WO2003032110A2

WO2003032110A2 - Sytem for combining postage, mailing address information, and payment services

Info

Publication number: WO2003032110A2
Application number: PCT/US2002/030703
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael J. Murphy; Joshua R. Smith; Paul M. Yarin
Original assignee: The Escher Group, Ltd.
Priority date: 2001-10-09
Filing date: 2002-09-27
Publication date: 2003-04-17
Also published as: AU2002327746A1; WO2003032110A3

Abstract

A system integrates mailing label and/or postage purchasing systems. The system obtains mailing addresses locally (48) from the user's network and/or globally from a postal service server. Thus the system may provide an address from the user's workstation and then a more current or appropriate mailing address, based on information available through the postal service. Further, the system maintains the postage and mailing label (48) information supplied by the user in a session that either concludes when the user prints postage stamps (32) and mailing labels locally or continues to allow the user to print the postage and mailing labels at a Post Office. The system may provide services, such as money transfers, crediting telephone cards, and so forth, and debit (24) the user's postal account accordingly. The system may send status (47) messages to the user. The system may be combined with a personal mail piece tracking and tracing system.

Description

SYSTEM FOR COMBINING POSTAGE, MAILING ADDRESS INFORMATION, AND PAYMENT SERVICES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09/865,889, filed on May 25, 2001, by Joshua R. Smith, et al. for ASSOCIATING ELECTRONIC DATA WITH PHYSICAL OBJECTS and U.S. Application Serial No. 09/966,033, filed on September 28, 2001, by Joshua R. Smith et al. for PERSONAL PACKAGE TRACING AND TRACKING MECHANISM.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Automated systems for printing metered postage are well known. With certain systems, the user keys the postage amount into the system, and the system prints the appropriate metered postage or stamps. Using other systems, the user supplies the envelope or package to a system scale, and the system then prints out the appropriate metered postage or stamps. The system may print the metered postage or stamps directly on an envelope or on a tape that can be applied to the envelope or to a package. A user generally purchases or rents the system from a postal service and maintains with the postal service a postage account from which the metered postage amounts are withdrawn.

On-line systems for purchasing and printing postage are also known. A user keys the postage amount into the system and the system returns to the user, or more appropriately, to a printer connected to the user's PC, instructions for the printing of the postage. The user maintains an account with the on-line system, and has to have the appropriate hardware and software to produce the metered postage or stamps.

Automated address label checking, or "cleansing" systems also exist. Such systems may check that the appropriate zip code is included in an address typed in by the user. The system may also check that the name of a city, town or state is correctly spelled and/or that the street name exists and is spelled correctly for the indicated city or town. To use the systems, the user provides addresses and the system then enters one or more data bases on line or on CDs or other data storage devices to check and as appropriate correct, or cleanse, the addresses.

After the user has provided the postage amount and the mailing address information and, as appropriate, the address has been cleansed, the user prints the postage and the mailing labels using the appropriate combination of hardware and/or software. Such systems are relatively confusing for a user to use and/or update and maintain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a system that integrates mailing label and/or postage purchas- ing systems with information that is available locally at a user's PC or local network and also information that is available globally through a postal service server. The system obtains mailing addresses locally from the user or user's network and/or globally from a postal service server. The system may thus provide an address from the user's PC and then a more current or appropriate mailing address, based on information available through the postal service. Further, the system maintains the postage and mailing label information supplied by the user in a session that either concludes when the user prints postage stamps and mailing labels locally, or continues to allow the user to print or otherwise obtain the postage and mailing labels at a Post Office that communicates with the postal service server. The system may also make available to the user other services that the system funds through a user's postage account. For example, the system may provide services, such as money transfers, crediting telephone cards, and so forth, as discussed below. Further, the system may be combined with a personal mail piece tracking and tracing system, to provide the user with other services that are based, in whole or in part, on information maintained by or under the control of the postal service.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention description below refers to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figs. 1 -7 are screens through which a user may access the available services. Fig. 8 is a block diagram of an environment in which the system advantageously operates; and

Fig. 9 is an illustration of SMS messaging services provided by the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE

EMBODIMENT

The current invention is particularly directed to methods and apparatus for facilitating the franking and addressing of mail pieces, by which is meant to include letters, packages and physical objects of all kinds. It is expected to be of especial use as part of a postal system such as the United States or other Postal Offices, although it is not so limited and has numerous other applications as will be apparent on reading the following detailed description.

As will be seen from the detailed description of a specific embodiment herein, the system provides to a user, whether an individual, a business or organization, etc., access to mailing address information that is stored on the user's PC or local network and on a postal service server. The system also provides additional services to a user such as currency transfer, messaging, personal tracking and tracing of mail pieces and so forth, as discussed below.

The invention is explained by means of various screens. Fig. 1 depicts an in- troductory screen 10 of an exemplary graphical user interface that may be used in accordance with the present invention. The screen is displayed, e.g., on the video monitor of a computer connected to a computer network such as, but not limited to, the worldwide web. The screen summarizes the postage/mailing label services that a user may access from the screen. In the present instance, five categories of such services are provided, namely: Print Postage, Image Gallery, Account Services, Address Books, and User Administration.

The screen 10 contains an area 12 for entry of a user name and an area 14 for entry of a password. The name, which may be any sort of user ID, and the user password control access to the services. The user ID may comprise, for example, the user's given name, an identifier assigned by the system or the user's e-mail address. The password is preferably chosen by the user him or herself, since that access to the personalized services is controlled by the user. An address area 16 displays the address of the site on the web to which the user is connected, that is, the site that is providing the desired services. The site is, for example, initially accessed in the usual manner, i.e., by entering the web address in a browser and pressing "return" on a keyboard, or by clicking on a link to the web address that is presented, e.g., on a website of the postal service or on some sort of other video display. "Button" 15 provides the user with a screen for the service that is selected using a menu bar 18. A user who is not registered with the system can select Home from the menu bar and the system provides the user with a registration screen (not shown) in which the user supplies identification information such as name, address and so forth in a conventional manner. The system then assigns the user a user ID for use with the system, and the user enters a chosen password. Fig. 2 depicts screen 20 to which a user is directed when the Print Postage service is selected from the menu bar 24 in, for example, screen 10. The screen 20 displays a meter 22 through which a user can purchase and/or print postage. The meter 22 displays in a window 24 the monies the user has on account with the system. A user specifies a quantity and a value of the postage he or she desires to purchase in text boxes 26 and 28, using a keyboard to key in the numbers. The system then provides to the user a total 30 that will be deducted from the total value displayed in window 24. To print the postage, the user clicks on the print postage button 32. The print postage button then provides to a printer that is connected to the user's PC either directly or through a local network appropriate instructions for printing the desired postage. If the user has previously chosen a particular stamp design from the Image Gallery accessed through the menu bar 18 (Fig. 1), the system provides printing instructions for the selected stamp design.

If the user desires to take advantage of other services provided by the system, the system clicks on "tab" 34 that indicates, by the direction of an arrow 36, that the meter 22 can be expanded. Referring now to Fig. 3, a screen 40 depicts an expanded meter 22 that includes a text box 42 in which a user types in the name of the person to whom the user is addressing a mail piece. This text block provides access to a system search engine, represented here by the Google™ logo. The system search engine then uses the search term entered by the user, in the example Joe Bloggs, and searches information stored on the user's local system, that is, on the user's PC and/or the user's local network using known search techniques. Through an on-line connection, the system also searches the information stored on the postal service server 90 (Fig. 8). The search engine then provides to the user a list 46 of places in which the server found the name of the intended recipient. In the example, the search engine found an address that contains the term in a context folder and in one or more word documents stored on the user's local system. Further, the search engine found an address that contains the term in a data base 102 (Fig. 8) on or accessible from the postal service server. The user then "clicks" on an item in the list 46 to view the associated address entry.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the user has selected for viewing one of the items on the list 46, for example, the third item which is the entry for the term from the database 102 maintained on the postal service server 90. In a screen 45, the system displays the selected entry in the text box 48. The system also calculates the appropriate postage to send a mail piece to the listed address and displays the postage value in the text box 28. The user may enter, in text box 26, the number of mail pieces directed to the address listed and the system recalculates the postage for the number of mail pieces. The user clicks on the print postage button 32 and the system prints a mailing label and the postage for each mail piece to be directed to the listed address. The system also deducts the total 30 from the user's postage account, and updates the account value in window 24.

The user may also select, by clicking on a button 50, the personal tracking and tracing services provided by the system described in United States patent application

Serial No. 09/966,033 filed on September 28, 2001, entitled PERSONAL PACKAGE

TRACING AND TRACKING MECHANISM, which is incorporated herein in its en- tirety by reference. The current system then provides the user ID and address information to the personal tracking and tracing system, referred to herein as the "Postport System", and the Postport System tracks the mail piece from delivery by the sender to the postal service through to the delivery of the mail piece by the postal service to the intended recipient.

As discussed in co-pending United States patent application 09/865,889, filed on May 25, 2001, entitled ASSOCIATING ELECTRONIC DATA WITH PHYSICAL OBJECTS, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, the system may print out a mailing label that includes an indicia such as a bar code that represents the user ID of either or both of the user who is sending the mail piece or the intended recipient. The Postport System can then use the coded label to aid in tracking and tracing the mail piece. The address listed in the text block 48 may be an updated address provided through the postal service and otherwise unknown to the user. Alternatively, the postal service may have various different addresses for an intended recipient and provide the user with a list of the addresses or with an address that is appropriate for, for example, a particular delivery date, and so forth. As discussed below with reference to Fig. 7, the system may select the appropriate address for a given mail piece based on the class of postage selected by the user.

The user may request that the postal service confirm delivery of the mail piece, as indicated by the box 47 for delivery confirmation. If the delivery confirmation block 47 is selected, that is, a check mark placed in the block by the user, the system includes in the total 30 any cost associated with providing the user with the requested delivery confirmation. For example, the system may charge the user the going rate for registered or certified mail.

If the user selects delivery confirmation or other postal service "add-ons," such as certified mail (Fig. 7) and/or the personal tracking and tracing discussed above, the system prints a bar-coded, or otherwise encoded, label either as part of or in addition to a mailing label. The printed code includes a tracking number that may be dynamically assigned to the mail piece by the postal service server. The tracking number may be included in the printed code that includes one or more user IDs, or may be printed as a separate code. Referring now to Fig. 5, the meter 22 may be used to transfer money between a postal account and, for example, an on-line currency account, such as a "Paypal" account. Alternatively, or in addition, the meter 22 may be used to transfer money from the postal account to an "Ebay" or similar on-line purchasing account using button 54. Similarly, the meter 22 may be used to "top-up" phone cards using the top-up button 58. The user thus enters a figure in the value text box 28 and selects the appropriate button 52, 54 and 58 to make the transfer through the system. In response, the system deducts the transferred amount from the user's postal account, updates the total in window 24 and transfers the amount to the selected service in a conventional manner. Referring now also to Fig. 6, the meter 22 may be used as an SMS messaging system by clicking on button 56. The search engine then searches for the term in text- box 42, to provide a phone number in text box 48a. The user types a message in text- box 48b and clicks on a button 62 to send the message. In response, the system sends the SMS message to the indicated phone number in a conventional manner. If the user desires merely to print postage from the system, the user clicks again on tab 34 with its upwardly directed arrow 36, to revert back to the screen 20 of Figure

2.

A user may credit his or her postal account through the system using a credit card. Alternatively, the user may go to a Post Office and present money. The system then updates the total value window to the new total in the user's postage account. If the user desires to use the meter 22 locally to print postage and the user's system does not have on-line capabilities, the user may receive from the Post Office a printed code that indicates the monies that have been pre-paid by the user. The user enters the code through the meter 22, and the meter displays an associated total value in window 24. When the user prints postage stamps, the meter deducts the amount from the total value paid through the credit card or pre-paid monies. As discussed, the system may also deduct fees for the services that the user has taken advantage of through the system. For example, the system may charge for the global address look-up through the databases on the postal service server 90 (Fig. 8). If this is the case, the system simply adds the fees into the total 30, and deducts the appropriate amount from the user's account. When the account is low on funds, the user again credits or pre-pays an appropriate amount.

Fig. 7 represents an alternative graphical user interface for the meter 22. Using screen 70, the user may select a class of postage for a particular mail piece. The user thus clicks on a tab 72 to pull out a menu of the various classes of postage and selects the appropriate class from the menu. The meter then at 76 lists the appropriate total for mailing a particular class of postage to the address indicated in textbox 48. The user prints the postage and/or mailing label, as appropriate, by clicking on a print postage button 80, and the system deducts the appropriate value form the user's postage ac- count.

Alternatively, or in addition, the user may buy postage and/or transfer monies between their account and another user's account or a money service provided by, for example, the Post Office, in the manner discussed above, using the service buttons (not shown) that are revealed when the user clicks on tab 72. In the screen 70, a message that may be sent by SMS or by e-mail is entered into textbox 49. The user then selects the appropriate message transport service by clicking on button 74 or 75.

In screen 70, a total 79 represents strictly postage while a total 76 represents a total of postage and various other services utilized by the user to create, for example, the mailing label containing the address information in textblock 48 and/or send messages that may be entered into textblock 49.

As part of the services offered by the system, the system may send a mail piece delivery status e-mail or SMS message to an intended recipient listed in a text box 48 when a mailing label and postage are printed, to inform the intended recipient about the mail piece. The system may also send a money account status e-mail or SMS message to the intended recipient of transferred monies, notifying the intended recipient that the money has arrived and may include instructions for retrieving the monies. The system uses the e-mail address or phone number stored, for example, on the user's PC or local network or available on the postal service server or other on-line databases, to send the e-mail and/or SMS message. The sending of the status message is in addition to the system providing the mailing address and postage information to the Postport system, as discussed above.

The methods described herein are readily implemented using, e.g., conventional file servers and personal computers, although more powerful computers can, of course, be gainfully employed. The user database is readily prepared using conventional database software such as that supplied by Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM, among others, or by software such as the Escher Group's WebRiposte™. Communications between users of the system and the hardware components thereof may utilize any form of electronic communication, such as direct wire, wireless, modems, and the Internet, among others. Fig. 8 illustrates an environment in which the system discussed above with reference to Figs. 1-7 is advantageously used. In Fig. 8, a Post Office server 90 is connected via a network such as the Internet 92 to a number of web browsers 94 (for simplicity, only one such browser is shown but it will be understood that that number of browsers to be used is potentially unlimited), as well as to one or more postal stations 96. Each postal station contains one or more workstations 98, which may be interconnected by a network 100. Workstations 102, which may be in the home or office of an individual, connect to the Post Office server 90 through the network 92. If desired one or more printers 104 may be attached to the various workstations 98, 102 to enable hard-copy output, such as postage, mailing labels and so forth. The Post Office server 90 may comprise a single server, or be one of a plurality of such servers, preferably interconnected for sharing data. Associated with each server is a database 102 on which the identity and other pertinent data such as physical (i.e. street) address, email address, unique identifier, telephone number, and other such data with respect to each of the users who maintain accounts is stored. The Postal Service itself may access this database to obtain the current address of an intended recipient for delivery of the physical mail, email or SMS messages that are found to have been misdirected or returned for insufficient or incorrect address or telephone number.

The Postal Service may also access the database 102 in order to ascertain the correct current address of an intended recipient in the first instance. For example, a user may simply address the mail or a money transfer by means of the customer's email address, telephone number, or by some other identifier or combination of identifiers that uniquely identifies the intended recipient and is used to enter the database 102. The Postal Service can then retrieve the physical address of that customer for delivery of the physical item, or retrieve an account address for delivery of a transfer of funds. The Postal Service may additionally provide notification to the user, the intended recipient or both concerning the item or monetary amount being delivered using address and/or telephone information contained in the database 102, as described above. Fig. 9, illustrates an SMS message relating to a money transfer.

As discussed, the Postal Service may use address or other identifying information provided by a user based on locally stored information, such as, information on a hard drive 103 of the workstation 102, in the user's email account that is accessible from the workstation, or in the local network that includes the workstation. Additionally, the Postal Service may use address or other identifying information that is available globally, such as, information maintained by the Postal Service on its server, or information accessible from one or more websites using the browser 94. The user is provided with various local and global options for selecting an appropriate address, as discussed above with reference to Fig. 4. The user selects the address and provides it to the Postal Service for use with mail and/or money transfer. The Postal Service then confirms that the address corresponds to information contained in the data base 102 before accepting and/or delivering a mailpiece or money transfer, and/or uses the address contained in the database if that address differs from the address selected by the user. What is claimed is:

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method for effectuating through a user account the delivery of a product to an intended recipient, the method including the steps of: A. obtaining address or other identifying information relating to the intended re- cipient over local and global networks and providing a list of the information to a user who then selects one or more entries from the list; B. combining the selected information with product delivery information and an authorization for debiting the user account by an associated monetary amount; C. debiting the user account by the authorized amount and effectuating delivery of the product to an address that corresponds to the selected information.

2. The method of claim 1 further including a step of sending a delivery status mes- sage to the user, the intended recipient, or both via email, SMS messaging or both.

3. The method claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining includes obtaining over the global network information from a database associated with a Postal Service facility.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the product is a money transfer and the delivery address is a Postal Service fa- cility for pick up by the intended recipient, and the delivery status message notifies the user, the intended recipient or both that the money is available for pick up.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of obtaining includes obtaining over the global network information from a database associated with a Postal Service facility.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the database associates product and status mes- sage delivery information for a given user, the intended recipient or both.

1 7. The method of claim 5 wherein certain product and message delivery informa-

2 tion is obtained from the local network and other information is obtained from the data-

3 base.

1 8. The method of claim 3 further including a step of sending a delivery status mes-

2 sage to the user, the intended recipient or both via email, SMS messaging or both using

3 information obtained from the local network or the database.

l

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the product is a money transfer.

1 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the money transfer is for delivery to a Postal

2 Service user account of the intended recipient.

1 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the product is a money transfer that is deliver-

2 able to a user account of an on-line service company.

1 12 The method of claim 1 wherein the product is a money transfer that is deliver-

2 able to a telephone card account.

l

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the product is one or more mailpieces.

1 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the delivery is to a Postal Service facility with

2 pick up by the intended recipient, and the delivery status message notifies the user, the

3 intended recipient, or both that the one or more mail pieces are available for pick up.

1 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of obtaining includes obtaining over

2 the global network information from a database associated with a Postal Service facil-

3 ity.

1 16. The method of claim 15 further including the step of printing a mailing label

2 and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected information and related postage

3 pricing information, address information or both obtained from the Postal Service.

17. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of retaining the selected information, and resuming a process of effectuating the delivery of a given product at a later time by printing a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected infor- mation and related postage pricing information, address information or both obtained from the Postal Service.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a user selects the information from a location that is remote from the Postal Service and resumes the process from a Postal Service facility.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein one or more mailing labels and associated postage are printed at the Postal Service facility.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the product is one or more mailpieces.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of obtaining includes obtaining over the global network information from a database associated with a Postal Service facil- ity.

22. The method of claim 21 further including the step of printing a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected information and related postage pricing information, address information or both obtained from the Postal Service.

23. The method of claim 21 further including the steps of retaining the selected information, and resuming a process of effectuating the delivery of a given product at a later time by printing a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected infor- mation and related postage pricing information, address information or both obtained from the Postal Service.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein a user selects the information from a location that is remote from the Postal Service and resumes the process from a Postal Service facility.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein one or more mailing labels and associated postage are printed at the Postal Service facility.

26. Computer readable memory comprising computer-executable program instruc- tions for use in A. obtaining address or other identifying information relating to the intended re- cipient over local and global networks and providing a list of the information to a user who then selects one or more entries from the list; B. combining the selected information with product delivery information and an authorization for debiting the user account by an associated monetary amount; C. debiting the user account by the authorized amount and effectuating delivery of the product to an address that corresponds to the selected information.

27. The computer readable memory according to claim 26 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the sending of a delivery status message to the user, the in- tended recipient, or both via email, SMS messaging or both.

28. The computer readable memory according to claim 26 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the obtaining over the global network of information from a database associated with a Postal Service facility.

29. The computer readable memory according to claim 27 wherein the product is a money transfer and the delivery address is a Postal Service fa- cility for pick up by the intended recipient, and the delivery status message notifies the user, the intended recipient or both that the money is available for pick up.

30. The computer readable memory according to claim 29 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the obtaining, over the global network, of information from a database associated with a Postal Service facility.

31. The computer readable memory according to claim 30 wherein the database as- sociates product and status message delivery information for a given user, the intended recipient or both.

32. The computer readable memory according to claim 31 wherein certain product and message delivery information is obtained from the local network and other infor- mation is obtained from the database.

33. The computer readable memory according to claim 28 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the sending of a delivery status message to the user, the in- tended recipient or both via email, SMS messaging or both using information obtained from the local network or the database.

34. The computer readable memory according to claim 33 wherein the product is a money transfer.

35. The computer readable memory according to claim 34 wherein the money trans- fer is for delivery to a Postal Service user account of the intended recipient.

36. The computer readable memory according to claim 33 wherein the product is a money transfer that is deliverable to a user account of an on-line service company.

37. The computer readable memory according to claim 26 wherein the product is a money transfer that is deliverable to a telephone card account.

38. The computer readable memory according to claim 27 wherein the product is one or more mailpieces.

39. The computer readable memory according to claim 38 wherein the delivery is to a Postal Service facility with pick up by the intended recipient, and the delivery status message notifies the user, the intended recipient, or both that the one or more mail pieces are available for pick up.

40. The computer readable memory according to claim 38 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the obtaining, over the global network, of information from a database associated with a Postal Service facility.

41. The computer readable memory according to claim 40 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the printing of a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected information and related postage pricing information, address in- formation or both obtained from the Postal Service.

42. The computer readable memory according to claim 40 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the retaining of the selected information, and resuming of a process of effectuating the delivery of a given product at a later time by printing a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected in- formation and related postage pricing information, address information or both ob- tained from the Postal Service.

43. The computer readable memory according to claim 42 wherein a user selects the information from a location that is remote from the Postal Service and resumes the pro- cess from a Postal Service facility.

44. The computer readable memory according to claim 43 wherein one or more mailing labels and associated postage are printed at the Postal Service facility.

45. The computer readable memory according to claim 26 wherein the product is one or more mailpieces.

46. The computer readable memory according to claim 45 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the obtaining, over the global network, of information from a database associated with a Postal Service facility.

47. The computer readable memory according to claim 46 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the printing of a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected information and related postage pricing information, address in- formation or both obtained from the Postal Service.

48. The computer readable memory according to claim 46 wherein the instructions when executed also cause the retaining of the selected information, and resuming of a process of effectuating the delivery of a given product at a later time by printing a mailing label and postage for the mailpiece based on the selected in- formation and related postage pricing information, address information or both ob- tained from the Postal Service.

49. The computer readable memory according to claim 48 wherein a user selects the information from a location that is remote from the Postal Service and resumes the pro- cess from a Postal Service facility.

50. The computer readable memory according to claim 49 wherein one or more mailing labels and associated postage are printed at the Postal Service facility.