Abstract:
An envelope has two separate equal sized back to back sections, each individually sealable. At least one piece of content is provided in one section and that section is sealed. The delivery charge is paid to a delivery service for delivery of the envelope and its contents. The cost of the said delivery charge is shared between one party associated with the said one piece of content and another party which uses the other section to send at least one other piece of content to a recipient chosen by the another party via the delivery service.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/682,518, filed May 19, 2005 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/682,571, filed May 19, 2005, which applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to the use of envelopes and the organisation of the use of the envelopes.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Direct mail organisations may use a delivery service, for example the Post Office to send information or other matter referred to herein as “content” to recipients. The delivery service may offer the direct mail organisation a discount on the delivery charge usually on the condition that the direct mail organisation takes actions which reduce the work normally performed by the delivery service in delivering normal Post. Thus the cost to the direct mail organisation is increased by the conditions applied by the delivery service, e.g. the Post Office, despite the discount on the delivery cost and the delivery service does not receive the full standard delivery charge. Furthermore, such discounts are normally only available to users of the delivery service who produce large volumes of Post.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention seeks to provide a method of using envelopes in a novel way to provide a delivery service with the opportunity to charge the full delivery charge (subject to any discount they may offer) and yet also allow users of the delivery service, for example a direct mail organisations and/or others, possibly including “small users”, a delivery cost, which is discounted or even free.  
         [0005]     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising the steps of:  
         [0006]     providing an envelope having two separate equal sized sections, each individually sealable;  
         [0007]     providing at least one piece of content in one section and sealing that section;  
         [0008]     paying the delivery charge of the delivery service for the envelope and its contents; and  
         [0009]     sharing the cost of the said delivery charge between one party associated with the said one piece of content and another party which uses the other section to send at least one other piece of content to a recipient chosen by the another party via the delivery service.  
         [0010]     Thus both parties benefit from an effectively discounted delivery charge and the delivery service benefits from the full delivery charge subject to any discount it offers.  
         [0011]     This and other aspects of the invention are set out in the accompanying claims to which attention is invited. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which  
         [0013]      FIGS. 1A  to  1 D illustrate envelopes useful in the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating one example of the use of the envelopes of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating another example of the use of the envelopes of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a networked computer system useful in implementing an example of the present invention; and  
         [0017]      FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate functions of the computer system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     Envelopes.  
         [0019]     The envelopes of  FIG. 1  are the subject of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/682,571, filed May 19, 2005, which application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In brief the envelope  2  of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  has two, equal sized, back to back, compartments  4  and  6  each separately sealable by a flap  8  and  10 . The flaps are at opposite ends of the envelope. The flaps are hinged at the panel common to both compartments in one embodiment of the envelope. The envelope is for example of standard size, e.g. C4 or C5. The envelope is designed to be used with an inserting machine for inserting contents into the compartments.  
         [0020]     The envelope of  FIG. 1C  is similar to that of  FIG. 1A  but the flap  81  is at one edge of the envelope and the other flap  10  is at one end of the envelope at 90 degrees to the flap  81 .  
         [0021]     Other forms of envelope having two compartments for containing content may be used in the present invention, but the envelope of  FIG. 1A  or  1 C is currently preferred.  
         [0022]     The envelopes of  FIGS. 1A  to  1 D may have a removable margin, e.g. a tear-off strip, which opens both compartments as described in the co-filed application.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 2  or  3 , the envelopes are manufactured by an envelope manufacturer  20 . The manufacturer may make the envelopes according to the method described in the co-filed application.  
         [0024]     The content which maybe inserted into the compartments of the envelope includes one or more of: a substrate supporting indicia, for example printed paper; disc records such as CD&#39;s, DVD&#39;s; tape records; amongst many other possibilities.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIGS. 1C and 1D  the envelope, in one embodiment, has one or more of: a zone PP for fixing a stamp or in which Postage Paid indicia are provided; a recipient address zone; a label CL indicating the maximum content of one of, or of each of, the compartments; and a return address zone RA.  
         [0026]     The return address zone RA may be on the back ( FIG. 1D ) of the envelope and the other zones on the front ( FIG. 1C ). The label CL may be on the front and/or back of the envelope. The zones may be provided in the same way on the envelope of  FIGS. 1A  and B.  
       USE OF THE ENVELOPES—EXAMPLE 1-FIG.  2 .  
       [0027]     One party, in this example a product and/or services company  34 , wishes to advertise its services and/or products by mailing advertisements or other content to potential customers  36 . The company  34  buys the services of a media organisation  22  e.g. an advertising agency who produce, or arrange the production of, suitable content for the company  34 . The media organisation buys the services of a mailing house  24 .  
         [0028]     A mailing house  24  is an organisation which has the equipment and expertise to insert content into envelopes and liaise with a delivery service, in this example the Post Office  32 , to buy the necessary postage from the Post Office  32  and deliver the envelopes to the customers  36 . The mailing house has for example one or more inserting machines for inserting content into envelopes. The mailing house is contracted by the media organisation to buy the envelopes of  FIG. 1A  or  1 C from the manufacturer  20 . The mailing house inserts the content into them as required by the media organisation  22  on behalf of the company  34 .  
         [0029]     In this example the content is inserted into only one compartment of each envelope and that compartment is sealed. The other compartment is left empty and unsealed. No recipient addresses are provided on the envelopes.  
         [0030]     In this example the mailing house provides postage paid envelopes either by putting on them stamps bought from the Post Office or by using envelopes pre-printed with “Postage Paid indicia”. The Postage Paid indicia may be printed on the envelopes by the envelope manufacturer or by a printing company  20 ′ separate from the envelope manufacturer. The cost of the Postage is paid to the Post Office in any suitable manner, methods of doing that being well known.  
         [0031]     In this example, the mailing house provides, on behalf of the media organisation  22 , the envelopes to one or more sales outlets  28  which may be, or include, one or more outlets owned by, or run on behalf of, the Post Office. The outlet(s)  28  either purchase the envelopes from the media organisation  22  before selling the envelopes or pay the media organisation after the envelopes are sold.  
         [0032]     Customers of the outlet(s) buy the envelopes at a fraction (less than 1) of the face value of the postage cost, for example half the normal, standard class, post cost. They address the envelopes to the recipients  36  of their choice, insert their content into the unsealed compartment seal it, and post the addressed envelope to their chosen recipient. The label CL informs them of the maximum amount of content they can insert.  
         [0033]     The company  34  pays the media organisation  22  for the other fraction (e.g. half) of the postage cost and for the services of the media organisation  22 .  
         [0034]     Thus the customer  30  benefits from cheaper postage as does the advertiser  34 . Also the Post Office benefits because: it receives the full standard price for the postage; or it allows a smaller discount than it would for normal direct mailing.  
         [0035]     A Retailer X keeps accounting records of sales. The media organisation may use these records to reconcile the number of manufacturers envelopes sold to retailer X with sales of retailer X.  
       USE OF THE ENVELOPES—EXAMPLE 2-FIG.  3 .  
       [0036]     One party, in this example a product and/or services company  34 , wishes to advertise its services and/or products by mailing advertisements or other content to potential customers  36 . The company  34  buys the services of a media organisation  22  e.g. an advertising agency who produce or arrange the production of suitable content for the company  34 . The media organisation buys the services of a mailing house  24 .  
         [0037]     A mailing house  24  is an organisation which has the equipment and expertise to insert content into envelopes and liase with a delivery service, in this example the Post Office  32 , to buy the necessary postage from the Post Office  32  and deliver the envelopes to the customers  36 . The mailing house has for example one or more inserting machines for inserting content into envelopes. The mailing house is contracted by the media organisation to buy the envelope of  FIG. 1A  or  1 C from the manufacturer  20 . The mailing house inserts the content into them as required by the media organisation  22  on behalf of the company  34 .  
         [0038]     In this example the media organisation also offers its services to another party  38 , for example a club or society, which regularly sends content, for example a newsletter or magazine, to its members. The media organisation arranges for the club&#39;s content and the list of its member&#39;s addresses to be sent to the mailing house  24 . The mailing house inserts the club&#39;s content into one compartment of each envelope and the content of the company  34  into the other compartment, seals the compartments, addresses the envelopes according to the club&#39;s address list and mails the envelopes to the members.  
         [0039]     In this example the mailing house may use one inserting machine in which case the envelope of  FIG. 1A  is used. One content is inserted into one compartment from one end of each envelope. When that process is completed for a batch of envelopes, the inserting machine is charged with the other content and the partly filled envelopes are rotated 180 degrees and flipped over and the other content is inserted into the other end of each envelope. That is described in more detail in the co-pending patent application.  
         [0040]     Alternatively, the mailing house may use two inserting machines in series to fill the two compartments of each envelope sequentially. That is also described in more detail in the co-pending patent application.  
         [0041]     The mailing house may buy the postage from the Post Office in the form of stamps or use envelopes pre-printed with Postage Paid indicia. The Post Office is paid for delivering envelopes with Postage Paid indicia by any suitable method. Such methods are known.  
         [0042]     The club  38  and the company  34  both benefit by sharing the cost of the postage and the Post Office benefits by being able to charge substantially the full standard postage cost subject to any discount it may offer.  
       USE OF ENVELOPES—EXAMPLE 3  
       [0043]     In a modification of Example 2, the mailing house may insert the content of the product and/or services comparing  34  into one compartment of the envelope and seals that one compartment. The mailing house delivers the envelopes with stamps affixed or other Postage Paid indicia to the club  38  who themselves apply recipient addresses and insert their own contact into the other compartment which the club  38  seals. The club  38  then delivers the envelopes to the delivery service.  
         [0044]     The club may pay for the envelopes by paying the mailing house or by paying the media organisation. The club pays a fraction of the face value of the postage on each envelope. The club may pay in other ways.  
       USE OF ENVELOPES—EXAMPLE 4  
       [0045]     An envelope as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1D  or in  FIGS. 1C and 1D  may be provided free to people as a promotional offer with another product or service produced by a commercial organisation. For example, a new product sold in retail stores may be provided by affixing to it a Postage Paid envelope with advertising relating to the product sealed in one compartment with the other compartment empty for use, free of cost, by the buyer of the product. The buyer inserts their own content into the empty compartment, seals it, and addresses the envelope to their chosen recipient.  
         [0046]     The envelope may be otherwise associated with the product, for example being placed in a display stand adjacent the product.  
         [0047]     Alternatively a Postage Paid envelope may be provided free to a customer or supporter of the commercial organisation. The customer or supporter receives the envelope with one, sealed, compartment containing content chosen by the organisation. The other compartment is empty and unsealed for use by the customer or supporter.  
         [0048]     The organisation may not be “commercial”; it may be, inter alia, for example, a bank, retailer, hotel, political party, club or charity.  
         [0049]     The organisation pays the full cost of the postage.  
         [0050]     In this example 4, the mailing house inserts content into one compartment of the envelope seals that compartment and leaves the other compartment empty and unsealed. The mailing house may apply stamps, and/or other Postage Paid indicia to the envelopes. The mailing house may deliver the envelopes to a store for fixing to, or associating with, the product. Alternatively the envelopes may be delivered to the manufacturer or package of the product for affixing to it.  
         [0051]     In this Example 4, the media organisation deals with the commercial organisation which produces the product or provides the service associated with the promotional offer. The media organisation offers to the commercial organisation the design and production of content, e.g. advertisements, to be inserted into the envelopes. They may also organise delivery of the envelopes of the present invention. The media organisation organises the delivery of the content to a mailing house for insertion into the envelopes. The mailing house may then deliver the envelopes with content in one compartment and the other compartment empty and unsealed to the commercial organisation for affixing to the product as described above. Alternatively, the mailing house may insert the envelopes of the present invention containing content into further envelopes which are sent to customers of the commercial organisation. The further envelopes may contain other information relating to the organisation and/or its customers, for example bank statements if the organisation is a bank. The media organisation charges the commercial organisation for its services including the cost of the delivery charge of the envelopes (and their content) of the present invention.  
         [0052]     Networked Computer System  FIGS. 4, 5  and  6 .  
         [0053]     The second and third examples of the invention described above involves the interaction of various organisations. In this example of the invention, the organisations are linked by a networked computer system.  
         [0054]     A server, or other suitable data processor,  221  is run by, or on behalf of, the media organisation  22 . The server runs computer programs some features of which will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The server is linked by a network N/W, e.g. the Internet, to terminals of the product/services company  34  and of the club  38 . Any number of such clubs and companies can access the server via the network. The terminals are for example standard PCs. The mailing house  24  also has a computer system  241  linked to the network.  
         [0055]     A computer B providing a secure payments system is also linked to the network.  
         [0056]     The network as so far described uses conventional technology, for example the Internet, and web browsers on the PCs of the clubs and companies  34 ,  38  and corresponding software on the server  221  and the mailing house system  241 .  
         [0057]     Any club or company wishing to use the services of the media company first registers  51  with server  221  giving details such as: type of organisation, e.g. club or company seeking to advertise; the type of activity they are engaged in; e-mail addresses; and contact details such as the name and postal address of the organisation and/or of relevant personnel. The activity data may be e.g. small boats or yachting for a yacht club and e.g. clothing or equipment for yachts for the company  34 . The media company may insist all registrants sign a contract  52  with the media company setting out the conditions of use of their services.  
         [0058]     The club may wish to find a company with which it can share the envelopes of the present invention and share postage costs. In this example the club causes the server to display a list of companies.  
         [0059]     Likewise a company may seek a club which may be interested in carrying its advertising in the envelopes. In this example the company causes the server to display a list of clubs.  
         [0060]     Referring to  FIG. 6B , the list may be displayed  60 ′ following a search  69  defined by the registered interest selected  68  by the club. For example a yacht club may seek companies with an interest in yachting or vice versa.  
         [0061]     The following assumes a club is seeking a company.  
         [0062]     Once one or more companies are selected e.g. by highlighting them in known manner on the list, messages are automatically sent  62  by the server to each selected company automatically including the e-mail address of the club for replies to be sent  63  by the company(ies). Alternatively, each company may reply  63  via the server and the club accesses the replies at the server.  
         [0063]     The club considers the replies and selects  64  a company. The act of selection may automatically result in a standard form of contract being issued  65  to both parties, each of whom sign s it and return it to the other party and to the media organisation  22 . That may be done electronically or on paper via the Post.  
         [0064]     Once that is done then transfer of data to the mailing house is initiated. The company provides its content to the mailing house. That may be done by the media organisation on behalf of the company, or directly by the company. If the content is printed paper, the relevant information may be down loaded electronically to the mailing house for printing by it or by an associated printer. The mailing house inserts the content into one compartment of each envelope.  
         [0065]     In example 2, the club transfers its membership address list by a secure link either to the server  221  for transfer to the mailing house or direct to the mailing house. The club also arranges for the delivery of, say, its newsletter or magazine to the mailing house, electronically for printing or in printed form. The mailing house inserts the content into the other compartment and seals it.  
         [0066]     In example 3, the mailing house delivers the envelopes, bearing delivery charge paid indicia, with company content in one compartment to the club who insert their content into the other compartment and initiate deliver to their chosen recipients.  
         [0067]     The club pays  67  at a time chosen by the media organisation  22 . Payment may be electronic via the secure payment system B. Likewise the company pays, for example via the payment system B.  
         [0068]     It will be appreciated that a company can initiate contact with a club in like manner. The example 4 may be implemented in similar manner.  
         [0069]     The server  221  runs a computer program or suite of programs which implement the functions described above. The programs include a data base recording data relating to the parties including their type (clubs or companies), their fields of activity (Yacht club, yacht equipment/clothing) and contact details and other data as described above.  
         [0070]     The present invention is operable with computer storage products or computer readable media that contain program code for performing the various computer-implemented operations. It will be appreciated that numerous steps of the methods described herein may be computer-implemented. The computer-readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system such as a microprocessor. The media and program code may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well known to those of ordinary skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media; and specially configured hardware devices such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and ROM and RAM devices. Examples of program code include both machine code, as produced, for example, by a compiler, or files containing higher-level code that may be executed using an interpreter.  
         [0071]     Memory may be internal or external to a processor. As used herein, “memory” refers generally to one or more devices capable of storing data, such as in the form of chips, tapes or disks. Memory may take the form of one or more random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) chips, by way of further non-limiting example only.  
         [0072]     Modifications  
         [0073]     The mailing house may be part of the media organisation as indicated by box  26 . Alternatively the mailing house may be part of the delivery organisation as indicated by box  40  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0074]     The envelope manufacturing may have capability for printing Postage Paid indicia or such indicia may be printed by a specialist printer.  
         [0075]     The mailing house may be part of the envelope manufacturers business.  
         [0076]     Although reference is made by way of example to the Post Office, other delivery services may be used. The invention is not limited to any particular type of delivery organisation.  
         [0077]     Although reference is made by way of example to a products/services company  34 , other types of organisation may use the services of the media company, for example Charities, clubs, Associations, Government Departments, Tourism Offices, Health Authorities, Local Government, amongst others. The invention is not limited to any particular type of organisation which wishes to deliver its content in the envelopes of the present invention.  
         [0078]     Although reference is made by way of example to one products/services company  34 , two or more such companies may share one compartment for their content.  
         [0079]     Although reference is made by way of example to a club  38  as the other party in the second example of  FIG. 3 , other organisations may be the other party. The other party is not limited only to clubs or similar organisations.  
         [0080]     Post Paid (or delivery charge paid) indicia may be applied using a franking machine amongst other ways.  
         [0081]     Postage Paid (or delivery charge paid) indicia as used here includes stamps, franking marks applied by a franking machine, and printed indicia.