Abstract:
A method that enables the recipient to receive notification of the letters, flats and/or packages (mail) that the recipient is going to receive prior to the delivery of the mail. The recipient is then able to inform a post or courier i.e., Federal Express®, Airborne®, United Parcel Service®, DHL®, etc., of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered. The post and courier hereinafter will be referred to as “carrier”. The invention also allows the carrier to uniquely identify each piece or parcel of mail (even if they are from the same sender to the same recipient on the same day) so that the mail may be more easily identified by the carrier, sender and the recipient. For instance, the recipient may want the mail physically delivered to their house faster or slower, or the mail physically redirected to the recipient&#39;s temporary address, or physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s agent, or physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s attorney, or physically returned to the mailer, or have the carrier open the physical mail and have the carrier e-mail or fax the contents of the mailpiece to the recipient and/or parties designated by the recipient.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Reference is made to commonly assigned copending patent application Ser. No. 09/818,792 filed herewith entitled “Recipient Elected Messaging Services” in the names of Ronald P. Sansone, Robert A. Cordery and Donald G. Mackay; Ser. No. 09/818,721 filed herewith entitled “Sender Elected Messaging Services” in the names of Ronald P. Sansone, Robert A. Cordery and Donald G. Mackay; Ser. No. 09/817,998 filed herewith entitled “Messaging Services For The Visually Impaired” in the name of Ronald P. Sansone; Ser. No. 09/818,480 filed herewith entitled “Recipient Elected Messaging Services For Mail That Is Transported In Trays Or Tubs” in the name of Ronald P. Sansone; Ser. No. 09/818,195 filed herewith entitled “Method For Determining If Mail Contains Life Harming Materials” in the name of Ronald P. Sansone; and Ser. No. 09/818,727 filed herewith entitled “Method For A Carrier To Determine The Location Of A Missing Person” in the name of Ronald P. Sansone. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates generally to the field of mail delivery systems and, more particularly, to systems that may deliver mail by physical and/or electronic means. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   People have directly transmitted information from one person to another. Information was first transmitted by spoken word and later by the written word. Writings enabled people to transmit information by messengers from a location in which the sender of the writing was present to another location where the receiver was present. In time, postal services were developed in which a person would deliver letters to the post office in one city, and an agent of the post office would deliver that letter to a post office in another city, where the letter mail would be picked up by the person to whom the letter was sent. 
   Ever since the numeric codification of streets and buildings received general acceptance, an individual&#39;s name and household postal address have been linked. The sender of a letter or package would deliver a letter or package to the post that had the correct recipient postal address, and the post would deliver the letter or package to the numeric street address of the recipient of the letter or package. A correct recipient postal address for the delivery of the letter or package to the recipient included the name of the recipient; the street address of the recipient; the city and state of the recipient; and the zip code of the recipient. Thus, the correct recipient postal address is usually the actual location of the recipient. 
   Typically, it takes the post three to five days to deliver letters and/or packages to a recipient. Sometimes, recipients of letters and packages like to know what letters and packages they are going to receive before they receive them. For instance, if someone is going on a trip, they may want to receive their bills, i.e., credit card, electric, gas, oil, hospital, doctor, etc., before they leave on the trip so that they may pay the bills before a finance charge for late payment of the bill is applied to their account. Someone may also want to receive a package before they go on a trip so that they may take the contents of the package on the trip. The recipient may also want to delay delivery of a particular letter or package until they return from their trip. The reason for the foregoing may be that the recipient does not want to retrieve the letter or package at the post office or have the letter or package waiting at a vacant house. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method that enables the recipient to receive notification of the letters, flats and/or packages (mail) that the recipient is going to receive prior to the delivery of the mail. The recipient is then able to inform a post or courier i.e., Federal Express®, Airborne®, United Parcel Service®, DHL®, etc., of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered. The post and courier hereinafter will be referred to as “carrier”. The invention also allows the carrier to uniquely identify each piece or parcel of mail (even if they are from the same sender to the same recipient on the same day) so that the mail may be more easily identified by the carrier, sender and the recipient. For instance, the recipient may want the mail physically delivered to their house faster or slower, or the mail physically redirected to the recipient&#39;s temporary address, or physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s agent, or physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s attorney, or physically returned to the mailer, or have the carrier open the physical mail and have the carrier e-mail or fax the contents of the mailpiece to the recipient and/or parties designated by the recipient. 
   This invention accomplishes the foregoing by depositing with the carrier mail containing the recipient&#39;s name and physical address and the sender&#39;s name and address; placing a unique number on the mail; capturing the name, physical address of the recipient and the sender, and the unique number; translating the name and physical address of the recipient into an e-mail address; notifying the recipient of the availability of the deposited mail by the unique number assigned to the mail; notifying the carrier of the manner in which the recipient would like the mail delivered; and delivering mail to the recipient in the manner specified by the recipient to the carrier. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1A  is a drawing of a metered mailpiece; 
       FIG. 1B  is a drawing of a permit mailpiece; 
       FIG. 1C  is a drawing of a stamped mailpiece; 
       FIG. 1D  is a drawing of a flat or package that is going to be delivered by a carrier; 
       FIGS. 1A-1D  show various methods of evidence for the payment of postage. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that additional methods of evidence for the payment of postage exist. 
       FIG. 1E  is a drawing of a metered mailpiece, that has been metered with a digital meter that affixes a unique number to the mailpiece; 
       FIG. 1F  is a drawing of a metered mailpiece, that has been metered with a personal computer meter that affixes a unique number to the mailpiece; 
       FIG. 2  is a drawing showing how this invention may be used by a post in the processing of letter mail; 
       FIG. 3  is a drawing showing how this invention may be used by the post and/or a courier in the processing of flats and packages; 
       FIG. 4  is a drawing of the information that appears on one or more of receiving devices  36  and 
       FIG. 5  is a drawing of major mailer site  90 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to  FIG. 1A , the reference character  11  represents a mailpiece that has a sender address field  12 , a recipient address field  13  and a postal indicia  14 . Mailpiece  11  also contains a unique number  110 . Unique number  110  may be in the form of numbers, letters or alphanumeric characters. Number  110  may also take the form of a unique bar code or other coded graphic. Number  110  is affixed to mailpiece  11  by the post. The manner in which number  110  is affixed to mailpiece  11  hereinafter will be described in the description of  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 1B  is a drawing of a permit mailpiece. Mailpiece  15  has a sender address field  16 , a recipient address field  17  and a permit  18 . Mailpiece  15  also contains a unique number  110 . Unique number  110  may be in the form of numbers, letters or alphanumeric characters. Number  110  may also take the form of a unique bar code or other coded graphic. Number  110  is affixed to mailpiece  15  by the post. The manner in which number  110  is affixed to mailpiece  15  hereinafter will be described in the description of  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 1C  is a drawing of a stamped mailpiece. Mailpiece  19  has a sender address field  20 , a recipient address field  9  and a stamp  10 . Mailpiece  19  also contains a unique number  110 . Unique number  110  may be in the form of numbers, letters or alphanumeric characters. Number  110  may also take the form of a unique bar code or other coded graphic. Number  110  is affixed to mailpiece  19  by the post. The manner in which number  110  is affixed to mailpiece  19  hereinafter will be described in the description of  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 1D  is a drawing of a flat or package that is going to be delivered by a carrier. Package or flat  40  has a label  39  affixed thereto. Label  39  has a sender address field  41 , a recipient address field  42  and may have other sender information, i.e., the sender&#39;s phone number  44 . Indicia  43  is affixed to label  39 . Indicia  43  may be a postal indicia or courier symbology. Package  40  also contains a unique number  111 . Unique number  111  may be in the form of numbers, letters or alphanumeric characters. Number  111  may also take the form of a unique bar code or other coded graphic. Number  111  is affixed to package or flat  40  by printer  121  ( FIG. 3 ) or preprinted on label  39 . 
     FIG. 1E  is a drawing of a metered mailpiece that has been metered with a digital meter that affixes a unique number to the mailpiece. Mailpiece  113  has a sender address field  114  and a recipient address field  115 . A metered indicia  112  is affixed to mailpiece  113 . Indicia  112  contains a unique number  135 . 
     FIG. 1F  is a drawing of a metered mailpiece that has been metered with a personal computer meter that affixes a unique number to the mailpiece. Indicia  139  may be a two dimensional bar code  140 , that may contain unique number  141 . 
     FIG. 2  is a drawing showing how this invention may be used by a post in the processing of letters. Letter mail that is deposited in trays  6  and delivered to the post is read by reader  23 . Collection letter mail may be metered letter mail that is produced at a mailer site  7  or a sender household  8  by a postage meter or a personal computer meter; stamped mail; or permit mail. Collection letter mail is placed in collection mail input  21 , i.e., mail boxes or delivered to the United States Postal Service unsorted. Collection letter mail is sent to advanced facer canceller (hereinafter “AFCS”)  22 . AFCS  22  first faces the letter mail. Then AFCS  22  electronically identifies and separates prebarcoded mail, handwritten addresses and machine-imprinted address pieces for faster processing through automation. A printer  120  or AFCS  22  will print unique number  110  on mailpieces  11 ,  15  and  19  ( FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  1 C). Unique number  110  may contain the serial number of printer  120  plus a unit count of the mailpiece printed or the serial number of AFCS  22  plus a unit count of the mailpiece printed. Letter mail that AFCS  22  determines is optical character readable is sent to multi-line optical character reader/code printer (hereinafter “MLOCR”)  23 . Reader  23  reads the entire address on the letter mail: sprays a bar code on the mail; and then sorts the mail. Letter mail that is able to be scanned and sorted by reader  23  is sent to bar code sorter/code printer  24 . Letter mail that the mailer has prebarcoded and contains a facing identification mark is sent to bar code sorter/code printer (hereinafter “BCS”)  24 . 
   Trayed mail  82  (mail in which the sender is entitled to discounts) that is produced at a major mailer site  90  ( FIG. 5 ) is sent to a delivery bar code sorter/code printer (hereinafter “BCS”)  25  or a carrier sequence bar code sorter/code printer (hereinafter “CSBCS”)  26 . Sorters  25  and  26  sort the letter mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier  27 . Letter mail that AFCS  22  determines is not optical character readable is sent to bar code sorter/code printer  28 . Letter mail that AFCS  22  obtains electronic images from and letter mail that reader  23  obtains electronic images from transfers the electronic images to remote bar code system (hereinafter RBCS”)  32 . System  32  matches the look up zip code for the letter mailpieces from AFCS  22  and merges them. System  32  electronically transmits the bar code information to sorter  28  where the bar code information is sprayed on the mailpieces. Letter mail that is able to be scanned and sorted by sorters  24  and  28  is sent to a delivery bar code sorter  25 . Sorters  25  and  26  sort the letter mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier  27 , or hold the mail for recipient diversion for a specified period of time in divert mail options rerouting controller  62 . 
   Letter mail that can not be scanned and sorted by sorters  24  and  28  is sent to letter sort machine (hereinafter “LSM”)  29 . Letter mail that can be sorted by LSM  29  is sent to postal hand casing  30 . Postal hand casing  30  is the process in which the postal carrier sorts the letter mail in the order that the letter mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier  27 . Letter mail that can not be sorted by LSM  29  is sent to manual process  31 . Manual process  31  attempts to classify the previously rejected mailpiece to: redirect the mailpiece; declare the mailpiece dead; or manually re-code the mailpiece for redelivery. Then the mailpieces that have not been processed in manual lookup and scan sortation process  31  are sent to dead letters  33 . In process  31  an operator may determine the address of the recipient and produce a label to be placed on the letter mail. Then the letter mail would go to postal hold casing  30  where the mail is sorted in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier  27 . 
   Letter mail that can not be faced and cancelled by AFCS  22  is sent to manual process  31 . Manual process  31  attempts to classify the previously rejected letter mailpiece to redirect the mailpiece; declare the mailpiece dead; or manually re-code the mailpiece for redelivery. Then the letter mail that manual process  31  is able to classify is sent to postal carrier casing  30  before it is delivered by postal carrier  27 . 
   RBCS  32  electronically transmits the bar code information that represents the destination of the letter mailpiece and the party to whom the mailpiece is to be delivered and the image of the face of the mailpiece to data center  34 . The aforementioned scanners scan all of the information appearing on the face of the letter, i.e., the sender&#39;s name and address  12  ( FIG. 1A ), the recipient&#39;s name and address  13  and postal indicia  14 . The scanned information is transferred to accept process images  52 . Then the information is sent to encode, sort, store  53 . At this point, the recipient&#39;s physical address is verified by checking postal address data base  54 , and the recipient&#39;s e-mail address is determined from e-mail data base  55 . Temporary data base  56  is then searched to determine whether or not the recipient has left any forwarding addresses. Encode  53  then encodes and sorts the information obtained from data bases  54 ,  55  and  56 . 
   The aforementioned encoded and sorted information is stored in mail image data base  57 . Then the mail image information is sent to manage mail image  58  where the various options and the costs associated therewith that the recipient may have for delivering the information contained in the letter is determined. Then the mail images and options that the recipient has for receiving the letter is sent to images  59 , where the information appearing on the face of the letter in alphanumeric and graphic form and the options in alphanumeric and graphic form the recipient has for receiving the letter are transmitted to receiving device  36  (personal computer, television, facsimile machine, personal data assistant, etc.), which is located at the recipient&#39;s business or household  35 . The options that the recipient has for diverting the letter are described in the description of  FIG. 4 . 
   The recipient may use device  36  (personal computer, facsimile machine, personal data assistant, etc.) located at the recipient&#39;s business or household  35  to inform receive and process user options  61 , located at data center  34 , of the manner in which the letter mail should be delivered. The recipient may also use a touch tone and/or voice telephone  87  to inform options  61  of the manner in which the recipient would like the letter mail displayed on the receiving device  36 , i.e., television delivered. For instance, the recipient may want the letter mail physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s house faster or slower, or the letter mail physically redirected to the recipients temporary address, or physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s agent, or physically delivered to the recipient&#39;s attorney, or physically returned to the mailer, or have the post open the letter mail and have the post e-mail or fax the contents of the letter mail to the recipient and/or parties designated by the recipient. 
   At this juncture, the recipient may inform options  61  via a device  36  of the manner in which the recipient would like the letter mail processed. Options  61  will then inform the recipient via device  36  of the cost to the recipient to process the letter mail in the manner selected by the recipient. The recipient may then inform the post to deliver the letter mail in the manner selected by the recipient. The recipients selected manner of letter mail processing is forwarded to options rerouting controller  62 . If the post specified time to deliver the letter mail has not been reached the letter mail is sent to recipient options  64  and delivered in the manner selected by the recipient in route mail options  65 . Then options  65  informs manage mail data base  58  to archive the image and also to notify bill sender and pay carriers  66  to bill the recipient and pay the post. At this point the next letter mail image is ready to be processed. The letter mail may then be delivered to the recipient at mail box  37  at a faster or slower rate than that selected by the sender; held by the post for a specified amount of time and then delivered to an address specified by the recipient; opened, and the contents of the letter mail faxed to recipient&#39;s selected fax numbers; opened, and the contents of the letter mail faxed to recipient&#39;s selected fax numbers and then the letter mail may be delivered to the physical address specified by the recipient; opened, and the contents of the letter mail e-mailed to recipient&#39;s selected e-mail addresses; or opened, and the contents of the letter mail e-mailed to recipient&#39;s selected e-mail addresses, and then the letter mail may be delivered to the physical address specified by the recipient. The recipient may also have instructed the post to return the mail to the sender, to destroy the mail, or to recycle the paper in the letter mail. Options  61  will also send the cost of the recipient selected manner of delivery to bill recipient  66  so that data center  34  may inform the post to debit the recipients account or send a bill to the recipient. 
     FIG. 3  is a drawing showing how this invention may be used by a post or courier in the processing of packages and flats. Packages and flats are deposited with the carrier at  50 . Printer  121  will print unique number  111  on label  39  of the package or flat ( FIG. 1D ). Unique number  111  may contain the serial number of printer  121  plus a unit count of the number of unique numbers printed by printer  121 . Packages and flats are scanned by scanner/coder  51 . Scanner/coder  51  scans all of the information appearing on the face of the package or flat, i.e., (from  FIG. 1D ) the sender&#39;s address  41 , the sender&#39;s phone number  44 , the recipient&#39;s address  42  and courier symbology  43 . The scanned information is coded, formatted and sorted, and the physical flat or package is sent to internal routing for physical delivery of the package or flat  63 . The aforementioned information is transferred to accept process images  52 , which is located at data center  34 . Then the information is sent to encode, sort, store  53 . At this point, the recipient&#39;s physical address is verified by checking postal address data base  54 , and the recipient&#39;s e-mail address is determined from e-mail data base  55 . Temporary data base  56  is then searched to determine whether or not the recipient has left any forwarding addresses. Encode  53  then encodes and sorts the information obtained from data bases  54 ,  55  and  56 . 
   The aforementioned encoded and sorted information is stored in mail image archive data base  57 . Then the package or flat image information is sent to manage mail image  58  where the various options and the costs associated therewith that the recipient may have for delivering the information contained in the package or flat are determined. Then the mail images and options that the recipient has for receiving the package or flat are sent to images  59 , where the information appearing on the face of the package or flat in alphanumeric and graphic form and the options in alphanumeric and graphic form the recipient has for receiving the package or flat are transmitted to receiving device  36  (personal computer, television, facsimile machine, personal data assistant, etc.), which is located at the recipient&#39;s business or household  35 . The recipient may use device  36  (personal computer, facsimile machine, personal data assistant, etc.) located at the recipient&#39;s business or household  35  to inform receive and process recipient options  61 , located at data center  34 , of the manner in which the package or flat should be delivered. The recipient may also use a touch tone and/or voice telephone  87  to inform options  61  of the manner in which the recipient would like the package or flat displayed on the receiving device  36 , i.e., television delivered. For instance, the recipient may want the package or flat physically delivered to the recipients house faster or slower, or the package or flat physically redirected to the recipients temporary address, or physically delivered to the recipients agent, or physically delivered to the recipients attorney, or physically returned to the mailer, or have the post open the package or flat and have the post e-mail or fax the contents of the package or flat to the recipient and/or parties designated by the recipient. 
   At this juncture, the recipient may inform options  61  via a device  36  of the manner in which the recipient would like the package or flat processed. Options  61  will then inform the recipient via device  36  of the cost to the recipient to deliver the package or flat in the manner selected by the recipient. The recipient may then inform the carrier to deliver the package or flat in the manner selected by the recipient. The recipient&#39;s selected manner of package or flat delivery is forwarded to options rerouting controller  62 . If the carrier&#39;s specified time to deliver the package or flat has not been reached, or the package or flat is at internally routing for physical processing  63 , the package or flat will be sent to recipient options  64  and delivered in the manner selected by the recipient in route mail options  65 . Then options  65  informs manage mail data base  58  to archive the image and also to notify bill sender and pay carriers  66  to bill the recipient and pay the carrier. At this point, the next package or flat image is ready to be processed. 
   The package or flat may then be delivered to the recipient at mail box  37  at a faster or slower rate than that selected by the sender; held by the courier for a specified amount of time and then delivered to an address specified by the recipient; opened, and the contents of the package or flat faxed to recipient&#39;s selected fax numbers; opened, and the contents of the package or flat faxed to recipient&#39;s selected fax numbers and, then the package or flat may be delivered to the physical address specified by the recipient; opened, and the contents of the package or flat e-mailed to recipient&#39;s selected e-mail addresses; or opened, and the contents of the package or flat e-mailed to recipient&#39;s selected e-mail addresses, and then the package or flat may be delivered to the physical address specified by the recipient. The recipient may also have instructed the post or courier to return the mail to the sender or to destroy the contents of the package or flat or recycle the contents of the package or flat. Options  61  will also send the cost of the recipient&#39;s selected manner of delivery to bill recipient  66  so that the carrier may debit the recipient&#39;s account or send a bill to the recipient. 
     FIG. 4  is a drawing of the information that appears on one or more of receiving devices  36 . The information may appear on the display of a personal computer, the screen of a television set, or paper  70  printed by a printer or facsimile machine. An image of the face of a letter mail is shown at  71  and  72 , and an image of the face of a flat or package is shown at  73 . Data associated with letter mail  71  is shown at  74  and data associated with letter mail  72  is shown at  75 . Data associated with package or flat  73  is shown at  76 . The options that the recipient has for diverting the mail is shown at  77 , and the time that the recipient would like delivery is shown at  78 . The unique number  110  shown on letter  71  is also shown at  125 , and the unique number  112  shown on letter  72  is also shown at  126 . The unique number  111  shown on the face of package or flat  73  is also shown at  125 . 
     FIG. 5  is a drawing of major mailer site  90  that is used in the production of mailpieces for trays  82  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). A mainframe computer  91  is located at site  90 . Computer  91  performs preprocessing of the mailpiece by controlling the content and composition of the mailpiece as well as the address management, presortation postal requirements and postal process bar code requirements. Computer  91  is coupled to postal address data base  92 , postal discount rules  93  and tray routes database  94 . Computer  91  utilizes data base  92 , rules  93  and data base  94  to instruct content printer  96  to print the material that is required for the mailing, i.e., information appearing on the face of the mailpiece, and material that is going to be inserted into the mailpiece. Inserter and meter  97  inserts the material into the correct mailpiece, seals the mailpiece, applies the correct postage to the mailpiece, places the mailpiece in the proper tray  82  and prepares documentation for the mailpieces in tray  82 . Meter  97  may be an electronic meter that affixes an indicia containing a unique number to each mailpiece that is going to be placed in tray  82 . An optional printer  130  may affix a unique number to the mailpieces in tray  82  before the mailpieces are placed in tray  82 . The unique number printed by optional printer  130  may contain the serial number of printer  130  plus a unit count of the number of unique numbers printed by printer  130 . 
   Computer  91  will cause tray label printer  101  to print a label according to mail traying process  100  for the tray  82  that inserter and meter  97  is filling. Then the trays  82  containing the mailpieces go to tray routing and booking process  102  and shipping process  103 . When the trays  82  are in shipping process  103 , postal discount acceptance printer  104  will be instructed by computer  91  to print the proper postal documentation for the mailpieces in tray  82 . After process  103  places the proper documentation in trays  82 , trays  82  are ready to be shipped to delivery bar code sorter/code printer  25  or sequence bar code sorter/code printer  26  ( FIG. 2 ). 
   The above specification describes a new and improved method that enables a recipient to inform a carrier of the manner in which the recipient would like mail containing a unique number delivered. It is realized that the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principles of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.