Patent ID: 7236935

Claim:
A method for verifying a correct association between information printed on a closed face package and material and/or information contained inside the closed face package, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a closed face package including a document inserted within the package, wherein the package has a window permitting a portion of the document to be read from a location outside of the package, and wherein the package comprises: (i) package data printed on the package and corresponding to account information corresponding to a mail recipient; and (ii) document data printed on the inserted document, the document data corresponding to the inserted document and corresponding to the account information; (b) providing a data file to access the account information stored therein, the data file corresponding to the package data, the document data, and to address data; (c) acquiring the address data representing recipient address information from the stored account information, sending printing instructions to a printer, and causing the printer to print the recipient address information on the closed face package; (d) determining at a predetermined point in time whether the printer has performed a printing operation on the closed face package and causing the closed face package to be rejected if the printer has not performed the printing operation at the predetermined point in time; (e) using a first reading device to optically read the printed package data on the package; (f) using a second reading device to optically read the printed document data on the inserted document and appearing through the window; (g) reading the data file to access the account information stored therein; (h) comparing at least a portion of the accessed account information with the package data and comparing at least a portion of the accessed account information with the document data to determine whether a matching association exists between the package data and the document data; (i) if the matching association is determined to exist, allowing the package to be further processed; and (i) if the matching association is determined not to exist, preventing the package from being further processed.