Proof of mailing
AssigneeStamps.com Inc.
InventorGeoffrey C. Begen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for providing a proof of mailing service include receiving from a user a designation of a recipient to receive an item to be mailed, and receiving a free-form description of the item. Postage indicia is printed bearing an amount of postage for a mail piece containing the item. In response to the mail piece being processes by a postal authority, a transmission from the postal authority containing a scanned image of the mail piece is received. The recipient is then sent a notification that the item has been mailed, and the notification includes the free-form description of the item and access to the scanned image.
Claims22
A method comprising:
- prior to a user printing postage at a user computer for a mail piece, receiving from the user a designation of a recipient to receive the item to be mailed, and receiving a free-form description of the item;
- printing by the user computer postage indicia bearing an amount of postage for a mail piece containing the item;
- in response to the mail piece being mailed via a postal authority, receiving by a postage indicia service a transmission from the postal authority containing a scanned image of the mail piece;
- and
- sending by the postage indicia service a notification to the recipient that the item has been mailed, wherein the notification includes the free-form description of the item and access to the scanned image.
A system comprising:
- a computer that is programmed to function to:
- receive from a user a designation of a recipient to receive an item to be mailed;
- receive a free-form description of the item;
- and
- print postage indicia bearing an amount of postage for a mail piece containing the item;
- and
- a postage indicia service accessible over a network and in communication with the computer, the postage indicia service functioning to:
- in response to the mail piece being processed by a postal authority, receive a transmission from the postal authority containing a scanned image of the mail piece;
- and
- send the recipient a notification that the item has been mailed, wherein the notification includes the free-form description of the item and access to the scanned image.
An executable software product stored on a computer-readable medium containing program instructions for providing a proof of mailing service, the program instructions for:
- prior to a user printing postage at a user computer for a mail piece, receiving from the user a designation of a recipient to receive an item to be mailed, and receiving a free-form description of the item;
- printing by the user computer postage indicia bearing an amount of postage for a mail piece containing the item;
- in response to the mail piece being processed by a postal authority, receiving by a postage indicia service a transmission from the postal authority containing a scanned image of the mail piece;
- and
- by the postage indicia service a notification to the recipient that the item has been mailed, wherein the notification includes the free-form description of the item and access to the scanned image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.