Mail run balancing using video capture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259765-B2
Application number	US-201213720186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2012
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A method and system for mail run balancing of critical documents on a sorter machine that comingles both critical and non-critical documents. A plan identifying a set of critical documents to be processed as part of a mail run is received at the sorter. The plan includes an individual identifier code for each critical document. Sets of critical and non-critical documents are sorted as part of the comingled mail run. A camera scans the documents for the individual identifier codes on the critical documents during sorting. The camera captures an image of the scanned critical documents. A list of scanned individual identifier codes of sorted critical documents is stored for later use, along with the captured images of the documents. The list of scanned individual identifier codes is compared to the identifier codes of the critical documents in the plan. Based on the comparison, a first comparison list of scanned identifiers that do not match any identifiers in the plan and a second comparison list of identifiers in the plan that are not matched to pieces scanned are generated. The first comparison list is reconciled with the second comparison list by, at least in part, displaying the captured images to assist in matching corresponding documents from the lists.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for mail run balancing of critical documents on a sorter machine that comingles both critical and non-critical documents, the method including:
receiving a plan identifying a set of critical documents to be processed as part of a mail run, the plan including an individual identifier code for each critical document;
sorting sets of critical and non-critical documents on the sorter as part of the comingled mail run;
scanning with a camera for the…

Assignees

• Pitney Bowes Inc

Inventors

• Mayer Paul
• Zaldo Kenneth S
• Glowny David A
• Freed Jeremy A

Classifications

• B07C3/00 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B07C5/3422 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic