GB2374569A

GB2374569A - Pre-printed address panel for use in an automated postal system

Info

Publication number: GB2374569A
Application number: GB0109319A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Ware
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-04-17
Filing date: 2001-04-17
Publication date: 2002-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 2021-04-17
Also published as: GB2374569B; GB0109319D0

Abstract

Postal item e.g. envelope 10 is provided with a pre-printed address panel 11 for completion by the sender. The panel 11 has a series of frames (Figure 2) arranged in rows to guide the sender in writing characters and/or numerals of an address. Optical character recognition can be used to electronically read or scan the alphanumeric characters to facilitate automated handling and delivery of the item. Blind people may be provided with pre-printed self-adhesive braille characters for attachment to a postal item.

Description

POSTAL SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automated postal system.

BACKGROUND When items are sent via a postal service the delivery address is sometimes written on the item by the sender. During handling, the address may be manually read and a postal code typed into a keyboard which causes encoded dots to be printed on the item. These dots can subsequently be read by machine to facilitate automated sorting.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of postal system which is easy for the sender to use whilst eliminating the manual element during handling of the item and yet still allows the address to be manually read when necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a postal system in which items to be delivered are provided with an address panel for completion by the sender, in which the address panel has a series of frames arranged in a plurality or rows corresponding to lines of an address such that each frame may contain an individual letter or numeral, and the system includes scanning means for electronically reading the letters and numerals inserted in the address panel to facilitate automated handling and delivery of the item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of a blank envelope for use in an automated postal system in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a detailed view of one of the frames on the address panel of the envelope; Figure 3 shown the set of alphanumeric characters which are entered using the frames; Figure 4 is an alternative form of frame; and

Figure 5 is the alphanumeric character set for the frame of Fig.

5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows a blank pre-printed envelope 10 for use in an automated postal system. The envelope carries an address panel 11, which could be preprinted directly on the envelope or on an adhesive label which could be applied to a conventional envelope, package, parcel or any other similar item. The panel 11 has an array of rectangular frames arranged in up to twenty rows (only six being shown in the example) corresponding to lines of an address. Each row may similarly contain up to forty frames where space permits.

Each frame defines a box in which individual alphanumeric characters which make up the address may be manually written. One form which the frames may take is shown in Fig. 2 by way of example. The frame provides a skeleton made up of elements for guiding the user in writing an individual letter or numeral to a pre-defined size and configuration. Each element includes a pair of guide lines defining a narrow strip for the user to fill in using a felt tip pen using blue or preferably black ink, which is moved along the strip to ink-in the area between the lines. In this example the elements define a rectangular box having a height which is greater than its width, e. g.

5mm high by 2.5mm wide, with another element which divides the box across its mid height into upper and lower sub-boxes. The upper sub-box contains a single diagonal element running from top right to bottom left while

the lower sub-box contains a pair of intersecting diagonal elements.

The form which the alphanumeric characters take is shown in Fig. 3. It should be noted that some of the letters are entered in upper case while others are entered in lower case. Also, some of the characters, particularly the letters !, M, V and W are completed using two adjacent boxes.

Fig. 4 shows an enhanced form of the frame which allows the letters to be entered in upper case only using a single box for each character, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the frame includes curved elements which join the sides of the rectangular outer box, making the characters easier to enter and read manually.

The frames ensure that the characters are of a uniform size, configuration and spacing so that, though manually written, they can be read by an optical character recognition (OCR) system. After the item is collected in the normal way the address can be read using an optical scanner and OCR processing device which is operably connected to an automated sorter for automatically sorting the items into geographical destination areas, e. g. continents, countries, regions, counties, cities, towns, villages and streets. On the other hand, the address can still be read manually, e. g. at point of delivery.

The system can also be used by blind people by providing a set of preprinted self-adhesive alphanumeric characters which can be identified by braille and peeled off for attachment to the item to be posted. The size and shape of the characters corresponds to those produced by the boxes of

Fig. s 2 and 4 so that the characters can again be read by machine.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be present in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description lays emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is claimed for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A postal system in which items to be delivered are provided with an address panel for completion by the sender, in which the address panel has a series of frames arranged in a plurality or rows corresponding to lines of an address such that each frame may contain an individual letter or numeral, and the system includes scanning means for electronically reading the letters and numerals inserted in the address panel to facilitate automated handling and delivery of the item.
2. A postal system according to Claim 1, in which the frames contain manually written alphanumeric characters.
3. A postal system according to Claim 2, in which each of the guide frames provide a skeleton made up of elements for guiding the user in writing an individual character to a pre-defined size and configuration.
4. A postal system according to Claim 3, in which the elements each include a pair of parallel guide lines defining a narrow strip for the user to fill in using a writing implement.
5. A postal system according to Claim 3 or 4, in which the skeleton includes elements which define a rectangular box.
6. A postal system according to Claim 5, in which the height of

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the box is greater than its width.
7. A postal system according to Claim 5 or 6, in which the box includes an element which divides the box across its mid height into upper and lower sub-boxes.
8. A postal system according to Claim 7, in which each of the upper and lower sub-boxes contains at least one diagonal element.
9. A postal system according to any of Claims 5 to 8, in which the box includes curved elements which join the sides of the box.
10. A postal system according to any of Claims 5 to 8, in which the box is substantially as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings..
11. A postal system according to any preceding claim, in which the scanning means is operably connected to sorting means for automatically sorting the items into geographical destination areas.
12. A postal system according to any preceding claim, including a set of pre-printed self-adhesive alphanumeric characters for insertion into the frames.
13. A postal system substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

13. A postal system substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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Amendments to the claims have been f : ! @d as follows CLAIMS 1. A postal system in which items to be delivered are provided with an address panel for completion by the sender, in which the address panel has a series of frames arranged in a plurality of rows corresponding to lines of an address such that each frame may contain an individual letter or numeral, and the system includes scanning means for electronically reading the letters and numerals inserted in the address panel to facilitate automated handling and delivery of the item.

2. A postal system according to Claim 1, in which the frames contain manually written alphanumeric characters.

3. A postal system according to Claim 2, in which each of the guide frames provide a skeleton made up of elements for guiding the user in writing an individual character to a pre-defined size and configuration.

4. A postal system according to Claim 3, in which the elements each include a pair of parallel guide lines defining a narrow strip for the user to fill in using a writing implement.

5. A postal system according to Claim 3 or 4, in which the skeleton includes elements which define a rectangular box.

6. A postal system according to Claim 5, in which the height of

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the box is greater than its width.

7. A postal system according to Claim 5 or 6, in which the box includes an element which divides the box across its mid height into upper and lower sub-boxes.

8. A postal system according to Claim 7, in which each of the upper and lower sub-boxes contains at least one diagonal element.

9. A postal system according to any of Claims 5 to 8, in which the box includes curved elements which join the sides of the box.

10. A postal system according to any of Claims 5 to 8, in which the box is substantially as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings..

11. A postal system according to any preceding claim, in which the scanning means is operably connected to sorting means for automatically sorting the items into geographical destination areas.

12. A postal system according to any preceding claim, including a set of pre-printed self-adhesive alphanumeric characters for insertion into the frames.