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US 6,856,860 B2Granted
Systems for and methods of distributing mail
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsGary Glen Stringham, Lawrence Bert Newell, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of distributing mail includes electronically transmitting a print job, and a list of postal addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered, from a users location; providing a printer in a postal delivery vehicle; and printing out mail pieces from the print job, for at least some of the multiple recipients, on the printer in the postal delivery vehicle. Alternative methods and various systems for distributing mail are also provided.
Claims47
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically transmitting a print job, and a list of postal addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered, from a user's location;
- providing a printer in a postal delivery vehicle;
- and
- printing out mail pieces from the print job, for at least some of the multiple recipients, on the printer in the postal delivery vehicle.
1 more element
A system for distributing mail, comprising:
- a server configured to receive, from a user's client machine, an electronically transmitted print job, and a list of postal addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered, from a user's location;
- a plurality of computers in respective postal facilities, at least selectively coupled to the server, the server being configured to electronically route at least portions of the print job to selected ones of the computers based, at least in part, on proximity of the postal facilities to the respective recipients;
- and
- a printer configured to be supported by a postal delivery vehicle associated with one of the postal facilities, the printer being selectively wirelessly coupled to the computer in the associated postal facility and configured to print out at least some mail pieces from the print job that were electronically routed to the associated postal facility.
1 more element
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically receiving a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's location, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- merging the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including electronically receiving natural language descriptions of a route in a computer and translating the natural language descriptions to an addressee sort order for printing out of the mail pieces;
- and
- at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received, printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route.
3 more elements
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically receiving a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's location, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- merging the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including defining a graphical user interface configured to present a map having streets displayed thereon to an operator, with which the operator can trace a pattern on the map to define a carrier route;
- converting the traced pattern to a sequence of addresses corresponding to the carrier route;
- and
- at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received, printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route.
4 more elements
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically receiving a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's location, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- merging the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including supporting a GPS unit from a postal delivery vehicle, and tracking GPS locations of a postal delivery vehicle route;
- and
- at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received, printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route.
3 more elements
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically receiving a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's location, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- merging the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities including defining a graphical user interface configured to present a map having streets displayed thereon to an operator, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display icons representing houses on opposite sides of streets, and wherein an operator can define a carrier route by selecting housing using the graphical user interface;
- and
- at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received, printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route.
3 more elements
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically receiving a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's location, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- merging the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including defining a graphical user interface configured to present a map having streets displayed thereon to an operator, wherein, in response to two adjacent houses being selected in a row on the graphical user interface, a direction is automatically determined;
- and
- at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received, printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route.
3 more elements
A system for distributing mail, comprising:
- a server configured to electronically receive a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's client machine, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces, the server being further configured to merge the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- means for electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- means for electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities including a computer configured to electronically receive natural language descriptions of a route and to translate the natural language descriptions to an addressee sort order for printing out of the mail pieces;
- and
- means for printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received.
2 more elements
A system for distributing mail, comprising:
- a server configured to electronically receive a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's client machine, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces, the server being further configured to merge the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- means for electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- means for electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including means for defining a graphical user interface configured to present a map having streets displayed thereon to an operator, with which the operator can trace a pattern on the map to define a carrier route, and means for converting the traced pattern to a sequence of addresses corresponding to the carrier route;
- and
- means for printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received.
2 more elements
A system for distributing mail, comprising:
- a server configured to electronically receive a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's client machine, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces, the server being further configured to merge the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- means for electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- means for electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including a GPS receiver supported from a postal delivery vehicle to track GPS locations of a postal delivery vehicle route;
- and
- means for printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received.
2 more elements
A system for distributing mail, comprising:
- a server configured to electronically receive a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's client machine, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces, the server being further configured to merge the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- means for electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- means for electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities including means for defining a graphical user interface configured to present a map having streets displayed thereon to an operator, wherein the graphical user interface means is configured to display icons representing houses on opposite sides of streets, and wherein an operator can define a carrier route by selecting housing using the graphical user interface means;
- and
- means for printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received.
2 more elements
A system for distributing mail, comprising:
- a server configured to electronically receive a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered from a user's client machine, the print job being mergable with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces, the server being further configured to merge the print job with respective addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- means for electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces to respective postal facilities separate from the first user's location, the postal facilities being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- means for electronically defining postal delivery routes for respective postal facilities, including means for defining a graphical user interface configured to present a map having streets displayed thereon to an operator, and means for, in response to two adjacent houses being selected in a row on the graphical user interface means, automatically determining a direction;
- and
- means for printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to the defined delivery route at each postal facility for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received.
2 more elements
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically transmitting a print job, and a list of postal addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered, from a user's location;
- providing a printer in a postal delivery vehicle;
- printing out mail pieces from the print job, for at least some of the multiple recipients, on the printer in the postal delivery vehicle;
- and
- delivering a mail piece to one of the multiple recipients after that recipient has signed for the mail piece.
2 more elements
A method of distributing mail, comprising:
- electronically receiving a print job and a list of addresses of multiple recipients to which the print job is desired to be delivered, the addresses including postal addresses and addresses representing groups defining multiple postal and electronic addresses, the print job being mergable with respective addresses to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- determining if an address on the list of addresses represents a group defining multiple postal and electronic addresses and, if so, exploding the group into the multiple postal and electronic addresses;
- merging the print job with respective postal addresses of the list to define multiple separate individually addressed electronic mail pieces;
- electronically routing the individually addressed electronic mail pieces from the server to respective distribution centers separate from the first user's location, the distribution centers being selected based on proximity to the addresses of the individually addressed pieces;
- and
- at each distribution center for which an individually addressed electronic mail piece has been received, printing out mail pieces for respective addressees in an order corresponding to a predetermined delivery route.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.