Patent Publication Number: US-6219647-B1

Title: Method and an apparatus for preprocessing logging of received postal items

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing received postal items. Such methods and apparatuses are typically employed in mailrooms. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In European patent application 0 571 308 a method for processing received postal items is described in which, for each one of a plurality of received postal items, at least one pattern is recorded from the received postal item, recorded information representing the at least one recorded pattern is generated, and the received postal item is processed in accordance with processing instructions represented by the information recorded from the postal item. 
     Also disclosed in this document is an apparatus for processing received postal items, equipped with a registration assembly for recording patterns from received postal items and for generating recorded information representing the recorded patterns, and a processing structure connected to the registration assembly for processing received postal items in accordance with processing instructions represented by the information recorded from the postal items. 
     The recording of a pattern is for example carried out by scanning a bar-code pattern on a document or an envelope and the processing includes the sorting and routing of documents to different remittance processing devices responsive to coded information obtained by scanning the bar-code pattern of the respective envelope. 
     Direct integrated processing of received mail provides efficiency advantages in that it eliminates the need of handling batches of mail between successive processing operations. However, there is a need of efficiently preparing and maintaining records of incoming mail which can serve as a log for data regarding received mail. For example, in some organizations all envelopes in which mail has been received are stored for some time so that any items or data in or on these envelopes can be retrieved if necessary. It is also common practice to prepare lists of mail which has been received, but in combination with integrated processing of received mail, this entails the problem that items which have gone astray during the processing are missed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution for efficiently obtaining data in an integrated mail processing system. 
     According to the invention, this object can be achieved by providing a method of of processing received mail in which the information representing the recorded pattern or patterns is stored in a log of received mail. Further, according to the invention, an apparatus suitable for carrying out this method can be provided by an apparatus of the initially identified type further provided with a data storage unit for storing a log of received mail, the storage unit being connected to the registration assembly for storing the recorded patterns in the log of received mail. 
     Since the recordal of a pattern from a postal item is carried out before the step of processing, any log or archive prepared on the basis of the same recording step will include any documents which are lost or damaged during the subsequent processing. 
     It is noted that the processing operation can be a routing or sorting operation as is known from the above-discussed European patent application. However, the processing operation can also include other steps, such as marking documents with a file number, opening envelopes, discarding junk mail, destroying documents with confidential information (while storing its contents in a file with limited access) or registering in a database that a response to a request has been received. 
     Particular objects, embodiments and advantages of the present invention are set forth below in the detailed description, the accompanying drawings to which reference is made in the description and in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematical top plan view of an example of an apparatus according to the invention, and 
     FIGS. 2-4 are cross-sectional side elevational views of the separating portion of the apparatus according to FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings represents the presently most preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention. The basic layout of the apparatus corresponds to that of an apparatus for extracting contents from envelopes which is being manufactured by HADEWE B. V. in Drachten, The Netherlands and is commercially available under the type designations IM-35 and LE-1. For further details, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,179,820 and 5,175,979, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The apparatus according to the shown exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises three main processing stations: first, a holder station  1  for accommodating and supplying piece by piece postal items  2  to be processed, second, an opener  3  for separating a front wall and a rear wall of an envelope  4  of a postal item  2  from each other along three of the folding edges of that envelope  4 , and third, a separator  5  for separating the envelope  4  from its contents (this separator is shown in greater detail in FIGS.  2 - 4 ). 
     The holder station  1  for supplying postal items  2  piece by piece is provided with a storing space  58  in which the postal items to be processed can be placed. Mounted in the storing space is a hold-down support  59  for sliding movement along a guiding slot  60 . The hold-down support  59  is connected with means (not shown) for pushing the stack of postal items  2  to be processed to the operating side  10 . Provided or the operating side  10  of the storing space  58  are a support roller  61  and a supply roller  62 . Further, near the operating side  10  on the side of the opener  3  a transport roller  63  and a separation roller  64  are mounted, the transport roller  63  being arranged on the operating side  10  relatively to the separation roller  64 . 
     For processing a stack of postal items, the hold-down support  59  is moved away from the operating side  10  and the stack of postal items  2  is horizontally placed between the hold down support  59  and the supply rollers  61  and  62  so that the envelopes are in a line one behind the other in substantially upright position. Then the hold-down support  59  is pressed against the stack of postal items  2  for exerting a press-on force on the stack in the direction of the operating side  10 . When the apparatus is operated for processing a postal item the supply roller  62  and the transport roller  63  are actuated. Further, the separation roller  64  is driven, but it travels along with the transport roller  63  as long as no more than one postal item  2  is disposed between the separation roller  64  and the transport roller  63 . 
     The action of the supply roller  62  causes the outer-most postal item on the operating side  10  of the stack to be moved towards the transport roller  63  which carries the postal item along upon engagement with it. After the transport roller  63  engages the outer-most postal item the drive of the supply roller  62  is disengaged. Any following postal items that are carried along by the outer-most postal item are restrained by the separation roller  64  and upon entering the area between the transport roller  63  and the separation roller  64  are returned to storing space  58  by the separation roller  64 . 
     The outer-most postal item is transported by the transport roller  63  to be arranged before a wall  65  on the operating side  10  of the opener  3 . Then the postal item is tilted away from said wall  65  for the item to assume a flat position lying on the guiding surface  14 . From this flat position, the postal item is transported further to the opener  3 . 
     The opener  3  for severing the front wall and the rear wall of each envelope comprises a rectangular guiding surface  14  having a left-hand guiding edge  28 , viewed from the operating side  10 , a rear guiding edge  29  and a right-hand guiding edge  30 . For transporting a postal item  4  along these guiding edges  28 ,  29  and  30 , the opener  3  is provided with driven and steerable transport rollers  23 . Each of the guiding edges  28 ,  29  and  30  is provided with a cutting member  13  arranged substantially centrally and operative at some distance from the respective guiding edges for cutting open the envelope along a folding edge. 
     The opener has a supply opening  11  between the holder station  1  and the separator  5 . In the area of this supply opening  11  transport rollers  32  are arranged obliquely relatively to the left-hand guiding edge  28  so that postal items  2  upon being transported through the opening  11  are urged against the left-hand guiding edge  28 . 
     When a postal item is fed through the supply opening  11  from a position designated by the reference numeral  2 A, the rollers  23  are rotated, their centre lines  31  being held in a position substantially transverse to the left-hand guiding edge  28 . The centre lines  31  may be held in a slightly oblique position with the right-hand side of each of the rotationally symmetrical elements being disposed at a greater distance from the operating side than the left-hand side, as shown in FIG.  1 . Thus the postal item is continuously urged against the left-hand guiding edge  28 . Upon passing the cutting member  13  provided along the left-hand guiding edge  28 , the postal item is cut open along the folding edge that is turned towards this left-hand guiding edge  28 . 
     The postal item is transported along the left-hand guiding edge  28  until it reaches the rear guiding edge  29 . The position in which the rear guiding edge  29  has been reached is designated by the reference numeral  2 B in FIG.  1 . Then, the rollers  28  are rotated about corresponding axes transverse to the guiding surface  14  until the centre lines  31  are in a position substantially transverse to the rear guiding edge  29 . The centre lines  31  of the rotationally symmetrical elements may be held in an oblique position relative to the rear guiding edge  29  in a similar way as described with reference to the left-hand guiding edge  28 . Upon passing the cutting member  13  provided along the rear guiding edge  29 , the envelope is cut open along the second folding edge turned towards this guiding edge  29 . 
     When next the postal item subsequently reaches the right-hand guiding edge  30 , the rollers are rotated about associated steering axes in a similar way as when reaching the rear guiding edge  29 . The position in which the right-hand guiding edge  30  has been reached is designated by reference numeral  2 C in FIG.  1 . From that position the postal item is thereby passed along the right-hand guiding edge  30  to the separator  5 . In the meantime, the envelope is cut open along the third folding edge turned towards this guiding edge  30 . 
     The separator  5  has a supply opening contiguous to the surface  14  of the opener  3  and a transport track  18  extends through that opening (see FIGS.  2 - 4 ). The separator  5  further has an exit  9  on the operating side  10  for discharging processed contents and, in an upper position, a discharge opening  49  for discharging processed envelopes. 
     The separator  5  is adapted for unfolding the envelope  4  and for transferring the envelope  4  to the exit track  6  in an unfolded condition for discharging envelopes  4  which have been separated from their contents. 
     A portion of the exit track  6  is designed in the form of superjacent and subjacent belts  7  and  8  of resilient material in between which belts an envelope can be clamped. If necessary, an envelope can easily be removed by hand from between the belts  7  and  8 . In the exit track  6 , any part of the contents that happens to be removed along with the envelope is not separated from the envelope in an uncontrolled manner, which might lead to that part being lost. 
     The separator  5  is further described with reference to the FIGS. 2-4 in which an example of a separator  5  is shown in combination with an envelope  4  and a contents  41  being processed in successive operating stages. The envelope has a first wall  42  and a second wall  43  (in FIG. 3 separately visible), which are mutually connected along a fold  44  along the fourth side. 
     A transport track  40  extends through the separator  5 , along which track a guiding plate  24 , a guiding roller  25 , a transport roller  26 , a friction roller  27  and a retaining surface  38  are provided. The friction roller  27  and the retaining surface  38  form friction surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the transport track  40  and facing each other. When the envelope is supplied (FIG. 2) the friction roller  27  is in a position lifted from the retaining surface  38 , so that the envelope can be brought in a position between the friction roller  27  and the retaining surface  38  by rotating the transport roller  26  and the guiding roller  25 . The friction roller  27  and the retaining surface  38  are then pressed towards each other for exerting a pressure to the envelope (FIG. 3) and can be moved relatively to each other parallel to the transport track  40 . This is achieved by retaining the retaining surface  38  relatively to the position of the transport roller  26  and the guiding roller  25  and urging the friction roller  27  towards the retaining surface  38  and rotating it in such a way that portions of the circumference  39  of the friction roller  27  facing the retaining surface  38  move away from the guiding roller  25  and the transport roller  26 . Preferably the transport roller  26  is kept blocked and the guiding roller  25  rotates freely with the displacements of the panel  42 ,  43  of the envelope  4  with which it is in contact. 
     The envelope  4  is clamped between the friction roller  27  and the retaining surface  38 , and a portion of the first panel  42  against which the friction roller  27  is pressed, is slid relatively to the second panel  13  in the direction of the fold  44  and pivoted about the fold  44  (se FIG.  3 ). When the first panel  42  is unfolded, the contents  41  are accessible to the friction roller  27  and the contents  41 , which lies on the second panel  43 , is slid over the first panel  42  in the direction of the free edge opposite the fold  44  until the contents  41  is free from the friction roller  27 . 
     As appears from FIG. 3, the friction roller  27  is lifted off the retaining surface  38  after the contents  41  of the envelope  4  have come clear of that roller  27 . Then the transport roller  26  is rotated in such a direction that the portions of its circumference  15  facing the guiding roller  25  move away from the retaining surface  38 . The guiding plate  24  is part of a switch structure connecting the envelope supply track  18  and an exit track  6  for emptied envelopes  10  with the transport track  40 . In FIG. 4 the guiding plate  24  is extended upwards so as to guide the envelope  4  supplied by the transport roller  26  to the beginning of the exit track  6 , which beginning is formed by oppositely arranged portions of an intermediate roller  33  between a supply roller  16  of the supply track  18  and a discharge roller  52  of the exit track  6 . 
     Since the envelope  4  is removed in a direction which is substantially opposite to the direction of the sliding movement of the first panel  42  and the contents  41  are slid in the direction of that sliding movement, the envelope  4  is automatically separated from its contents  41 . 
     Concentrically with the friction roller  27  sweeping means  19  are provided which can be rotated along the retaining surface  38  with a slight pressure. Any contents  41  which may be entrained with the envelope  4  is swept off the envelope  4  when the envelope  4  is being removed by rotating the sweeping means  19 . By restraining the sweeping means  19  from rotation relative to the friction roller  27 , their sweeping action can be controlled by continuing the rotation of the friction roller after it has been lifted off the envelope  4 . The sweeping means  19  further support the pivotal movement of the first panel  42  after it has come clear of the friction roller  27 . 
     Spaced from the transport track  40  and the friction roller  27 , a restraint  20  is provided, the friction roller  27  and the restraint  20  being disposed on the same side of the transport track  40  and portions of the circumference  39  of the friction roller  27  facing the retaining surface  38  being moveable away from the restraint  20 . 
     When in the area of separation edges opposite the fourth folding edge  44 , connections between the first and the second panel  12  and  43  are present, a portion of that envelope  4  adjoining the separation edges opposite the fourth folding edge  44  curls and, from the moment where a certain degree of curling is reached the edge of the second panel  43  opposite the fourth folding edge  44  is at least locally be prevented from following the first panel  42  (see FIG.  3 ). As a result, the first and the second panel  42  and  43  are drawn apart along the edges opposite the fourth folding edge  44 , so that the connections between the first and the second panel  42  and  43  are ruptured. The envelope  4  is now unfolded in spite of the separation edge opposite the fourth folding edge  44  not having been cut open completely. 
     According to the embodiment shown, the restraint  20  comprises a short-haired brush  21  so that the separation edge of the second panel  43  is reliably restrained substantially directly upon checking the restraint  20 , regardless of the position where it meets the restraint  20 . 
     The switch formed by the guiding plate  24  is disposed on the same side of the friction surfaces  27 ,  28  as the restraint  20 . Thus, as explained hereinabove, the envelope  4  can readily be discharged in a direction opposite the direction of discharge of the contents  41 . A further advantage is that the guiding plate  24  can be coupled with the restraint  20  so that the plate  4 —as shown in FIG.  4 —can be pivoted upwards away from transport track  40  for guiding a processed envelope  4  to the exit track  6 . 
     When the processing of an envelope  4  has passed the stage shown in FIG.  3  and the first panel  42  as well as the contents  41  between the friction roller  27  and the retaining surface  38  have been removed, so that only the second panel  43  of the envelope  4  is left between the friction roller  27  and the retaining surface  38 , operation of the friction roller  27  is to be interrupted. As discussed hereinabove, this is effected in the present embodiment by shifting the friction roller  27  away from the retaining surface  38 . 
     To determine the moment at which the operation of the friction roller  27  is to be interrupted, the apparatus is provided with a sensor for generating a signal dependent on the resistance the friction roller  27  is subject to, the sensor being coupled for interrupting the operation of the friction roller  27  when the resistance sustained by the friction roller  27  exceeds a predetermined level. 
     For recording patterns or images from received postal items, the shown apparatus is provided with a registration unit  67  for recording a pattern of the outside of each envelope  4 . The registration unit  67  is positioned relative to the inverting structure for pivoting a wall of the envelope  4 , such that, in operation the recording of a pattern of one or both of the walls  42 ,  43  takes place after inverting the wall  42  of the envelope. In the shown embodiment, this is achieved by positioning the recording unit  67  along the exit track  6  where the envelopes always pass in an opened condition. 
     In operation, of each envelope (which has at least been weakened along at least all but one of its fold-edges), first the front or the rear panel is inverted relative to the other panel. Subsequently, the envelope is separated from the contents received in that envelope  4 . Each time after that, i.e. each time after the front or the rear wall has been inverted, a pattern is recorded from the envelope by means of the registration unit  67 . 
     Downstream of the separator  5  a processing structure in the form of a sorting unit  75  is provided. The sorting unit  75  is connected to the registration unit  67  for processing received postal items in accordance with processing instructions represented by the information recorded from said postal items. It is noted that the processing unit can be provided in many other forms, such as in the form of a remittance processing unit. 
     Furthermore, a data storage unit  70  for storing a log of received mail is provided. This storage unit  70  is connected to the registration unit  67  for storing the recorded patterns in a log of received mail. 
     In operation patterns which are recorded from the received postal items  4  for the purpose of determining how the received postal item is to be processed are stored in a log of received mail. Thus, a single recording operation can be used for both determining features of the processing of received items and for building a log of received mail. 
     According to the example shown, the registration unit  67  in a bar code reader. The recorded code can for example be used for selecting a destination of the contents of the envelope. According to the invention the data scanned from the envelope can also be used for recording that the envelope has been received. 
     The recording of a pattern can be carried out in many ways. Instead of in the form of a scanner, the registration unit  67  can for example be provided in the form of a video camera or a microfilm camera for recording an image from an envelope which is held stationary relative to the camera. 
     The shown apparatus further includes a control unit  72  connected to the registration unit  67  for generating the processing codes in accordance with the signals representing the recorded patterns. The sorting unit  75  is connected to the registration unit  67  via the control unit  72  and responsive to the processing codes received from the control unit  72  for processing received postal items in accordance with the processing codes. In the sorting unit  75  each received postal item is directed to a selected one of different destinations in accordance with the processing code received from the control unit  72 . 
     In the example shown, the data storage medium is connected to the registration unit  67 . However, to allow storing the recorded data in a form adapted for storage, for example in a compressed form, it can be preferable to connected the data storage medium to the registration unit  67  via the control unit  72 . 
     Since, in operation, information representing patterns recorded from received envelopes are stored in a log of received envelopes, the need of physically storing received envelopes to retain information contained on these envelopes is obviated. 
     Downstream of the exit  9 , the transport track  18  forms a document track. Along that document track a second registration unit  71  is arranged for recording patterns from documents in that document track. In operation, patterns are recorded from documents of the received postal items and information representing these patterns is stored in a log of received documents. Thus also a log of received documents is automatically kept directly after the documents have been extracted. Thus the risk of documents being lost before having been recorded is minimized. 
     Preferably, it is provided that the data storage facilities are connected to both registration units  67  and  71  and configured for storing information representing patterns recorded from envelopes as well as information representing respective patterns recorded from respective ones of the documents in mutual association. This a complete log of recorded mail can be kept automatically and before any handling of the documents and the envelopes has taken place. It is noted that this feature is also advantageous if the recorded patterns are not used for determining the processing of received postal items. 
     To reduce the number of components, it can be provided that the registration assembly is formed by a scanner and a memory structure containing a program for storing information representing patterns scanned from envelopes and information representing patterns scanned from documents removed from each of the envelopes in mutual association on a data storage medium. Thus, the patterns can be scanned from documents and envelopes using a single scanner. 
     To ensure the authenticity of the records maintained on the data storage medium, it is preferably provided that the data storage medium  70  is protected against erasure or amendment of data stored thereon. 
     This can for example be achieved by providing that the data are stored in encrypted form. Examples of encryption techniques are well known in the art and for example described in a book entitled “PGP: Pretty Good Privacy” by Simson Garfinkel, O&#39;Reilly &amp; Associates, Inc. 1995, ISBN: 1-56592-098-8. It can for example be provided that time and date or any other relevant data of each entry in the records are coded by an independent institution using a private key, while a public key is provided to the user to allow reading of the encrypted data. 
     In the present example, the data storage medium  70  is a digital data storage medium to allow quick and simple storage of recorded patterns in digital form, more specifically, the data storage medium  70  is a write-once-read-many-times (WORM) storage medium formed by a recordable optical data storage disc. 
     However, it can also be provided that the data storage unit is formed by a printer or a microfilm or microfiche camera. It is noted that the microfilm can also be used for storage of data which have been processed in digital form. 
     Although in some applications, notably in the processing of highly standardized mail of a return type it can be sufficient to merely register indicia representing predetermined sorts of data, in many applications it is preferable to provide that the recording of pattern includes the recording of an image of the received postal item and that the recorded information represents that recorded image. This allows to retain virtually all the information contained in the received mail without physically having to store the received postal items. 
     Recording images from the received postal items  4  provides further advantages if the recorded information is processed for recognizing from which type of envelope the pattern has been recorded. Thus, it can for example be provided that postal items received from particular senders, which are recognizable by particular logo&#39;s or the like are automatically directed to selected departments.