Abstract:
Provided is a method of reducing postal revenue losses associated with the processing and delivery of international mail pieces. Algorithmically-resolved image data associated with a mail piece is compared to international-mail-services postage data and a determination is rendered, based on the comparison, as to whether any postage indicated as paid is sufficient to further process the mail piece in accordance with the level of delivery service requested. In various aspects, an attempt to algorithmically ascertain the identity of the sender is undertaken for purposes of automated charge assessment relative to a mail piece for which it is determined that insufficient postage has been tendered. In accordance with alternative aspects, if the sender identity cannot be ascertained, the mail piece is variously (i) rejected for manual handling or (ii) routed for automated sortation and delivery in accordance with a “downgraded” delivery service level for which the amount paid is adequate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/PRIORITY CLAIMS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/913,726 filed Aug. 6, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,119 under the title “SYSTEM AND METHOD OF IDENTIFYING AND SORTING INTERNATIONAL MAIL PIECES BASED ON APPLIED-POSTAGE ADEQUACY IN ORDER TO ENHANCE POSTAL SERVICE REVENUE PROTECTION.” application Ser. No. 10/913,726 was co-pending with the present application on the date the present application was filed. 
     Previously filed Non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/913,726 was based on, and claimed the benefit of the filing date of, Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/493,668, filed Aug. 8, 2003, and entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD OF IDENTIFYING AND SORTING INTERNATIONAL MAIL PIECES BASED ON APPLIED-POSTAGE ADEQUACY IN ORDER TO ENHANCE POSTAL SERVICE REVENUE PROTECTION.” The present application also claims the benefit of the filing date of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/493,668 through Non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/913,726. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     An international mail piece originating in the United States is deposited with the United States Postal Service at, for example, a local post office branch from which it is then routed to an appropriate one of a plurality of outgoing international mail centers, each of which mail centers services a specified geographic region or “zone” of the United States for purposes of handling both outgoing and incoming international mail. There exist approximately 13 zones in the United States and each is serviced by an international mail center that is generally located at or near one of the major U.S. international airports. For instance, there is an international mail center located at or near each of JFK airport in New York, LAX airport in Los Angeles and O&#39;Hare International airport in Chicago. 
     Although an international mail piece could be deposited directly at an outgoing international mail center, it is typically received into the system at a local post office branch. Mail received into the postal system at a local branch office is eventually transported to a centralized postal hub. There are in excess of 250 postal hubs in the United States. These “hubs” are known by alternative names including (i) processing and distribution centers, (ii) general mail facilities and (iii) mail distribution centers. Postal hubs are regional mail centers that handle incoming and outgoing mail for individual post office branches within a particular range of ZIP Codes. Typically, a postal hub services one or more “three-digit ZIP Code areas.” For example, the Central Massachusetts Processing and Distribution Center (also known as the “Worcester Facility”) services the local post office branches situated in all the ZIP Codes beginning with “014”, “015,” “016,” and “017.” That is, mail destined for or departing from a local branch office within a ZIP Code beginning with any one of the four sets of three digits in the previous sentence will, under normal circumstances, pass through the Worcester facility. The Worcester facility services more than two dozen towns, each with its own local branch office. Nationally, the 250 plus hubs collectively service approximately five thousand individual postal branch offices. 
     Domestic mail coming into and going out of the various local branch offices in a particular geographic region is processed through one or more hubs before delivery to its final domestic destination. Mail pieces identified as international mail pieces are transported from a regional hub to an international mail center such as the mail centers described above. Each international mail center services a plurality of regional hubs. 
     International mail arriving at a regional hub or an international mail center is currently randomly sampled to ascertain whether senders are applying the required postage. As part of the random sampling process, heavy reliance is placed on manual handling and visual inspection by human personnel. One basis upon which random sampling may be conducted is when it comes to the attention of postal personnel that a single sender, such as corporation, is sending large quantities of overseas mail. If it is determined that the sender has applied inadequate postage on some predetermined threshold quantity of mail pieces, personnel remove the sender&#39;s mail pieces from automated sortation apparatus and quantify the total amount of the postage deficiency for all of the identified mail pieces in order to render postal charge assessment to the sender. 
     It will be appreciated that, although the measures described above identify and render charge assessment against some senders that underpay for postage, a large percentage of underpaid mail pieces go undetected and are transported and delivered at a loss to the postal system. The cost of human labor renders prohibitive reliance upon human inspection to detect a large percentage of underpaid mail pieces. Analogous processes and similar losses are implemented and incurred by the postal systems of countries other than the United States. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for an enhanced, automated method of identifying and processing international mail pieces that bases (i) automated sorting decisions at least in part on a machine-executed algorithmic determination of the adequacy of applied postage and that, consequently, reduces reliance on costly human labor and error and (ii) enables automated postal-charge assessment to a postal customer who has underpaid the postage required to process a mail piece as desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various implementations of the invention are concerned with automated methods of properly identifying international mail pieces for which adequate postage has not been paid based on predetermined criteria and, furthermore, to sort international mail pieces to designated collection points in accordance with a pre-established protocol including a set of sortation rules as part of an automated sortation process. Adapting and employing automated mail sortation apparatus to identify and sort international mail according to the adequacy of applied postage substantially reduces manual handling and the cost and potential for errors associated therewith, as well as the loss of revenue associated with the delivery of underpaid or unpaid international mail pieces. Illustrative examples of criterion factored into a determination of applied-postage adequacy include (i) international destination, (ii) mail-piece type (e.g., letter, flat or package), (iii) mail piece weight, and (iv) service-type requested (e.g., regular, first class, second, third class, fourth class, priority, express, certified, and/or recipient signature required). The term “service-type” is, for purposes of various implementations described in the specification and claimed, regarded as interchangeable with “level of service,” “level of delivery service” and other variations thereof. The term “international destination” as used throughout the specification and claims indicates governmental and other entities to which a set of distinctive postal rates applies and may include, for example, territories and possessions. In addition, “international destination” may also refer to a region of a large country, such as the United States, that includes multiple “zones” that are regarded as separate international destinations, for example. For instance, relative to a mail piece originating in London, the zone of the United States serviced by the international mail processing facility associated with Chicago&#39;s O&#39;Hare International Airport is regarded as a different “international destination” than the zone of the United States serviced by the international mail processing facility associated with New York&#39;s JFK airport. 
     As is more fully explained further in this specification, various implementations disparately treat different types of international mail pieces depending on a predetermined potential for revenue loss associated with a particular mail piece type. For instance, in one implementation, less intensive automated address interpretation resources are allocated for ascertaining the identity of a sender of a letter bearing inadequate postage than the sender of a package bearing inadequate postage because, from a statistical standpoint, a greater loss of revenue is likely to be associated with the latter. Such an implementation executes a preconceived assessment that, in a realm of finite resources, it is statistically more cost effective to forego a postage shortfall of perhaps several cents associated with a letter than a shortfall of perhaps several dollars associated with a package, for example. 
     In order for automated interpretation apparatus to determine whether adequate postage has been tendered for delivery of an international mail piece and how the mail is to be routed for delivery, information exhibited on at least one surface of the mail piece is conveyed to automated interpretation apparatus through mail-piece data acquisition apparatus. The data acquisition apparatus may include, for example, one or more cameras or optical character recognition (OCR) scanners. Although data may be acquired from a mail piece by alternative methods, the act of mail-piece data acquisition is principally expressed throughout the specification and claims in terms of “image capturing” or “image acquisition.” Therefore, it is intended that “image capturing” and “image acquisition,” and semantic variations thereof, be interpreted sufficiently broadly to include alternative methods of automated data acquisition such as photography and scanning. Accordingly, various implementations include capturing or acquiring at least one image of a surface of the mail piece and storing the at least one image in computer memory. Depending on whether it is desired to preserve the capacity to re-associate the at least one image with the physical mail piece to facilitate future handling, alternative aspects include the steps of marking the physical mail piece with a unique identification mark representing its identity and storing a computer memory record of the identification mark in association with the at least one stored image acquired from a surface of the mail piece. 
     The at least one captured image acquired from the mail piece is resolved by interpretation algorithms to produce a resolved data set associated with the corresponding physical mail piece and is indicative of at least the nation for which the mail piece is destined as indicated in the destination address field, whether any postage-paid indication is exhibited on the mail piece and, in various implementations, the amount of postage actually paid by the sender. The resolved data set may also include indications as to the service-type (e.g., mail class, priority, express, etc.) and, perhaps, weight exhibited on the mail piece. An indication on the mail piece as to an amount of postage paid may include (i) a mailing label downloaded and printed from an on-line postage vendor in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art, (ii) postage-paid indicia printed by a postal clerk at a postal service branch office or even (iii) a generic, self-adhesive stamp purchased at a postal service office branch. 
     In various implementations, weight of an international mail piece is an important factor is determining whether a sender of the mail piece has applied adequate postage. As previously indicated, a textual indication as to the weight of a mail piece may appear on the surface of a mail piece. However, such indications are not regarded as standard practice and to rely on a stated indication of weight, even in the relatively rare instances in which one may appear, presents the potential for lost revenue due to mistakes or intentional understatements of weight by senders. Accordingly, various embodiments include an in-line scale among the automated sortation machinery for weighing mail pieces. In some versions, a machine-registered weight indication is associated with the resolved data set corresponding to a physical mail piece. Alternative versions facilitate manual data entry of a mail-piece weight by, for example, a postal employee and the association of that inputted data with the data set associated with the corresponding physical mail piece. 
     Mail-piece dimensions are, in various implementations, yet an additional factor that is associated with a resolved data set and accounted for in the determination as to whether adequate postage has been paid for the delivery of an international mail piece corresponding thereto. Mail-piece-dimension data is rendered, for instance, by at least one of (i) manual data entry by a postal employee, (ii) the data output of mail-piece-dimension sensing apparatus, (iii) and an indication exhibited on the mail piece and having resolved image data corresponding thereto. Mail-piece dimension sensing apparatus are known to those possessing ordinary skill in the automated postal processing art and, in various extant devices, include optical sensors relying on emitted signals reflected off a mail piece and into one or more signal receivers. As is known, it is possible to derive dimensional data from one or more captured images as well. Typically, for a mail piece exhibiting three substantial dimensions (e.g., a box or mailing tube as opposed to a flat or letter), at least two captured images from at least two different angles are required in order to render calculated dimensional data. 
     Various implementations include the maintenance of machine-accessible international-mail-services postage data relating required-postage rates to various predetermined mail-piece characteristics selected from a set of mail-piece characteristics including (i) international destination, (ii) mail-piece type (e.g., letter, flat or package), (iii) mail piece weight, (iv) mail-piece dimensions, and (v) service-type requested (e.g., mail class including, for instance, priority, express, registered, certified, insured and signature-request services etc.). In various embodiments, this information is maintained in an international-postage-rate database that includes one or more tariff tables. A sortation protocol includes a set of revenue-protection rules including subsets of conditions indicative as to where a mail piece corresponding to a resolved data set is to be routed by automated sorting machinery based on the satisfaction, by the resolved data set, of at least one subset of conditions. Of primary importance, in various aspects, is a comparison between the amount of postage actually paid, as indicated by the resolved data set, and the amount of postage required for the mail piece as indicated by the maintained international-mail-services postage data. 
     The international-mail-services postage data is consulted and the resolved data set is compared to the international-mail-services postage data in accordance with the sortation protocol in order to ascertain whether one or more subsets of conditions is satisfied by the resolved data set. Based on the satisfaction of one or more condition subsets, a resultant sortation signal set corresponding to sortation and routing of the associated physical mail piece to a designated mail piece collection point is generated and rendered accessible to predetermined, signal-responsive automated sorting machinery. In various aspects, a determination is rendered, based on the comparison between the resolved data set associated with the mail piece and the international-mail-services postage data, as to whether any postage indicated as paid by data within the resolved data set is sufficient to further process the mail piece in accordance with the level of delivery service requested. 
     The sortation decisions particular to a specific implementation can vary from those of alternative implementations. An illustrative implementation sorts mail pieces to collection point types, or “selections,” selected from among a set of four potential selection types, by way of non-limiting example. For instance, an international mail piece for which the corresponding resolved data set indicates that at least the required amount of postage has been paid is routed to a collection point for mail pieces to be “sent as requested.” Also routed to a “send-as-requested”-type collection point, in some implementations, are mail pieces to which a predetermined minimum of postage required for the international destination has been applied, regardless of at least one of the actual weight and dimensions of the mail piece. This may be done if, for example, either of the weight and dimension characteristics of the mail piece is unavailable. For example, a letter, as opposed to a flat or package, bearing the required minimum postage for the lowest weight category (e.g., up to 1.0 ounce) for the international destination may be sent as requested regardless of the actual weight of the letter. Such an implementation executes a judgment that, on average, underpayment of postage on letters does not represent as great a source of revenue loss as underpayment of postage on packages or flats and that it is, therefore, not cost effective to allocate resources for the collection of letter postage shortfalls. A “send-as-requested” collection point receives mail pieces for which the postage actually applied, though less than the postage actually required, is inadequate by an amount within a predetermined “inadequacy threshold,” which is alternatively referred to as a “deficiency threshold.” For instance, consider a package bound for Japan for which the postage required is $35.00. If the amount of postage actually applied by the sender is $34.50, and the particular version tolerates an inadequacy of up to 3% (i.e., $1.05), for example, a decision is rendered to route the package for delivery as if full postage had been paid. Such tolerance within an inadequacy threshold balances the needs of the postal system to collect revenue and obviate inordinate amounts of handling to collect a relatively small sum of money with the needs of customers to avoid draconian consequences (i.e., refused delivery) for postage shortfalls that are deemed, as defined by the inadequacy threshold, insignificant or even unintentional. A fourth category of mail pieces collected at a send-as-requested collection point includes mail pieces exhibiting information to which the identity of a corresponding postal customer can be matched for purposes of automated charge assessment for “postage balances due” and/or a surcharge for additional handling and as a deterrent to future postage deficiencies. Exhibited customer identifying information may include, by way of non-limiting example, an indication of at least one of (i) a meter number, (ii) a postal services account number, and (iii) a postal-customer mailing address. The postal-customer mailing address in the context of customer (e.g., sender) identifying information would typically be a return address, such as the sender&#39;s residence address or other address at which the sender receives mail. 
     At a second selection type, mail pieces for which the postage actually applied is inadequate for the service requested are collected for transport and delivery in accordance with a level of service for which the postage actually applied is adequate. For example, if a customer places contents in a “global express” package for which the required postage is $25.00 and affixes only $15.00 in postage, the package is routed for delivery in accordance with the “best level” of delivery service for which $15.00 is sufficient (e.g., “global priority” requiring $12.50) or some other “lesser” level of service. 
     A third collection point type collects mail pieces for which at least the presence of a return address has been verified and the mail pieces so collected are returned to the corresponding senders for lack of adequate postage. 
     The illustrative implementation includes a fourth selection type designated for “rejected” mail pieces that do not meet the criteria for automated sortation to any of the other implemented collection points. Such mail pieces may be manually handled and, for instance, sent by lowest cost method to the destination address indicated (e.g., ship instead of aircraft). Alternatively, such mail pieces may be manually examined for exhibited information that reveals the identity of the sender for purposes of postal charge assessment or return to the sender. 
     Representative implementations are more completely described and depicted in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  1 C and  1 D depict four illustrative international mail pieces; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of an outgoing-mail center and architecture accessible to at least one outgoing mail center for the movement of an international mail piece and postal charge assessment associated therewith; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustrative portion of an international-postage-rate database; 
         FIG. 4 . shows an illustrative portion of a sortation protocol file including condition sets and condition subsets, the satisfaction of any of which by a resolved data set associated with a mail piece corresponds to the generation of a set of sortation instructions directing the corresponding mail piece to a predetermined collection point; and 
         FIG. 5  is of an illustrative in a postage-meter account database. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description of international mail sortation processes and architecture, and various implementations thereof, is demonstrative in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or its application of uses. For purposes of explanation, consideration is given to the movement and sortation of four illustrative international mail pieces. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A through 1D  and  2 , the international mail pieces  20 , individually designated as  20 A,  20 B,  20 C and  20 D, are received into a postal system and processed through at least one outgoing-mail center  100 . As described previously in the background, an international mail piece  20  is typically processed through more than one mail center  100 , one of which is an international mail center. In reading the following description, it is to be understood that different processing operations or functions, such as those depicted in  FIG. 2 , may occur at different mail centers  100  relative to any particular mail piece  20 . For example, an international mail piece  20  may be weighed, measured and digitally photographed at a regional, non-international mail center  100  and not finally sorted to a collection point until it is at an outgoing-international-mail center  100 . Accordingly, it is to be understood that the reference in  FIG. 2  to “outgoing mail center  100 ” is generic and should therefore not be interpreted as necessarily limiting the operations, functions and processes described to a single processing facility. 
     Each international mail piece  20  includes a surface  22  having a delivery address field  24  including an international destination  26 . The remainder of an address field  24  includes more specific information that is required by the foreign incoming-international-mail center (not shown) in order to further route the mail piece  20  through a local delivery branch office to an addressee and may include street, building, apartment or house number, addressee information and a postal code. The mail pieces  20 A,  20 B,  20 C and  20 D are identifiable as international mail pieces  20  and variably exhibit on their surfaces  22  a postage-paid indicium  30 , a service-type request  34  and a return address  36 . In the case of metered mail, the postage-paid indicium  30  typically includes a unique meter number associated with the sender of the mail piece  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 1B and 1D . The unique meter number provides data useable by interpretation algorithms in positively identifying a sender so that the mail piece  20 , if underpaid, can be returned or, in various embodiments, to whom charges for postage deficiencies can be automatically charged without return of the physical mail piece  20 . However, as previously indicated, the physical mail piece  20  susceptible to processing through the at least one mail center  100  may not be associated on its face with a meter number and, in fact, may include as a postage-paid indicium  30  only a stamp that has not, like a meter number, or other exhibited account number, been pre-associated with a sender&#39;s identity. The service-type request  34  may assume various alternative forms including, for example, indicia pre-printed for the postal service and imprinted on mail piece envelopes, boxes, tubes or jackets or labels to be applied to mail pieces by senders. Familiar examples of such indicia for United States domestic mail include Express Mail labels and envelopes, priority mail envelopes and labels and certified mail labels that include a number and bar code. A United States domestic Express Mail label, for instance, includes a unique tracking number and bar code identifying the mail piece to which it is applied as Express Mail. Analogous indicia exist for international mail services. A letter in a plain envelope addressed to a foreign country is accorded a level of service analogous to first class mail in the United States. 
       FIG. 2  is a function-block diagram of the architecture at, and accessible to, the illustrative outgoing-mail center  100 . The outgoing-mail center  100  includes access to a data processing system  110 , which may be at least partially located outside of the outgoing-mail center  100 . The data processing system  110  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  112  that is communicatively linked via a communications link  115  to a memory  120 , image acquisition apparatus  130 , a printer  132 , a mail-piece scale  134  and an identification-mark reader  136 . The system architecture further includes automated sorting machinery  140  responsive to computer-generated sortation signals. 
     At the outgoing-mail center  100  of  FIG. 2 , an international mail piece  20  is deposited on a conveyor  155 , where it is conveyed passed the image acquisition apparatus  130 . The image acquisition apparatus  130  scans and captures at least one image  22 ′ of the surface  22  of the physical mail piece  20  and stores each captured image  22 ′ as a two-dimensional bit plane of pixels, for example, in memory  120 . A unique identification mark  60  is associated with the captured image(s)  22 ′ and a computer memory record  60 ′ of the unique identification mark  60  is stored in conjunction therewith in an image data block  65  corresponding to the physical mail piece  20 . Typically, the identification mark  60  comprises a bar code, for example. A printer  132  prints the unique identification mark  60  on the physical mail piece  20 . The unique identification mark  60  allows the corresponding captured image(s)  22 ′ to be accessed and, when necessary, re-associated with the corresponding physical mail piece  20 . The captured image(s)  22 ′ include image data representative of the destination address field  24  and other, aforementioned information exhibited on the physical mail piece  20 , for example. In addition to the acquisition of image data from a mail piece  20 , weight data is acquired by the mail-piece scale  134  for each mail piece  20  of a selected set of mail pieces  20  and is associated in memory  120  with the computer memory record  60 ′ of the unique identification mark  60  corresponding to the physical mail piece  20 . As indicated in the summary, mail-piece-weight data may be provided and associated with other data corresponding to the physical mail piece  20  by apparatus and methods other than a mail-piece scale  134 . For example, mail-piece-weight data may be manually entered by a postal employee through a computer terminal  138  or and indication of weight may be provided on the mail piece  20 . It is to be understood that none of these methods of acquiring mail-piece-weight data is exclusive and that two or more methods may be implemented in the processing of a single mail piece  20 . 
     As explained in the summary, various implementations factor mail-piece dimensions into the determination as to whether adequate postage has been paid for the delivery of an international mail piece corresponding thereto. As with mail-piece-weight data, mail-piece-dimension data is rendered, for instance, by at least one of (i) manual data entry by a postal employee through a computer terminal  138 , (ii) the data output of mail-piece-dimension sensing apparatus  135 , (iii) and an indication exhibited on the mail piece and having resolved image data corresponding thereto and included in the resolved data set  70 . 
     While the international mail piece  20  to which a set of stored images  22 ′ and weight and dimension data, if applicable, corresponds is still at an outgoing-mail center  100 , or in transit between two outgoing mail centers  100 , interpretation algorithms  170  resolve (or interpret) at least enough image data to ascertain the international destination for which the mail piece  20  is destined and to generate sortation signals for the sorting machinery  140  to route the mail piece  20  to an appropriate collection point for loading onto a transport vehicle at the outgoing-mail center  100 . As image data is resolved, a resolved data set  70  is formed and associated with the computer memory record  60 ′ of the unique identification mark  60 . 
     In various implementations, an international-postage-rate database  160  is provided for maintaining international-mail-services postage data accessible to the outgoing-mail center  100 . The international-postage-rate database  160  contains data relating required-postage rates to various predetermined international mail-piece characteristics selected from a set of mail-piece characteristics including, for example, (i) international destination, (ii) mail-piece type (e.g., letter, flat or package), (iii) mail-piece weight, (iv) mail piece dimensions and (v) service-type requested (e.g., mail class including, for instance, priority or express services).  FIG. 3  shows a portion of the data that appears in an illustrative international-postage-rate database  160 . The maintenance of an international-postage-rate database  160  containing data accessible to interpretation algorithms  170  and automated sorting machinery  140  at the outgoing-mail center  100  facilitates the accurate sortation of international mail pieces  20  based on the adequacy of applied postage. 
     In addition to the maintenance of a international-postage-rate database  160 , a sortation protocol  180  provides a basis for instructing automated sortation apparatus (e.g., automated sorting machinery  140 ) as to how a particular international mail piece  20  is to be sorted based on consultation with the international-postage-rate database  160  and comparison of data therein with a resolved data set  70  associated with the mail piece  20 . Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 2 , an illustrative sortation protocol  180  includes a first condition set  182  including condition subsets  183 A, B, C and D, a second condition set  184  including illustrative condition subset  185 A and a third condition set  186  including condition subsets  187 A and B. The illustrative sortation protocol  180  is structured such that the first condition set  182  corresponds to sortation of the corresponding mail piece  20  to an “as-requested” collection point  192  at the outgoing-mail center  100  from which it will be transported to the foreign incoming-international-mail center for delivery as requested. Condition subsets  183 A through D within the first condition set  182  are constructed such that the satisfaction of even a single one of condition subsets  183 A through D within the illustrative protocol  180  corresponds to automated sortation of a mail piece  20  whose resolved data set  70  satisfies any of condition subsets  183 A through D to an appropriate as-requested collection point  192 . 
     The illustrative second condition set  184  corresponds to sortation to a “downgrade” collection point  194  to which mail pieces  20  lacking postage sufficient for delivery as requested are sent for delivery in accordance with a lesser service level for which the applied postage is adequate. Satisfaction of a condition subset  185 A within the second condition set  184  by the resolved data set  70  associated with a mail piece  20  results in the generation of sortation signals indicating that the automated sorting machinery  140  direct the mail piece  20  to a downgrade collection point  194 . 
     The third condition set  186  of the illustrative sortation protocol  180  corresponds to sortation of mail pieces  20  to a “return-to-sender” collection point  196  based on the satisfaction by the resolved data set  70  associated with a mail piece  20  of one of the condition subsets  187 A and  187 B within the second condition set  186 . 
     It will be appreciated that the illustrative condition subsets  183 A-D,  185 A and  187 A and  187 B of, respectively, condition sets  182 ,  184  and  186  depicted in  FIG. 4  represent a limited, demonstrative and non-limiting selection of numerous possible condition subsets  183 ,  185 , and  187 . Moreover, as suggested in the summary, still additional condition subsets that, for example, do not fall under any of the preceding three condition sets  182 ,  184  and  186 , correspond to the sortation of mail pieces  20  to a “reject” collection point  198  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , various implementations facilitate automated postal charge assessment for postage deficiencies to postal accounts identifiable through automated data-set resolution. One manner in which a postal account associated with a sender can be identified is through resolution of a meter number from a mail piece  20 . Moreover, there exist postal customer accounts corresponding to customers other than those associated with metered-mail accounts through which a sender may by identifiable. Accordingly, various implementations include access by interpretation algorithms  170  to a postal-customer account database  175  which, in various aspects, is a machine-consultable repository for maintaining postal-customer account data uniquely relating the identity of each postal customer of a selected set of postal customers with data indicative of at least one of (i) a mailing address, (ii) a postal services account number and (iii) a postal meter number.  FIG. 5  shows several entries in an illustrative postal-customer account database  175 . The postal-customer account database  175  includes a postal customer account number, a customer name and a mailing address associated with each postage meter number. The postal-customer account database  175  of the illustrative implementation also includes an indication as to whether the customer&#39;s account is enabled for automated billing of postage deficiencies wherein “1” corresponds to enabled and “0” corresponds to non-enabled. As to metered mail pieces  20  lacking sufficient postage, for example, if a meter number is decipherable by interpretation algorithms  170 , and the sender&#39;s account is enabled for automated charge assessment, the sender and the postal service are spared the consequences of returning the mail piece  20  to the sender and the postal service collects the appropriate postage for its services. In one alternative implementation, a surcharge is assessed for automated postage-deficiency charge assessment. In another example from the illustrative postal-customer account data of  FIG. 5 , Yale Univ. does not have associated with it a meter number, but automated billing is enabled for this postal customer, which is possible because, in the example, Yale Univ. has both a postal services account number (i.e., postal customer account ID) and a sender&#39;s mailing address (i.e.,  420  K St., etc.) associated therewith in the postal-customer account database  175 , although, in various implementations, either of these two items of identifying information may be sufficient to enable automated charge assessment. 
     In order to further facilitate understanding of the implementation and aspects depicted in  FIGS. 2 through 5 , reference is made to the international mail pieces  20  depicted in  FIGS. 1A through 1D , and a brief explanation is provided as to how each of the four mail pieces  20 A, B, C and D would be processed in the outgoing-mail center  100 . For simplicity of explanation, all four mail pieces  20 A, B, C and D are bound for Paris, France. Moreover, it is assumed that a complete resolved data set  70  corresponding to each of the four mail pieces  20 A, B, C and D is available to, and resolvable by, interpretation algorithms  170 . 
     Mail piece  20 A is a package weighing 1.6 lbs. to which $47.00 in postage has been applied with a request for “Global Express Guaranteed” delivery service. The resolved data set  70  corresponding to mail piece  20 A is compared to data included in the international-postage-rate database  160  in accordance with the sortation protocol  180 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the illustrative international-postage-rate database  160  indicates that, for a package bound for France, $47.00 in postage is required for Global Express Guaranteed Service if the package weighs between one and two pounds. Accordingly, mail piece  20 A satisfies condition subset  183 A of the sortation protocol  180  and is routed by automated sorting machinery  140  to collection point  192  for delivery as requested. 
     Mail piece  20 B is a metered letter to which 50 cents postage has been applied. The international-postage-rate database  160  of  FIG. 3  indicates that no less than 60 cents is ever sufficient for a letter bound for France. Accordingly, the applied postage is deficient and automated sorting machinery  140  requires an instruction as to how to route the mail piece  20 B. Mail piece  20 B includes a return address that does not directly identify the sender. However, it also includes a meter number (i.e., No. 6756172). Accordingly, the postal-customer account database  175  ( FIG. 5 ) is consulted to ascertain the identity and return address of the postal customer to whom meter number 6756172 was assigned and whether the account is enabled for automated charge assessment. Referring to  FIG. 5 , meter number 6756172 is associated with Georgetown University Hospital and the account is not enabled for automated charge assessment. Accordingly, a set of instructions directing the mail piece  20 B to a return-to-sender collection point  194  is generated. 
     Mail piece  20 C is a stamped, non-metered letter bearing postage in the amount of 37 cents, an amount previously demonstrated as insufficient on a letter bound for France. There is no meter number, so the postal-customer account database  175  is not consulted. However, there is a complete return address. Accordingly, a set of instructions directing the mail piece  20 C to a return-to-sender collection point  194  is generated and rendered accessible to the automated sorting machinery  140 . It will be appreciated, based on previous descriptions of alternative implementations, that only in the particular example described above is the stamped, non-metered mail piece  20 C routed for return to the sender. In alternative implementations, once a comparison between the resolved data set  70  associated with a mail piece  20  such as mail piece  20 C and the international-mail-services postage data in the international-postage-rate database  160  indicates that any postage indicated as paid is insufficient to further process the mail piece (e.g.,  20 C) in accordance with the level of delivery service requested, the postal-customer account database  175  is consulted and the resolved data set  70  associated with the mail piece  20  is compared to data in the postal-customer account database  175  in order to determine, through cross-referencing, whether one of a unique postal customer account and a unique postal meter account is identifiable for purposes of automated charge assessment. Accordingly, for instance, consider, with reference to  FIG. 5 , a scenario in which Yale University places a generic 37 cent stamp on a letter that it addresses to an intended recipient in France, and that it also includes its return address, but not its postal customer account ID on the envelope. In such a case Yale&#39;s account number could be identified though consultation with, and cross-referencing within, the postal-customer account database  175  based in resolved data indicative of Yale&#39;s return address. Furthermore, because, in the example, Yale University has opted to enable the automated billing option, as indicated by the “1” in the last column of the illustrative data table, automated postal-charge assessment could be executed against account number 009832, as long as the return address portion of the captured image of the envelope were resolvable and associated with the resolved data set  70  associated with the mail piece  20 . It will be appreciated, based on the foregoing, that while metered mail may involve a pre-association (e.g., prior to deposit of a mail piece into the postal system) between a customer&#39;s identity via a meter number, for example, and the postage-paid indicium  30  applied to the mail piece  20 , implementations of the current system are capable of processing automated charge assessment in association with mail pieces  20  bearing either no postage-paid indicium  30  or a postage-paid indicium  30  indicating insufficient postage without a pre-association between such indicia  30  and the identity of the postal customer to whom a postal charge is to be automatically assessed. Based on the preceding, non-limiting example, it will be readily appreciated that, in a typical implementation of the current invention, identification of one of a unique postal customer account and a unique postal meter account for purposes of automatically assessing a postal charge is not invariably dependent upon a pre-association, in computer memory, of one of a unique postal customer account and a unique postal meter account with a postage-paid indicium exhibited on the mail piece  20 . In this aspect, among others, implementations of the present invention differ from systems that permit the downloading and printing of postage-paid indicia from a computer network, for example. In such “on-line” postage systems, each postage-paid indicium is separately identifiable and associated in computer memory with at least one of (i) a transaction identifier and (ii) a postal account number, either of which is associated with the identity of a postage purchaser. 
     Mail piece  20 D is similar to mail piece  20 B in that it is a metered letter to which insufficient postage—in this case 55 cents—has been applied. Accordingly, the postal-customer account database  175  is consulted to ascertain the identity of the sender associated with meter number 6689423. Referring to  FIG. 5 , meter number 6689423 is associated with the Beacon Hill Co. and a full mailing address appears in the record. Moreover, unlike the account associated with mail piece  20 B, the account associated with meter number 6689423 is enabled for automated charge assessment. Accordingly, the deficiency of 23 cents is assessed to the account and mail piece  20 D is routed for delivery as requested. 
     The foregoing is considered to be illustrative of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, it is to be understood that the foregoing does not limit the invention as expressed in the appended claims to the exact construction, implementations and versions shown and described.