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US 12,182,758 B2Granted
System and method of providing informed delivery items using a hybrid-digital mailbox
AssigneeUnited States Postal Services
InventorsCarrie Ann Bornitz, Robert E. Dixon, Jr., Ryan M. Luckay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods of creating, managing, and distributing supplemental content associated with items in a distribution network. A physical delivery item can be imaged and associated with additional content generated or associated with the sender of the physical delivery item.
Claims12
A method for handling distribution items comprising:
- capturing, by a camera of mail processing equipment, an image of a physical distribution item having an identifier thereon;
- interpreting, by one or more processors, the identifier from the captured image of the physical distribution item, the identifier including a delivery point and a code;
- generating identifier information from the captured image of the identifier;
- associating the identifier information with the captured image;
- receiving, from a sender of the physical distribution item, the identifier which is on the physical distribution item;
- receiving a plurality of types of supplemental item content, wherein each of the plurality of types of supplemental item content is associated with a different geographic area;
- associating each of the plurality of types of supplemental item content with the identifier on the physical distribution item;
- receiving the identifier information from the mail processing equipment;
- identifying, based on the delivery point for the physical distribution item associated with the received identifier information, a geographic area to which the physical distribution item is to be delivered;
- selecting, from the plurality of types of supplemental item content, one of the types of the plurality of types of supplemental item content that is associated with the identified geographic area;
- sorting, in the mail processing equipment, the physical distribution item according to the delivery point;
- and
- upon sorting the physical distribution item in the mail processing equipment, providing, to an intended recipient, the selected one of the types of the plurality of supplemental item content.
10 more elements
A system for handling distribution items comprising:
- means for capturing an image of a physical distribution item having an identifier thereon;
- means for interpreting the identifier from the captured image of the physical distribution item, the identifier including a delivery point and a code;
- means for generating identifier information from the captured image of the identifier;
- means for associating the identifier information with the captured image;
- means for receiving, from a sender of the physical distribution item, the identifier which is on the physical distribution item;
- means for receiving a plurality of types of supplemental item content, wherein each of the plurality of types of supplemental item content is associated with a different geographic area;
- means for associating each of the plurality of types of supplemental item content with the identifier on the physical distribution item;
- means for receiving the generated identifier information;
- means for identifying, based on the delivery point for the physical distribution item associated with the generated identifier information, a geographic area to which the physical distribution item is to be delivered;
- means for selecting, from the plurality of types of supplemental item content, one of the types of the plurality of types of supplemental item content that is associated with the identified geographic area;
- means for sorting the physical distribution item according to the delivery point;
- and
- means for providing to an intended recipient, in response to sorting the physical distribution item, the selected one of the types of the plurality of supplemental item content.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.