# US 2004/0073682 A1 · Method for distributing documents

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- Number: US 2004/0073682 A1
- Document ID: US20040073682A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 10/613,635
- Filed: 2003-07-02
- Published: 2004-04-15
- Earliest claimed: 2002-09-05
- Inventors: Craig W. Ball; Samuel Adams Thompson; Bryan Conrad Huff
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20040073682A1

## CPC

- G07B 17/00467: {Transporting mailpieces (postal sorting B07C)}
- G07B 17/00362: {Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value}
- G07B 17/00508: {Printing or attaching on mailpieces (printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00)}
- G07B 2017/00427: {Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information}
- G07B 2017/00483: {Batch processing of mailpieces}
- G07B 2017/0062: {Label}
- G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS

## Abstract

The present invention provides a method of printing time sensitive documents. The method of printing includes receiving an intended delivery location with each of a plurality of documents, determining a time required to deliver each document to the intended delivery location, determining a desired date of receipt and printing each document to allow for the time required to deliver each document on the desired date of receipt. Moreover, each document can be printed in-line with a corresponding shipping label. The documents and shipping labels may be customer specific. The shipping labels can also be secured to the documents, by stapling, binding, gluing or any other means, in-line to avoid many problems.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of printing time sensitive documents, the method of printing comprising:
receiving an intended delivery location with each of a plurality of documents;
determining a time required to deliver each document to the intended delivery location;
determining a desired date of receipt; and
printing each document to allow for the time required to deliver each document on the desired date of receipt.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of printing of claim 1 wherein further comprising:
obtaining shipping data for each document; and
printing a shipping label for each document in-line with each document.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising stapling a shipping label to the document.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising shipping each document.

### Claim 5

A method for distributing time-sensitive documents, comprising:
receiving shipping data from a customer, the shipping data having a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records including at least a recipient field, a recipient address field, a recipient zip code field, and at least one variable recipient field to be used to for customizing a document in a manner independent of recipient name, recipient address, and recipient zip code;
determining a carrier service level for each record;
receiving an intended delivery time associated with each record;
determining an intended time of shipment for documents associated with each record based on the carrier service level for each record and the intended delivery time associated with each record;
prioritizing the plurality of records based on the intended time of shipment;
printing a customized document incorporating customized information based on the at least one variable recipient field for each record;
shipping the customized document at the intended time of shipment using the associated carrier service level;
the printing and shipping occurring consecutively and without delay such that shipping occurs immediately after printing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising printing a shipping label associated with each customized document inline with each customized document such that each shipping label and associated customized document are readily physically associated.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the shipping label associated with each document is secured to the customized document.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein a staple is used to secure the shipping label to the customized document.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the intended delivery time is a particular date.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the shipping data is from a text file.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the shipping data is from a database file.