Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – For cost/price – Postage meter system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-10
2001-01-23
Cosimano, Edward R. (Department: 2761)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
For cost/price
Postage meter system
C705S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178411
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an interactive process for handling mail, specifically for applying or printing information on letters and parcels. More particularly, the invention relates to an interactive process in which a database of demographic and other relevant information is used to selectively apply specific, targeted information, such as advertisements, coupons, or messages onto a letter or parcel, if there is a match between the sender and/or recipient information on the letter or parcel and the information in the database. The database is constantly updated as letters or parcels pass through the system. The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently, vendors who wish to advertise their products have the traditional passive methods at their disposal which include television, radio, billboards, magazines, and newspapers. A passive advertising method means information is delivered to the masses with little attempt to customize the message to individuals. The only method available today to customize the message is to assess, through statistical sampling data, the types of people who might view the message. For example, if a vendor wishes to promote a product which may be of interest to chefs, the vendor may advertise during a cooking show on television. The dilemma with this approach is the advertiser never really knows who sees the advertisement, how many people see the advertisement, and if the advertisement attracted people to buy the product. The concept of statistical sampling has been standard procedure for advertisers because collecting specific individual data has been too costly.
Moreover, in the future, electronic forms of information delivery will outpace many of these passive advertising methods since electronic distribution can target specific populations. With the increased use of electronic information delivery, the traditional letter distribution system may lose appeal, unless the costs can be reduced and delivery improved.
It will also be noted that the senders of letters or parcels have various ways in which to pay for delivery of their material to intended receivers. For example, senders can buy postage stamps or pay for a permit for presorted first class, or bulk rate mail. These traditional approaches are passive in nature, however. Once the postage is placed on the letter or parcel, there is little to no interaction that takes place, other than canceling the postage. The postage is the same for most parts of the country and the letters or parcels are delivered with little attempt to customize the way in which postage is paid for the delivery. One method available today to customize the postage is to buy a permit and bring the large volume of mail to the post office and pay the fee for delivery. The dilemma with this approach is that it is time consuming. Moreover, there is relatively little in way of cost savings, since all domestic letters cost the same to send regardless of their destination.
What is needed is a system or process to entice users to continue to use letter and parcel distribution at lower cost, preferably by using advertising revenues to subsidize the shipping cost. In addition, it would be desirable to develop a system or corresponding process which would bring in advertising revenues by attracting advertisers with the ability to pinpoint the recipients of their promotional messages on letters and parcels before delivery. Moreover, what is needed is a system or process which provides an interactive process for applying or printing information on letters and parcels. Finally, what is needed is a system and/or process applied to a system capable of enticing users to continue to use letter and parcel distribution by simplifying the payment of fees.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Based on the above and foregoing, it can be appreciated that there presently exists a need in the art for a letter and parcel processing system and corresponding processing method which overcomes the above-described deficiencies. The present invention was motivated by a desire to overcome the drawbacks and shortcomings of the presently available technology, and thereby fulfill this need in the art.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to entice users to continue to use letter and parcel distribution by using advertising revenues to subsidize the cost. It is a further object of the present invention to bring in advertising revenues, by attracting advertisers with the ability to pinpoint the recipients of their promotional messages on letter and parcel delivery.
Another object of the present inventor is to provide an interactive process for applying or printing information on letters and parcels.
A still further object according to the present invention is to provide a system and corresponding process capable of enticing users to continue to use letter and parcel distribution by simplifying the payment of fees.
Using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) equipment or the like, recipients of letters or packages are identified to “facing”, bar-coding, and sorting machines used for efficient distribution of letters and parcels. With the recipient information known, such as zip code, address, name, demographic or other information, specific customized messages (advertising, community, or other pertinent information) can be printed or applied on the letter or parcel, either on the front, back, or both sides. The information printed or applied can also include coupons, lottery or sweepstakes tickets, or promotional information. The information printed on the letters and parcels can be coded so that when it is turned in to claim the benefit of the coupon, it can be tracked back to the person who used it, and the database of the system of the present invention can be appropriately updated. With this system, broad informational messages can also be sent to the masses.
In another aspect of the present invention, when the sender and receiver information is both known, such as name, address, and zip code, the sender's account is known to the letter or parcel delivery service. Therefore the sender also can be billed directly for the delivery which might be based upon the size, weight, priority, distance, or destination of the letter or parcel. The account information can be printed, coded, or applied in such a way to allow the OCR equipment to read the information. With this system, traditional postage stamps or large volume mail permits are no longer required, and letters and parcels can be priced based upon size, weight, priority, distance, or destination.
The system of the present invention solves the statistical sampling problem for advertisers. With this system, people who receive letters and parcels are known to the letter and parcel delivery and distribution organizations. Their demographic and other data are associated with their address in the database. When an advertiser wishes to target a certain age group or gender, a specific promotional message can be printed or applied on only appropriate letters or parcels. Currently there are many items printed on letters and parcels to assist with the delivery and to cancel the stamps. The system of the present invention allows promotional messages or other information to be printed or applied on the letters or parcels in a similar fashion. Individuals need to keep the letter or parcel delivery service aware of their location in order to continue to receive their mail, therefore the system of the present invention, if used by a common mail carrier, is constantly being updated with the most recent demographic information.
Since the system monitors addresses in order to speed the process of delivering letters and parcels and many times places numerous bar-codes on the mail, it is easy to send the users specified messages customized to their needs by printing or applying it on their letters and parcels. The messages will be printed or applied at any of a number of points, e.g., the facing, coding, cancellation, or sorting process
Cosimano Edward R.
Griffin & Szipl, P.C.
LandOfFree
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