# US 2008/0189368 A1 · System and method for linking terrestrial mail over a network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0189368 A1 - Document ID: US20080189368A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/702,272 - Filed: 2007-02-05 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-05 - Assignees: Rothschild Trust Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Leigh M. Rothschild - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080189368A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services} - B07C 3/00: Sorting according to destination {(collating the pages of a book B42C1/00)} - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - G06Q 30/00: Commerce - G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements - G06Q 30/0613: {using intermediate agents} - H04L 51/00: User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail - H04L 67/06: specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP] - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system and method for linking terrestrial mail to the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure will enable a user, e.g., a sender and/or recipient of a document, to link all types of terrestrial mail to the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, so that they can digitally access, reply and/or utilize the content of the mail. The system and method provides for receiving an identifier associated with a terrestrial document; accessing an electronic version of the terrestrial document using the received identifier; creating a reply to the accessed document; and forwarding the reply to a sender of the terrestrial document. The reply document can be forwarded by e-mailing the reply to the sender, faxing the reply to the sender and/or printing the reply and delivering the printed reply by a terrestrial delivery service. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for replying to terrestrial mail over a computer network, the method comprising the steps: receiving an identifier associated with a terrestrial document; and accessing an electronic version of the terrestrial document using the received identifier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, further comprising: creating a reply to the accessed document; and forwarding the reply to a sender of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as in claim 2, wherein the forwarding step includes e-mailing the reply to the sender. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method as in claim 2, wherein the forwarding step includes faxing the reply to the sender. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method as in claim 2, wherein the forwarding step includes printing the reply and delivering the printed reply by a terrestrial delivery service. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method as in claim 2, wherein the terrestrial document is a letter, a financial statement, a greeting card, an invoice, a brochure or a coupon offer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the identifier is a symbology or alpha-numeric string on the terrestrial document. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the identifier includes an identity of an intended recipient. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as in claim 8, wherein the identity is the intended recipient's name. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the terrestrial document is a financial statement, further comprising the step downloading the financial statement to a recipient terminal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the terrestrial document is a first greeting card, further comprising the steps creating a reply greeting card and forwarding the reply greeting card to a sender of the first greeting card. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the terrestrial document is an invoice, further comprising the step accessing a payment service server to affect payment of the invoice. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as in claim 12, further comprising downloading the payment information to a recipient terminal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the terrestrial document is a brochure, further comprising the step accessing a related information website. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the terrestrial document is a coupon offer, further comprising the steps accessing a web site for conducing a transaction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps: composing the terrestrial document; creating an identifier for the terrestrial document; and affixing the identifier on the terrestrial document. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as in claim 16, wherein the identifier includes an identity of a recipient and an identification code of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method as in claim 17, wherein the identifier is encoded as a symbology or alpha-numeric string. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method as in claim 16, wherein the identifier is positioned on the terrestrial document as a watermark. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method as in claim 17, further comprising storing the terrestrial document on a remote server. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method as in claim 20, further comprising storing at least one second terrestrial document. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method as in claim 21, further comprising associating the terrestrial document and at least one second terrestrial document with the identity of the recipient in a database on the remote server. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method as in claim 22, further comprising sorting the terrestrial document and at least one second terrestrial document by user-defined parameters. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method as in claim 23, wherein the user-defined parameters are content, document category, document name, recipient's name or document date. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The method as in claim 16, further comprising forwarding a preview of the terrestrial document to an intended recipient. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method as in claim 25, wherein the preview of the terrestrial document is an image, text file or spreadsheet. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The method as in claim 16, further comprising associating information relating to an intended recipient with the terrestrial document and storing the associated information in a database. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method as in claim 27, wherein the associated information includes the recipient's name, recipient's address, recipient's e-mail address, recipient's fax number and category of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 29 (depends on 2) The method as in claim 2, wherein the reply includes at least a portion of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes scanning the identifier from the terrestrial document. ### Claim 31 A system for replying to terrestrial mail over a network comprising: at least one first terminal configured for composing the terrestrial document; a remote server configured for creating an identifier for the terrestrial document, affixing the identifier to the terrestrial document and storing an electronic version of the terrestrial document; at least one second terminal configured for transmitting the identifier of the terrestrial document to the remote server and accessing the electronic version of the terrestrial document; and a communications network for coupling the at least one first terminal, the remote server and the at least one second terminal. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the at least one second terminal is further configured for creating a reply to the accessed document and forwarding the reply to a sender of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the at least one second terminal is configured for e-mailing the reply to the sender. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the at least one second terminal is configured for faxing the reply to the sender. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the at least one second terminal is configured for printing the reply and the printed reply is delivered by a terrestrial delivery service. ### Claim 36 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the terrestrial document is a letter, a financial statement, a greeting card, an invoice, a brochure or a coupon offer. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the identifier is a symbology or alpha-numeric string on the terrestrial document. ### Claim 38 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the identifier includes an identity of an intended recipient. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The system as in claim 38, wherein the identity is the intended recipient's name. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the identifier includes an identity of a recipient and an identification code of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 41 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the identifier is positioned on the terrestrial document as a watermark. ### Claim 42 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the remote server is further configured for storing at least one second terrestrial document. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The system as in claim 42, wherein the remote server is further configured for associating the terrestrial document and at least one second terrestrial document with the identity of the recipient in a database. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The system as in claim 43, wherein the remote server is further configured for sorting the terrestrial document and at least one second terrestrial document by user-defined parameters. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The system as in claim 44, wherein the user-defined parameters are content, document category, document name, recipient's name or document date. ### Claim 46 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the remote server is further configured for forwarding a preview of the terrestrial document to an intended recipient. ### Claim 47 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the remote server is further configured for forwarding a preview of the reply to the sender of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 48 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the remote server is further configured for associating information relating to an intended recipient with the terrestrial document and storing the associated information in a database. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The system as in claim 48, wherein the associated information includes the recipient's name, recipient's address, recipient's e-mail address, recipient's fax number and category of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 50 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the reply includes at least a portion of the terrestrial document. ### Claim 51 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the at least one second terminal further comprises a scanning device configured for scanning the identifier from the terrestrial document. ### Claim 52 (depends on 32) The system as in claim 32, wherein the at least one first and second terminals include a software application configured for interacting with the remote server to generate the identifier, for receiving the identifier from the remote server and affixing the identifier to the terrestrial document or reply. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The system as in claim 52, wherein the software application is configured to transmit the terrestrial document or reply with the identifier affixed to the remote server. ### Claim 54 (depends on 52) The system as in claim 52, wherein the software application is a plug-in. ### Claim 55 (depends on 31) The system as in claim 31, wherein the at least one first terminal includes a document composition program for composing the terrestrial document. ### Claim 56 (depends on 55) The system as in claim 55, wherein the document composition program includes a plug-in configured for interacting with the remote server to generate the identifier, for receiving the identifier from the remote server and affixing the identifier to the terrestrial document or reply.