EP0977136A2 - Système, méthode et appareil pour la préparation d'envois postaux - Google Patents

Système, méthode et appareil pour la préparation d'envois postaux Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0977136A2
EP0977136A2 EP19990114248 EP99114248A EP0977136A2 EP 0977136 A2 EP0977136 A2 EP 0977136A2 EP 19990114248 EP19990114248 EP 19990114248 EP 99114248 A EP99114248 A EP 99114248A EP 0977136 A2 EP0977136 A2 EP 0977136A2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
records
data
component data
mailpieces
control
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19990114248
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
William G. Hart
Michael Shea
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of EP0977136A2 publication Critical patent/EP0977136A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • G06Q99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the preparation of large mailings and the like. More particularly it relates to systems and apparatus for the preparation of documents and the assembly of multiple mailpieces including such documents.
  • mailpieces as used herein means items intended to be delivered by a postal service or private courier service. Typically preparation of mailpieces includes, but is not limited to, printing or otherwise providing documents including variable information pertaining to addressees of the mailpieces and the assembly of such documents with other elements of the mailpiece.
  • assembly as used herein means the execution of actions to incorporate the documents into mailpieces. Typically, such actions can include: accumulating documents with other materials such as preprinted inserts, folding and inserting the resulting accumulations into envelopes, printing addresses and other information on the outside of the envelopes, and franking the mailpiece with an appropriate postage amount.
  • Inserter systems for the assembly of mailpieces are well known.
  • a typical inserter system is shown in Figure 1.
  • Inserter system 10 includes burster/feeder 12 which inputs preprinted documents in fanfold form, separates the documents and removes and discards sprocket feed strips FS from the edges of the document.
  • Each group of documents for a particular mailpiece includes at least control document CD.
  • code BC On control documents CD strips FS are marked with code BC which is read by scanner 14 before strips FS are removed.
  • code BC can be a "dash code" of the type crown for use in directly controlling inserter systems.
  • more complex systems code BC can be a conventional bar code which serves as a pointer to a mailpiece record which record contains information for controlling the inserter; as will be more fully described below.
  • the documents can be in cut sheet form and a cut sheet feeder can be used in place of burster/feeder 12.
  • Control document CD, and any additional associated pages are fed from burster feeder 12 to accumulator 16 where documents for each mailpiece are formed into separate accumulations A and folded.
  • Accumulation A is then fed to insert stations 20A and 20B where preprinted inserts I are added to form accumulations A1 and A2.
  • insert stations 20A and 20B where preprinted inserts I are added to form accumulations A1 and A2.
  • Accumulation A2 is then fed to insert station 22 where it is inserted into an envelope and sealed to form mailpiece MP.
  • Mailpiece MP is then fed to address printer 24 which prints address AD on the outside of the envelope.
  • printer 24 also can be used to print other information such as a variable return address (or other text message) RA, logo L, and postal barcode PBC on the envelope.
  • RA variable return address
  • logo L logo L
  • PBC postal barcode
  • System 10 also includes out stacker 30 for diverting mailpieces when an error is detected.
  • inserter systems wherein said code BC is a barcode which is used as a pointer to a mailpiece record (i.e. an electronic record associated with a mailpiece to be assembled) are known.
  • a mailpiece record i.e. an electronic record associated with a mailpiece to be assembled
  • addresses, return addresses, logos, and postal bar codes can all readily be specified in addition to specification of the number of inserts to be added at each insert feeder, postage amounts, etc.
  • Systems incorporating such mailpiece records are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent no. 4,800,505; to: Axelrod et al.; for: Mail Preparation System; issued Jan. 24, 1989, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
  • Embodiments of the system of patent no. 4,800,505 are marketed by the assignee of the present application under the name "Direct Connection", described in The Direct Connection , version 1.30.
  • component data can include the weight of inserts and other elements of the mailpiece, and postal rate classes; used to compute postage amounts for mailpieces.
  • component data such as bit maps and variable fonts were either unavailable or , at best, were "hardcoded” for specific applications or systems (i.e. the necessary code was incorporated directly into the specific application or system).
  • MIS Department may not have the information or ability to assure that current component data is used.
  • an MIS Department may not be aware of a marketing decision to change the font used on envelopes, or may not have the capability to update bit maps to reflect changes in a logo.
  • an apparatus for assembling mailpieces each including a control document, the control documents each including data for determining a unique identification code
  • the apparatus including: a first data store for storing a mailing control file, said mailing control file having a plurality of mailpiece records, each of the records including a plurality of fields, the fields containing data for controlling assembly of a mailpiece, and at least one of the records referencing component data common to a plurality of the records in the mailing control file, and each of the records including one of the unique identification codes, whereby each of the records defines preparation of at least one corresponding mailpiece, the file also including data for accessing current values of the component data.
  • the apparatus further includes a mechanism for assembling the mailpieces, the assembling mechanism including a scanner or detector for detecting and outputting the determining data from the control documents, a second data store for storing the current values of the component data, and a programmable controller which: stores component data to be referenced by the at least one of the records, accesses the first data store to retrieve the mailing control file, accesses the second data store in accordance with the access data from the mailing control file to retrieve the current values of the component data, updates the component data to be referenced with the current values, accesses the records in accordance with the determining data from the control documents, and controls the assembling mechanism to prepare the corresponding mailpieces in accordance with the records and the updated component data to be referenced.
  • the assembling mechanism including a scanner or detector for detecting and outputting the determining data from the control documents, a second data store for storing the current values of the component data, and a programmable controller which: stores component data to be referenced by the at least one of the records, access
  • the assembling mechanism includes an inserter system and the mailpiece records include insert control fields defining inserts to be assembled with the mailpiece.
  • the assembling means includes printing means for printing on an exterior surface of the mailpiece, and the mailpiece records include print control fields for controlling the printing means.
  • the component data comprises a bit map representative of a graphic to be printed on at least some of the mailpieces.
  • the component data comprises a text message to be printed on at least some of the mailpieces.
  • control documents for the mailpieces to be assembled by the above described apparatus are generated by a data processing system which outputs a mailing control file, the mailing control file including a plurality of mailpiece records, each of the records including a plurality of fields, the fields containing data for controlling assembly of a mailpiece, at least one of the records referencing component data common to a plurality of the records in the mailing control file, and each of the records including a unique identification code, whereby each of the records defines preparation of at least one corresponding mailpiece, the file also comprising data for accessing current values of the component data; and produces at least a control document for each of the mailpieces, each of the control documents including data for determining a corresponding one of the identification codes.
  • the method of the subject invention includes the steps of: storing a mailing control file, the mailing control file comprising a plurality of mailpiece records, each of the records including a plurality of fields, the fields containing data for controlling assembly of a mailpiece, at least one of the records referencing component data common to a plurality of the records in the mailing control file, and each of the records including one of the unique identification codes, whereby each of the records defines preparation of at least one corresponding mailpiece, the file also comprising data for accessing current values of the component data, storing the current values of the component data, and controlling the mechanism for assembling the mailpieces to: store component data to be referenced by at least one of the records, access the mailing control file, access the current values of the component data in accordance with the access data from the mailing control file, update the component data to be referenced with the current values, access the records in accordance with the determining data from the control documents; and control the assembling apparatus to assemble the corresponding mailpieces in accordance with the records and the updated component data to be reference
  • FIG. 2 shows mail preparation system 40 which includes data processing system 42 and mailpiece assembly system 50.
  • Data processing system 42 is programmed in a conventional manner to generate documents 46, which include control documents CD and associated documents P; with one control document CD and its associated documents P being associated with each mailpiece, wherein control documents CD are marked with barcode pointers to mailpiece records in the manner described above.
  • system 42 controls printer 44 to print documents 46 directly and documents 46 are transported physically for assembly; however, any convenient method of output ant transport, such as electronic output and transmission for remote printing, can be used and is within the contemplation of the subject invention.
  • Data processing system 42 also generates and outputs mailing control file 80 , shown in Figure 3A, which includes header 82 and a plurality of mailpiece records 84-1 through 84-N, in a conventional manner.
  • Mailpiece records 84-1 through 84-N each include a plurality of fields 86A - 86F containing data for controlling assembly of the mailpiece. At least some of the fields reference component data to control mailpiece assembly, as will be further described below.
  • the mailing control file also includes data in header 82 for accessing current values of component data to be used in assembling mailpieces associated with the mailing control file.
  • header 82 can contain additional information relating to the mailing as a whole, such as a mailing job ID or an account number to be charged mailing costs.
  • Figure 3B shows typical mailing record 84-M.
  • the record must include an index, or identification code, which establishes correspondence between the record and a corresponding mailpiece; and, in accordance with the subject invention, include at least one field which references an element of component data.
  • field 86A contains an index, or identification code
  • field 86B specifies the number of pages in the mailpiece
  • fields 86C and D specify whether or not corresponding insert stations will add inserts to the mailpiece
  • field 86E is a printer control field which specifies an address for the corresponding mailpiece
  • field 86F is a printer control field which contains a pointer to a bitmap in the component data.
  • records can include pointers to other or additional elements of component data such as text messages, as described above.
  • the mailing control file is communicated to mailpiece assembly system 50 through communications link 48, which can utilize any convenient form of communication, such as electronic data communication or the physical transfer of media without departing from the scope the subject invention.
  • mailpiece assembly system 50 includes inserter systems 10A, 10B, and 10C, which are substantially similar to conventional inserter system 10 described above with reference to Figure 1, but necessarily must be of the type wherein control documents CD include a barcode pointer to a mailpiece record, to carryout the functions of mailpiece assembly.
  • inserter systems 10A, 10B, and 10C which are substantially similar to conventional inserter system 10 described above with reference to Figure 1, but necessarily must be of the type wherein control documents CD include a barcode pointer to a mailpiece record, to carryout the functions of mailpiece assembly.
  • different types of inserter systems having expanded (e.g. more insert modules) or different functions (e.g. matched mail generation or address verification), but still including barcode pointers, can be used without departing from the scope of the subject invention.
  • control document can be a freight bill and the elements assembled to form a package for delivery can be small items or packages.
  • Mailpiece assembly system 50 also includes controllers 52A, 52B, and 52C for controlling operation of inserter systems 10A, 10B, and 10C in a manner which will be described more fully below.
  • Controllers 52A, B, and C also store values of the component data to be referenced by the mailpiece records as the mailing is processed.
  • portions of the component data can be stored by controllers 52A, B and C in various local memories of the inserter systems.
  • fonts or bitmaps can be stored in memory of address printer 24 (shown in Fig. 1). If bitmaps or fonts are stored in printer memory a mechanism to reload the data after power failure, etc. and to propagate updates to all printers used for the mailing must be provided.
  • Mailpiece assembly system also includes file server 58 which manages mailing control file database 60 which stores mailing control files downloaded from data processing system 42, and which also communicate appropriate mailing control files to controllers 52A, B or C as mailings are assigned to inserter systems, as will be more fully described below.
  • Server 58 also controls component data database 62 which stores various sets of current component data values for use with various mailings. For example, a production mail job shop which prepares mailings for various clients might store different sets of current values of component data for each client.
  • Server 58 also communicates appropriate current values of component data to controllers 52A, B or C as mailings are assigned to inserter systems, as will be more fully described below.
  • Databases 60 and 62 are preferably stored on a common storage device but are shown separately for ease of illustration.
  • Mailpiece assembly system also includes manager's workstation 66, which includes display 66D and keyboard 66K through which a site manager can provide operational management input such as accessing and editing databases 60 and 62 or assigning mailings to various inserter systems. Current values of component data also can be updated through workstation 66 or in any other convenient manner.
  • Communications among workstation 66, file server 58 and controllers 52A, B and C is preferably carried out over a conventional local area network in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art and which need not be discussed further for an understanding of the subject invention.
  • FIG. 4A, B, and C a high level flow diagram of the operation of mailpiece assembly system 50 in accordance with the method of the subject invention is shown.
  • controller 52A inputs an ID for a mailing job assigned through manager's workstation 66.
  • the mailing job ID can be read from the first mailpiece, or input in any convenient manner.
  • controller 52A accesses the corresponding mailing control file in database 60 through file server 58. ( In other equivalent embodiments workstation 66 directs server 58 to download the selected mailing control file to controller 52A.)
  • controller 52A tests to determine if an appropriate matching control file has been found, and if not at 106 exits to error routine 110. If the appropriate mailing control file is found controller 52A continues toto 112 to input the appropriate mailing control file.
  • controller 52A tests the data for accessing the current values of component data to identify the current values associated with the mailing control file, i.e. with the assigned mailing job. Then at 118 controller 52A tests to determine if these current values are stored in controller 52A, or local memory of inserter system 10A, and, if they are at 120 goes to 124. Otherwise, at 122 controller 52A updates the stored component data which will be referenced by the mailpiece records and then continues to 124.
  • controller 52A tests to determine if inserter system 10A is ready; that is documents, inserts, envelopes, etc. have been loaded, needed stations of inserter system 10A have been activated and all necessary preparatory actions have been taken, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. If system 10A is not ready then at 128 controller 52A loops back through 128 to wait for a ready condition. Otherwise at 130 controller 52A controls inserter system 10A to input the next control document CD, together with any additional associated pages, and at 132 reads the record number (i.e. identification code) which associates that control document CD and corresponding mailpiece with a mailpiece record. At 136 controller 52A controller 52A tests to determine if a record number has been successfully read, and, if not exits to error routine 138.
  • record number i.e. identification code
  • controller 52A accesses database 60 through server 58 to read the corresponding record, and at 142 tests to determine if the appropriate mailpiece record has been found. If the record is not found at 146 controller 52A enters error routine 148.
  • sequential record numbers are incremented by in the mailing control file and mailpieces are processed in record number order, and error routines 138 and 148 can use this information to recover.
  • mailpieces are processed randomly with respect to record numbers and the error routines require operator intervention.
  • controller 52A goes from 146 to 150 and increments processing of each of the, possibly multiple, mailpieces which is in inserter system 10A. That is each mailpiece movers to the next assembly processing station for further assembly in accordance with the appropriate fields of the corresponding mailpiece records which have been input by controller 52A and the updated component information which is referenced by those fields.
  • controller 52A tests to determine if the last mailpiece record in the mailing control file has been input. If not controller 52A loops back through 130 to continue input of mailpiece records and assembly of mailpieces. If the last record has been input controller 52A continues from 156 to 160 to test to determine if the last mailpiece has been completely assembled, and if not, at 162 loops back through 150 to continue assembly of mailpieces in inserter system 10A. When the last mailpiece is done controller 52A exits at 162.

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EP19990114248 1998-07-29 1999-07-28 Système, méthode et appareil pour la préparation d'envois postaux Withdrawn EP0977136A2 (fr)

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US12450198A 1998-07-29 1998-07-29
US124501 1998-07-29

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1091326A2 (fr) * 1999-10-04 2001-04-11 Pitney Bowes Inc. Système et appareil pour la préparation d'envois postaux et procédé de configuration basé sur fichiers de cet appareil

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1091326A2 (fr) * 1999-10-04 2001-04-11 Pitney Bowes Inc. Système et appareil pour la préparation d'envois postaux et procédé de configuration basé sur fichiers de cet appareil

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