Patent ID: 6816602
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: B07C,G06K,G06Q

Abstract:
A method for deferred processing of a mail piece through an outgoing mail center and an incoming mail center for ultimate delivery to an addressee, the mail piece having an destination address field with a first address portion including sufficient information to route the mail piece to the incoming mail center and a second address portion including sufficient information to deliver the mail piece to an addressee from the incoming mail center, comprising the steps of:receiving the mail piece at the outgoing mail center; resolving the first address portion to determine the incoming mail center; associating a unique identification mark with the mail piece and marking the mail piece with the unique identification mark; maintaining a record of the unique identification mark independent of the marking on the mail piece and a record of the first and second address portions in association with the record of the identification mark; sorting the mail piece to an appropriate transport vehicle at the outgoing mail center for transport to the incoming mail center based on the resolved first address portion; transporting the mail piece from the outgoing mail center to the incoming mail center; maintaining data relating the outgoing mail center and the incoming mail center, the data including at least a predetermined transit time indicative of the time required for the mail piece to be transported from the outgoing mail center to the incoming mail center; consulting the maintained data and establishing a predetermined deferral time based on the transport time data, the deferral representing at least an acceptable maximum length of time that can elapse from an established point in time in the processing of the mail piece before the second address portion is resolved and made accessible to the incoming mail center; and transmitting a record of the identification mark and rendering accessible to the incoming mail center the resolved second address portion in association with the record of the identification mark within an elapsed time not exceeding the maximum acceptable time of the predetermined deferral time such that the resolved second address portion can be associated with the mail piece at the incoming mail center and the mail piece routed for delivery to an addressee.