EP2133845A1 - Franking system enabling the handling of postage items with different destinations - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves comparing destination data extracted from a destination address image of a post article with destination tariff zones e.g. postal code, previously stored in a database to determine a possible appurtenance of the extracted destination data to one of the tariff zones. The article without printing of postal imprint and without stopping transport of the article is ejected following through a closed type stamping machine, if the article does not notice the appurtenance of the extracted destination data at any zones stored before passage of the article from stamping units. An independent claim is also included for a closed type post article stamping machine for searching a destination tariff zone applicable to a post article.

Description

Field of the art

The present invention relates to the field of mail processing and more particularly relates to a method of finding the tariff zone applicable to a mail item according to its destination and possibly postal services requested.

Prior art

The postage amount of a mail item depends on several parameters such as the mail class, the weight and / or dimensions of the mail item and its destination fare zone, specifically its postal code or ZIP code. , and the postal service chosen (letter followed, recommended, recommended with acknowledgment of receipt) when it exists. On the latest franking machines, the weight and / or dimensions of the mailpieces are obtained automatically by mechanical or optical sensors arranged in the feeder of the machine or in the machine itself, along the transport path of the mail item. On the other hand, the mail class and the destination fare zone are still entered manually by the operator at the user interface of the franking machine, as indeed the chosen postal service. This entry is not in itself penalizing as the mail items are treated in batches because, in this case, the lots are classified by classes and tariff zones of destinations, which allows the operator to perform only one only entry of information prior to processing a complete batch. However, this batch processing, and more particularly the sorting by destination tariff zone (sorting by class is indeed very simple because it concerns not more than two or three classes and will continue to require a preliminary selection of the class), requires a long and therefore expensive preparation. And to refrain from it, ie to treat non-homogeneous lots in terms of the destination tariff zone is very penalizing for the franking rate, because then the operator must constantly stop the machine to enter the appropriate destination tariff zone for the processed mail item.

There is therefore currently a need for a franking machine allowing a treatment of non-homogeneous batches (mixed mail) in terms of destination fare zone and / or postal service that does not impose stops of the machine, in order to allow high rates of mail processing (typically 150 envelopes / min). This machine must also be able to process, without necessarily using an additional transport path which is associated with a conventional reject tray, unrecognized mail items or having an incorrect address (so-called UAA).

Definition and object of the invention

The subject of the present invention is therefore a method of searching for destination fare zones in a franking machine for mail items that authorizes the processing of non-homogeneous batches of mail items in terms of destination fare zones and postal service areas. without any stop of the machine. An object of the invention is to provide this treatment without implementation of complex equipment other than those existing in current franking systems.

• numérisation dudit article de courrier pour obtenir une image d'au moins une adresse destinataire imprimée sur ledit article de courrier,
• extraction d'une donnée de destination à partir de ladite image au moyen d'une unité de reconnaissance optique de caractères,
• comparaison de ladite donnée de destination extraite de ladite image de l'adresse destinataire dudit article de courrier avec des zones tarifaires de destination préalablement stockées dans une base de données pour déterminer une possible appartenance de ladite donnée de destination extraite à l'une desdites zones tarifaires de destination stockées dans ladite base de données,
• s'il ne peut être constatée une appartenance de ladite donnée de destination extraite à aucune desdites zones tarifaires de destination stockées dans ladite base de données avant le passage de l'article de courrier devant lesdits moyens d'affranchissement, incrémentation d'un compteur totalisant un nombre d'articles de courrier non affranchis associé à au moins un motif déterminé de non affranchissement, et
• éjection dudit article de courrier, sans impression de ladite empreinte postale et sans arrêter le transport au travers dudit système d'affranchissement des articles de courrier suivants.

These goals are achieved by a method of searching for destination fare zones applicable to a mail item introduced in a closed type postage meter having postage meter postage means and ejected to a fare tray once. franked, characterized in that it comprises, for each of said mail items, the following steps:

• digitizing said mail article to obtain an image of at least one recipient address printed on said mail article,
• extracting a destination datum from said image by means of an optical character recognition unit,
• comparing said destination data item extracted from said image from the destination address of said mail item with destination tariff areas previously stored in a database to determine a possible membership of said data item. destination extracted at one of the said destination fare zones stored in the said database,
• if it can not be ascertained a membership of said extracted destination data to any of said destination tariff zones stored in said database before the passage of the mail item in front of said franking means, incrementing a counter totalizing a number of unpaid postage items associated with at least one determined reason for non-postage, and
• ejecting said mail item, without printing said postal fingerprint and without stopping the transport through said franking system of the following mail items.

Thus, with the present invention, the process of transporting mail items is not interrupted and the print rate is not reduced when the destination tariff zone (in practice the postal code or ZIP code) can not be used. to be recognized. In addition, the suspension of printing in the event of non-recognition or late recognition makes it possible to avoid financial losses resulting from the printing of a postal imprint on a mail item whose destination is incorrect or can not be determined. in proper time.

It may be provided an additional step of printing a specific marking on each of said mail items whose said destination data could not be found in said database or a step of printing a sequential number on each of said mail items.

Advantageously, said at least one predetermined reason for non-postage is at least one of the following reasons: treatment not completed, illegible or incomplete characters, unknown addressee at the indicated address or non-existent address.

Preferably, the method of the invention further comprises a step of reloading said unpaid postage items followed by a manual search step at the user interface of said franking system of a valid destination fare zone.

Advantageously, said unpaid postage items are directed to a reject bin.

Said specific marking preferably comprises a bar code or an identification number.

Preferably, the method of the invention further comprises a step of extracting a service data item from said image by means of said optical character recognition unit to determine a characteristic code of the service concerned and a number of associated tracking, if it can be noted a membership of said extracted destination data to at least one of said destination tariff zones stored in said database.

It may further comprise a step of automatically filling a recognized service form with a recipient name, a postal code and said tracking number and a step of transmitting said form to a remote server.

• des moyens pour numériser ledit article de courrier et obtenir une image d'au moins une adresse destinataire imprimée sur ledit article de courrier,
• des moyens pour extraire une donnée de destination à partir de ladite image au moyen d'une unité de reconnaissance optique de caractères,
• des moyens pour comparer ladite donnée de destination extraite de ladite image de l'adresse destinataire dudit article de courrier avec des zones tarifaires de destination préalablement stockées dans une base de données et déterminer une possible appartenance de ladite donnée de destination extraite à l'une desdites zones tarifaires de destination stockées dans ladite base de données,
• des moyens pour interdire l'impression d'une empreinte postale lors du passage de l'article de courrier devant des moyens d'affranchissement de ladite machine d'affranchissement de type fermée, s'il ne peut être constatée une appartenance de ladite donnée de destination extraite à aucune desdites zones tarifaires de destination stockées dans ladite base de données avant le passage de l'article de courrier devant lesdits moyens d'affranchissement, et
• des moyens pour incrémenter un compteur totalisant un nombre d'articles de courrier non affranchis associé à au moins un motif déterminé de non affranchissement.

The present invention also relates to a closed-type franking machine enabling a search of the destination fare zone applicable to a mail piece introduced into this machine and ejected to a receiving tray when it is franked, characterized in that it comprises :

• means for digitizing said mail item and obtaining an image of at least one recipient address printed on said mail piece,
• means for extracting destination data from said image by means of an optical character recognition unit,
• means for comparing said destination datum extracted from said image of the destination address of said mail item with destination tariff areas previously stored in a database and determining a possible membership of said extracted destination datum to one of said destination tariff areas stored in said database,
• means for prohibiting the printing of a postal imprint during the passage of the mail article in front of the franking means of said closed type franking machine, if it can not be ascertained a membership of said data item. destination extracted at any of said destination fare zones stored in said database before the passage of the mail item in front of said franking means, and
• means for incrementing a counter totaling a number of un-franked mail items associated with at least one predetermined non-franking pattern.

Preferably, this machine comprises means for printing a specific marking on each of said mail items whose said destination data could not be found in said database or means for printing a sequential number on each of said mail items. . It may further include a rejection tray to which are directed said unpaid postal items.

Preferably, said specific marking comprises a bar code or an identification number.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 illustre une machine d'affranchissement de type fermé mettant en oeuvre un procédé de recherche de zones tarifaires de destination selon l'invention, et
• la figure 2 est un organigramme explicitant le fonctionnement du procédé d'affranchissement d'articles de courrier de la figure 1.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, given by way of non-limiting indication, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 illustrates a closed-type franking machine implementing a method of searching for destination tariff zones according to the invention, and
• the figure 2 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the franking process of mail items of the figure 1 .

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

The figure 1 schematically illustrates a closed type franking machine according to the invention for a search of the destination fare zones applicable to a batch of mail items having different destinations from each other and a treatment of mail items that may present an incorrect recipient address (known as UAA for undeliverable-as-addressed).

Conventionally, a franking machine of mail items closed type 10 comprises, as is known and arranged upstream downstream in the direction of advancement of mail items: a module 12 for supply of mail items for receiving a stack of mail items typically in bulk (ie of different sizes and weights) each having a destination address; optionally a module 14 for selection and transport one by one of these mail items when the power supply module does not directly perform this individual selection; preferably a dynamic weighing module 16 for determining the weight and possibly the dimensions of each selected mailpiece, a postage module 18 for printing a postal fingerprint on each of the mail items thus selected one by one and weighed and a receiving tray 20 franked mail items. The franking module which furthermore comprises an improved user interface 18A which makes it possible, in particular, to select the mail class and can integrate a touch screen 18B, is preferably, as is also known, connected to a remote server 26. a dealer of the franking machine itself connected to a server of a postal administration or a private carrier delivering the mail (not shown).

According to the invention, the closed-type franking machine also comprises an independent optical reading module 22 comprising an advantageously linear sensor 22A of the "contact" type, preferably arranged upstream of the dynamic weighing module 16, for acquiring a digital image of all or part of the mail article and, associated with optical character recognition (OCR) software, extracting at least one destination data from the destination address and / or service data carried on the mail article. The franking machine also comprises database type of storage means 24 allowing a verification of the recipient addresses (and the correspondence thereof with destination tariff zones) and the different postal services (letter followed, recommended, recommended). with acknowledgment of receipt), shown on mail items. Depending on their size and configuration, these databases may or may not be integrated directly into the franking system.

The method implemented in the franking machine thus described is now illustrated by the flowchart of the figure 2 .

The mail items being arranged in bulk batch (a batch corresponding to a given mail class) in the feed module 12 and a first article of mail being extracted from this module, it is proceeded firstly in the module 22, in a first step 100, a scanning of the mail piece to obtain an image of the front (upper face of this mail piece) and then, in a step 102, by means of optical character recognition (OCR) software, it is proceeded from this image to an extraction of destination data present in the destination address to determine the destination tariff zone of the destination address. This destination datum (postal code or ZIP) extracted from the image of the recipient address is then compared, in a step 104, with destination tariff zones previously stored in a database 22 to determine a possible membership of this destination data extracted from the image of the mail article to one of the tariff zones stored in the database. If the printed destination data is recognized (answer yes to the test of step 106), it may be proceeded, in a step 108, from the initial image, to an extraction of the service data possibly present on the screen. article of mail to determine the characteristic code of the service concerned and that of the following figures to determine a tracking number associated with the recognized service code. It is then, in a step 110, performed an automatic filling of a form related to the recognized service with the name of the recipient, the zip code or ZIP and the tracking number before the automatic calculation of the postage amount is performed. (the article of mail arrived at the franking module 18 having in the meantime been weighed by the dynamic weighing module 16 when it is present) in a step 112, prior to the affixing of the postal imprint on the mail item, in a previous step 114 itself a possible final step 116 if a service data has been previously recognized and consisting of a transmission of the previously completed form to the remote server of the franking system dealer or postal administration for later use in the distribution of the mail item. On the other hand, if the data of destination could not be recognized (answer not to the test 106) either because it comprises characters illegible or incomplete (or it requires a treatment too long which can not be finalized within the time allotted in the speed of transport of the article of mail), or because it does not correspond to the addressee address indicated, then, in a step 118, the impression of the postal impression is inhibited during the passage of the article of mail in front of the franking means prohibiting any franking of the article of mail and it is, in replacement, proceeded to the printing of a specific marking on the article of mail, in a step 120, to unless a sequential number has been printed on each of the mail items in a step 124 before it is directed, in a terminal step 126, to the receiving tray 20 or to an additional reject tray ( step no illust when the machine has one. Prior to this, in a step 122, a rejection counter 28 totaling the number of rejects and differentiating the possible rejection patterns is incremented to enable the operator, once the batch of mail has been processed, to know, by displaying on the 18B screen, the number of rejected mail items present in the receiving tray 20 according to the reason for rejection. Thus, with a counter that can differentiate the three main rejection patterns (treatment not completed, illegible or incomplete characters, unknown addressee address or non-existent address), the operator can anticipate the treatment of these rejected mail items, such as it will be indicated further.

In any case, the process of transporting mail items through the franking system is never interrupted and the rate of processing of mail items can be maintained at its highest level.

The specific marking associated with only mail items whose destination data could not be recognized may consist of a 2-dimensional bar code or an identification number printed successively on each of these mail items, for example at most near the recipient address (13 of the figure 1 ) or the area of the postage stamp. It allows for further manual processing by video coding of these mail items that have not been franked during this first phase of processing.

In fact, mail items whose destination data could not be recognized are subject, in a second phase, to additional processing to assign them a valid destination tariff zone or to return them to their sender ( in practice the service or the person of the sending company at the origin of the shipment possibly after opening by the mail service).

This allocation of a new destination rate zone is carried out directly to the user interface 18A of the franking module where the images 30 of the destination addresses of the mail items corresponding to the unrecognized destination data can be displayed one after the other in their order of rejection or indifferently from their identification number (where it exists) and corrected manually by the operator, if necessary with the help of appropriate correction tools using the above-mentioned database or any other information base such as a phone book or a business directory. Once the destination data has been corrected (illustrated by reference 32 to figure 1 ), the correct postage amount can then be automatically calculated and the postal imprint printed immediately on the mail piece.

Note, however, that when the lack of printing has resulted from a lack of time, the calculation time exceeding the time allowed for the transport of the mail item between the optical reading module 22 and the module of postage 18, this manual correction step is not necessary, because this calculation having nevertheless been completed at the end of the first passage of the mail article, the amount of postage is available and, being associated with a marking specific, allows automatically (without further input) the postage of the corresponding mail item during the second processing phase of mail items previously not franked. In this regard, note the advantage of the rejection counter that allows the operator to decide whether, during this second phase of processing, he must simply iron the rejected mail items in the system (calculation completed after printing ) or consider operation according to the mode of video coding via the interface 18A (in the case where the address is illegible or non-existent).

It will also be noted that the use of the specific marking makes it possible, during the complementary processing of the mail items whose destination data could not be recognized during their initial processing, to associate the printing of the mail piece carrying an incorrect address, printing a label with a new address corrected. Indeed, during this second phase of processing, the scanning of the specific marking, bar code or identification number, of each of the postage-free mail items makes it possible to associate a new address with the article of mail whose address is incorrect (the postal code is for example incompatible with the indicated city) and to proceed to its franking before directing it to the receiving tray 20 and then proceed immediately to print the label with this new address, which In turn, it will be directed to the receiving tray and will be immediately above the mail item with the wrong address to correct. Thus, at the end of this second processing phase, each of the mail items present in the receiving tray 20 will be franked and further covered with a label bearing the corrected address and will therefore no longer remain with the operator. that to stick each of the labels on each of the associated mail items (that is to say the one immediately below) to form a new pile of mail items ready to be distributed.

It should also be noted that if it has been envisaged to print a specific marking only on the postage-free mails, it is also possible to print a sequential identification number on all the mails to be franked. In this way, when a reject bin is not provided, the extraction, among all these letters, unpaid couriers, identified by their number to the user interface of the franking machine, can be facilitated by a dichotomic search.

Claims (15)

A method of searching for a destination fare zone applicable to a mailpiece introduced into a closed-type franking machine including postage stamp franking means and ejected to a receiving tray once franked, characterized in that what it comprises, for each of said mail items, the following steps: scanning said mail article to obtain an image of at least one recipient address printed on said mail article, extracting a destination datum from said image by means of an optical character recognition unit, comparing said destination datum extracted from said image of the recipient address of said mail item with destination tariff zones previously stored in a database to determine a possible belonging of said extracted destination datum to one of said zones; tariffs of destination stored in said database, if it can not be ascertained that said extracted destination data belongs to any of said destination tariff zones stored in said database before the mail item passes in front of said franking means, incrementing a counter totaling a number of unpaid postage items associated with at least one determined reason for non-postage, and - Ejecting said mail item, without printing said postal imprint and without stopping the transport of the following mail items through said closed type franking machine. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a step of printing a specific marking on each of said mail items whose said destination data could not be found in said database. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said specific marking comprises a bar code or an identification number. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a step of printing a sequential number on each of said mail items. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said at least one predetermined non-franking pattern is at least one of the following reasons: uncompleted processing, illegible or incomplete characters, unknown addressee at the address indicated or address nonexistent. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said un-stamped mail items are directed to a reject bin. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a step of reloading said unpaid postage items followed by a manual search step at the user interface of said closed type postage meter of a valid destination fare zone. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a step of extracting a service datum from said image by means of said optical character recognition unit to determine a characteristic code of the service concerned and an associated tracking number, if it can be found a membership of said extracted destination data to at least one of said destination tariff areas stored in said database. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a step of automatically filling out a recognized service form with a recipient name, a postal code and said tracking number. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a step of transmitting said form to a remote server (26). A closed type franking machine for searching the destination fare zone applicable to a mail piece introduced into the machine and ejected into a receiving tray once it has been cleared, characterized in that it comprises: means for digitizing said article of mail and obtaining an image of at least one recipient address printed on said mail article, means for extracting a destination datum from said image by means of an optical character recognition unit, means for comparing said destination datum extracted from said image from the recipient address of said mail item with destination tariff zones previously stored in a database and determining a possible membership of said extracted destination data at one said destination tariff zones stored in said database, means for prohibiting the printing of a postal imprint during the passage of the article of mail in front of the franking means of said closed type franking machine, if it can not be ascertained a membership of said data item of destination extracted at any of said destination fare zones stored in said database before the passage of the mail item in front of said franking means, and means for incrementing a counter totaling a number of unpaid postage items associated with at least one predetermined non-postage reason. Machine according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises means for printing a specific marking on each of said mail items whose said destination data could thus not be found in said database. Machine according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises means for printing a sequential number on each of said mail items. Machine according to claim 11, characterized in that said specific marking comprises a bar code or an identification number. Machine according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises a reject tray to which are directed said mail items not franked.

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