracking information is scanned and the tracking information is associated with a unique aspect of the mail item. Utilizing the tracking information associated with each mail item, the ambiguity of origination of each mail item is removed as there is now a verifiable record of the originator and/or originating equipment.

Method and system for tracing corporate mail

The invention makes it easier for the post office to calculate accurately terminal dues by providing information to the post regarding each piece or parcel of mail that crosses an international border. The invention also makes it easier for the post offices to calculate terminal dues by obtaining fee information from mail that is sent internationally. The foregoing is accomplished by placing an indication on the mail that the fees for delivering the mail have been paid or will be paid by a mailer who has an account with the post office; sorting the mail to find international mail; storing the fees that have been paid or will be paid for international mail; reporting the fees that have been paid for international mail to all participating post offices; and calculating the fees that are to be transferred to participating post offices.

Method to account for domestic and international mail fees

A method for improving the readability of composite images by determining available areas on a document where no text or graphics will be printed in visible ink and printing one or more 2-D bar code with invisible ink at a size pre-determined based on the available areas. The one or more auxiliary 2-D bar codes are printed in luminescent ink, either invisible or lightly colored when viewed under white light.

Method for improving the readability of composite images

Machine-readable light-colored or invisible, but luminescent, postage-evidencing symbology and dark, readable other postage information are printed, preferably in a single print operation, to provide large amounts of information without diminishing read rates. The resulting combination image can be printed independent of substrate material to enable the provision of a high information density without obscuring any one component. The postage-evidencing symbology is printed in large-format and can include redundant information within an IBI image or between an IBI and visible dark image for a variety of practical purposes. In a preferred form, the images are printed using conventional ink jet printers using water-based inks. In one embodiment of this type, the images are printed with a conventional two-cartridge color ink jet printer by printing postage-evidencing symbology with a single-color ink and printing the visible dark image as a composite dark color from a standard multi-color cartridge.

Method for printing high information density machine-readable composite images

A system and method for relating the delivery of a mail piece or package to what is inside the mail piece or package. Thus, when the mail piece or package is received and signed for by a recipient the mailer will have proof that the recipient received the mail piece or package and what was inside the mail piece or package at the time the mail piece or package was delivered to the recipient. The foregoing is accomplished by: affixing identifying characteristics to material contained within the container; sealing the container along with the material contained within the container; delivering the container along with the material contained within the container to a recipient; reading recipient information appearing on the outside of the container and the identifying characteristics of the material contained within the container without opening the container; and recording recipient information appearing on the outside of the container and the identifying characteristics of the material contained within the container without opening the container; and recording recipient's signature.

System and method for verifying the delivery of a mailing and the material contained within the mailing

A postage metering system that dispenses postage on a mailpiece, the postage metering system including accounting circuitry to account for the postage dispensed; apparatus for providing on the mailpiece evidence of postage paid and third party certified, cryptographically secured, non-shipping information about the sender of the mailpiece. A method implements the postage metering system described above.

Postage meter that provides on a mailpiece evidence of postage paid together with cryptographically secured, third party certified, non-shipping information about the sender of the mailpiece

An article of manufacture includes a substrate layer having an indicator of value thereon; an adhesive layer; and a switch attached to one of the substrate layer and the adhesive layer. The switch is activatable to produce a signal in the presence of a first magnetic field and deactivatable to prevent detection of the signal. The substrate may have a printed pattern and the indicator of value on one surface and the adhesive layer on the other surface, for example, as in a postage stamp. This article may be employed in a mail processing system where mailpieces are fed to a facer canceller where the stamp is deactivated to prevent reuse without pavement to the postal or other issuing authority.

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Darien, CT, United States of America

Michael J Critelli