Patent EP0917075A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0917075A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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System and method for electronic and non-electronic mass mailing
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1998-11-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-11-11
Abstract
Abstract A printstream processor separates documents, e.g. in a printstream or batch, into a physical delivery printstream and an electronic delivery printstream based on delivery preferences stored in a database. The documents in the physical delivery printstream are printed and combined with physical inserts for physical delivery, e.g. by the U.S. Postal Server. The documents in the electronic delivery printstream are combined with electronic inserts for electronic delivery, for example, via electronic mail, facsimile, pager, or to a server on World Wide Web.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward P. Daniels, Jr.
- 👤 John F. Kwant
- 👤 Paul H. Mitchell
- 👤 John G. Rahrig
- 👤 Karl H. Schumacher
- 👤 Clare E. Woodman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 16:34
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L51/00; H04L51/06; H04L51/066; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
An electronic printstream delivery system, comprising: a printstream processor for separating a plurality of documents into a
physical delivery printstream and an electronic delivery printstream based on
delivery preferences stored in a database; a printer for printing the physical printstream to create a plurality of
printed documents; a physical inserter for generating physical mail pieces, wherein each
physical mail piece includes one of the plurality of printed documents and at
least some of the mail pieces include respective physical inserts; an electronic inserter for splitting the electronic delivery printstream into
a plurality of electronic documents and generating electronic mail pieces,
wherein each electronic mail piece includes one of the plurality of electronic
documents and at least some of the electronic mail pieces include respective
electronic inserts; and a message router for delivering the electronic mail pieces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising a regeneration processor
for receiving piece status information from the message router and for causing
a physical mail piece to be generated, corresponding to an electronic mail piece
if the piece status information of the electronic mail piece indicates that the
electronic mail piece has not been received.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 1, wherein one of the electronic inserts is an
electronic copy of one of the physical inserts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the message router is configured to
deliver electronic mail piece by one of a plurality of delivery mechanisms in
accord with a respective preference.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
deliver at least one of the electronic mail pieces to a World Wide Web server
and the electronic insert is a link to a page on the World Wide Web.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
deliver at least one of the electronic mail pieces via electronic mail.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
deliver at least one of the electronic mail pieces to a pager.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
deliver at least one of the electronic mail pieces to a facsimile machine and the
electronic insert is another document.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
deliver at least one of the electronic mail pieces to a printer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
selectively deliver the electronic mail pieces to a web server, an electronic mail
address, a pager, a facsimile machine, and a printer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the message router is configured to
send a notification message by another of the plurality of delivery mechanisms.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of electronic printstream delivery, comprising the steps of: separating a plurality of documents into a physical delivery printstream
and an electronic delivery printstream based on stored delivery preferences; printing the physical printstream to create a plurality of printed
documents; generating physical mail pieces, wherein each physical mail piece
includes one of the plurality of printed documents and at least some of the
physical mail pieces include respective physical inserts; splitting the electronic delivery printstream into a plurality of electronic
documents; generating electronic mail pieces, wherein each electronic mail piece
includes one of the plurality of electronic documents and at least some of the
electronic mail pieces include respective electronic inserts; and delivering the electronic mail pieces.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: receiving piece status information about an electronic mail piece; and causing a physical mail piece to be generated, corresponding to an
electronic mail piece if the piece status information of the electronic mail piece
indicates that the electronic mail piece has not been received.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the step of delivering the electronic
mail pieces includes delivering an electronic mail piece by one of a plurality of
delivery mechanisms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 14, wherein: the step of delivering an electronic mail piece includes delivering the
electronic mail piece to a World Wide Web server; and the step of generating the electronic mail pieces includes inserting a link
to a page on the World Wide Web in the electronic mail piece.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the step of delivering an electronic
mail piece includes delivering the electronic mail piece via electronic mail.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the step of delivering an electronic
mail piece includes delivering the electronic mail piece to a pager.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 14, wherein: the step of delivering an electronic mail piece includes delivering the
electronic mail piece to a facsimile machine; and the step of generating electronic mail pieces includes the step of
including another document with the electronic mail piece.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the step of delivering an electronic
mail piece includes delivering the electronic mail piece to a printer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the step of delivering the electronic
mail pieces includes selectively delivering the electronic mail pieces to a web
server, an electronic mail address, a pager, a facsimile machine, and a printer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of sending a
notification message by another of the plurality of delivery mechanisms.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of mass mailing, comprising the steps of: receiving a first batch of print images; determining whether or not each of the print images is to be delivered
physically or electronically based on stored delivery preferences indicating the
same; storing the print images determined to be delivered physically in a
second batch; and storing the print images determined to be delivered electronically in a
third batch.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of: storing respective first records indicating a physical delivery address for
all the print images of the first batch; and storing respective second records indicating an electronic delivery
address for all the print images of the third batch.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
79 words
A software product bearing a sequence of computer executable
instructions, said sequence of instructions comprising instructions for
performing the steps of: receiving a first batch of print images; determining whether or not each of the print images is to be delivered
physically or electronically based on stored delivery preferences indicating the
same; storing the print images determined to be delivered physically in a
second batch; and storing the print images determined to be delivered electronically in a
third batch.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
The software product of claim 24, further comprising instructions for
performing the steps of: storing respective first records indicating a physical delivery address for
all the print images of the first batch; and storing respective second records indicating an electronic delivery
address for all the print images of the third batch.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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