CA2109489A1 - Apparatus and Method for Reading and or Verifying the Contents of Sealed Envelopes - Google Patents

Apparatus and Method for Reading and or Verifying the Contents of Sealed Envelopes

Info

Publication number
CA2109489A1
CA2109489A1 CA2109489A CA2109489A CA2109489A1 CA 2109489 A1 CA2109489 A1 CA 2109489A1 CA 2109489 A CA2109489 A CA 2109489A CA 2109489 A CA2109489 A CA 2109489A CA 2109489 A1 CA2109489 A1 CA 2109489A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
contents
sealed
reading
mail
envelope
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA2109489A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2109489C (en
Inventor
William Berson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
William Berson
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by William Berson, Pitney Bowes Inc. filed Critical William Berson
Publication of CA2109489A1 publication Critical patent/CA2109489A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2109489C publication Critical patent/CA2109489C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07CPOSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C1/00Measures preceding sorting according to destination
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07CPOSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00Sorting according to destination
    • B07C3/10Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination
    • B07C3/14Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination using light-responsive detecting means
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06VIMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
    • G06V10/00Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding
    • G06V10/10Image acquisition
    • G06V10/12Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof
    • G06V10/14Optical characteristics of the device performing the acquisition or on the illumination arrangements
    • G06V10/143Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S209/00Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/90Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

This invention relates to reading and analyzing the contents of sealed mail. The invention has utility in the sorting of sealed mail and in the matching of mail envelopes and its contents. The contents of sealed mail are read by having a light in the near infrared directed to the sealed envelope and creating an image of the printed matter on the contents by directing the light to an optical detector. The image thus received is analyzed and a determination can be made whether contents are of high value or whether the addresses on the envelope match the addresses of the contents. If the envelopes are not addressed, the address can be printed on the envelope after analysis of the address block of the contents.
CA002109489A 1992-11-05 1993-10-28 Apparatus and method for reading and or verifying the contents of sealed envelopes Expired - Fee Related CA2109489C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US971,657 1992-11-05
US07/971,657 US5288994A (en) 1992-11-05 1992-11-05 Image detecting apparatus and method for reading and or verifying the contents of sealed envelopes

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2109489A1 true CA2109489A1 (en) 1994-05-06
CA2109489C CA2109489C (en) 1996-11-05

Family

ID=25518669

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002109489A Expired - Fee Related CA2109489C (en) 1992-11-05 1993-10-28 Apparatus and method for reading and or verifying the contents of sealed envelopes

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US5288994A (en)
EP (1) EP0596720B1 (en)
CA (1) CA2109489C (en)
DE (1) DE69325339T2 (en)

Families Citing this family (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5544758A (en) * 1994-06-24 1996-08-13 Promer, Inc. Mail aperture assembly for mail sorting system
FR2727330B1 (en) * 1994-11-29 1997-01-03 Cga Hbs PLASTIC ENVELOPE DETECTOR
FR2727331B1 (en) * 1994-11-29 1996-12-27 Alcatel Postal Automation Syst PLASTIC ENVELOPE DETECTOR AND EQUIPMENT FOR PROCESSING FLAT ITEMS INCLUDING SUCH A DETECTOR
US5659163A (en) * 1995-02-01 1997-08-19 Publisher's Clearing House Method for processing mail
US5898153A (en) * 1995-02-01 1999-04-27 Publishers Clearing House Method for processing mail in a sweepstakes contest
US5717165A (en) * 1995-10-13 1998-02-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Apparatus and method for positioning and isolating a printing mechanism in a mail handling machine
US5811792A (en) * 1997-01-02 1998-09-22 Wisconsin Label Corporation Method and apparatus for accessing contents of envelopes and other similarly concealed information
US6168080B1 (en) 1997-04-17 2001-01-02 Translucent Technologies, Llc Capacitive method and apparatus for accessing contents of envelopes and other similarly concealed information
US6202929B1 (en) 1999-03-10 2001-03-20 Micro-Epsilon Mess Technik Capacitive method and apparatus for accessing information encoded by a differentially conductive pattern
US6275745B1 (en) 1999-08-11 2001-08-14 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for verifying the delivery of a mailing and the material contained within the mailing
US6260029B1 (en) 1999-08-11 2001-07-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter that provides on a mailpiece evidence of postage paid together with cryptographically secured, third party certified, non-shipping information about the sender of the mailpiece
US7229665B2 (en) * 2001-05-22 2007-06-12 Millipore Corporation Process of forming multilayered structures
US6732926B2 (en) 2000-12-13 2004-05-11 Stephen P. Shoemaker, Jr. Barcode ticket reader
US7236935B2 (en) * 2000-12-29 2007-06-26 Bowe Bell + Howell Company Method and apparatus for verifying a match between contents of an enclosure and data printed on the enclosure
US6532275B1 (en) * 2001-11-30 2003-03-11 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for safe mail transmission
AU2002360852A1 (en) * 2001-12-31 2003-07-24 Lockheed Martin Corporation Methods and system for hazardous material early detection for use with mail and other objects
US7415130B1 (en) * 2002-10-30 2008-08-19 Lockheed Martin Corporation Mail image profiling and handwriting matching
US7527199B2 (en) * 2006-09-15 2009-05-05 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for protecting privacy of signature on mail ballot utilizing optical shutter
US7922208B2 (en) * 2006-12-11 2011-04-12 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for protecting privacy of signatures on mail ballots
US7581677B2 (en) * 2006-12-19 2009-09-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Vote by mail envelope that protects privacy of voter's signature
US7766233B2 (en) * 2006-12-27 2010-08-03 Pitney Bowes Inc. Vote by mail envelope that protects privacy of voter's signature
US8851376B2 (en) * 2007-10-03 2014-10-07 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for protecting privacy of signatures on mail ballots
US20100237983A1 (en) * 2009-03-20 2010-09-23 Xerox Corporation System and method for using concealed infrared identifiers to control motion-detecting social computing devices
EP2293254B1 (en) * 2009-09-04 2013-02-13 Neopost Technologies Automated mail inserting

Family Cites Families (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3933094A (en) * 1973-11-19 1976-01-20 United States Envelope Company Substrate having colored indicia thereon for read-out by infrared scanning apparatus
US4113105A (en) * 1977-03-07 1978-09-12 Docutronix, Inc. Device for checking envelopes for enclosed documents
US4317030A (en) * 1979-07-24 1982-02-23 Berghell Robin C Mailing package for facilitating automatic sorting of mail
DE3116257A1 (en) * 1980-05-30 1982-01-07 GAO Gesellschaft für Automation und Organisation mbH, 8000 München Security paper with authentication features
US4540887A (en) * 1983-01-28 1985-09-10 Xerox Corporation High contrast ratio paper sensor
KR890002004B1 (en) * 1984-01-11 1989-06-07 가부시끼 가이샤 도오시바 Distinction apparatus of papers
US5036984A (en) * 1986-08-13 1991-08-06 Electrocom Automation, Inc. Method for enabling prioritized processing of envelopes according to encoded indicia of potentially enclosed checks
US4828104A (en) * 1987-02-12 1989-05-09 Ribellino Jr James V Personalized mailing envelope or carrier and method of enclosing a personalized letter in a personalized mailing envelope or carrier
FR2616556B1 (en) * 1987-06-11 1989-10-06 Inter Color INSTALLATION FOR PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC TEST SLEEVES
US4908768A (en) * 1987-08-07 1990-03-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Inserter based mail manifesting system
FR2646364B1 (en) * 1989-04-27 1991-08-23 Bertin & Cie METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SORTING OBJECTS BEARING INSCRIPTIONS, SUCH AS POSTAL ITEMS, CHECKS, MANDATES
US5031223A (en) * 1989-10-24 1991-07-09 International Business Machines Corporation System and method for deferred processing of OCR scanned mail
US5036190A (en) * 1990-02-05 1991-07-30 Opex Corporation Method and apparatus for candling envelopes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69325339T2 (en) 1999-11-18
CA2109489C (en) 1996-11-05
EP0596720A3 (en) 1995-02-15
US5288994A (en) 1994-02-22
DE69325339D1 (en) 1999-07-22
EP0596720B1 (en) 1999-06-16
EP0596720A2 (en) 1994-05-11

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed