Patent ID: 7769485

Claim:
A method for segregating low priority incoming mail addressed to a plurality of recipients using an incoming mail sorter having a plurality of output bins including an output bin associated with an intended recipient and at least one output bin assigned for delayed delivery comprising: receiving a batch of incoming mail including a plurality of mail pieces; processing the batch of mail using the incoming mail sorter, and determining intended recipient information for at least one of the plurality of mail pieces, determining priority information for at least one of the plurality of mail pieces, wherein the at least one of the plurality of mail pieces satisfies low priority criteria: obtaining low priority incoming mail preference data associated with the intended recipient; routing the at least one mail piece to either the output bin associated with the intended recipient or the least one output bin assigned for delayed delivery in accordance with the low priority incoming mail preference data; determining a delivery date associated with the least one output bin assigned for delayed delivery; and on the delivery date, using the incoming mail sorter to reprocesses the at least one mail piece and routing the at least one mail piece to the output bin associated with the intended recipient.