NL9001534A - POST PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH SELECTIVE MESSAGE CONVERSION. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a mail processing system in which the message content of mail items (1) can already be converted into an electronic message (e) in a mail routing centre (11) at an early stage in the mail flow. Said conversion takes place under the control of a control word which is provided on the mail item and which is read out in the mail routing centre. Conversion and transmission parameters are derived from the parameter codes which are provided on the mail item and which form part of the control word, or from the message part of the mail item. The message converted under the control of the conversion parameters is transmitted by electronic means to the addressee(s) (19, 20) under the control of the transmision parameters, while the mail item itself is transmitted, after conversion, via the normal mail flow (f). The inventions is intended, inter alia, for the orderflow processing of mail order companies. <IMAGE>

Description

Koninklijke ETT Nederland n.v.GRONINGEN

Eost processing system with selective message conversion

A. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The invention relates to a mail processing system for the processing of physical mail items intended by a sender for a recipient, such as letters, forms, etc., which comprise control words intended for mail processing, such as the address of the recipient, and which furthermore comprise a the postal item comprising the message intended, wherein the postal items are presented via means for presenting them to a postal routing system with one or more consecutive postal routing centers, from which at least a part of the control words are read from the postal items presented there.

2. State of the art

Mail-processing systems are generally known where mail items are routed to the addressed recipient on the basis of the characteristics affixed to the mail item by the sender, i.e. the name and address of the addressee or a reply number. Since this concerns very large numbers of postal items per day (more than 10 million items in the Netherlands), mechanical and electronic aids are used wherever possible. For example, it is possible to have the addresses, in particular the postcodes, read (semi-) automatically and (largely) route for most of the daily mail flow.

It is also generally known to read the messages contained in the postal items upon receipt at the recipient and at least partly to convert them into electronic information with the aid of electronic-mechanical equipment. This is the case, for example, when processing payment orders to banking institutions and ordering orders to mail-order companies. This usually uses forms preprinted by the institution in question that already contain as much relevant information as possible, often in the form of OCR script, i.e. z. in a script that can be read by both man and machine. This OCR script is machine readable using relatively simple and fast-acting reading algorithms, by means of which the characters are converted into (e.g.) binary strings, e.g. according to the known ASCII standard. Instead of OCR writing, you can also use eg optical barcodes. The remaining written or typed data is machine read using relatively complex reading algorithms that are relatively computationally intensive. The result of this reading action is generally lower than that of the OCR script and therefore normally requires human intervention for part of the forms to be processed (the so-called "rejects").

B. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the insight that it is possible and attractive not to first transport mail items of the above-mentioned type in their original physical form to an addressee who then converts these mail items, at least the relevant message content thereof, into electronically processable messages, such as above, but convert these messages at an earlier, as early as possible stage, and then electronically transmit these messages converted into electronic messages to the addressed recipient (or another designated recipient). The advantage of this is that, since the transmission of electronic messages is considerably faster than that of "written" messages such as postal items and also offers more possibilities (such as multiple sending), the relevant messages can be sent by the recipient (s) within a minimum time. can be received and processed. Furthermore, different recipients (users of the system, ie the conversion facility) can use the same common conversion facility (instead of each of its own conversion facility), which common conversion facility - since the costs are borne by all those users and thus over the total number of items to be converted can be converted - can always be provided with the most modern, fastest and most reliable means and can also be centrally maintained ("economies of scale").

The postal line naturally includes many postal items, the message of which should not be converted into electronic information. The invention therefore provides that, e.g. at the point in the mail system where said conversion takes place, the mail items are "viewed" on whether or not to convert into electronic messages. The point in the postal system where it is examined whether or not postal items should be converted (detection point) can also be before ("upstream") the point where that conversion actually takes place (conversion point).

Based on the above considerations, the present invention provides a mail processing system as mentioned under A1, which according to the invention is characterized in that such mail routing center detects per mail item or contains a specific, single or multiple control word and that in that case the message intended for the recipient of that postal item is at least partly read out and converted into an electronic message. The control word thereby indicates that the mail item must be converted into an electronic message, which must be further transmitted electronically. Incidentally, it is also possible that the actual conversion does not take place in the same post-routing center where the control word is detected; in other words, the detection point and the conversion point can be in different places in the mail flow. The detection point and the conversion point can of course also be located at different locations within the same postal routing center. This procedure can have the advantage that the mail items to be converted are separated early from the "normal" mail flow and transferred to a processing center specially arranged for conversion into electronic messages (inside or outside the same routing center).

The control word can be a separate code, specifically intended to indicate that the mail item is to be converted, but the control word can also be part of the "normal" address of the addressee, eg partly formed by the postal code. Due to the automatic reading of the control word, this should preferably be provided in a standardized place on the mail item. Use can also be made of a combination of a special code, e.g. to indicate that the message of that mail item must be converted into an electronic message, and a part of the normal address which is then used to indicate which recipient to send that electronic message. Also, the control word can only indicate that the message from the mail piece is to be converted, while further information such as the address to which the converted message is to be sent and any further parameters is derived from the message on the mail piece (e.g. indicated by a special code within that message).

In further detail, the invention preferably provides that the control word detected in the mail routing center is compared with one or more selection words, in which case the message or part thereof is read and converted into an electronic message and also that the electronic message is an electronic transmission medium is transferred to the respective receiver. The users (recipients) who wish to make use of the conversion facility addressed to their mail, indicate this by means of the control word on the mail item mentioned. According to this preferred embodiment, that control word is thus compared with a selection word and, accordingly, the message content of the mail item is converted. The address and other parameters can also be derived from that control word or part of the message content. In the former case, the control word per mail item can be compared with more selection words, which, for example, each relate to a specific addressee or addressee category, or, for example, to a specific set of transmission parameters. The separation of the mail items indicated here may take place under the control of a control word specially provided for that purpose on the mail item, by means of the "normal" addressing applied to the mail item, or by a combination of the two. For that reason, provision can be made for the control word and / or the address words (rather: the single or the multiple control word) to be compared with one or more selection words in order to arrive at the desired selection. For the sake of convenience, the following is assumed for the use of a single control word, which indicates that the message of the mail item must be converted into an electronic message. Incidentally, it is quite possible that the recipient in question who is the recipient of the postal item does not want the message to be sent (only) to himself, but (in addition) to another recipient. This may be the case, for example, if the item of mail is the order form of a mail-order company whose orders are delivered to a different address (eg by another organization). It is also possible that the postal item itself (the order form), after being converted and sent electronically to the delivery address, is forwarded to the mail order company via the normal postal route.

Preferably, it is provided that said control word comparable to the selection words is provided on the mail item in the form of a machine-readable code, e.g. an optical barcode. In addition to the control word, it is further possible according to the invention that the message intended for the recipient is at least partly reproduced in machine-readable code.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the message or a part thereof is converted by conversion means into a corresponding electronic message by means of a conversion process from which one or more conversion parameters are converted from a first parameter code. The conversion parameters control the conversion process. For example, these parameters can indicate how the message resp. different parts of the message need to be edited. A video image of the message, e.g., said command form, is recorded (e.g.), the different relevant fields of that video image - i.e., the video signals of those fields - being processed so as to result in the desired binary signals. The fields with only machine-readable characters can be converted into the desired binary signals using relatively simple (and fast) conversion algorithms. However, the fields containing manual or typewriter writing must undergo considerably more complex signal processing. The said conversion parameters control this process. For example, they can indicate which fields of the recorded video image are to be converted using which algorithms. Furthermore, the conversion parameters may preferably also set process variables related to the conversion quality ("reject" threshold) and the processing of not (properly) converted or convertible messages ("rejects"). In this context, mention can be made of the use of control parameters, which check whether the message has been correctly converted. One possibility is that if the message contains eg order numbers, they must meet a certain check condition (eg the sum of the numbers must have a certain value). This counter condition can now be set as a conversion parameter. Furthermore, dm.v. the conversion parameters are set which action should take place if the counter condition is not met. In that case, it is possible to send an error message with the order number to be converted. However, this may be preceded by a conversion conversion in which message parts (i.e. order numbers) that do not meet the counter-condition are converted manually; If manual intervention does not offer any help, the error message will still be sent along. The parameter code from which the conversion parameters are derived is preferably derived from the mail item to be converted, i.e. z. of the control word or part of the actual message. This makes it possible that different users of the system (i.e. different mail order companies, etc.) can use different forms and that the conversion process can also be further tailored to the different wishes and needs (in particular with regard to the control options) of the different users; the system according to the invention is therefore very flexible and can provide a very large number of options not only in the conversion process, but also in the transmission of the converted message, which will be discussed below.

After the conversion, the electronic message is sent to the original addressee or another recipient. Preferably, the invention provides for the converted electronic message to be transmitted by means of a transmission device under the control of one or more transmission parameters which are converted from a second parameter code. The transmission parameters derived from the second parameter code may relate to the address to which the electronic message is to be transferred, the settings to be used therewith, the transmission protocol to be used therewith, etc.

The parameter codes relating to the conversion and / or transmission parameters (first and second parameter codes, respectively) may form part of the control word or of the message content of the mail item. In the first case, the parameters can already be set when the control word is read, in the second, they are set when the message content is read. In the latter case, the parameter codes are preferably part of the machine-readable message part and that part (for all users) has a fixed place on the form, from which it is read before reading out the rest of the message. Preferably, the invention hereby provides that the different first resp. second parameter codes together with their associated conversion parameters resp. transmission parameters are stored in a memory device and that these conversion resp. transmission parameters based on the respective, from the control word resp. first resp. second parameter code is read out from that memory device and during the conversion resp. transmission. The for conversion resp. The parameters required for transmission are thus stored in a table in the memory device, which table has the input of the various first and second parameter codes that can occur and the associated conversion and / or conversion parameters. transmission parameters as output. Incidentally, it is noted that if desired, the first and second parameter codes can be combined into one code, by means of which both the conversion parameters and the transmission parameters are set.

C. REFERENCES

No

D. IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLE

1. Figure description

Figure 1 schematically shows a mail item of which the message content is to be converted into an electronic message.

Figure 2 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the mail processing system according to the invention, comprising the course of a mail item of which the message content is converted into an electronic message and the course of that electronic message, and furthermore the means required for the conversion and transmission.

Figure 3 corresponds almost entirely to Figure 2 and schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the postal processing system according to the invention for the conversion of the message content of enveloped postal items.

2. Operation

Figure 1 shows the front and back of a postal item 1 with on the front an address field 2 (name, address, postal code and place of residence) and a sender field 3 (name, address, postal code and place of residence) and on the back a message 4 in the form from an order list. The postal item 1 is an order card in the form of a postcard and is not enclosed in an envelope. The advantage of this is that the order card does not have to be removed from an envelope prior to the message conversion; however, a disadvantage is that users of such a card qualify the lack of an envelope as a lack of privacy. If an order form is indeed enclosed in an envelope, this situation is also represented by figure 1; the left half of the figure shows the address side of the envelope and the right half of the figure shows the message side of the order form. The message 4 comprises a code field 5, an article number field 6, a number field 7 and a sender field 8. On the order card, the sender can place orders to, for example, a mail order company. To this end, in the article number field 6, the sender records the article numbers of the articles he wishes, with the desired numbers, which are entered in the number field 7. Afterwards, if desired, a description of the article can be indicated · On the front of the order card 1 (or on the envelope) a special code is provided in a code field 9, which indicates that the order card must be converted into an electronic message.

Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the post processing system according to the present invention. This figure 2 again shows the order card 1 which can be deposited in a mail receiving device 10, e.g. a post office or letterbox. In the known manner, this mail item 1 with all the other mail items is transported to a mail routing center 11. In this mail routing center 11, all received mail is first separated and stamped (12), after which the mail items are transported to a selector 13 where a detection or mail item may or may not be converted into an electronic message. In this exemplary embodiment, this selection takes place on the basis of the code shown in figure 1 in the code field 9. If this code is missing or does not meet certain criteria, the relevant mail item is normally forwarded and processed in the normal postal (routing) system which will not be discussed further here. However, if a mail item is provided with a code in the code field 9 that satisfies the relevant criteria, this code is read by the selector 13. This code thus forms the control word on the basis of which the further processing of the mail item, in particular the conversion of its notification in an electronic message takes place. The control word 9 is now compared with a number of selection words s stored in a register in a memory device 14. Each of the selection words stored therein are assigned to a specific addressee (user), e.g. a mail order company, a bank or the like institution, which addressee has placed in the code field 9 on the mail items to be addressed to him, insofar as these have to be converted, the code assigned to him, the control word, before the order or order forms to his customers, the senders of those addressed to him mail items. Each user of the conversion facility is allocated upon participation a code to be used by that user as control code 9 and which is further entered by the administrator of the conversion facility as a selection word in the memory device 14. Thus, if the mail item 1 is a form to be sent to one of these addressees in the form of an electronic message, the control word of the code field 9 will correspond to one of the selection words stored in the memory means 14. The control word is thus compared with the selection words in the memory member 14 and after the selection word corresponding to the control word is found, the mail item is transported to a converter 16. In this converter 16, if possible, the message is printed on the back of the order card 1 converted into a corresponding electronic message which is then sent electronically. A video image is recorded from the rear side of the order card in the converter 16, after which the video signal is processed by means of one or more algorithms in such a way that a binary signal results therefrom. As stated, the message 4 on the postal item 1 comprises more fields. In fact in this case fields 5, 6 and 7 are important, while the other information is in fact superfluous. However, this redundant information can serve as a check, or in case of doubt - such as in the case of an unclearly written order number - provide information about the information that is important. The message 4 therefore does not need to be fully converted either, but it suffices to convert the said fields 5, 6 and 7. Of these fields, the field 5 may already be provided by the sender (e.g. the mail order company) with e.g. a sender code in OCR script or bar code. This field can therefore be relatively simple, i.e. z. are converted into a binary message using a relatively simple algorithm. Fields 6 and 7, on the other hand, are normally completed manually or, at best, using a typewriter. Converting these fields into a corresponding electronic message requires a fairly complex algorithm while the chance of error is higher. For this reason, it may be desirable to edit these two fields 6 and 7 two or even three times (and "poll" the results), thereby increasing the quality of the conversion. It is also possible for the addressee (mail order company) to use an error correction algorithm when forming the article number series, so that each article number must meet a certain, e.g. mathematical, criterion if it is to be a valid article number. The conversion parameters (c) required for these conversion operations, which indicate, for example, which fields are to be read and converted, as well as the algorithms to be used for them (for eg OCR script or handwritten script) and also the parameters required for execution of a validation operation to check the conversion as indicated as an example can be derived from the database in the memory member 14. These parameters are related to the respective selection word. The selection word in this case thus also fulfills the function of parameter code with the aid of which the conversion parameters are set.

Thus, after the conversion of the message 4, by processing the signals of a video image, into a corresponding electronic message with the most relevant information, this electronic message can be sent to the original addressee. It is also possible not to send the electronic message to the original addressee, such as the mail order company, but to another organization designated by that original addressee. The transmission parameters (t), on the basis of which the message is sent, are, like the conversion parameters, taken from the database in the memory device 14. These transmission parameters (t) thus indicate to which address the electronic message is to be sent. Furthermore, these transmission parameters can also set the message "format", the transmission protocol and the transmission speed, etc. The transmission of the electronic message is effected by a transmission means 17 which is connected to a transmission medium 18, e.g. a public data network, through which the message is sent to the original addressee 19 or another recipient 20 designated by this addressee 19, eg an organization that takes care of the delivery of the ordered goods on the order of the addressee 19 (eg mail order company). In this case, the electronic message is sent to both the addressee 19 and the organization 20 designated by it, whereby billing takes place at the addressee 19, for example, and the organization 20 takes care of the delivery and dispatch of the goods. After the postal item 1 in the converter 16 has been converted into an electronic message e, the postal item 1, as shown in the figure, can be added back to the postal process and by means of the means 15 intended for the further sending of postal items to the addressee 19 will be sent. In this Figure 2, the course of the physical mail item 1 is indicated by the letter f, while the course of the electronic message is represented by the letter e.

When using an order card 1 enveloped in an envelope, this envelope must, of course, be removed prior to the message conversion. In that case, it is recommended that the control code 9 only indicates that the message content is to be converted; after detection of that control code 9, the envelope is then taken from the regular mail flow and routed to a location (inside or outside the same routing center 11) where further processing takes place. This further processing then consists of removing the envelope 1a and converting the message 4. Before the message can be converted, the conversion parameters must be set, depending on the location and the nature of the fields to be converted 5, 6 and 7.

Figure 3 schematically shows the processing of such enveloped forms, the detection of the control code taking place in the selector 13 and the selection of the parameters to be used in the conversion and transmission in a second selector 13a. In this second selector 13a, the conversion parameters (and transmission parameters) can be derived from the code field 5; the condition here is that this field must be in the same place for all (types of) forms to be converted, so that in the second selector 13a the parameter codes can always be read from the code field 5 at the same place. In Figure 1, in the code field 5, the aforementioned sender code is represented by the left code part M5555 "; the first and second parameter code (combined in this exemplary embodiment) is represented by the right code part" 3333333rt. In the manner already discussed, the parameter code read from the code field 5 is compared with the selection words (s) of the table stored in the memory member 14 and, after the parameter code has been matched with one of the selection words, the associated conversion and transmission parameters are after which the conversion and then the transmission of the message 4 takes place.

Claims (18)

1. Mail processing system for processing physical mail items, such as letters, forms, etc., intended for a recipient by a sender, comprising control words intended for mail processing, such as the address of the recipient, and furthermore for the recipient of the mail item the said message, wherein the postal items are presented via dedicated means of presentation to a postal routing system with one or more consecutive postal routing centers where from the postal items presented there, at least part of the control words are read, characterized in that in such a postal routing center ( 11) per mail item (1) it is detected whether a specific, single or multiple control word (2.9) appears on it, and in that case the message (4) intended for the recipient (19) of that mail item is at least partly read out and converted into an electronic message (e). Mail processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control word (2.9) detected in the mail routing center (11) is compared with one or more selection words (s), in which case the message (4) or part thereof is read out and converted into an electronic message (e). Mail processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic message (e) is transmitted via an electronic transmission medium (18) to the respective receiver (19,20). Mail processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic message (e) is transmitted via an electronic transmission medium (18) to another receiver (20) designated by the respective receiver (19). Mail processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the said control word (9), which can be compared with the selection words (s), is provided on the mail item (1) in the form of a machine-readable code. Mail-processing system according to claim 5, characterized in that the control word (9) comparable to the selection words (s) is arranged on the mail item in the form of an optical barcode. Mail processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the message (4) intended for the recipient (19,20) is at least partly (5) shown in machine-readable code. Mail processing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the message (4) or a part (5,6,7) thereof is converted by conversion means (16) into a corresponding electronic message (e) by means of a conversion process in which one or more conversion parameters (c) are derived from a first parameter code. Mail processing system according to claim 8, characterized in that one or more conversion parameters (c) indicate the location of the message parts (5,6,7) of interest for the conversion. Mail processing system according to claim 8, characterized in that one or more conversion parameters (c) relate to the conversion algorithms to be used in the conversion of the message (4) or message parts (5,6,7). Mail processing system according to claim 8, characterized in that one or more conversion parameters (c) relate to a control algorithm for determining whether the conversion has been carried out correctly or incorrectly. Mail processing system according to claim 11, characterized in that one or more conversion parameters (c) relate to an error processing process for processing error converted messages (4) or message parts (5,6,7). Mail processing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the converted electronic message (e) is transmitted by means of a transmission means (17) under the control of one or more transmission parameters (t) which are converted from a second parameter code. Mail processing system according to claim 8 or. 13, characterized in that the first resp. second parameter code is derived from the control word (9). Mail processing system according to claims 7 and 8, respectively. claims 7 and 13, characterized in that the first resp. second parameter code is derived from the message portion (5) shown in machine-readable code writing. Mail processing system according to claim 14 or 16. 15, characterized in that the different first resp. second parameter codes together with their associated conversion parameters (c) resp. transmission parameters (t) are stored in a memory device (14) and that these conversion resp. transmission parameters according to the corresponding, from the control word (9) resp. first resp. derived from the message (4) of the mail item (1). second parameter code is read out from that memory device and during the conversion resp. transmission. Mail processing system according to claims 8 and 13, characterized in that the first and the second parameter code are combined into one parameter code. Mail-processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that said mail items (1) consist of order forms for the purpose of giving orders to the respective recipient (19,20) by filling in them, the completed assignments are converted into an electronic message (e).