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:
Jul. 16, 2013
Filed:
Sep. 16, 2010
William R. Brandt, Redmond, WA (US);
Gregor Nitsche, Redmond, WA (US);
William R. Brandt, Redmond, WA (US);
Gregor Nitsche, Redmond, WA (US);
RAF Technology, Inc., Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
Methods to solve the costly 'loop mail' problem (FIG.) in automated sorting and delivery of mail pieces are disclosed. Loop mail is detected, and marked as such (FIG.), in an automated reject encoding machine (REM) (FIGS.-). In one case, loop mail is detected where a new image of a returned mail piece is captured (), a new destination address is read (), and the new address does not match the bar code on the piece (), suggesting that the previous address resolution was erroneous. The bar code is over-labeled () and replaced with the new postal code (). The mail piece is marked with a loop mail indicator (), and then returned for automated DBCS sortation (). The loop mail indicator () indicates that the piece has already gone around the sorting and attempted delivery loop at least once, and is used to prevent recurrence ().