CA2033377A1 - Mail piece weight quality control system and method - Google Patents

Mail piece weight quality control system and method

Info

Publication number
CA2033377A1
CA2033377A1 CA002033377A CA2033377A CA2033377A1 CA 2033377 A1 CA2033377 A1 CA 2033377A1 CA 002033377 A CA002033377 A CA 002033377A CA 2033377 A CA2033377 A CA 2033377A CA 2033377 A1 CA2033377 A1 CA 2033377A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
mail
weight
processing unit
weights
pieces
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002033377A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2033377C (en
Inventor
Stanley E. Metelits
Ronald P. Sansone
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of CA2033377A1 publication Critical patent/CA2033377A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2033377C publication Critical patent/CA2033377C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C1/00—Measures preceding sorting according to destination
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01G—WEIGHING
    • G01G19/00—Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups
    • G01G19/002—Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups for postal parcels and letters
    • G01G19/005—Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups for postal parcels and letters with electric or electronic computing means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00467—Transporting mailpieces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00241—Modular design
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G07B2017/00322—Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G07B2017/00338—Error detection or handling
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00467—Transporting mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00491—Mail/envelope/insert handling system
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00661—Sensing or measuring mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00701—Measuring the weight of mailpieces

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Abstract

This invention relates to a system for certifying the accuracy of postage payments based on the weights of mail pieces. The expected weight of each mail piece is determined and a mail processing unit receives data relative to the contents to be inserted into an envelope that together form the mail pieces. A high speed weighing scale is located downstream from the mail processing unit to receive the mail pieces after the mail processing unit has inserted selected materials into envelopes. A comparison is made between the expected weight of each mail piece and its measured weight. If the measured weight of a mail piece is found different than the actual weight beyond certain tolerances, it could be rejected. If a large number of mail pieces exhibit a divergence between the estimated weight and the actual weight, the mail processing unit will be disabled and an examination made to determine what caused the discrepancies in the weights. If there is correlation between the anticipated weights and the measured weights, the mail pieces are placed in trays or other suitable containers to be delivered to the Post Office. A history of mail runs and their accuracy with regard to weight is maintained for record purposes.
CA002033377A 1990-01-02 1990-12-28 Mail piece weight quality control system and method Expired - Fee Related CA2033377C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US459,418 1990-01-02
US07/459,418 US5119306A (en) 1990-01-02 1990-01-02 Mail piece weight quality control system and method

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2033377A1 true CA2033377A1 (en) 1991-07-03
CA2033377C CA2033377C (en) 2001-02-27

Family

ID=23824693

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002033377A Expired - Fee Related CA2033377C (en) 1990-01-02 1990-12-28 Mail piece weight quality control system and method

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5119306A (en)
CA (1) CA2033377C (en)
GB (1) GB2239714B (en)

Families Citing this family (65)

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US5216620A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-06-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Requesting, reporting and verification system and method for mail carrier payment
US5459670A (en) * 1992-05-15 1995-10-17 Johnson & Hayward, Inc. System and method for processing international mail
US5262597A (en) * 1992-05-15 1993-11-16 Johnson & Hayward, Inc. System and a method for processing international priority airmail
US5377120A (en) * 1992-06-11 1994-12-27 Humes; Carl L. Apparatus for commingling & addressing mail pieces
US5446667A (en) * 1992-06-18 1995-08-29 Pitney Bowes Inc. Just-in-time mail delivery system and method
US5477462A (en) * 1992-10-30 1995-12-19 Administrative Resource Options, Inc. Method and system for preparing an item for mailing including cost recapture feature
JP3394795B2 (en) * 1993-07-16 2003-04-07 株式会社東芝 Object processing apparatus and object processing method
US5388049A (en) * 1993-08-11 1995-02-07 Pitney Bowes Inc. Value mail monitoring system and method
US5493500A (en) * 1994-03-15 1996-02-20 Hadewe B.V. Method and a system for preparing franked postal items
US5475603A (en) * 1994-06-21 1995-12-12 Pitney Bowes Inc. Apparatus and method for mail qualification and traying
US5787278A (en) * 1994-12-28 1998-07-28 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for generating and mailing a system performance report, utilizing a report template with predetermined control commands for controlling the printer
US6952801B2 (en) * 1995-06-07 2005-10-04 R.R. Donnelley Book assembly process and apparatus for variable imaging system
US6327599B1 (en) * 1995-06-07 2001-12-04 R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company Apparatus for controlling an electronic press to print fixed and variable information
US5673193A (en) * 1995-08-21 1997-09-30 Creative Media Generations, Inc. System and method for processing bulk mail
US5717597A (en) * 1995-10-11 1998-02-10 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for printing personalized postage indicia on greeting cards
US7266504B1 (en) 1995-10-11 2007-09-04 Stamps.Com Inc. System and method for printing multiple postage indicia
US7343357B1 (en) * 1995-10-11 2008-03-11 Stamps.Com Inc. System and method for printing multiple postage indicia
US5819240A (en) * 1995-10-11 1998-10-06 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for generating personalized postage indica
US5801944A (en) 1995-10-11 1998-09-01 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for printing postage indicia directly on documents
IES79084B2 (en) * 1996-02-16 1998-04-08 Fordview Limited A weigh-checker device
US5983209A (en) * 1996-10-02 1999-11-09 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for determination of postal item weight by context
US5873073A (en) * 1996-12-24 1999-02-16 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for mail piece production utilizing a data center and inter-related communication networks
US5918220A (en) * 1996-12-24 1999-06-29 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for worldwide media selection, production, and delivery
US5802503A (en) * 1996-12-24 1998-09-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Channel switched mail message switching and metering system
US6026385A (en) * 1997-07-21 2000-02-15 Pitney Bowes Inc. Encrypted postage indicia printing for mailer inserting systems
US6246993B1 (en) 1997-10-29 2001-06-12 R. R. Donnelly & Sons Company Reorder system for use with an electronic printing press
US6823237B1 (en) * 1998-08-17 2004-11-23 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for regeneration of misprocessed mailpieces or the like
US7278094B1 (en) 2000-05-03 2007-10-02 R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. Variable text processing for an electronic press
DE19958279A1 (en) * 1999-12-03 2001-09-06 Datacolor Druck Und Fullservic Method and device for preparing bulk shipments
DE10024522A1 (en) * 2000-05-18 2001-11-22 Precisa Instr Ag Dietikon Laboratory scales comprise weighing device for samples and intersecting point for transferring weight-specific data and command data to control further laboratory devices and/or peripheral devices
DE50001792D1 (en) * 2000-05-18 2003-05-22 Precisa Instr Ag Dietikon Automatic sample preparation
GB2363759B (en) * 2000-06-19 2004-06-16 Pitney Bowes Ltd Mail production systems
AU2002236620A1 (en) * 2000-12-14 2002-06-24 United States Postal Service Apparatus and methods for processing mail using a manifest
AU2002359233A1 (en) 2001-03-05 2003-03-24 United States Postal Service Method for obtaining a random sampling
US7543735B2 (en) * 2002-01-17 2009-06-09 At&T Intellectual Property I, Lp System and method for processing package delivery
US20030132296A1 (en) * 2002-01-17 2003-07-17 Silver Edward M. System and method for processing package delivery
US20190333000A1 (en) * 2002-01-17 2019-10-31 Shopify, Inc. Processing of Packages Deliveries
US20030171946A1 (en) * 2002-03-05 2003-09-11 Kelly Paulette M. Method and system for continuous sampling of mail
US6839694B2 (en) 2002-06-07 2005-01-04 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for weighing items such as mailpieces in the presence of external vibration
US7247801B2 (en) 2002-06-07 2007-07-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for fast weighing of items such as mailpieces
US6901388B2 (en) 2002-06-07 2005-05-31 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for metering mixed weight mail pieces at an increased average rate
US6797893B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2004-09-28 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and scale system and transducer used in such scale system for rapidly determining weights of items such as mail pieces
US6839697B2 (en) 2002-06-28 2005-01-04 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for weighing items such as mailpieces in the presence of external vibration
US6825423B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2004-11-30 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for weighing items such as mail pieces
US20040005080A1 (en) * 2002-07-08 2004-01-08 Hayduchok George L. Method and apparatus for processing outgoing bulk mail
US6713689B2 (en) 2002-07-09 2004-03-30 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for weighing items such as mailpieces with varying accuracy
US7693800B2 (en) * 2002-07-09 2010-04-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for metering mixed weight mail pieces at an increased average rate
US8620821B1 (en) * 2002-08-27 2013-12-31 Pitney Bowes Inc. Systems and methods for secure parcel delivery
US11037151B1 (en) 2003-08-19 2021-06-15 Stamps.Com Inc. System and method for dynamically partitioning a postage evidencing system
US7356163B2 (en) * 2004-06-10 2008-04-08 Lockheed Martin Corporation Postal image augmented bio-warfare aerosolized agent trigger
US8775331B1 (en) 2006-12-27 2014-07-08 Stamps.Com Inc Postage metering with accumulated postage
US8612361B1 (en) 2006-12-27 2013-12-17 Stamps.Com Inc. System and method for handling payment errors with respect to delivery services
US10373398B1 (en) 2008-02-13 2019-08-06 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for distributed activation of postage
US9978185B1 (en) 2008-04-15 2018-05-22 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for activation of postage indicia at point of sale
US9911246B1 (en) 2008-12-24 2018-03-06 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods utilizing gravity feed for postage metering
US10089797B1 (en) 2010-02-25 2018-10-02 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for providing localized functionality in browser based postage transactions
US9842308B1 (en) 2010-02-25 2017-12-12 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for rules based shipping
JP5609179B2 (en) * 2010-03-15 2014-10-22 株式会社リコー Image forming system
US9914320B1 (en) 2011-04-21 2018-03-13 Stamps.Com Inc. Secure value bearing indicia using clear media
US10713634B1 (en) 2011-05-18 2020-07-14 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods using mobile communication handsets for providing postage
US9053584B2 (en) 2011-09-02 2015-06-09 Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC Distribution of mail pieces across print jobs to enhance postal discounts in a production printing environment
US10373216B1 (en) 2011-10-12 2019-08-06 Stamps.Com Inc. Parasitic postage indicia
US10846650B1 (en) 2011-11-01 2020-11-24 Stamps.Com Inc. Perpetual value bearing shipping labels
US10922641B1 (en) 2012-01-24 2021-02-16 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods providing known shipper information for shipping indicia
CA3126766C (en) * 2018-10-23 2023-09-19 Berkshire Grey, Inc. Systems and methods for dynamic processing of objects with data verification

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US4516209A (en) * 1983-02-09 1985-05-07 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage metering system having weight checking capability
US4639873A (en) * 1984-02-03 1987-01-27 Bell & Howell Company Insertion machine with postage categorization and selective merchandising
US4734865A (en) * 1986-01-28 1988-03-29 Bell & Howell Company Insertion machine with audit trail and command protocol
US4800505A (en) * 1987-03-13 1989-01-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mail preparation system
US4908768A (en) * 1987-08-07 1990-03-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Inserter based mail manifesting system
US5027279A (en) * 1988-12-30 1991-06-25 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and apparatus for remotely controlling a document inserter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2033377C (en) 2001-02-27
GB2239714A (en) 1991-07-10
US5119306A (en) 1992-06-02
GB9100015D0 (en) 1991-02-20
GB2239714B (en) 1993-11-10

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed