CA2917314A1 - Methods for a personal postal notification system - Google Patents
Methods for a personal postal notification system Download PDFInfo
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- CA2917314A1 CA2917314A1 CA2917314A CA2917314A CA2917314A1 CA 2917314 A1 CA2917314 A1 CA 2917314A1 CA 2917314 A CA2917314 A CA 2917314A CA 2917314 A CA2917314 A CA 2917314A CA 2917314 A1 CA2917314 A1 CA 2917314A1
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- 230000010354 integration Effects 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000013479 data entry Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000012163 sequencing technique Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000002123 temporal effect Effects 0.000 claims 3
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000003058 natural language processing Methods 0.000 claims 1
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
- G06Q50/60—Business processes related to postal services
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
- G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
- G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
- G06Q10/083—Shipping
- G06Q10/0833—Tracking
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/50—Network services
- H04L67/55—Push-based network services
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
- H04W4/029—Location-based management or tracking services
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Abstract
The Personal Postal Notification System keeps individuals informed about the current state of their mail delivery. It is composed of 2 systems: multiple clients and a server. The client receives mail delivery notifications from the server and sends locational data back to the server for analysis. The server creates deliverable item information based on data from a mail sequencer or parcel and packet delivery system(s). It records delivery events at a multi-user mail receptacle and translates them to user notifications which are sent to specific client devices.
Additionally, it maintains a database of locational data pertaining to client devices and uses that to analyze client behaviour. It may also allow third party systems access to certain functionality.
Additionally, it maintains a database of locational data pertaining to client devices and uses that to analyze client behaviour. It may also allow third party systems access to certain functionality.
Description
Description Background of the Invention:
The invention pertains generally to the field of large scale postal services.
It is a technique for providing timely and personalized messaging regarding the status of letter and parcel delivery in situations where it is not currently possible.
The technique describes a system which will amalgamate information from several sources and use that to customize messages delivered to end users. This results in significant public relations gains, higher quality postal service and more efficient use of multi-user mail receptacles which in turn reduces third party handling fees.
Amalgamating data also allows for the creation of new reports detailing interactions which are not currently possible.
Discussion of Prior Art:
CA 2741805 Automatic Main (sic) Notifying System:
This system is one of many that employs physical switches to determine the current state of a mailbox. Physical switches are practically infeasible because they require either electric power or inordinately complex mechanical mechanisms to transmit information. The PPNS system is distinguished by the fact that it does not require physical switches.
US 7256691 B2 Smart mailbox:
Another system requiring physical switches on mailboxes to convey information.
US 8725165 B2 Method and System for providing shipment tracking notifications:
This system employs a form of active target (radio transmitters) attached to a parcel or presumably a multi-package container. Active target systems are interesting in that once a target is attached, they essentially broadcast their whereabouts. While this is both accurate and highly automated, it is cost prohibitive and high complexity. The PPNS is distinguished from this by the fact that it does not require an active target to be attached to a parcel.
US 7684994 B2 Next generation visibility package tracking:
This is a more feasible active target system that requires RFID tags to be attached to parcels. The use of RFID reduces the cost of the system compared to full radio transmitters, but still requires operator intervention to attach tags plus the economic overhead of the tag itself at scale.
US 20140149308 Al Automated package tracking:
Package tracking portal includes web sites, API calls and other mobile apps as data sources. This system attempts to extract data from many digital sources and amalgamate it into one website. While the PPNS does amalgamate data from many other systems, its purpose is not merely to amalgamate data. It serves several other goals including pre-emptive user notification, reduced third party handling fees and MUMR usage data acquisition.
US 20070190943 Al Package tracking and notification system for a mail parcel centre:
Package tracking for a MUMR. The system is initiated with a data entry device (mouse/keyboard, barcode reader, wireless device) which is external to the MUMR. The data entry device's job is to enter incoming mail addresses and map these values onto MUMR compartments. It is not possible to scale this kind of implementation up to handle large volumes ¨ data entry is a non-starter. The PPNS scales to national scales because it does not rely on user data entry.
US 9117317 B2 Intelligent physical mail method and system:
This invention utilizes a database lookup methodology to retrieve user preferences. The lookup mechanism relies on an intelligent physical mail piece which is stenographically encoded with plural-bit data. By digital encoding lookup information onto the mail piece, the system would maintain high accuracy, but it also requires a significant change to existing infrastructure. The PPNS does not require stenographic encoding.
WO 2002029731 Al Method and apparatus for electronic notification of delivery of mail /
parcels:
Unfortunately, the idea of virtual addresses clouds this patent description considerably. It appears as if this invention includes all mail and is assumed to pull at least some of its data from a mail sequencer (manual data entry is also listed). It is limited to cases when the sequencing system is located at the delivery nodes and not routing nodes. The PPNS has no such requirement. This patent also claims to incorporate switches, active targets and infrared as well as sonar sensors! There is no description of how these capabilities fit into the invention, but as stated above, all of them are superfluous.
Summary of the Invention:
The job of the Personal Postal Notification System (PPNS) is to keep individuals informed about the current state of their compartment within a Multi-User Mail Receptacle (MUMR). The PPNS is an integration technology that brings together a Sequenced Mail System, Parcel and Packet Delivery System(s) and MUMR
Scanning Systems. The PPNS is itself composed of two types of systems:
multiple clients and a centralized server.
Client:
The PPNS Client provides a conduit for user interactions. By notifying users that their MUMR has been visited, it provides a level of personalized information that is not possible with current technology. Notifications may take the form of email, SMS
or remote smart-phone notifications. Website viewing will also be incorporated. The PPNS client will also be responsible for collecting and sending client notification preferences to the server.
The PPNS Client is a mobile software application which is downloaded onto a user's smart-phone, tablet, or other personal computing device. After download, the PPNS Client registers an address which the user is interested in with the PPNS
server. The PPNS Server takes this address information and determines which specific MUMR the specified address is serviced by and sends that locational information back to the PPNS Client. The PPNS Client stores the MUMR location locally and uses this data to determine when it will record locational information.
The PPNS Client stores locational information when it is "nearby" a Control Point and uploads this data periodically to the PPNS Server. A Control Point could be a specific MUMR containing one of the client's registered compartments or it could be a secondary location like a Retail Postal Outlet. The PPNS Client may define "nearby" as simply as a series of concentric buffer zones surrounding the registered MUMR, or it may utilize something more complex like a topologically based drive time analysis. These locational records will periodically be uploaded to the PPNS
Server so that the PPNS host may detect events like when a user actually visits his registered MUMR or Control Point.
The PPNS Client is also responsible for handling user notifications that mail has been delivered to the user's registered MUMR compartment. The PPNS Client receives digital messages from the PPNS Server specifying that a registered MUMR compartment has received some kind of delivery. The message from the server will contain information outlining the details of what has been delivered and =
this will be dispatched to the user.
Server:
The PPNS Server is a centrally located system that coordinates the processing of information from many sources. When a PPNS Server receives a registration from a PPNS Client, it looks up the MUMR associated with the supplied postal address and stores the specified client information and the association of PPNS Client and MUMR in its database. Client information includes but is not limited to name, address, phone number, phone identifier and notification preference.
The PPNS Server also responds to events emanating from external systems. It's job is to keep a tally of 'deliverable item' messages coming from a Sequenced Mail System, Parcel and Packet Delivery Systems and possibly Courier Systems. Any item that passes through a Mail Sequencing System has its delivery address optically scanned and machine interpreted as part of the system's normal functioning. Similarly, each item that is barcoded by a Parcel and Packet Delivery System or a Courier based system has its delivery address machine read. These machine-read address information packets form the basis for address searching.
By avoiding the need for manual data entry, we ensure that the system's scalability is greatly enhanced. Each item processed by one of these external systems is recorded in the PPNS Server's database of deliverable items. A key benefit being that it avoids the need to put physical switches on MUMR compartments.
Similarly there is no need to attach RFID tags or other radio transmitting devices on mail items or mail containers. Avoiding the use of radio transmitters is better, because these approaches increase both price and complexity of deployment. Parcel size and weight data can be integrated into the mix so that users can be warned when a parcel is too large for the parcel compartment in his MUMR. Letter and parcel imagery may also be stored and relayed to users when needed.
The PPNS Server will also respond to MUMR Scanning System events. When a MUMR is visited by delivery staff, a MUMR barcode is scanned and uploaded to the MUMR Scanning System. This event is passed on to the PPNS Server, which then uses a database lookup to determine all of the affected postal addresses. This list is cross-referenced with registered users and the deliverable item records tallied in the PPNS database. Based on the kind of event listed, the PPNS Server looks up the registered user's personal computing device and sends a notification.
Notifications may be more passive for events like "MUMR Scanned, but no sequenced mail discovered" or more active, in the form of an audible beep when the user has an item waiting in the parcel compartment.
The PPNS Server is also responsible for collecting personal location data from PPNS Clients. This location data corresponds to user interactions with his registered MUMR or secondary location (Control Point). The PPNS Server will encode interactions like: how many times per week a user visits a Control Point, how many times per week a user passes by a Control Point but does not stop as well as the current state of his MUMR compartment when each of these interactions occurs. It will also be used to dispatch timely user notifications when an item is listed as delivered, but the user has not yet visited his MUMR (imagine driving home from work and getting a 'ping' from your phone that the parcel delivered yesterday is still in your MUMR).
Additionally, the PPNS Server will encode tools necessary for third parties to connect to its functionality. Since the PPNS database will encode personal information, the server must hide many of the attributes it collects.
Nevertheless, this data in aggregate as well as annonymized versions of the data will be of use to third parties. The PPNS Server will allow third parties to connect to it and enforce the privacy rights of the users whose data is recorded in its database. The PPNS
Server will also conduct analysis on its database answering questions like how often letter carriers must send parcels to third party postal outlets because MUMR
parcel compartments are full. These compartment full events represent a significant cost to postal companies and reducing them is a laudable business goal.
The invention pertains generally to the field of large scale postal services.
It is a technique for providing timely and personalized messaging regarding the status of letter and parcel delivery in situations where it is not currently possible.
The technique describes a system which will amalgamate information from several sources and use that to customize messages delivered to end users. This results in significant public relations gains, higher quality postal service and more efficient use of multi-user mail receptacles which in turn reduces third party handling fees.
Amalgamating data also allows for the creation of new reports detailing interactions which are not currently possible.
Discussion of Prior Art:
CA 2741805 Automatic Main (sic) Notifying System:
This system is one of many that employs physical switches to determine the current state of a mailbox. Physical switches are practically infeasible because they require either electric power or inordinately complex mechanical mechanisms to transmit information. The PPNS system is distinguished by the fact that it does not require physical switches.
US 7256691 B2 Smart mailbox:
Another system requiring physical switches on mailboxes to convey information.
US 8725165 B2 Method and System for providing shipment tracking notifications:
This system employs a form of active target (radio transmitters) attached to a parcel or presumably a multi-package container. Active target systems are interesting in that once a target is attached, they essentially broadcast their whereabouts. While this is both accurate and highly automated, it is cost prohibitive and high complexity. The PPNS is distinguished from this by the fact that it does not require an active target to be attached to a parcel.
US 7684994 B2 Next generation visibility package tracking:
This is a more feasible active target system that requires RFID tags to be attached to parcels. The use of RFID reduces the cost of the system compared to full radio transmitters, but still requires operator intervention to attach tags plus the economic overhead of the tag itself at scale.
US 20140149308 Al Automated package tracking:
Package tracking portal includes web sites, API calls and other mobile apps as data sources. This system attempts to extract data from many digital sources and amalgamate it into one website. While the PPNS does amalgamate data from many other systems, its purpose is not merely to amalgamate data. It serves several other goals including pre-emptive user notification, reduced third party handling fees and MUMR usage data acquisition.
US 20070190943 Al Package tracking and notification system for a mail parcel centre:
Package tracking for a MUMR. The system is initiated with a data entry device (mouse/keyboard, barcode reader, wireless device) which is external to the MUMR. The data entry device's job is to enter incoming mail addresses and map these values onto MUMR compartments. It is not possible to scale this kind of implementation up to handle large volumes ¨ data entry is a non-starter. The PPNS scales to national scales because it does not rely on user data entry.
US 9117317 B2 Intelligent physical mail method and system:
This invention utilizes a database lookup methodology to retrieve user preferences. The lookup mechanism relies on an intelligent physical mail piece which is stenographically encoded with plural-bit data. By digital encoding lookup information onto the mail piece, the system would maintain high accuracy, but it also requires a significant change to existing infrastructure. The PPNS does not require stenographic encoding.
WO 2002029731 Al Method and apparatus for electronic notification of delivery of mail /
parcels:
Unfortunately, the idea of virtual addresses clouds this patent description considerably. It appears as if this invention includes all mail and is assumed to pull at least some of its data from a mail sequencer (manual data entry is also listed). It is limited to cases when the sequencing system is located at the delivery nodes and not routing nodes. The PPNS has no such requirement. This patent also claims to incorporate switches, active targets and infrared as well as sonar sensors! There is no description of how these capabilities fit into the invention, but as stated above, all of them are superfluous.
Summary of the Invention:
The job of the Personal Postal Notification System (PPNS) is to keep individuals informed about the current state of their compartment within a Multi-User Mail Receptacle (MUMR). The PPNS is an integration technology that brings together a Sequenced Mail System, Parcel and Packet Delivery System(s) and MUMR
Scanning Systems. The PPNS is itself composed of two types of systems:
multiple clients and a centralized server.
Client:
The PPNS Client provides a conduit for user interactions. By notifying users that their MUMR has been visited, it provides a level of personalized information that is not possible with current technology. Notifications may take the form of email, SMS
or remote smart-phone notifications. Website viewing will also be incorporated. The PPNS client will also be responsible for collecting and sending client notification preferences to the server.
The PPNS Client is a mobile software application which is downloaded onto a user's smart-phone, tablet, or other personal computing device. After download, the PPNS Client registers an address which the user is interested in with the PPNS
server. The PPNS Server takes this address information and determines which specific MUMR the specified address is serviced by and sends that locational information back to the PPNS Client. The PPNS Client stores the MUMR location locally and uses this data to determine when it will record locational information.
The PPNS Client stores locational information when it is "nearby" a Control Point and uploads this data periodically to the PPNS Server. A Control Point could be a specific MUMR containing one of the client's registered compartments or it could be a secondary location like a Retail Postal Outlet. The PPNS Client may define "nearby" as simply as a series of concentric buffer zones surrounding the registered MUMR, or it may utilize something more complex like a topologically based drive time analysis. These locational records will periodically be uploaded to the PPNS
Server so that the PPNS host may detect events like when a user actually visits his registered MUMR or Control Point.
The PPNS Client is also responsible for handling user notifications that mail has been delivered to the user's registered MUMR compartment. The PPNS Client receives digital messages from the PPNS Server specifying that a registered MUMR compartment has received some kind of delivery. The message from the server will contain information outlining the details of what has been delivered and =
this will be dispatched to the user.
Server:
The PPNS Server is a centrally located system that coordinates the processing of information from many sources. When a PPNS Server receives a registration from a PPNS Client, it looks up the MUMR associated with the supplied postal address and stores the specified client information and the association of PPNS Client and MUMR in its database. Client information includes but is not limited to name, address, phone number, phone identifier and notification preference.
The PPNS Server also responds to events emanating from external systems. It's job is to keep a tally of 'deliverable item' messages coming from a Sequenced Mail System, Parcel and Packet Delivery Systems and possibly Courier Systems. Any item that passes through a Mail Sequencing System has its delivery address optically scanned and machine interpreted as part of the system's normal functioning. Similarly, each item that is barcoded by a Parcel and Packet Delivery System or a Courier based system has its delivery address machine read. These machine-read address information packets form the basis for address searching.
By avoiding the need for manual data entry, we ensure that the system's scalability is greatly enhanced. Each item processed by one of these external systems is recorded in the PPNS Server's database of deliverable items. A key benefit being that it avoids the need to put physical switches on MUMR compartments.
Similarly there is no need to attach RFID tags or other radio transmitting devices on mail items or mail containers. Avoiding the use of radio transmitters is better, because these approaches increase both price and complexity of deployment. Parcel size and weight data can be integrated into the mix so that users can be warned when a parcel is too large for the parcel compartment in his MUMR. Letter and parcel imagery may also be stored and relayed to users when needed.
The PPNS Server will also respond to MUMR Scanning System events. When a MUMR is visited by delivery staff, a MUMR barcode is scanned and uploaded to the MUMR Scanning System. This event is passed on to the PPNS Server, which then uses a database lookup to determine all of the affected postal addresses. This list is cross-referenced with registered users and the deliverable item records tallied in the PPNS database. Based on the kind of event listed, the PPNS Server looks up the registered user's personal computing device and sends a notification.
Notifications may be more passive for events like "MUMR Scanned, but no sequenced mail discovered" or more active, in the form of an audible beep when the user has an item waiting in the parcel compartment.
The PPNS Server is also responsible for collecting personal location data from PPNS Clients. This location data corresponds to user interactions with his registered MUMR or secondary location (Control Point). The PPNS Server will encode interactions like: how many times per week a user visits a Control Point, how many times per week a user passes by a Control Point but does not stop as well as the current state of his MUMR compartment when each of these interactions occurs. It will also be used to dispatch timely user notifications when an item is listed as delivered, but the user has not yet visited his MUMR (imagine driving home from work and getting a 'ping' from your phone that the parcel delivered yesterday is still in your MUMR).
Additionally, the PPNS Server will encode tools necessary for third parties to connect to its functionality. Since the PPNS database will encode personal information, the server must hide many of the attributes it collects.
Nevertheless, this data in aggregate as well as annonymized versions of the data will be of use to third parties. The PPNS Server will allow third parties to connect to it and enforce the privacy rights of the users whose data is recorded in its database. The PPNS
Server will also conduct analysis on its database answering questions like how often letter carriers must send parcels to third party postal outlets because MUMR
parcel compartments are full. These compartment full events represent a significant cost to postal companies and reducing them is a laudable business goal.
Claims (11)
1.) A Personal Postal Notification System (PPNS) comprises of a set of server side services together with a plurality of client side applications which interoperate to notify client users of mail delivery events and to notify the server hosting organization of the locational trends of client applications;
the server side component is comprised of a Mail Sequencing integration point capable of interpreting address notifications from an external mail sequencing system and converting those notifications to internal deliverable item records stored in a central database, a Parcel Delivery integration point capable of interpreting address and tracking number notifications from an external courier or parcel delivery system and converting those notifications to internal deliverable item records stored in a central database, a Multi User Mail Receptacle Scanning integration point capable of interpreting receptacle scanned notifications and converting those into a plurality of internal delivery notifications to be sent to clients;
the client side comprises of a plurality of applications capable of receiving direct notifications from the server when an appropriate delivery event has been created, as well as having the ability to locally record geographic position/temporal data and send this information back to the server at well-defined intervals for further processing.
the server side component is comprised of a Mail Sequencing integration point capable of interpreting address notifications from an external mail sequencing system and converting those notifications to internal deliverable item records stored in a central database, a Parcel Delivery integration point capable of interpreting address and tracking number notifications from an external courier or parcel delivery system and converting those notifications to internal deliverable item records stored in a central database, a Multi User Mail Receptacle Scanning integration point capable of interpreting receptacle scanned notifications and converting those into a plurality of internal delivery notifications to be sent to clients;
the client side comprises of a plurality of applications capable of receiving direct notifications from the server when an appropriate delivery event has been created, as well as having the ability to locally record geographic position/temporal data and send this information back to the server at well-defined intervals for further processing.
2.) The combination defined in claim 1, wherein Mail Sequencing integration is performed by collating information from an external system whose job it is to image and otherwise scan incoming mail pieces for the purposes of sorting mail into delivery routes; imagery and optical character scans are transmitted to the PPSN
Server via standard computing networks to be recorded in its centralized database as a deliverable item used for further processing, address searching and relaying to end users; this also obviates the need for manual data entry or stenographic encoding of delivery information.
Server via standard computing networks to be recorded in its centralized database as a deliverable item used for further processing, address searching and relaying to end users; this also obviates the need for manual data entry or stenographic encoding of delivery information.
3.) The combination defined in claim 1, wherein Courier & Parcel Delivery System integration is performed by collating information from an external system which manages parcel delivery including the creation of parcel tracking identifiers;
these identifiers along with address information are transmitted to the PPNS server via standard computer networks to be recorded as deliverable item information in the PPNS database also obviating the need for manual data entry, parcel imagery is also recorded for processing to determine whether or not a specific parcel will fit within a specific MUMR compartment and weight data is captured to customize notifications if the parcel weight is determined to be within a customizable range;
parcels not containing tracking information are also handled via the same address searching mechanisms specified in claim 2.
these identifiers along with address information are transmitted to the PPNS server via standard computer networks to be recorded as deliverable item information in the PPNS database also obviating the need for manual data entry, parcel imagery is also recorded for processing to determine whether or not a specific parcel will fit within a specific MUMR compartment and weight data is captured to customize notifications if the parcel weight is determined to be within a customizable range;
parcels not containing tracking information are also handled via the same address searching mechanisms specified in claim 2.
4.) The combination defined in claim 1, wherein Multi-User Mail Receptacle Scanning system integration is performed by collecting MUMR "receptacle scanned" events which occur when a MUMR is visited by delivery staff and are then uploaded by an external system; these events are sent to the PPNS server which translates each box scanned event into multiple delivery events each corresponding to a single MUMR compartment and its associated address; these data, which correspond to basic delivery events, are recorded in the database and represent instances that client systems will receive notifications about; for each compartment in the scanned MUMR, deliverable item information is queried from the database so that notifications can be customized based on the number and type of deliverable items that are retrieved from the database query; messages ranging from generic un-sorted mail delivery to specific messages outlining the number and type of sequenced mail to parcel tracking identifiers together with imagery weights and sizes are created.
5.) The combination defined in claims 2 and 3, wherein Address Searching by means of matching address data as supplied by PPNS client users against canonical data or matching canonical data against data submitted by mail sequencing systems or parcel delivery systems is performed by a plurality of techniques including but not limited to, exact match, sounds like (soundex, metaphone, etc.) fuzzy string search (e.g. Levenshtein or other edit distance measures), semantic match, equivalency lookups and other natural language processing techniques.
6.) The combination defined in claim 4 wherein MUMR Scanning system integration results in no specific deliverable item waiting records being retrieved; this situation results in the most generic client notification because unsequenced mail may still have been delivered to a user's MUMR compartment; this information is relayed to PPNS client systems via standard remote notification channels.
7.) The combination defined in claim 4 wherein MUMR Scanning system integration results in one or more specific deliverable item waiting records being retrieved; this situation results in the system composing a customized message denoting some or all of the attributes specified for each deliverable item; this information is relayed to PPNS client systems via standard remote notification channels.
8.) The combination defined in claim 1 wherein a specific PPNS Client system is measured to be within a configurable distance from a specified Control Point;
in the case of a client system being "near" a Control Point, the client system sends its location and temporal duration (start/end) to the server; these data geolocation and temporal duration for "nearby" clients are recorded by the server for both off-line and real time processing; since the system is highly scaled, spatio-temporal data is stored locally on the PPNS Client system, then uploads to the PPNS Server will occur at well-defined times.
in the case of a client system being "near" a Control Point, the client system sends its location and temporal duration (start/end) to the server; these data geolocation and temporal duration for "nearby" clients are recorded by the server for both off-line and real time processing; since the system is highly scaled, spatio-temporal data is stored locally on the PPNS Client system, then uploads to the PPNS Server will occur at well-defined times.
9.) The combination defined in claim 8 wherein a PPNS Client system is judged to be "near" a Control Point and the spatio-temporal data are used together with the device ID for the server to query the database for deliverable items; the existence of deliverable items in the user's registered MUMR compartment triggers the PPNS
Server to notify said client of this condition in order to facilitate timely retrieval of those items thereby making more efficient use of the MUMR.
Server to notify said client of this condition in order to facilitate timely retrieval of those items thereby making more efficient use of the MUMR.
10.) The combination defined in claim 8 wherein a specific PPNS Client system is considered to be "near" a control point and therefore collects its spatio-temporal location, the frequency of these collection events is inversely proportional to the client's distance to the control point ¨ the shorter the distance to the control point, the higher the frequency of recording; keeping the frequency of spatial recordings as low as possible is desirable because it reduces client's battery power requirements and it reduces the volume of information eventually stored in the database.
11.) The combination defined in claim 10 wherein a specific PPNS Client system uploads locally stored spatio-temporal data to the PPNS Server at well-defined times in order to keep the frequency of transmission of data off of the client device lower; batches of spatio-temporal data are submitted with a frequency which is inversely proportional to the client's distance to the Control Point ¨ the shorter the distance to the Control Point, the higher the frequency of submission.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2917314A CA2917314A1 (en) | 2016-01-12 | 2016-01-12 | Methods for a personal postal notification system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2917314A CA2917314A1 (en) | 2016-01-12 | 2016-01-12 | Methods for a personal postal notification system |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2917314A1 true CA2917314A1 (en) | 2017-07-12 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2917314A Abandoned CA2917314A1 (en) | 2016-01-12 | 2016-01-12 | Methods for a personal postal notification system |
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| Country | Link |
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| CA (1) | CA2917314A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US11425070B2 (en) | 2019-08-24 | 2022-08-23 | Antonio D. Young | Apparatus, system and methods for managing private content delivery in association with a shipment |
-
2016
- 2016-01-12 CA CA2917314A patent/CA2917314A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US11425070B2 (en) | 2019-08-24 | 2022-08-23 | Antonio D. Young | Apparatus, system and methods for managing private content delivery in association with a shipment |
| US11818085B2 (en) | 2019-08-24 | 2023-11-14 | Antonio D. Young | Apparatus, system and methods for managing private content delivery in association with a shipment |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |
Effective date: 20180112 |