EP2083395B1 - Zugangsverfahren zu digitalen Bildern von frankierten Postartikeln über eine Standardfrankiermaschine - Google Patents

Zugangsverfahren zu digitalen Bildern von frankierten Postartikeln über eine Standardfrankiermaschine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2083395B1
EP2083395B1 EP09150413.4A EP09150413A EP2083395B1 EP 2083395 B1 EP2083395 B1 EP 2083395B1 EP 09150413 A EP09150413 A EP 09150413A EP 2083395 B1 EP2083395 B1 EP 2083395B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
database
mail items
digital images
sender
mail
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.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
EP09150413.4A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2083395A1 (de
Inventor
Ruben Rico
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.)
Quadient Technologies France SA
Original Assignee
Neopost Technologies SA
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 Neopost Technologies SA filed Critical Neopost Technologies SA
Publication of EP2083395A1 publication Critical patent/EP2083395A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2083395B1 publication Critical patent/EP2083395B1/de
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00661—Sensing or measuring mailpieces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00435—Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
    • G07B17/00024—Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
    • G07B2017/0004—Determining the location of mailpieces outside apparatus
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00661—Sensing or measuring mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00709—Scanning mailpieces

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of mail processing and more particularly relates to a method allowing the sender of a mail item to access a digital image of this mail item, in particular for the implementation of services. value added postal services.
  • the subject of the present invention is therefore a method for accessing the digital image of a mail item for the implementation of value-added postal services that does not require a modification of the existing equipment configuration of the item. sender of this mail item, including the replacement of his franking machine.
  • the sender can have access to a digital image of the mail items he has shipped while his standard franking machine is devoid of digitization means to obtain such a digital image. He can thus access value-added services that were previously prohibited.
  • the step of transferring specific parts of said first database is replaced by a step of providing each of the servers of the franking machines dealers, said determined parts of said first database of data.
  • the step of transferring specific parts of said second database is replaced by a step of providing a workstation of each of the senders, said determined portions of said second database.
  • the method of the invention may further comprise a step of extraction, by software recognition means, of at least one postal datum of a recipient address block of said mail items and a step of checking said mail address. minus postal data, correcting it if necessary according to a database of addresses available to the postal administration. It may also include a step of access from said workstation to said at least one postal datum of origin or corrected.
  • the invention provides a method for accessing the digital image of a mail item necessary for the implementation of postal value added services on mail items printed by a franking machine. For this, the sender who has produced the mail item stamped, the postage stamp with as known identifiers such as the contract number of the shipper and the dealer. The postal administration upon receipt of mail will scan this mail and extract various postal data, including the recipient address. This data is then sent to the dealer or made available on a server so that it in turn addresses each of the senders.
  • the figure 1 schematically illustrates an architecture of a mail processing system between a sender of mail items and a postal administration responsible for the distribution of mail items (one could of course also consider a private carrier), in which the method of the invention can be implemented.
  • the sender is provided with at least one franking machine 10 for enveloping and franking mail items to be shipped.
  • This franking machine is connected via a communication network, preferably the Internet network 12, to a server 14 of the dealer of this machine to which is connected a postal database 16.
  • This server is also accessible by the sender via a post standard user work 18 advantageously provided with a web browser.
  • the mail item is deposited in a receiving office of the postal administration which includes classically a sorting station 20 mail items in connection with a computer server 22 connected to a postage database 24.
  • the computer server of the postal administration is also connected to the server server of the franking machine through of the communication network 12.
  • the sorting station includes a digitizer 20A for acquiring an image of each item of mail received and extracting various postal data useful for its validation, such as the identifiers of both the sender and the dealer, the receiving address or the amount of postage.
  • a first step 100 the sender postpones an item of mail at his franking machine 10, this franking consisting in the printing of a postal imprint comprising in the form of a bar code (for example of type datamatrix), as is known, at least one identifier of the sender (customer ID), the dealer of the franking machine (FM manufacturer ID) and possibly the item of mail (letter ID) when present .
  • the mailpiece is delivered to a receiving office of a postal administration at the sorting station 20 from which is carried out, in a step 104, the scanning of this article of mail .
  • This step consists of a complete scanning of the mail item to extract the recipient address and verify it by correcting if necessary based on a database of addresses available to the postal administration. If necessary, this scanning can be assisted by an operator so that it is possible to assign all mail items a barcode (POSTNET type for example) to facilitate processing by sorting machines for view from the distribution to the recipient.
  • This digitization also allows retrieve the various postage data constituting the postal imprint and in particular the identifiers of the sender and the dealer.
  • a next step 106 at least the captured image of the mail item but also preferably the address extracted from this image and the corrected address are stored in the database 24 of the postal administration with the data.
  • sender and dealer identifiers extracted from the postal footprint.
  • a time stamp corresponding to the moment of the scanning of the article of mail.
  • Each of these six elements then constitutes a separate field of the database, namely: a field for the identifier of the dealer, a field for the identifier of the sender, a field for the moment of the digitization, a field for the extracted initial address, a field for the corrected address and a field for the captured image.
  • the corrected address can be stored and the original address field is then replaced by another field having a marker signifying that the registered address is a corrected address.
  • This marker then advantageously comprises three states (Y; N; U) respectively corresponding to a corrected, uncorrected and invalid address (the latter state resulting in non-processing of the mail piece).
  • this database of the postal administration which includes a new record for each new article of mail digitized is made available to each of the franking machine dealers who can extract the data concerning them personally, it is those for which the identifier associated with the first aforementioned field corresponds to them, and in particular to extract the images captured by the sorting station of the postal administration and available in the last field mentioned above to feed their own database 16.
  • the dealer's server will then be advantageously provided with recognition means, preferably of the OCR type, to extract the destination address from this image.
  • the dealer can in a step 110, in turn make them available to each shipper who can access from one of their workstation 18 or even transfer them to this workstation for the shipper can dispose of it as it sees fit, for example in the context of the operation of value-added services.
  • the sender does not need to supplement his equipment to access these value-added services that can be implemented on current franking machines.
  • he may create a database of mail sent as proof of postage or shipping. He may return to the sender the amount of postage for possible billing. He may also correct his own address database with the corrected addresses received from the postal administration. In addition, when the database is directly accessible on the dealer's site, no particular software infrastructure is required at the shipper's workstation.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
  • Facsimiles In General (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
  • Character Discrimination (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)

Claims (6)

  1. Verfahren für den Zugriff auf die digitalen Bilder von Poststücken von Arbeitsplätzen (18) der Absender dieser Poststücke aus, umfassend die folgenden Schritte:
    im Bereich eines jeden der Absender der Poststücke:
    Frankieren der Poststücke auf wenigstens einer Frankiermaschine (10), der die Poststücke zugeführt werden,
    im Bereich eines Empfangsbüros einer Postverwaltung:
    Erfassen eines digitalen Bildes von jedem der frankierten Poststücke durch optische Lesemittel (20A),
    Auslesen, aus jedem der digitalen Bilder, wenigstens einer Kennung des Absenders und einer Kennung eines Konzessionärs der Frankiermaschine, die das Poststück, dessen digitales Bild erfaßt worden ist, frankiert hat,
    Speisen einer ersten Datenbank (24) mit den digitalen Bildern und wenigstens den Kennungen, wobei ein jeder der Datensätze der Bank eines der digitalen Bilder und wenigstens die Kennungen, die ihr zugeordnet sind, umfaßt,
    Übertragen, zu jedem der Server (14) der Konzessionäre der Frankiermaschinen der Absender, von Teilen der ersten Datenbank, die in Abhängigkeit der Kennung des Konzessionärs bestimmt werden,
    im Bereich eines jeden der Server der Konzessionäre der Frankiermaschinen:
    Speisen einer zweiten Datenbank (16) mit dem bestimmten Teil der ersten Datenbank,
    Übertragen, zu einem Arbeitsplatz (18) eines jeden der Absender, von Teilen der zweiten Datenbank, die in Abhängigkeit der Kennung des Absenders bestimmt werden, und
    an dem Arbeitsplatz eines jeden der Absender:
    Zugriff auf das digitale Bild eines jeden der auf der wenigstens einen Frankiermaschine des Absenders frankierten Poststücke.
  2. Verfahren für den Zugriff auf die digitalen Bilder von Poststücken nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Schritt des Übertragens von bestimmten Teilen der ersten Datenbank durch einen Schritt, jedem der Server der Konzessionäre der Frankiermaschinen der Absender die bestimmten Teile der ersten Datenbank zur Verfügung zu stellen, ersetzt wird.
  3. Verfahren für den Zugriff auf die digitalen Bilder von Poststücken nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Schritt des Übertragens von bestimmten Teilen der zweiten Datenbank durch einen Schritt, einem Arbeitsplatz (18) eines jeden der Absender die bestimmten Teile der zweiten Datenbank zur Verfügung zu stellen, ersetzt wird.
  4. Verfahren für den Zugriff auf die digitalen Bilder von Poststücken nach Anspruch 2 oder Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es ferner einen Schritt zum Auslesen, durch Erkennungssoftwaremittel, wenigstens einer postalischen Angabe eines Empfängeradreßblocks der Poststücke umfaßt.
  5. Verfahren für den Zugriff auf die digitalen Bilder von Poststücken nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es ferner einen Schritt zum Überprüfen der wenigstens einen postalischen Angabe, indem diese, falls erforderlich, in Abhängigkeit einer der Postverwaltung zur Verfügung stehenden Adreßdatenbank korrigiert wird, umfaßt.
  6. Verfahren für den Zugriff auf die digitalen Bilder von Poststücken nach Anspruch 4 oder Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es ferner einen Schritt eines Zugreifens von dem Arbeitsplatz aus auf die wenigstens eine ursprüngliche oder korrigierte postalische Angabe umfaßt.
EP09150413.4A 2008-01-15 2009-01-13 Zugangsverfahren zu digitalen Bildern von frankierten Postartikeln über eine Standardfrankiermaschine Expired - Fee Related EP2083395B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0850222A FR2926380A1 (fr) 2008-01-15 2008-01-15 Procede d'acces aux images numeriques d'articles de courrier affranchis par une machine a affranchir standard

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2083395A1 EP2083395A1 (de) 2009-07-29
EP2083395B1 true EP2083395B1 (de) 2013-04-17

Family

ID=39651289

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP09150413.4A Expired - Fee Related EP2083395B1 (de) 2008-01-15 2009-01-13 Zugangsverfahren zu digitalen Bildern von frankierten Postartikeln über eine Standardfrankiermaschine

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US8401226B2 (de)
EP (1) EP2083395B1 (de)
FR (1) FR2926380A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2347916A1 (de) * 2010-01-22 2011-07-27 Neopost Technologies Fehlerprotokollierung in einem Verfahren zur Vorbereitung von zu verschickenden Sendungen

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5770841A (en) * 1995-09-29 1998-06-23 United Parcel Service Of America, Inc. System and method for reading package information
US7058610B1 (en) * 1999-06-24 2006-06-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for communicating a message in a mailing system
AU2002250549A1 (en) * 2001-04-09 2002-10-21 United States Postal Service System and method for predelivery notification using mail image
US6697500B2 (en) * 2002-03-11 2004-02-24 Bowe Bell + Howell Postal Systems Company Method and system for mail detection and tracking of categorized mail pieces
US7069253B2 (en) * 2002-09-26 2006-06-27 Neopost Inc. Techniques for tracking mailpieces and accounting for postage payment

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20090182751A1 (en) 2009-07-16
EP2083395A1 (de) 2009-07-29
US8401226B2 (en) 2013-03-19
FR2926380A1 (fr) 2009-07-17

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