The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 02, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 15, 2003
Denis J. Stemmle, Stratford, CT (US);
Jacques E. Hasbani, Easton, CT (US);
Judith D. Auslander, Westport, CT (US);
Douglas B. Quine, Bethel, CT (US);
David Wittenberg, Fairfield, CT (US);
Pushpavadan S. Nagarsheth, Danbury, CT (US);
Denis J. Stemmle, Stratford, CT (US);
Jacques E. Hasbani, Easton, CT (US);
Judith D. Auslander, Westport, CT (US);
Douglas B. Quine, Bethel, CT (US);
David Wittenberg, Fairfield, CT (US);
Pushpavadan S. Nagarsheth, Danbury, CT (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A system for determining whether a mail piece has been opened including mail pieces that have the ability indicate a previously opened and never opened state, such as with a state change element, an interrogator unit, such as an RFID reader, for receiving state information, and a data center that receives the state information from the interrogator unit. Also, a method for determining whether a mail piece has been opened including receiving mail pieces at a recipient location, receiving at an interrogator unit, such as an RFID reader, state information from the mail pieces, and transmitting the state information from the interrogator unit to a data center. In either the system or method, each mail piece may have an RFID tag that communicates with the state change element and transmits the state information to the RFID reader. Bar code or other technologies may be substituted for RFID technology.