Patent ID: 6665586
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: G07B

Abstract:
A method for distributing time-sensitive documents, comprising:receiving shipping data from a customer, the shipping data having a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records including at least a recipient field, a recipient address field, a recipient zip code field, and at least one variable recipient field to be used for customizing a document in a manner independent of recipient name, recipient address, and recipient zip code; determining a carrier service level for each record; receiving an intended delivery time associated with each record; determining an intended time of shipment for documents associated with each record based on the carrier service level for each record and the intended delivery time associated with each record; prioritizing the plurality of records based on the intended time of shipment; printing a customized document incorporating customized information based on the at least one variable recipient field for each record; shipping the customized document at the intended time of shipment using the associated carrier service level; the printing and shipping occurring consecutively and without delay such that shipping occurs immediately after printing.