CH677159A5 - Sequential numbering of postal items - Google Patents

Abstract

A number of postal items are prepared for delivery. Unique numbers are applied to each item consisting of a postal item number and the serial number of the equipment used to process the items. The number may be formed using a numetric system with or without a base. - The unique number may be made up of a combination of at least a part of two numbers associated with the stack of postal items being processed. Both numbers used may be truncated.

Description

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Description

The present invention relates to a device for the treatment of mail folds according to the preamble of claim 1 as well as its use.

Some organizations and companies send large amounts of mail periodically. Examples include banks, utility companies, insurance companies, credit companies, etc. With such large quantities, these senders normally carry out enveloping and pre-sorting of their mail and are given a cheaper postal rate for the time saving which the postal services thus benefit from. There are generally two ways that these senders use to frank their mail. The most common method is to use a postage meter rented by the sender from a manufacturer, with which the required amount of postage is applied to each mail fold. Systems equipped with insertion devices have been developed, in which inserts are inserted in an envelope, closes the envelope, places the address and applies a printed stamp. Mail items can be weighed "in flight", or individual weighing may not be necessary in the event that all items are of the same type, that is, only a sample copy must be weighed . All of these mailing operations can be performed at a relatively high speed.

A second method of shipping large quantities of mail pieces is the permit system. In this system, the sender places a permit number on the items and prepares a listing indicating the type and number of mail items sent on each occasion and the postage required.

With these two systems, it is necessary to carry out an inspection at the sender's home. In the case of a franking machine, the lessor of the franking machine, that is to say its manufacturer, must carry out, as the law requires it, the inspection of the machine at least two once a year so as to have the assurance that there is no trace of fraud which would be an indication of an unauthorized postage attempt. In the case of mail with a permit, large quantities of the same type of mail will be sent each time and the postal service will carry out an inspection in order to verify that the listing accompanying the mail takes exactly into account the value of the postage due for this mail that has been processed for the postal service. This is done by an inspection by the postal service which examines the user's notebooks of the mail he fills in for each shipment.

It is obvious that each of the two systems has certain drawbacks. In the case of on-site inspection of franking machines, given the large number of machines in use when dealing with large senders, the inspection is quite costly. In addition, franking machines that handle large quantities of mail need to be replaced relatively frequently due to wear and tear. The drawback with the mail system with a license is the need for the postal service to send a representative frequently to the various shipping locations to ensure that the sender accurately accounts for the amount of mail sent. Such a system is not completely reliable because it is based on on-site verifications using the Gourrier shipper registration books, which are not secure.

In order to avoid drawbacks, the present invention provides a device and a method of the type mentioned in the preamble, further comprising the features mentioned in the cha-racterisante part of claims 1 and 14 respectively.

In this way, a device has been designed, in which a mail sender will be able to send large quantities or batches of mail without the need for on-site inspections. This can be achieved by providing the sender with a secure accounting unit, similar to a postage meter, into which a postage value is entered by a central post! or distributor. A slip can accompany each batch of mail, a slip which contains information concerning the mail and the amount of postage required. A communication between the central station and the sender of the mail allows the transfer of the value of postage to the user by the central station and the sending of data relating to the dispatch of the mail and its verification to the central station by the 'sender. The data relating to dispatch and verification will be the same as that contained in the dispatch notes accompanying the batches of mail. This system provides a central post for a large number of mailers, which results in the postal service being relieved of its obligation to have on-site inspections, and the central post acts as a central office. on behalf of the postal service, thanks to which the verification of postage can be carried out conveniently and inexpensively.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a unique serial number is supplied to the user so that it is loaded and stored in a permanent memory in order to identify the accounting unit of the user.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the security characters of a franking device are provided while allowing the use of a relatively inexpensive high-speed printer for printing mail folds.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a number is printed on each fold which is specific to this fold. Preferably, this number is a combination of the serial number of the accounting unit of the user and the value of the total register of this accounting unit at the time of mailing.

According to yet another embodiment of the

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present invention the postage information is printed on each mail fold at the same level as the barcode.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the unique number on each mail fold corresponds to a numbering system other than that with base 10.

According to yet another form of execution of the invention, the slip accompanying a posted batch of mail will bear a unique number.

The present invention will be clearly understood from the following description given in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an iot mail delivery device;

fig. 2 is a plan view of an accounting slip which will accompany the mail processed by the device of FIG. 1;

fig. 3 is a plan view of an envelope containing data according to the present invention;

Figs. 4-6 representing flowcharts describing the functions of the system represented in fig. 1;

fig. 7 is a plan view of a window envelope containing data in accordance with the present invention.

Now in connection with FIG. 1, a device for dispatching mail in batches is broadly represented by the reference 10 and comprises a post office 12, a central post 14 and a user location 16. The central post 14 is equipped with a processor 18 This processor 18 will be of the central computer type with a large capacity. Communication is ensured between the post office 12 and a multitude of central stations 14 (only one post is shown) via a link 19 or link by line, comprising a communication device such as a telephone 20 The processor 18, and in connection with it, is associated with a large capacity memory unit 22, in which large amounts of data can be stored, and a device for loading the register which includes software for encrypting the type required in the remote resetting of postage meters. Devices for remotely resetting measurement devices are well known; reference is made, for example, to United States patent No. 3,792,446 and French patents No. 7,817,385 and No. 8,113,842.

A user location 16 located remotely comprises a security unit 25 which will be designated hereinafter by the name "server". The server 25 is powered by the central station 14 and includes a user processor 24 which may be a processor of smaller capacity, such as the processor known as Intel 8085 which can be obtained from the company known as Intel Corporation, Santa -Clara, California. To the processor 24 is connected a memory 26. Preferably, the memory 26 will be a non-volatile memory. The user processor 24 is connected to the processor 18 of the central station by a line 28, or communication link. A telephone set 30 or other communication device can be placed in line 28 to provide selective communication between the processors 18 and 24. To the processor 24 are also connected a random access memory 32, a read-only memory 34, an encryption device 35 and a clock 36 whose respective functions will be described later. An input / processor 38 is connected to the user processor 24, whereby data can be supplied, either manually or through a medium, such as a disc or tape, to the user processor in the purpose of providing the data necessary for processing mail folds. The input / processor 38 can be one of the many personal computers comprising a keyboard and display device that are found on the market, for example the personal computer called IBM XT.

A high-speed insertion device 39 is in electrical communication with the server 25 and performs the physical actions involved in processing the mail, for example the introduction of added elements into the envelopes, the closing of the flaps of the envelopes, the orientation of mail folds and their routing to a postage meter or printer. The term "reported item" includes invoices, advertising pamphlets, notices, etc., of such dimensions that they can be placed inside an envelope, etc. High speed devices of this type are commercially available; it is, for example, the model of the series known as n ° 3100 of the company known as Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford Connecticut.

A first printer 40 communicates with the user processor 24 of the server 25 and with the processor / input 38 and is able to print the envelopes 42 of the mail, such as envelopes containing added elements which it receives from the device d insertion 39. The printer 40 is supplied by the user and will be a high-speed printer, without security, which can be controlled either by the processor 24 or by that of reentry / processor 38. A second printer 44 used to print the slip 46 or other document. This printer 44 is preferably a security printer which is supplied by the central station 14. By “security” is meant a device constructed in the same way as a franking machine without it being possible to have access to its interior, with the exception, however, of authorized personnel. An example of such a franking apparatus is the apparatus known as model 6500 which one can obtain from the company Pitney Bowes Inc. Obviously, the second printer can be a printer of not security, but that is with origin of a greater risk in terms of verification of payment of mail. Throughout the rest of this description and in the claims, the slip 46 will be called "permit". Details of permit 46 are given below in conjunction with FIG. 2.

Although only one user location 16 has been represented and described, it will be noted that many user locations can be served from the central station 14, for example by mul5

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tiplexing. The central station 14 can be the place of manufacture of the franking machines or any other accounting body. In addition, while only a printer 40 is shown and described here for mail pieces, it will be noted that a server 25 can serve a certain number of printers 40, 44 and insertion devices 39.

When running, the user at location 16 will be a sender of large quantities of mail, who will be given a server identification number 25 or serial number by central station 14, which will be stored in memory 26 including the regressive register functions. Obviously, this identification number of the server 26 can also be placed in the memory 35 which serves the summing register function. This identification number will be permanent and unique for each server 25 and the user will not have access to the part of the memory 26,35 which stores such an identification number. It will be noted that this characteristic can also be applied to franking machines. Having the identification number in memory 26, 35 eliminates the need to apply a plate to a postage meter or to a server 25. It will also be appreciated that a server has most of the characteristics of a franking machine, namely security, a totalizing register, a regressive register, etc., but certain elements are missing. The most obvious missing element is a printer, the advantages of which are described here. Following the loading of the identification number into the memory 27, the user will communicate with the central station 14 via the telephone 30 to indicate to the central station the amount of a postage value which he wishes to see. credit in his memory 26. An access code will be given to the user which can be addressed to the device 23 for resetting to the initial state. Upon receipt of the access code, the user will transmit to the central station 14 the access code and its identification number and the request for an amount of postage value The device 23 will be used to load or increasing the postage value in the memory 26. As previously indicated, the memory 26 will include the functions of a regressive register. While user location 16 processes mail, the value of postage in the regressive register will be decreased in accordance with the postage used or required to send mail pieces. As noted previously, devices for register loading, such as regressive registers, are well known. In addition, while postage is applied to the mail by the user, the amount of postage applied will be recorded in the totalizing register of memory 35. Such recording of the postage applied occurs during the processing of each fold. More specifically, after applying postage to mail pieces, the amount of postage value used to send these pieces will be added at the time of postage residing in the totaling register 35 following previous transactions. Thus, the totalizing register will store the amount of postage applied, or debited, during all the use of the particular server 25 in which it is enclosed. This amount of postage is therefore always increasing until the server 25 is removed from service. In this way, the summation register always indicates a different value for postage after a postage has been applied to a mail fold. For example, if the number 1 629 457 resides in the summing register, this will indicate that at server 25 a postage of $ 16 294.57 was applied during its use. If a postage value of $ 1000.00 is applied to the next batch of mail items, the number in the totaling register will increase to 1,729,457 indicating that a postage value of $ 17,294.57 has been applied by the server 25 from the beginning. Thus, the number residing in the summing register 35 changes with each shipping transaction and is unique for this particular server. By printing the number of the server 25 and the value of the totalizing register 35 on each mail fold, a unique numbering device is obtained.

The rest of the server 25 includes the read-only memory 34 which outputs address signals and stores a series of programs for controlling the functions of the server 25, a random access memory 32 which stores and supplies data in real time, and a clock 36 which will provide the time and date.

Note that the printer 40 is an inexpensive, non-security high speed printer, such as an inkjet printer or a laser printer or some type of dot matrix printer, which will apply the addresses of the recipient and the sender on the face of the folds of the mail as they are delivered by reentry / processor 38. In addition to the value of the totalizing register 35 and the number of the server, other information can optionally be printed by the printer 40 on each fold 42 of the mail. This information could include a transaction number, the operating number of the particular batch of mail, the date and time of shipment, the class of mail, and a batch number. The transaction number (TA) is the number which is assigned to the user location by the central station each time a postage value is added to the server 25 and will be stored in the non-volatile memory 26. This transaction number will be the same for one or more batches of mail that are sent and will remain the same until the regressive register in memory 26 is reloaded with a postage value when a new transaction number will be assigned and stored in the memory 26 in place of the previous transaction number. By changing the transaction number at each top-up, an item is provided for checking postage. The batch number is the number assigned by the user via the input / processor 38, from which it follows that a given batch of mail, that is to say mail of a type or of a particular character will be identified by a number assigned by the user. Furthermore,

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an operation number, which is a subset of the lot, can be given to specific identified segments of the lot. In addition, each mail fold can be numbered consecutively during the processing of each batch of mail.

When a batch of mail is to be sent, the user will provide the information on the shipment and the verification via the interme / processor 38 to the user processor 24 which will transmit at least some of this information to insertion device 39. This information will include the number of mail items to be processed and the number of added items to be placed in each envelope. The time and date can be supplied to the printer 40 via reentry / processor 38 by replacing the clock 36. This substitution is useful when a future mail is being processed. User processor 24 will then instruct printer 40 to print the appropriate postage, time, date, transaction number and address on each fold. While the printer is printing the appropriate information on each mail fold, the amount of postage required will be determined and the postage required and the amount residing in the summation register 27, after it has been kept account of the postage amount for this particular fold, may be printed on the fold. At the end of the operation or batch, the second printer 44 will print the information on the authorization on a permit 46. The server will take account of the postage necessary to post a batch of mail by means of the decrementation of the totalizing register 26 when processing each fold.

Now in connection with FIG. 2, the permit 46 is shown after having been printed on its top the total postage (total frank) necessary for sending the mail batch, the transaction number (TA), the counting of the pieces for a batch, the amount of the totaling register (Mon. Reg.) after taking into account the total postage required for the mail batch, date, time, class of mail, batch number and number (optional). In addition, the server number, that is to say the identification number, for example the number 7124, put in the memory 26, the name of the user and the number of the license as well as all other desired graphics can be printed on license 46. The server number and license number can be combined according to a unique number identified by a server / license number. This information on permit 46 has several purposes. First, the amount in the register serves as a physical record of the value of postage stored in the regressive register 26. This amount is printed on license 46 in the upper right. The amount of the register will be the amount in the regressive register after all postage charges have been made for the batch of mail to be posted. By placing this amount in the register on permit 46, after taking account of each batch of mail, a permanent entry record is maintained as to the amount of the value of the postage contained in the regressive register 26. In this way, there is an incident in which the server 25 is destroyed or the memory 26 is inadvertently erased, the user will keep a means to check the amount of the remaining value of postage against the amount of the value of postage purchased and stored. The transaction number provides authorization control as do the identification number or the server number. By changing the transaction number with each reload of the server, we help determine the validity of batches of mail. Also printed on permit 46, there will be the permit number, the date and time at which permit 46 is printed, the ply counting, i.e. the number of mail plies sent in the lot. particular, and the class of mail. At the time of printing the information on the permit 46, the amount of postage for the lot will be subtracted from the value of the postage stored in the regressive register 26, that is to say that the debit of the regressive register 26 and the printing of permit 46 will be simultaneous. At the same time, the value of the postage stored in the regressive register will be increased by an amount equal to the amount of postage necessary to send the batch of mail. Obviously, the totalizing register 35 will be increased by the same amount by the postage value with which the regressive register 26 is decreased.

The information printed on the permit 46 is transmitted to the central station 14 via the communication line 28 after each batch or periodically, and is processed so that a record is maintained by means of the processor 18 which communicates with the memory 22. The memory 22 includes a totalizing register which corresponds to the totalizing register of the server 25. As indicated above, a totalizing register is a register which accumulates long-term charges. Optionally, the memory 22 may include a regressive register which is a duplication of the amounts in the regressive register 26 on a permanent basis. Having a postage value maintained inside the memory 22 which corresponds to the value of the server 16 makes it possible to carry out a check to ensure that there is correspondence between the information appearing on the permit 46 and the amount of postage paid by the user. More specifically, the total value of postage credited to the user location will be stored in memory 22 and if the amount required to send a particular batch of mail exceeds the amount of postage value made available to the user, the user site will be informed of insufficient funds.

When a batch of mail is sent to a post office for dispatch, permit 46 concerning this particular batch will accompany the batch. The postal employee can determine whether it is a batch of authorized mail using the information contained in the attached permit 46. If the postal services have any questions about the authenticity of the information, they will approach the central station 14 and via line 19 get 5

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will receive the information from this post in order to verify the information contained in the permit 46. If this information is correct, then the postal services will know that the mail is authorized, that is to say that the franking of this mail has been paid. On the other hand, if there is any difference, the postal services are able to act to detect any fraud or correct any difference. As in the usual practice in the use of postage meters, a user location 16 will send all of its mail to a designated post office which will be called entry point.

Now in connection with FIG. 3, there is shown an envelope 42 as it will be prepared by the present device 10. The upper left corner contains the address of the sender of the mail and the upper right corner comprises a preprinted block 43 which contains the class mail and gives the identification number or the server number of the mail sender, in this example 7124. This information can be pre-printed on the envelope 42 before processing a batch of mail. Such pre-printing can be performed via direct communication of the input / processor 38 with the printer 44 without any participation from the other components of the user location 16 to another printer. which depends on the device shown in fig. 1.

In batch mail processing, the three address lines 60, 61 and 62 will first be printed in the address area with the name of the recipient, the street address, the name of city, state, zip code, respectively. The first line 64, or postage line is then printed using the information provided by the processor 24. This postage line includes the amount of postage (171/2 cents), the type delivered before sorting (ZP) , the date (May 12, 1986) and the value of the postage stored in the totalizing register 27 after application of the postage to fold 42, which is in this example 0 009 998 075. It will be noted that the postage line is in the same horizontal alignment as the half-bar postal code 66. Code 66 is frequently printed by the post office to facilitate the handling of mail. In particular, post offices equipped with channel sorting equipment / optical character reading (ETC / LC) will read the postal code printed on the face of the fold. After reading the postal code, this ETC / LC equipment will print the postal code on this fold. By having the franking line 64 at the same level as the half-bars, the user is offered the possibility of printing the line 64 and the code 66 in a single pass. Printing the code 66 by the user could result in a lower postal rate. Other information can be given on postage line 64, for example the time at which the mail was processed. Although the postage line is represented in alphanumeric characters, it should be noted that it can be printed with a bar code and optionally address information by bar code can be printed on the envelope, if necessary. . In addition, the information contained in the pre-printed block 43 can be printed in the area reserved for the address and the pre-printed block can be eliminated, as will be described in conjunction with FIG. 7.

The advantage of having the ascending number printed on the envelope 42 is that a single number or combination of numbers is obtained on each mail fold. As the number of the totalizing register increases continuously as long as a particular server 26 is in use a different number appears in the franking line 64 of the envelope 42. This is not true for the value of the regressive register in which the numbers are repeated when the regressive register is reloaded 26. The value of the totalizing register 36 printed on an envelope 42 in combination with the server number 25 or any other identification number will provide a unique number on the envelopes. Naturally, other servers 25 will produce duplicate totals in the folds of the mail they process; however, as the server serial number is different, each fold 42 of mail processed by all servers will have a unique number which is a combination of the server serial number and the postage value of the totalizing register at the time of processing . Although this concept of unique number on the envelope has been described as relating to a server 25, it will be noted that it also applies to franking machines because each machine is assigned a unique machine number and has a register. totalizer whose value increases as long as the franking machine is in service.

The advantage of printing a single number on an envelope is security. When inspecting mail pieces by postal authorities, if you find mail pieces with identical server serial numbers and numbers from the value of the register, you will know that mail items are not allowed, c that is, the postage has not been paid. As previously indicated, each server 25 is assigned to a given post office, that is, all mail from a particular user location 16 must be sent to that office.

This allows the post office to check the service serial number and reduces the possibility of fraudulent, and therefore unauthorized, sending. With ETC / LC equipment in particular, it becomes relatively easy to read the unique numbers on the envelopes and make a determination that one number doubles another.

Although in envelope 42 shown the information on postage and address are printed on its face, the same arrangement will apply to a window envelope. A window envelope 100 can be pre-printed as described above, but instead of the printer 40 printing on the face of the envelope 42, an insert will be printed with the same lines of address 60, 61, 62 indicated on the face of the envelope 42 and inserted so as to be

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seen through the window. Alternatively, the postage and address information can be printed on a label and the label attached to the envelope 42.

Fig. 7 is an illustration of a window envelope 100 on which data has been printed according to the present invention. The shipping or destination address can be printed on an item, so as to be visible through the window 101. The printer 40 also prints the postage line 102, which includes the postal rate 103. The class of mail 104, the date of exposure 105, the serial number 106 of the server 25 and the value 107 of postage from the totalizing register. It will be noted more particularly that the value 107 of the frankings of the totalizing register, as well as part or all of the rest of the franking line, can be in the form of a bar code.

The server number is in this particular embodiment A012B789. This number is a base 32 rather than a 10 base number. Such a base 32 base system is well known; it is found, for example, in automobile license plates. In a base 32 numerical sequence, we must use both numbers and letters to formulate this sequence. For example, the letters in this alphabet will correspond to the first twenty-six digits of the base 10 number system, then the next six digits will be 1,2,3,4,5,0. For example, the number 51 in base 10 will be the same as the number AS in base 32 and the number 64 in base 10 will be the same as BO in base 32. Such an extended digital system is necessary because large sums are spent by a franking machine or server during their lifetime and, in order to reduce the number of digits, a base 10 digital system would be inconvenient.

Another system for processing batches of mail is to use truncated numbers on the permit 46 or mail pieces 42, 100 which represent a combination of at least a portion of two independent numbers. These independent numbers could be the license number, the server number, the value of postage, the value of postage from the totaling register, the value of postage from the regressive register, the number of mail folds, etc. Such a truncated number can be applied to permit 46 which accompanies the lot to the post office. Again in connection with FIG. 7, a truncated number 106 of server / summing register is provided, in which the first three digits A01 can represent the identification number of the server 25 and the last four digits 2B29 can represent the number representing the value of the regressive register. Although the server identification number can have more than three digits, only the last three digits of this number will be used for the truncated number of the server / permit. The same applies to the number in the regressive register where the last four digits will be used for the last four digits of the server / permit number. Obviously,

a certain degree of security will be sacrificed because each mail fold will not have an absolute unique number, but space will be saved. In the event that a single numbering is not necessary, these truncated numbers will be most beneficial. Another example is a combination of other part of the server number with part of the license number. Again in connection with FIG. 2, ie the license / server number 1 241 685 could be the last three digits of the server serial number 25 (7124) and the last four digits of the license number that would normally be assigned. Other combinations using the postage value of the regressive register, the number of mail folds, etc. could also be used.

We have just described a process allowing an organization to send large quantities of mail with automatic authentication information. By combining identification numbers, one obtains a visual examination which gives a certain degree of assurance that mail received by a post office is authorized. Thus, postal services do not have to worry about having to carry out on-site inspections at the location of user 16 in order to verify that unauthorized mail has been sent. By correlating the amount of postage, transaction number, mail count, server number, permit number, etc., we can verify. In addition, another control is ensured by printing on each envelope 42 the combination of an indication of the value of the postage in the totalizing register and the identification number of the server 25. This provides a relatively simple method for ensuring that additional envelopes for which no postage has been paid have not been added to a batch of mail.

The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described, it is on the contrary liable to modifications and variants which will appear to those skilled in the art.

Claims (16)

Claims 1. Mail processing device for authenticating the payment of postage for a batch of mail, characterized in that it comprises: - a means of preparing a multitude of mail folds for dispatch; - a means of preparing a slip containing the number of mail folds prepared and the postage necessary to send the mail folds, and - a means of placing a unique number on the slip in order to authenticate the payment of postage. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for placing the unique number is arranged so that the unique number is a combination of the identification number of the slip and a number associated with the mail folds. s 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 7 13 CH 677 159 A5 14 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said means is arranged so that the numbers come from a digital system other than the digital system based on 10. 4. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said means is arranged so that the numbers come from a 32-based digital system. '„ 5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means is arranged so that the single number is a truncated number. 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means is arranged so that the single number is a truncated part of an encrypted number. 7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a postage accounting device, characterized in that it comprises means for printing on the slip a number representing the value of the postage residing in the device register postage after processing. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises: - a means to Print on the slip the serial number of the postage accounting system and the number of folds processed by mail: 9 »Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the register of postage values is a totalizing register. 10. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the register of postage values is a regressive register. 11. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises means for printing the serial number and the number representing the value of postage in the register of postage values in the form of a combined number. 12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises means for printing the number in the form of a combination of truncated parts of the serial number and of the number representative of the value of the postage in the register of values postage. 13. Use of a device according to any one of claims 1-12 for the treatment of mail folds in a way making it possible to authenticate the payment of a postage for a batch of mail, characterized in that it includes the steps of: - prepare a multitude of mail folds for shipping purposes; - prepare a slip containing the number of mail folds prepared and the postage necessary to send the mail folds, and - place a unique number on the slip. 14. Use according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises the step consisting in: - form the unique number as a combination of the identification number of the slip and a number associated with mail folds. 15. Use according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises the step consisting in: - represent the numbers in a 32-based numerical system. 16. Use according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises the step consisting in: - obtain the numbers from a numerical system other than the numerical base ten system. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8