EP1129792A1 - Process for optimizing postal parcel management and arrangement for its implementation - Google Patents

Abstract

Method includes the steps of generating an identification code when the mail is being prepared for sending; marking the mail with the code; saving the codes in a data file; transmitting the data file to a server driving a sorting machine; reading the code with the sorting machine, then transmitting the code to the server, comparing the code read by the server with data previously transmitted; routing the mail in sorting machine. During mail preparation, the identification code is saved as an access key to a recording including data relative to destinations for the particular mail item and/or qualitative data for the item. The database includes identification codes allowing access to recordings which are then transmitted to the server. During mail processing by the sorting machine, the identification code read from the mail is transmitted to the server which searches in its database for a corresponding code. The server provides the sorting machine with route commands for the mail item from the data contained in the recording corresponding to the read code. An Independent Claim is included for an installation having a computer for preparing the mail items. The computer is connected to a communication system, an identification code printer, a sorting machine driven by the server including a data transmission system as well as peripheral equipment for storing data.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for improving and optimize the management and processing of postal items, in particular the management of postal folds. This process reduces the number of manual operations to perform and offer additional services as well to the sender of the mail to the service provider, such as automatic billing of mail sent in batches or tracking of mail items in the chain distribution.

The invention also relates to an installation for the implementation of the process.

In current sorting centers, several operations are necessary before to be able to route the collected mail to the correct recipient. We distinguish two types of mail, the first is mail from different boxes to letters from a postal district, the second concerns mass mailings and / or salespeople who are directly handed over to the district sorting center by the sender. Statistics from postal offices show that such items constitute about 75 percent of the total letters to be distributed.

The classic operations encountered in a sorting center are: following: Mail from different mailboxes is first of all processed by a machine that aligns the different letters in the same meaning. This machine manipulates the different elements of mail so that that the mark constituting the franking element (stamp or impression) of the mail is always positioned in the same place. Once the letters are straightened, these devices verify with an ad hoc read head the validity of the franking of the various elements of mail with a view to their cancellation. This verification is carried out by comparing the image read with the images of a database containing images of valid postage. The mail items are then sorted according to postage which determines the processing required (normal mail, priority mail, mail recommended etc.).

In the case of mass sending, only the cancellation operation can be necessary because the letters are delivered to the post office properly aligned and separated into different lots according to the type of routing desired. The lot of mail is accompanied by a slip indicating inter alia, the number of items delivered and the type of processing required.

Mail thus correctly adjusted and distributed by type of processing is then manually introduced into sorting machines to allow its delivery to the correct postal district or directly to the correct recipient.

This sorting is generally carried out in two stages. A first sorting step coarse or primary consists of reading, using a read head associated with a character recognition system (OCR), the postal code on the address printed on the letter. Once the postal code has been identified, the machine print a fluorescent barcode on the letter to be processed to allow sorting subsequent more detailed. When a postal code cannot be read and deciphered automatically by character recognition, for example in the case of a handwritten address, the letter is rejected and an operator must read the address and manually determine the fluorescent code to print on the letter.

Following this first sorting, the mail items are then transferred to other sorting machines which can be located geographically at same location or in the sorting center of another postal district, in depending on the final destination of the shipment.

Fine or secondary sorting which allows the different elements of mail intended for a postal district in different boxes for allow their distribution to the final recipient, is done by reading the code fluorescent bar in a sorting machine that distributes mail items in different lockers depending on the value of the fluorescent barcode.

This process has certain drawbacks, in particular the step which consists in printing on the letters the fluorescent code necessary after the treatment. This operation is costly in terms of machine maintenance printing. On the other hand, the fluorescent ink used has a certain toxicity.

With regard to mass mailings, postal sorting centers are not generally not equipped with devices to verify the number and validity of the franking of the elements of a batch of mail. The slip of delivery accompanying the batch of mail is used to determine the cost which will be billed to the sender. This results in risks of loss of earnings or extra-billing for services provided.

The object of the invention is to simplify and optimize the management of mail items in a sorting center.

Another object of the invention is to verify the number and the accuracy of postage for consignments delivered in batches to the postal sorting center.

Finally, the process which is the subject of the invention makes it possible to offer services additional to the sender, in particular as regards invoicing and follow-up items of mail between the time they are delivered to the postal office and the when they are actually distributed to their recipients.

These aims are achieved by a process which is distinguished by the The features set out in claim 1.

Other advantages emerge from the characteristics set out in the dependent claims and the following description.

The principle of the invention resides in the fact of carrying out certain stages of processing mail at the sender level, before the mail is issued to the post office. For this purpose, client software is installed at the sender's to assist him in preparing the mail to be sent. The main function of this client application is to create a database containing the information relating to the recipients of the mail as well as the treatment desired. A unique identification code is then generated and associated with an element of mail in the database. When printing addresses on mail items, the unique code is printed on the envelope or on the letter, together with the full address. Preferably, we will print the code identification on the envelope or letter so that it is located immediate proximity to the recipient's address. For example the code will be printed between the last line of the address and the line with the number postal address. In this way, we ensure that the identification code is printed in an area that can be read by sorting center equipment postal. The identification code can be represented and printed in the form of a series of alphanumeric characters, in the form of a barcode or in any another form suitable for automated reading by a read head.

The identification code consists of a digital identifier which includes at least the following. First a value identifying the company sending the mail, then a serial number of the batch of mail to be processed as well as a sequence number identifying each particular mail item in the lot. Other information can be added to this identification code if necessary, an identifier will be cited as an example which makes it possible to determine the type of processing required by the postal services (normal mail, courier urgent, recommended etc.).

When preparing mail using client software, the code generated identification is firstly printed on the mail item to be sent, preferably when printing the recipient's address, and other share added to a database as an access key to a record gathering information relating to the mail item processed. The information contained in each record includes among other things the address of the recipient of the mail as well as any other information useful for following treatment. For example, qualitative information such as the number of pages in the mail item can be added to the record.

The mail thus prepared is delivered to the postal office for distribution and at the same time, the client software transmits the file containing the database information relating to the batch of mail to a central information server.

Transmission of information between the sender and the receiving postal office can take various forms, an example being transmission under form of an attachment to an electronic message by the INTERNET network. Any other form of transmission, using public lines or networks or private is also possible. This information can also be given to the receiving office in the form of a recorded computer medium (floppy disk, CD-ROM etc.).

The specific architecture to be implemented to guarantee the integrity and consistency of data transmissions between postal service users and the various computers equipping the distributed mail processing centers in a given geographical area will not be described in detail in the present application insofar as it uses known techniques. The most operating systems available incorporate functions that allow the exploitation of databases distributed between several computers and communications management mechanisms ensuring sending, routing, routing and receiving messages between different processing units.

To simplify the description which follows, reference will be made to a central server and peripheral servers with qualitative and quantitative capacities depend directly on the characteristics of the identification code, the number operational potential per unit of time and security constraints. The peripheral servers are installed in sorting centers and interact with the various machines equipping the mail processing lines. The server central can be physically located in one of the sorting centers or on the contrary isolated in another place. The user, sender of the mail, is equipped with a station like a personal computer with the necessary peripherals to transmit data bi-directionally for example on the network INTERNET.

The servers (central and peripheral) are also equipped with means of communication allowing the two-way exchange of information as well than permanent or temporary storage of the data exchanged.

When the central server application receives user data, it saves this data in a centralized database by creating the structures and indexes necessary for the management of this data. Once the data saved, the central server transmits this data to the peripheral server located in the sorting center assigned by default to the sender. Each user has a sorting center assigned by default which generally corresponds to the one located at proximity to his home, i.e. where the probability that the mail either physically delivered is the highest.

Once these operations are completed, the central server confirms to the user, by sending an electronic message, that the data has been correctly transmitted.

The following steps take place when the mail is received and processed by the post office. The batch of mail is loaded into the primary sorting machine which goes read the identification code printed on the mail item then send a request to the peripheral server to obtain the record corresponding to the mail item being processed. The server accesses its database local data and searches for the record corresponding to the code read on the letter.

If the record is not in the local database, the server device initiates a transaction with the central server so that the latter transmits the corresponding data. In case the registration does not could be obtained, mail item is rejected and routed to a locker receiving the mail items to be processed manually.

When the peripheral server finds the record corresponding to the mail item being processed, it creates in its database local, a billing record incorporating time data current data as well as the data relating to the registration processed. The server device then updates its local database by modifying a field record data to indicate that the mail item correspondent was processed by a primary sorting machine. The recording of billing created is then transmitted to the central server which also proceeds to updating its database. Sorting machine continues processing by marking the item of mail then by directing it towards the corresponding locker at the destination obtained by reading the record corresponding to the code printed identification. When one item of mail is destined for another sorting center, the peripheral server sends a copy of the recording regarding this mail item to the peripheral server located in the center sorting station.

Items of mail intended for this district as well as those from other sorting centers are then manually introduced into the secondary sorting machine.

This processing makes it possible to distribute the items of mail intended for this constituency in different lockers in order to optimize their distribution to final recipients

To this end, the mail elements pass in front of a read head which reads the printed identification code then sends a request to the peripheral server to obtain the record corresponding to the code read. Upon receipt of this request, the peripheral server searches in its local database the corresponding record, if any, obtained from the central server, and transmits the recording to the sorting machine. The mail item is then routed based on the information in the record received. When the mail item has been correctly routed, the sorting machine sends an update request to the peripheral server. The latter updates the record corresponding to the mail item processed, adding the current time data then transmits this updated record to the central server.

The central server updates the central database upon receipt of the modified records from the peripheral servers.

So for each item of mail processed, the central server receives chronologically, an updated record when the mail item is processed by the primary sorting machine, a billing record comprising the elements necessary to calculate the cost of the service, and finally a record updated, when the mail item has been correctly processed by the secondary sorting machine. By consolidating the information in this database central data, additional services can be offered to the sender. All first, increased security in terms of billing for services, in fact only mail items that have passed successfully through sorting machines primary and secondary will be effectively billed based on treatment desired (normal, fast, registered mail ...). The user can also read access, using its client application, to the data stored in the central server to know for example the progress of the processing of a item or batch of mail or for the purpose of compiling statistics on the mail sent.

The use of statistical or accounting data contained in the central server may be subject to additional services, paid or free, which may be offered by the service provider.

Another advantage for the user is that he is no longer necessary to frank the mail, since the desired treatment is part of the code or can be found in the recording provided by the peripheral server during processing of the mail item. This results in significant time savings for the user.

Mail management using this process also provides advantages to the service provider. First of all, it is no longer necessary to read the code postal and interpret it by character recognition techniques and then then print a fluorescent code on the mail item to allow its further processing by the secondary sorting machine. With the process object of the invention, all the processing is carried out on the basis of reading the code of identification appearing on the mail element from one end to the other of the chain of treatment. In addition, thanks to the information transmitted by the server peripheral, we can establish routing criteria in the different lockers, much thinner than with the postal code alone.

The problem of checking the number of elements and the validity of postage, when sent in batches, is also resolved since only the identified mail items, i.e. those whose identification code can be correlated with a record previously transmitted to the server device, are effectively processed and billed.

Based on the information in the registration, it is also possible to offer modular services. If for example the number of pages included in a mail item is saved in recording during mail preparation, it is easy to extrapolate the weight approximate of this mail item and thus offer dependent pricing the weight of the mail item. With this additional information, simplifies or eliminates certain stages of traditional processing.

In a variant of the method, the identification code generated by the software customer, when preparing the mail, includes all the information necessary for the routing of the mail item during its processing by the office postal. In this case, the identification code also includes information previously mentioned, (customer number, order, sequence, type of information relating to the recipient such as the postal number, the street name and number for example. This information is sufficient and directly interpretable by the sorting machine so that the mail item is correctly routed to the correct locker.

In this variant, the identification code is printed on the letter, from preferably when printing the address in a position favoring its acquisition by reading devices of sorting machines. However the base data created by the client software only includes the different codes of identification corresponding to each of the mail items. This file of data is transmitted to the central server which, as in the example previously described, sends it to the peripheral server located in the center of sort assigned by default to a given user.

When processing mail items by a primary sorting machine or secondary, the identification code printed on the mail item is read by a read head, then a request is sent to the peripheral server. The peripheral server, upon receipt of this request, verifies that the code of identification read corresponds well to a code forming part of the data which have been transmitted. If the peripheral server does not find the identification code, it sends a request to the central server in order to know if the latter has knowledge of this identification code. When the identification code read on the mail item has been found, the peripheral server authorizes routing the mail item by the sorting machine. This routing can be done without requiring any other exchange of information since any the information necessary for routing is present in the identification code. Yes however, the identification code cannot be found by the server peripheral, the latter sends a command to the sorting machine which then directs the mail item to manual processing. The next steps are identical to those described above.

In the above description, reference is made to the management of elements of mail like letters, the same management process is applicable to other types of items such as parcels for example. Similarly, the identification code generated for each mail item is printed on the different elements as a sequence of alphanumeric characters or a barcode, it is also possible in the case of packages for example mark packages using a programmable passive tag or track magnetic. In this case, the identification code is not printed but saved in the tag or on the magnetic strip. When managing packages, a device adapted reading, restores the value contained in the tag for allow further processing based on data transmitted by the server peripheral.

The installation for implementing the management method described above includes, on the sender's side, a personal computer comprising the interfaces and peripherals required on the one hand for printing codes of identification on the mail items and on the other hand to the transmission of data relating to the mail items processed. The sorting center includes devices needed to process traditional mail items (primary and / or secondary sorting machine) as well as at least one server device with the interfaces necessary for bidirectional transmission of data to the primary server. The peripheral server is also equipped interfaces allowing it to exchange information with reading (reading head, scanner) installed on sorting machines. Finally a waiter central with storage devices and telecommunication equipment consolidates data from the user and servers peripheral devices.

Claims (9)

Method for optimizing the management of mail items, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: generation of an identification code when preparing the mail to be sent; marking the mail item with said identification code; saving of identification codes in a data file; transmission of the data file comprising the identification codes to a peripheral server controlling a sorting machine; reading of the identification code by the sorting machine and transmission of the code read to the peripheral server; comparison of the code read by the peripheral server with the data previously transmitted; routing of mail items by the sorting machine according to the information composing the identification code in the event of a match between the code read and the data transmitted to the peripheral server. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the preparation of mail items, the identification code is saved as an access key to a record including relative data to the recipient of the mail item and / or qualitative data from said item mail item and by the fact that the database including the identification codes and the records to which they give access is transmitted to the peripheral server. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that, during the treatment mail items by the sorting machine, the identification code read on the mail element is transmitted to the peripheral server which searches in its database the registration corresponding to the identification code and by the fact that the peripheral server provides the sorting machine with the mail item routing commands from information contained in the record corresponding to the identification code read. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the peripheral server finds an identification code or the record associated with it, it transmits the data to a central server information related to this mail item as well as a record containing the data necessary for billing the mail item corresponding. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the peripheral server is unable to provide the recording corresponding to the identification code read on a mail item, it sends to the central server a request for the latter to transmit the data to it corresponding to the identification code. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification code includes at least the following elements, a code identifying the sender, a number corresponding to the batch of mail, a number sequence assigned to each of the mail items that are part of a batch determined as well as a code representing the type of processing required for a batch of mail. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification code is printed on the nearby mail item address of the recipient. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data transmitted by the sender to the peripheral server controlling the sorting machine are sorted through a central server. Installation for implementing the method according to one of claims previous, characterized in that it includes at least one computer for the preparation of mail items provided with means of communications and peripherals required to print a code of identification, a sorting machine controlled by a peripheral server comprising means for data transmission as well as peripherals needed to store information.