POSTAL SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a postal delivery system and to a method of operating a postal delivery and sorting system.

Background to the Invention

The development of electronic communication techniques, such as e-mail, has reduced the popularity of hard copy communication, such as letters and postcards. However, there remain many situations in which a printed communication is preferred to an electronic communication, particularly because of the instant impression that is made on the recipient and sometimes for legal reasons.

United States Patent 6,615,234 discloses a system and method for delivering an electronic document over a network, printing in hard copy form at a remote destination, and delivery of the hard copy document to a recipient. A user sends the electronic document to a server over a client-server network, such as the Internet, where a conversion software program converts the electronic document from its client application format to a printable format, such as a PostScript file. In one version of this system, a print driver program can be loaded onto the user's computer and a print preview is performed locally on the user's computer prior to delivery of the document. After the user verifies the print preview, the user can select media options, such as duplex printing, paper or transparencies, colour or black and white and can select the print spooler location and the delivery service, such as United Parcel Service or Federal Express. This information is then stored in a database. The database contains a table of locations for all potential print locations and the print spooler server ID numbers at these locations. The printable version of the electronic document is then transmitted across the network to the print spooler server. The print spooler server prints a hard copy version of the document on an attached printer. The hard copy document is then either delivered to the recipient by the delivery service or held for pick-up by the recipient.

The present invention, at least in its preferred embodiments, seeks to improve on aspects of such known systems.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, this invention provides a postal sorting and delivery system comprising at least one client computer and at least one central processor in data communication with the client computer via a data communication network. The system further comprises a plurality of geographically distributed printing stations in data communication with the central processor via a data communication network. The client computer is configured to send to the central processor a data file corresponding to a document to be printed and address data indicative of the geographical address of the intended recipient of the document. The central processor is configured to process the address data and to select one of the printing stations by comparison of the geographical location of the printing station with the geographical location of the intended recipient. The central processor is configured to send the data file to the selected printing station and each printing station is configured to receive a said data file and to print the document encoded in the data file for delivery to the geographical address of the recipient.

Thus, according to the invention the printing station that prints the document is automatically selected by virtue of its geographical location relative to the intended recipient of the document. In this way, the document can be printed automatically at the printing station closest to the recipient, whereby transportation and environmental costs associated with the physical document are minimised.

Typically, the system comprises a plurality of client computers each configured to send to the central processor a data file corresponding to a document to be printed and address data indicative of the geographical address of the intended recipient of the document, whereby, in use, each printing station prints documents sent by more than one client computer. In this way, the central processor acts to direct distribute documents from multiple client computers to multiple print stations.

The data communication network may be the Internet or may be a private data communication network, for example. The data communication network between the client computers and the central processor need not be the same as that between the central processor and the print stations.

The address data may be included in the data file. For example, the central processor may be arranged to process the data file to extract the geographical location of the intended recipient.

In one arrangement, the client computer is configured to generate the address data automatically by processing the data file. For example, the client computer may perform optical character recognition on the data file.

The address data may comprise a plurality of intended recipients. For example, the address data may be a mailing list.

The invention extends to a client computer, a central processor and/or a printing station configured to operate in the postal delivery system of the invention.

Viewed from a further aspect the invention provides a method of operating a postal delivery system, the method comprising: receiving at a central processor a data file corresponding to a document to be printed and address data indicative of the geographical address of the intended recipient of the document from a client computer; processing the address data to select one of a plurality of printing stations by comparison of the geographical location of the printing station with the geographical location of the intended recipient; and sending the data file to the selected printing station.

The method may further comprise the steps of: receiving the data file at the selected print station; and printing the data file for delivery to the geographical address of the intended recipient.

The method may further comprise the step of: delivering the printed document to the geographical address of the intended recipient.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a postal delivery system according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a computer screen used in the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a further computer screen used in the embodiment of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 4 illustrates the transfer of date from the client printer driver to the print server in the embodiment of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of an Embodiment

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a postal system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown in Figure 1, a plurality of client computers 1 are in data communication with a central server 2 via a data network such as the Internet.

Each client computer 1 is provided with a printer driver, which will be described in detail below. The printer driver allows the client computer 1 to upload documents and address information to the central server 2 for remote printing and distribution.

The central server 2 is connected to a plurality of print servers 3, each of which is capable of printing documents received from the central server 2 and generating corresponding envelopes. At the physical location of the print server 3, the documents are printed, folded and put into corresponding envelopes, which may also be printed by the print server 3, to create mail items. The mail items are then distributed by appropriate delivery personnel 4.

Each of the print servers 3 services a defined geographical region in which the print server 3 is physically located. The central server 2 routes documents to a particular print server

3 by reference to the address information associated with the document, in order to minimise the distance that hard copy documents are transported. Thus, each print server 3 can receive documents from any of the client computers 1 for delivery to recipients within the geographical area covered by the particular print server 3.

The central server 2 hosts a website where a new user can register and download the printer driver. In an alternative arrangement, it is also possible for the website to be hosted on a separate web server. The user clicks on an appropriate button on the website to begin the registration process.

The user is requested to fill in the following obligatory fields: first name; last name; street; postal code; city; phone number; email address; and password. The user may also enter a company name and a business sector. The email address is used as a username for the particular user and is therefore checked against existing usernames for uniqueness. Once the user has filled out all the information and clicked on the "apply" button, the user's details are added to the user database that is stored on the central server 2. The "apply" button is disabled until all the required fields have been completed.

The user is informed with an on-screen message when the user data has been successfully added to the database and a confirmation email is sent to the user' s email account. The email contains a web link to activate the user's account in order to prevent abuse of the system. Once the account has been activated, the user is given the option to: download the printer driver; buy postage credits for the user account; see the frequently asked questions (FAQ); or continue browsing, i.e. return to the homepage of the website.

In order to begin using the system, the user must download and install the printer driver. The printer drivers according to embodiments of the invention are designed to work on any standard operating system, including Microsoft Windows 95,98,2000 ME,NT,XP, Microsoft Vista, Linux, HP-UX and Apple Mac OS. The printer driver allows the user to print documents of any format supported by the applications that can be executed on the operating system. Examples of these types of applications are Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Word Perfect, Notepad, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Front Page, Apple Works, Star Office. The document content is converted by the operating system to a common

format. The printer driver uses this information to create a file that is printed by the print centre. This file format sent to the print centre could be any of the file formats compatible with a print house host system. Microsoft Office compatible files (Word, Excel, Access,...), Word Perfect, text files containing standard ASCII characters, XML, HTTP, XSL or graphical image files such as .PNG, JPG, .BMP, SDR, .VSD are all possible formats. The Adobe Acrobat .PDF format is the preferred option.

The printer driver also supports a web submission option that allows the document to be transferred straight to the web site for print processing. In this mode, the document is transferred in either the application specified format e.g. .DOC or it is converted to a standard format that can be supported by the print centre. This may be any industry standard format e.g. Microsoft Office compatible files (Word, Excel, Access,...), Word Perfect, text files containing standard ASCII characters, XML, HTTP, XSL or graphical image files such as .PNG, JPG, .BMP, SDR, .VSD. Again, Adobe Acrobat .PDF format is the preferred option.

The system will also be operational online and it will be possible for individuals to use the service as a remote printer and mail provider. To the user this will work in the same way as the familiar online storage or email systems and will allow storage and access of sent mail as well as sending mail remotely

Once the user has selected the option to download the printer driver, an on-screen message confirms that no personal information or documents will be given to third parties and asks the user to accept the terms and conditions of use of the system. When the user agrees to all the conditions, the user ticks a checkbox, which enables the "download" button. Clicking the "download" button allows the user to download and install the printer driver. If multiple operating systems are to be supported (Macintosh, Linux, etc.), multiple download buttons can be available. Once the driver has been downloaded, it is installed on the client computer 1.

During the installation process, the user is asked whether to set the postage system as the default printer and to set the initial print options: colour or black and white; and single or

double-sided printing. Other possible options include paper quality, letterhead selection, envelope selection and envelope printing.

The user is also asked to provide the username (email address) and password that were entered on registration. Optionally, these can be saved by the printer driver so that they do not need to be entered every time the printer driver is used. The installation does not retain the details that the user filled out on the internet while registering. Although the data can be stored with a cookie during registration, it is complicated to retrieve that information during the installation process. Also an assistant may be creating different accounts and distributing the printer driver in a larger organisation, in which case the cookie would only be available on the assistant computer. Thus, the user must first register to be able to download and install the driver. Once the user has entered the username and password, the installation application contacts the online database at the central server to verify the username and password. Given successful verification, the driver is installed with the settings the user has indicated.

Once the printer driver has been installed, in a Microsoft Windows environment for example, the user can edit preferences of the printer driver by right clicking the driver icon on the Printers and Faxes screen in Windows and then choosing Printing Preferences. This will call up the screen shown in Figure 2, in which the user can edit the preferences set during the installation of the driver. This includes the option to receive a confirmation e-mail after each print assignment is sent. On the "security" tab, the user can indicate if the username and password should be requested every time an assignment is given, as well as enter the username and password.

At the point when the user wants to print a document, he will be lead through several screens to get the desired output. During the process the user can buy more credit, if necessary. When the user is generating a print assignment, the default Windows print panel is shown on screen, as if the user were printing to a local (or network) computer connected directly to the client computer 1. If the user has set up the printer drive as the default printer, this printer will already be selected. If not, the user can select the printer in a drop down menu, as for any other printer. Once the printer driver is selected, all

other standard print options are disabled. Clicking the "print" button launches the printer driver interface on the summary screen, as shown in Figure 2.

In this screen the user can change the default settings, and if desired, save the settings under a profile by adding a name in the field "profile" and clicking on the "save" button. The user can indicate the required options for colour, paper and to receive an email with the confirmation of the assignment. Also a delivery date can be indicated by the user. As a starting date, the next day is listed by default. Additional delivery options include those currently offered by express and courier services, such as "signed for" and "registered delivery". These can be implemented at the end of the fulfilment chain once mail has been created but credit is required on the account at the beginning of the process. The number of pages in the document, the options chosen and the delivery date determine the required credit. Changing an option updates the amount shown. When the user has already provided the printer driver with the username and password, the driver is able to connect to the central server 2, and the current credit balance of the user will be displayed.

Clicking on "buy credit" launches an Internet browser window in which the user can enter payment details to buy more credit for the user's account. Clicking the "print" button causes the printer driver to check with the central server 2 if the user has sufficient credit and the next screen, shown in Figure 3, is presented.

In the screen shown in Figure 3, the user is shown a preview of how the document will look when printed. The user has the option to: show and hide the folding lines on the representation of the printed document paper; and to show and hide the position of the envelope window 5. The envelope window 5 represents the location of the transparent window in the standard envelope into which the document will be inserted for distribution. The printer driver automatically identifies the location of the address in document. Automatic identification can be achieved in any suitable manner. For example, the printer driver may identify a discrete series of lines of text that do not form complete sentences. The driver may parse the document for a valid postal code and then infer that the surrounding text block is an address. Alternatively, the document may include formats, tags or styles that indicate that the text is an address.

If the address falls outside the envelope window, a warning sign is generated (as shown in Figure 3) and the user has the opportunity to adjust the document to correct the position of the address or realign or insert the address from the print window. Once the address is correctly positioned and the user has clicked the "print" button again, summary of all the options chosen is presented. Address checking can also be done through integration with address books such as Microsoft Outlook or those that are hosted online. Integration methods include: Predictive Input, i.e. inputting part of the address or postcode in a particular field in the driver address window allows the system to suggest options that have been previously used; a separate address window may be opened and the address details can be entered into this dedicated field to allow the software to format and integrate these into the data file in the correct place; entering an individual's name into the address window allows the system to retrieve data from the user's address book and input the information in the correct place; entering an email address allows the server to cross-check the email address against relevant databases and websites to retrieve physical address data; or online address directories such as 118 118 or Google Maps can be used by the system to look up full address data and to check addresses, which would also allow the system to update these databases once information has been confirmed, such a database could be the Royal Mail Postal Address File and this process could assist with public address checking.

At this point, the driver scans the address identified in the letter in order to convert the address information into machine-readable address data, either by optical character recognition or by extracting the address information from the data of the print document. After scanning the address, the printer driver attempts to contact the central server 2. Once the connection has been established, the address is sent to the central server 2 and validated. If the address to which the user wants to send the document is not recognised as a valid address, the use is informed by an on-screen message and given the option to cancel the print assignment. Once the address has been validated, the budget is checked to ensure that sufficient credit is in the user's account. Once it has been confirmed that there is sufficient budget available, the document is transferred to the central server 2.

Figure 4 gives an example of how the Windows specific print driver transfers information from the PC Client to the print centre.

At the central server 2, the print document is stored in the database with the user information and the address information. The address information is processed by the central server 2 to identify which print server 3 corresponds geographically to the delivery address. The print document is then sent to the selected print server 3, where it is printed, folded and placed in an envelope for delivery by the delivery personnel 4 to the address or collection by or delivery to an agent for subsequent delivery. This delivery arrangement will be put in place in the UK and internationally and form part of a dedicated quality of service agreement. They can be arranged nationally, internationally and at a local level.

In summary, a postal delivery system comprises several client computers 1 and a central processor 2 in data communication with the client computers 1 via a data communication network. The system further comprises several geographically distributed printing stations 3 in data communication with the central processor 2 via the data communication network. The client computers 1 are configured to send to the central processor 2 a data file corresponding to a document to be printed and address data indicative of the geographical address of the intended recipient of the document. The central processor 2 is configured to process the address data and to select one of the printing stations 3 by comparison of the geographical location of the printing station 3 with the geographical location of the intended recipient. The central processor is configured to send the data file to the selected printing station 3 and the printing station 3 receives the data file and prints the document encoded in the data file for delivery to the geographical address of the recipient. The system has the advantage that the transportation of physical documents is automatically minimised.