System for delivering mail

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6549892
  • Patent Number
    6,549,892
  • Date Filed
    Friday, May 21, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 15, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A method that enables the post to deliver letters, flats, post cards and packages (mail) addressed to a recipient name and unique code to be delivered directly to the recipient. Mail addressed to a name and a unique code would be captured by the post during the posts sortation process and rerouted to the delivery address of the unique code.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The invention relates generally to the field of mail delivery systems and more particularly to systems for delivering mail to the correct delivery address.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




From the dawn of civilization people have directly transmitted information from one person to another. Information was first transmitted by speech and later by the written word. Writings enabled people to transmit information by messengers from a location in which the sender of the writing was present to another location where the receiver was present. In time, postal services were developed in which a person would deliver a letter to the post office in one city and an agent of the post office would deliver that letter to a post office in another city, where the letter would be picked up by the person to whom the letter was sent.




Ever since the numeric codification of streets and buildings received general acceptance, an individuals' name and their household postal addresses have been linked. The sender of a letter or package would deliver a letter or package to the post, that had the correct recipient postal address and the post would deliver the letter or package to the numeric street address of the recipient of the letter or package. A correct recipient postal address for the delivery of the letter or package to the recipient included: the name of the recipient; the street address of the recipient; the city and state of the recipient; and the zip code of the recipient. Thus, the correct recipient postal address is usually the actual location of the recipient.




Letters or packages addressed to a correct recipient postal address are sometimes not delivered because the recipient may have moved and not yet completed a change-of-address form with the United States Postal Service (USPS). In that case, what likely would have happened is that the new resident of the address would have marked the mail “Not at this Address” and put it back in a mail box. However, since the Postal Service would have no better address, it would have marked the mail piece “Undeliverable as Addressed,” endorsed the piece with “No Forwarding Address,” and returned the mail piece to the sender. In this scenario, the piece of mail returned to the sender is marked “Undeliverable as Addressed,” and is, in fact, undeliverable as addressed.




In other cases, however, a mail piece may be marked “Undeliverable as Addressed” when in fact the address is correct. Sometimes this happens because of a mistake on the part of a Postal Service employee. Other times, the addressee may have provided a change of address shortly after having moved, almost ninety days earlier, and then a mailing company, without pre-screening its mailing addresses before addressing its mail, uses an address for which the forwarding instructions expire before the mail can be delivered. In that case, the Postal Service will mark the mail, correctly, as “Undeliverable as Addressed,” and then the company's internal address database should be updated with current address information from, for example, the U.S. Postal Service National Change of Address (NCOA) database.




During 1997 the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) mailed 99,919 refund checks to taxpayers that were returned by the USPS as undeliverable. The taxpayers may have written down their incorrect names and addresses, or the taxpayers may have moved without giving the IRS their new address. Other governmental agencies who make mass mailings also have large numbers of mail pieces returned as undeliverable. Mass mailers in the private sector, i.e. banks, brokerage firms, catalog companies, etc. also experience the above problem. Furthermore, mailers who want to send recipients valuable goods and/or legal papers, etc. want their mail to delivered to the correct person or entity.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method that enables the post to reduce the number of undeliverable letters, flats, post cards and packages (mail) addresses to a recipient. The invention accomplishes the foregoing by: assigning a unique code to each recipient that specifically identifies the recipient, i.e., social security number, tax identification number, etc.; relating recipients code with recipients name and delivery address; relating recipients address changes with recipients name and unique code; permitting individuals or entities to add recipients unique code to the recipient mailing address; reading information on mail to capture the unique code when present, determining recipient's delivery address from recipients code and recipient's name.




An advantage of this invention is that each mail recipient will have a unique code that will always relate the recipients name and any address change with the unique code. Thus, the number of address change errors will be reduced and a larger percentage of mail will be delivered to the correct address.




In an alternate embodiment of this invention recipients unique code is encrypted.




In another alternate embodiment of this invention, the invention may be used in a corporate mail room.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING





FIG. 1

is a drawing showing how this invention may be used in the processing of bulk entry mail;





FIG. 2

is a drawing showing how this invention may be used in the processing of collection mail;





FIG. 3A

is a drawing of a mail piece having a unique code in the address field;





FIG. 3B

is a drawing of a mail piece having a unique code in the address field which the post has indicated the delivery address of the moved recipient;





FIG. 4

is a drawing showing how one may change the address to which their mail having a unique code will be delivered;





FIG. 5

is a change of address registration card


200


;





FIG. 6

is a drawing of a flow chart showing a request by the post for a postal address for a unique code;





FIG. 7

is a drawing of a flow chart showing a request by a mail recipient requesting a routing change for their unique code;





FIG. 8

is a drawing of a flow chart showing the generation of a statement by access metering and billing process


69


; and





FIG. 9

is a drawing of an alternate embodiment of this invention showing how the invention may be used in a corporate mail department.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to

FIG. 1

, the reference character


11


represents the entry of bulk entry mail to the post. The post receives and process bulk entry mail and collection mail. Collection mail will be described in the description of FIG.


2


. Approximately 60 percent of the mail currently received by the United States Postal Service is bulk entry mail. Bulk entry mail is mail received by the post that is trayed, presorted, metered, bearing a permit or pre-cancelled stamp. Bulk entry mail that has been bar coded but not sorted correctly by the mailer will be scanned and sorted by bar code sorter/code printer


12


. Mail that is able to be scanned and sorted by sorter


12


is sent to a delivery bar code sorter/code printer


13


or a carrier sequence bar code sorter


14


. Sorters


13


sorts mail that is going to be delivered to other postal facilities. Sorter


14


sorts mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


15


.




Mail that can not be scanned and sorted by sorter


12


is sent to letter sort machine


16


. Letter sort machine


16


is a manually operated machine in which the operator enters a zip code for the mail. Machine


16


is a mechanical sorter that sorts the mail in accordance with the zip code entered by the operator of machine


16


. Mail that can be sorted by letter sort machine


16


is sent to carrier casing


17


. Carrier casing


17


is the process in which the postal carrier sorts the mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


15


. Mail that can not be sorted by letter sort machine


16


is sent to manual process


19


. Manual process


19


attempts to classify the previously rejected mail piece to: redirect the mail piece; declare the mail piece dead; or manually re-code the mail piece for redelivery. Then the mail piece that has not been processed in manual process


19


is re-coded in process


18


. In re-coder process


18


an operator may look up the unique code in unique code data center


75


and produce a label to be placed on the mail piece. Mail that can not be recorded in process


18


is sent to dead letters


10


. Bulk entry mail that has been presorted in accordance with the postal carrier route is sent in trays to manual process


19


. Then the mail would go to carrier casing


17


where the mail is sorted in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


15


.




Mail that has been scanned by bar code sorter


12


and mail that has been scanned by sorters


13


and


14


will be checked by unique code data center


75


, if scanners


12


,


13


or


14


detect a unique code in the recipient address field of the mail, i.e., 1020 49 337 491XJDX092299 or scan a unique code in the bar code affixed to the mail by the mailer. Unique code data center


75


contains a name/address relational data base


68


(FIG.


4


). Data base


68


will use the unique code number to determine the actual destination that the recipient wants the mail delivered to. The foregoing may be accomplished by looking up the unique code in data base


68


and determining the address that the owner of the unique code is currently having their mail delivered. Data base


68


supplies information to sorters


12


,


13


and


14


and re-coder


18


via computer


54


so that sorters


12


,


13


and


14


and re-coder


18


will place a bar code on the mail that indicates the zip code that the owner of the unique code is currently having their mail delivered. Sorters


12


,


13


and


14


and re-coder


18


will also print the street, city and state that the owner of the unique code is currently having their mail delivered in human readable form.





FIG. 2

is a drawing showing how this invention may be used by the post in the processing of collection mail


21


. Approximately 40 percent of the mail currently received by the United States Postal Service is collection mail. Collection mail is metered, stamped or business reply permit mail that is placed in mail boxes or delivered to the United States Postal Service unsorted. Collection mail is sent to advanced facer canceller


22


. Facer canceller


22


first faces the mail. Then facer canceller


22


electronically identifies and separates prebarcoded mail, handwritten addresses and machine-imprinted address pieces for faster processing through automation. Mail that canceller


22


determines is optical character readable is sent to multi-line optical character reader/code printer


23


. Reader


23


reads the entire address on the mail, sprays a bar code on the mail, and then sorts the mail. Mail that is able to be scanned and sorted by reader


23


is sent to bar code sorter/code printer


24


. Mail that the mailer has prebarcoded and contains a facing identification mark is sent to bar code sorter/code printer


24


.




Mail that is able to be scanned and sorted by sorter


24


is sent to a delivery bar code sorter/code printer


25


or a carrier sequence bar code sorter/code printer


26


. Sorters


25


and


26


sort the mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


27


. Mail that canceller


22


determines is not optical character readable is sent to bar code sorter/code printer


28


. Mail that canceller


22


obtains electronic images from and mail that reader


23


obtains electronic images from transfers the electronic images to remote bar code system


32


. Bar code system


32


matches the look up zip code for the mail pieces from canceller


22


and merges them. System


32


electronically transmits the bar code information to sorter


28


where the bar code information is sprayed on the mail pieces. Mail that is able to be scanned and sorted by sorters


24


and


28


is sent to a delivery bar code sorter


25


. Sorters


25


and


26


sort the mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


27


.




Mail that can not be scanned and sorted by sorters


24


and


28


is sent to letter sort machine


29


. Mail that can be sorted by letter sort machine


29


is sent to carrier casing


30


. Carrier casing


30


is the process in which the postal carrier sorts the mail in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


27


. Mail that can not be sorted by letter sort machine


29


is sent to manual process


31


. Manual process


31


attempts to classify the previously rejected mail piece to: redirect the mail piece; declare the mail piece dead; or manually re-code the mail piece for delivery. Then the mail pieces that has not been processed in manual process


31


is re-coded in process


33


. In re-coder process


33


an operator may look up the unique code in unique code data center


75


and produce a label to be placed on the mail piece. Mail that can not be recoded in process


33


is sent to dead letters


9


. Then the mail would go to carrier casing


30


where the mail is sorted in the order that the mail is going to be delivered by postal carrier


27


.




Mail that can not be faced and cancelled by canceller


22


is sent to manual process


31


. Manual process


31


attempts to classify the previously rejected mail piece to: redirect the mail piece; declare the mail piece dead; or manually re-code the mail piece for redelivery. Then the mail that manual process


31


is able to classify is sent to carrier casing


30


before it is delivered by carrier


27


. Mail that can not be classified by process


31


is sent to recorder


33


. Recorder


33


will look up the unique code in unique code data center


75


.




Mail that has been read by reader


23


and mail that has been coded by system


32


or by re-coder


33


will be checked in unique code data center


75


, if a unique code


40


appears in the recipient address field of the mail or in the bar code affixed to the mail, i.e., 1020 49 337 491XJDX092299 or scan a unique code in the bar code affixed to the mail by the mailer. Unique code data center


75


contains a unique code name/address relational data base


68


(FIG.


4


). Data base


68


will use the unique code number to determine the actual destination that the recipient wants the mail delivered to. The foregoing may be accomplished by looking up the unique code in data base


68


and determining the address that the owner of the unique code


40


is currently having their mail delivered. Data base


68


supplies information to reader


23


, sorters


24


,


25


,


26


and


28


and re-coder


33


so that sorters


23


,


25


,


26


and


28


and re-coder


33


will place a bar code on the mail that indicates the zip code that the owner of the unique code is currently having their mail delivered. Sorters


24


,


25


,


26


and


28


and re-coder


33


will also print the street, city and state that the owner of the unique code currently wants their mail delivered in human readable form.





FIG. 3A

is a drawing of a mail piece having a unique code


40


as part of its address. Unique code


40


may be printed in alphanumeric characters, or as a one or two dimensional bar code, etc. Unique code


40


may be an encrypted version of recipients social security number or tax identification number, etc. The encryption may be based upon any recognized code such as the Data Encryption Standard (DES) or the Rivest, Shamir and Adleman Cipher (RSA). Upon the appropriate information being supplied to an encryptor (not shown) from computer


54


(

FIG. 4

) would generate an encrypted code from its inputs and send the code back to computer


54


. The appropriate information may include recipients social security number or tax identification number, the date, time of the day the encryption was made to nanoseconds, the current address of the recipient, the number of unique codes requested in the last thirty minutes, etc.




Mail piece


36


has a sender address field


37


and material


38


that indicates the payment of the postage for mail piece


36


. Material


38


may be a postal indicia, postal permit or one or more stamps. The recipient address field


39


will only have to include the unique code


40


, i.e., 1020 49 337 491XJDX092299 and the name of the person or entity


41


to whom mail piece


36


is sent. The street address


46


and the city, state and zip code


45


may also be included on mail piece


36


.





FIG. 3B

is a drawing of a mail piece having a unique code in the address field which the post has indicated the delivery address of the moved recipient. Mail piece


36


has a sender address field


37


and material


38


that indicates the payment of the postage for mail piece


36


. Material


38


may be a postal indicia, postal permit or one or more stamps. The recipient address field


39


will include the unique code


40


, i.e., 1020 49 337 491XJDX092299 and the name of the person or entity


41


to whom mail piece


36


is sent. The street address


46


and the city, state and zip code


45


may also be included on mail piece


36


. The post will print the delivery address


42


that the owner of the unique code currently wants mail piece


36


delivery to. The post will also print a postnet bar code


43


on the face of mail piece


36


. Bar code


43


represents the delivery address


42


in a coded form.





FIG. 4

is a drawing showing how a mailer may obtain a recipient's unique code and how a recipient may change the address to which their mail is currently being delivered. Mailers


50


may communicate their intentions regarding the determination of a unique code for particular parties or entities via a personal computer.




If, a mailer communicated with the post via a personal computer (not shown), the mailer may communicate with post office modem


52


, which is coupled to data center computer


54


. Computer


54


and the mailer's personal computer may have various protocols that are known in the art that must be satisfied before the mailers computer can obtain unique code and address information from computer


54


. After the protocols have been satisfied computer


54


may obtain enough information from the mailers computer and unique code name/address relational data base


68


to determine the recipients current address from recipients unique code.




A mailer may also communicate by physically going to a clerk's desk


55


at data entry site


55


. The mailer would then give the postal clerk a name and a unique code and the postal clerk would ask computer


54


to check unique code name/address relational data base


68


and determine recipients currently listed delivery address. The mailer may also mail name and unique code information to site


55


and request the current address for the name and unique code given. A recipient may also go to site


55


and give the clerk the change of address card shown in

FIG. 5

to change their delivery address.




National name and address data base


65


is coupled to national postal code data base


66


and mailer request process


62


. Data base


65


includes the names and addresses of people and entities residing in the United States. National postal code data base


66


includes every valid postal deliverable address in the United States. Change request data base


67


is coupled to unique code name/address relational data base


68


. Data base


65


is used as a reference for data base


68


and changes to data base


68


are received from change request data base


67


. Postal code updates computer


70


will transmit new zip codes to national code data base


68


via modem


60


, computer


54


, process


62


and process


69


. Name or address updates computer


71


will transmit new name or recipient address changes to data base


65


via modem


60


, computer


54


, process


62


and process


69


. Data bases


65


,


66


and


68


are periodically updated.




Computer


54


will obtain mail forwarding information for mail piece


36


by receiving the information from data base


68


when a proper mailer request is received from mailer user request process


62


and process


69


metered the above request. Data base


68


will indicate the current listed address for each name and unique code. Computer


54


will transmit the current address that the recipient has for their unique code in data base


68


to modem


56


. The current address will be sent in the form of a postnet bar code as well as in human readable text. Modem


56


will transmit the address to sorters


12


,


13


and


14


and re-coder


18


(

FIG. 1

) and sorters


24


,


25


,


26


and


28


and re-coder


33


(FIG.


2


).




Mailer request process


62


is coupled to computer


54


. Process


62


determines whether or not the mailer will receive the delivery address of the recipient when the name of the recipient and unique code are given. Process


62


also determines the delivery address for the name and unique number read by the post office.





FIG. 5

is a change of address registration card


200


. Card


200


may be used for registering a unique code or for changing the delivery address for the unique code. Card


200


indicates: the primary residence


201


of the person or entity who is registering for a unique code in space


202


; their street delivery address in space


203


; their delivery city in space


204


; their delivery state in space


205


; and their delivery zip code in space


206


. The assigned unique code


40


is shown in space


212


. Unique code


40


may be printed in alphanumeric characters, or as a one or two dimensional bar code, etc. Unique code


40


may be an encrypted version of recipients social security number or tax identification number, etc. The date in which the recipient having the unique code wants mail to be delivered their new delivery address or new residence


211


is shown in space


208


. The signature of the person who is obtaining a unique code or changing their delivery address will be placed in space


213


. The date the signature was signed in space


213


is indicated in space


214


. A biometrics


215


of the person whose signature appears in space


213


may also be placed on card


200


. Biometrics


215


may be: a picture of the person signing in space


213


; the person's fingerprint; etc.




The recipient having the unique code may modify or change any information contained in card


200


by going to data center


75


(

FIG. 4

) and showing card


200


to the clerk. Biometrics


215


may be used by data center


75


to further authenticate the person modifying or changing any information contained in card


200


.





FIG. 6

is a drawing of a flow chart showing a request by the post for the current postal delivery address for a name and a unique code. The program begins in block


100


where a postal scanner (

FIG. 1

,

FIG. 2

) captures the name


41


, unique code


40


, and delivery address from a mail piece


36


(

FIG. 3A

, FIG.


3


B). Then the program goes to block


101


where the post requests data center


75


to lookup the current delivery address for the name and unique code number scanned. Now the program goes to block


102


where data center


75


receives a lookup request from the post. Next in block


103


data center


75


captures the identity of the post office that scanned the mail piece.




In block


104


the process searches the unique codes in data base


68


to find the current postal delivery address for the name and unique code captured. In block


105


the process determines whether or not the delivery address matches the name and unique code. Then the program goes to block


106


where access metering and billing process


69


meters the above transaction so that the post or mailer may be charged for the services provided. At this point in block


107


the process appends a new delivery address that matches the name and unique code captured, if the delivery address differs from the delivery address captured. The new delivery address is supplied in a postnet bar code format as well as in human readable text. Next in block


108


the post extracts the looked up address. Then in block


109


the post's scanners (FIG.


1


and

FIG. 2

) prints the looked up address on a mail piece in a postnet bar code format as well as in human readable text. At this point the program goes to block


110


where the post deletes the temporary file. Then the program goes back to the input of block


100


.





FIG. 7

is a drawing of a flow chart showing a request by a mail recipient requesting a routing change for their unique code. The program begins in block


120


where a mail recipient enters a request to have the delivery address for their unique code number changed to a different delivery address. Then the program goes to block


121


where the recipient enters their unique code. Now the program goes to block


122


where data center computer


54


validates the recipient by determining whether or not the recipient has the correct name and unique code. Next in block


123


computer


54


accepts the request from the recipient. In block


124


computer


54


makes the address change requested by the recipient. The requested changes are stored in data bases


67


and


68


. In block


125


access metering and billing process


69


meters the above transaction so that the post, mailer, or recipient may be changed for the services provided. Then the program goes to block


126


, where process


69


indicates the process was completed. Now the program goes to block


127


where the mailer receives a message that the requested address change has been completed. At this point the program goes back to the input of block


120


.




FIG


8


is a drawing of a flow chart showing the generation of a statement by the access metering and billing process


69


of FIG.


2


. The program begins in block


150


where a statement initiation process is begun. Then the program goes to block


151


where the current fees for the requested services are transmitted. Now the program goes to block


152


where data center computer


54


sorts the transactions metered by process


69


and records the transactions by specific mailers, recipients and the post. Next in block


153


computer


54


converts each transaction type to a cost. In block


154


computer


54


totals the cost for each specified mailer, recipient and the post. The program goes to block


155


to reset the account registers. In block


156


the program produces a done message upon completion of the task. Next in block


157


a printer (not shown) at data center


75


produces statements for the provided services. Then the program goes to block


158


to indicate that the printed statements are completed. At this point the program goes back to the input of block


150


.





FIG. 9

is a drawing of an alternate embodiment of this invention showing how the invention may be used in a corporate mail department. Many corporations and governmental agencies, including the military have large numbers of employees, soldiers, sailors or airmen that are employed at many different locations. The corporations and governmental agencies have created their own internal postal addressing system, i.e. APO (postal boxes for the military), etc. Some internal addressing systems include specific building designations and internal building locations, i.e. TC 3 26-22 (Technology Center, building 3, location 26-22). Many of the employees move from one location to another and the mail room and telephone directory often does not have their new mail internal and/or external mail delivery location.




Each company may have a plurality of mail rooms


305


. A mail room


305


will include a scanner


300


, data bases


301


and


302


and a computer


303


. Scanner


300


is coupled to computer


303


. Company internal mail code data base


301


is coupled to unique number name/address relational data base


302


and computer


303


. Data base


302


is also coupled to computer


303


. Data base


301


contains the companies internal mail codes and the employees who have those mail codes. Data base


302


links the internal mail codes with the employees name to a unique number. Input means (not shown) to computer


303


may be used to update data bases


301


and


302


.




Each company will have a mail room


310


that has world wide responsibilities. Mail room


310


includes: data bases


311


and


312


and a computer


313


. Company internal mail code data base


311


is coupled to unique number name/address relational data base


312


and computer


313


. Data base


302


is also coupled to computer


313


. Data base


311


contains the companies internal mail codes and the employees who have those mail codes. Data base


312


links the internal mail codes and the employees name and unique number. Input means (not shown) to computer


313


may be used to update data bases


311


and


312


. Computer


313


is coupled to each computer


303


and will supply world wide updates to data bases


301


and


302


via computer


303


.




Mail delivered to the company will be read by scanner


300


. Scanner


300


will read the name and unique code


40


affixed to the mail. The company may use the same manner as previously discussed to obtain code


40


or use a different method, i.e. the employees' employment number may be used. The company may use this method to deliver its internal mail even though the post does not elect to use it. Scanner


300


will read the name and unique code


40


affixed to the mail. Scanner


301


will transmit the name and unique code to computer


303


. Computer


303


will match the name and unique code in name/address relational data base


302


. Computer


303


will cause scanner


300


to print the internal delivery address that represents the internal location of the owner of the unique code that the mail was addressed to.




The above specification describes a new and improved system and method for enabling the post to deliver mail addressed to a name and a recipient unique code to be delivered directly to the recipient. It is realized that the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principles of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit. It is, therefore, intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A method for delivering mail that is addressed to a named recipient, said method comprises the steps of:receiving recipient's name and recipient's current delivery address; assigning a unique code for individual recipients; relating in a database recipient's unique code with recipient's name and current delivery address; delivering information to recipient's that represents their assigned unique codes; placing by the sender of mail information that represents recipient's name and unique code on mail; reading information on mail to capture recipients name and unique code, when present; changing recipient's current delivery address in the data base in accordance with recipient's instructions; determining recipient's current delivery address from recipients name and unique code; printing by a mail carrier on mail recipient's current delivery address if the current delivery address on the mail differs from the recipient's delivery address currently in the data base; and delivering mail to recipient's current delivery address.
  • 2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein in the changing step: recipient specifies the time when mail will be delivered to the changed delivery address.
  • 3. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:billing for the number of times recipient's changed their desired delivery address.
  • 4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein recipients unique code is represented in alphanumeric characters.
  • 5. The method claimed in claim 1, further including in the changing step, the steps of:assigning a biometrics to recipients; delivering a biometrics to recipients; receiving recipient's biometrics and recipient's intention to change their delivery address; changing recipients delivery address upon conformation of recipients biometrics.
  • 6. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:receiving a request from mailers for recipients current delivery address; receiving from mailers recipients name and unique code; delivering recipients current delivery address to mailers.
  • 7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein recipient's unique code is encrypted.
  • 8. The method claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:metering the number of times recipient's desired delivery address was determined.
  • 9. The method claimed in claim 8, further including the step of:billing for the number of times mailers requested recipient's current delivery address.
  • 10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein recipient's current delivery address is placed on mail in coded form.
  • 11. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein recipient's current delivery address is placed on mail in human-readable form.
  • 12. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein recipient's desired delivery address is placed on mail in coded form and human-readable form.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Reference is made to commonly assigned copending patent application Ser. No. 09/315,795 filed herewith entitled “Virtual Post Office Box” in the names of Ronald P. Sansone, Fran E. Blackman, Daniel Dlugos, Leon A. Pintsov, Denis Stemmle, and Francis X. Hines, Jr.

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Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
09-57199 Mar 1997 JP
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry
“Littlewoods, United Kingdom Soccer Pools Organization, Orders More Than $9 Million Worth of Symbol Technologies' Computers”; Business Wire, Mar. 29, 1999, p. 1278.