EP1733809B1 - Method for treatement of mail - Google Patents

Abstract

The processing method uses processing units (20) linked to one another inside a data network whereby a process sequence is determined in which the mailing data are identified by the processing units (20) and first details are stored in the processing units through a further processing unit and are assigned link data to establish a data link to a second processing unit. The link data are prepared by an administration unit (30) and the first processing unit establishes the data link to the second processing unit by using the link data in order to send the image of the surface of the letter to the second processing unit or to retrieve this image from the second processing unit. The data network can link processing units located in two or more different mail processing centres. The link data for establishing the data link to the second processing unit can be a network address of the second unit.

Description

The invention relates to a method for processing a mail item, in which an image of a surface of the mail item is detected in a processing unit and the mail item associated mailing data are determined in further processing units from the image of the surface, wherein the processing units are interconnected within a data network.

For transporting mailpieces to their destination addresses, shipments are usually collected at the point of departure at a distribution center of a postal company and assigned to the distribution center at the destination in the context of departure sorting. At the destination, a sorting is then carried out according to the delivery districts of the destination and according to the sequence within the delivery districts, i. according to the order in which the destination addresses are served by a deliverer.

The processes for sorting the mailpieces are automated to a high degree, wherein in a distribution center a plurality of processing units are used for sorting and for determining the information required for the sorting.

In this case, an image of the mailing surface is usually first recorded in a scanning device, which is transferred to a coding system in which the recipient address is read. The coding system comprises several automatic Address readers and multiple video encoders, where the address is determined by the video coding staff, if they could not be read automatically. Furthermore, processing units are used to automatically determine the weight and dimensions of a mailpiece and to check the franking.

The automatically determined shipment data, such as the coded addresses, the weight and the dimensions and the validity of the franking, are then transferred to a sorting machine in order to be able to sort the shipments on the basis of these data.

In this case, the data is assigned to the mailpieces on the basis of an identification code which is applied to the mailpieces, or the mailpieces are located in a storage path of the sorting machine, while the mailing data are automatically determined.

A method for automated mail processing, for example, in the publication E.-K. Aschomeit, "Electronics accelerate mail delivery - remote coding improves automatic mail processing", electronics, Vol. 41, no. 16, WEKA trade magazine publisher Poing described. In the known method, an image processing bus system serves as a platform for transferring image information between address readers and video encoding units and for accessing a dictionary. The overall system is controlled by a control computer communicating with the bus system. In particular, the address readers transfer image data via the bus system into a memory from which they can be read out by the video coding units.

The control of processing units in a distribution center usually takes place before a central control device which transmits the image of the mailing surface to the processing units required for processing and provides the processing results determined by the processing units the sorting machines available.

The central control unit is equipped to handle these tasks with numerous functionalities and thus very complex. The risk that the entire shipment processing is interrupted in the distribution center with a failure of the control unit is very large.

A further disadvantage is that the central control devices control only the processing units of a distribution center, so that the exchange of shipment data between processing units in different distribution centers, for example in the distribution center at the point of departure and the distribution center at the destination, only via the central control facilities of these distribution centers can.

For this purpose, a further interface of the central control device is required and in each control unit an evaluation of the shipment data set is required, whereby the control of the data flow in the processing of the shipment data in a cross-location data exchange is complicated and expensive.

Likewise, for example, in the German Offenlegungsschrift DE 43 24 255 A1 already proposed to perform the video coding in a video coding center, if the capacity in a distribution center is not sufficient.

However, the connection of a video coding center is very complicated by means of the known control devices in the distribution centers.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method for processing shipment data of the type mentioned, in which the shipment data can be exchanged between processing units in a simple manner. In particular, a simple cross-location data exchange should also be possible.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method having the features of patent claim 1.

According to the invention, it is provided that a method according to the preamble of claim 1 is carried out such that a process sequence is determined in which the shipment data are determined by the processing units, that in the processing units each first information on at least one further preceding in the process order and / or subsequent processing unit are stored such that the first information is assigned connection information for establishing a data connection to a second processing unit, wherein the connection information is provided by a management unit, and that a first processing unit establishes a data connection to the second processing unit using the connection information, to transmit the image to the second processing unit or retrieve the image from the second processing unit.

Advantageously, data communication takes place here, i. the exchange of shipment data, directly between two processing units, ie decentralized. In this way, the shipment data may be sent from a processing unit directly to the processing unit following in the process order provided for processing the shipment data record or retrieved from a processing unit preceding the process order, thereby substantially simplifying the data transfer processes in a mail processing center.

In particular, the method can be carried out independently of whether the processing unit preceding or following in the process sequence is located in the same or in another mail processing center. The structure of the data connection to this processing unit takes place in both cases in the same way.

Thus, the exchange of shipment data between the processing units and in particular the cross-location data exchange significantly simplified and the processes in the processing of shipment data, which are also carried out site-wide, taken into account to a greater extent.

The central management unit has only the task in the method to manage and provide connection information, and thus can be made much simpler than a central processing unit, which handles the data communication between the processing units.

As a result, the central management unit is less susceptible to disruption, thereby increasing the availability of the entire editing system in a postal processing center of a postal company.

Moreover, the method according to the invention is based on the concept of a so-called abstraction, wherein the processing units do not have to have the connection information for setting up a data connection to other processing units. These are provided by the administrative unit.

Advantageously, therefore, only the connection information in the management unit must be adapted when connection information for setting up a data connection to a particular processing unit change, which may for example be the case when a processing unit of a mail processing center fails and by a processing unit with the same functionality in another Mail processing center is replaced or if a processing unit is integrated into the system or to be removed from the system.

Thus, the entire processing system is very flexible, which also results in a high availability, since the system can be easily and quickly adjusted especially in the event of a fault.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that in the data network processing units are connected to each other, which are located in at least two different mail processing centers.

A mail processing center may in the context of the invention be any processing center for processing the physical shipment and / or the image of the mailing surface operated by a postal company. In particular, this can be a distribution center in which, for example, the incoming or outgoing sorting of the mail items is carried out, or a video coding center.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the image of the surface of the mail item is contained in a mailing data record which is supplemented in the processing units by mail data determined from the image.

In this way, the image of the surface of the mailpiece can be transferred to the various processing units in a predetermined sequence, wherein the processing units successively supplement the mailing data record, so that after the processing of the mailing data record in the last Processing unit in the process order a shipment record with all necessary for the sorting shipment data is present.

It is preferably provided that the first processing unit transmits the mailing data record to the second processing unit or retrieves the mailing data record from the second processing unit.

The data communication is thus advantageously carried out in the context of a push or a pull-oriented data transmission, i. During transmission, either the sender or the recipient of the transmission data record becomes active.

It is advantageously provided in one embodiment of the invention that the first processing unit transmits the first information to the administrative unit, the first information is assigned the connection information within the administrative unit, and the management unit transmits the connection information to the first processing unit.

In an equally advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the management unit transmits the connection information to the first processing unit and the association between the first information and the connection information within the first processing unit is performed.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the first information stored in the first processing units about the further processing units include an indication of the functionality of the further processing units.

This is advantageously a generic indication of the further processing units, so that the management unit can select the connection information for setting up the data connection to another processing unit from a plurality of connection information for establishing a data connection to processing units with the same functionality. The flexibility of the process is thus further increased,

In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the processing units log on to the management unit.

With the registration at the administrative unit, a processing unit makes its functionality available to other processing units, which can retrieve the connection information for establishing a data connection to a processing unit registered at the administrative unit from the administrative unit.

Preferably, it is provided that a processing unit transmits first registration information to the administrative unit upon registration, wherein the first registration information includes an indication of the functionality of this processing unit as well as billing information for setting up a data connection to this processing unit.

Appropriately, the assignment between the first information and the connection information to build a Data connection to the second processing unit made using the first registration information.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is additionally provided that a processing unit transmits second registration information to the administration unit during the registration, wherein the second registration information includes information about further processing units that immediately precede or follow in the process sequence.

This information corresponds to the section of the process sequence that clearly indicates the position of a processing unit within the process sequence.

It is preferably provided that the management unit determines the position of a processing unit within the process sequence on the basis of the second registration information and integrates this processing unit in the process order.

The processing system is thus "plug-and-play" capable, ie, the administrative unit recognizes at logon what kind of a log-on processing unit is, and how it is to be integrated into the process order, without them over This information must be provided or that information must be provided or entered by a third party, such as an administrator.

Further, in this way, the process order is changed depending on the actually existing ones and on the administrative unit logged in processing units created. When registering, a corresponding adaptation of the process sequence thus takes place.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the administrative unit transmits the process order to the processing units.

The processing units thus always have the current process sequence in which all processing units registered at the administrative unit are taken into account.

Advantageously, it is furthermore provided that a processing unit determines the first information about the preceding processing units preceding and / or following in the process sequence on the basis of the process sequence obtained by the administrative unit.

In this way, the processing units determine their own position in the process order based on the current process order and in particular determine the current processing units preceding or following in the processing sequence.

In this case, the information about all further processing units preceding a processing unit in the process sequence from which the mailpiece data record is retrieved is preferably contained in the first information.

Furthermore, information about all subsequent to a processing unit in the process order is further Processing units to which the shipment record is transmitted, included in the first information.

Of the second information which the processing units preferably transmit to the administrative unit during log-on, the first information in this embodiment of the invention thus differs in that not only information about the processing units preceding and following directly in the process sequence but also information about all other processing units contained in the process order from which the mailing record can be retrieved or to which the mailing record can be transmitted.

In this case, it is preferably provided that a processing unit assigns a priority to the first indications of the further processing units following in the process sequence, the priorities being reduced in the order in which the subsequent processing units follow in the process order of this processing unit.

On the basis of the priorities defined thereby, it is thus possible to identify the processing unit immediately following in the process sequence, the subsequent processing unit, etc., whereby the priority for the later successors is reduced.

Preferably, it is further provided that a processing unit is assigned a priority to each of the first indications of the further processing units preceding in the process sequence, wherein the priorities are reduced in the order in which the preceding processing units in the process order of this processing unit.

On the basis of the priority thus established, the processing unit immediately preceding the processing sequence, the preceding processing unit, etc. can thus be identified, whereby the priority for the earlier successors is reduced.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the first processing unit establishes a data connection to a lower priority processing unit preceding or following in the process order if the establishment of a data connection to a processing unit preceding or succeeding in the higher priority processing unit fails.

In this way, resilience is advantageously created, wherein the processing units establish a data connection to the next preceding or subsequent processing unit if the establishment of a data connection to a specific processing unit fails. This ensures that the data flow is not interrupted if a processing unit fails.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that transmission conditions are stored in the processing units for further processing units preceding and / or following in the process sequence, under which the mailpiece data record is transmitted to the further processing units or retrieved by the further processing units.

On the basis of the transmission conditions, it can be decided to which of the transmission data sets immediately following in the process sequence is to be transmitted under certain conditions or from which of the processing units immediately preceding the processing sequence the transmission data set is to be called under certain conditions.

Preferably, the transmission conditions relate to transmission data contained in the transmission data record.

This can be specified, for example, for an automatic address reader, that the mailing data set to be transferred to a video coding, if predetermined address components could not be introduced by the automatic address reserver in the mailing record.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is also provided that in a processing unit a plurality of first information about this processing unit in the process sequence immediately preceding and / or subsequent second processing units are stored with different functionalities, for which different transmission conditions are given.

In an equally advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is further provided that in a processing unit a plurality of first information about this processing unit in the process order preceding and / or subsequent second processing units are stored with different functionalities, which is assigned the same priority and for which different transmission conditions are given ,

Expediently, in the first processing unit, a second processing unit, to which the mailpiece data record is transmitted or from which the mailing data record is retrieved, is determined on the basis of the transmission conditions predetermined for the second processing unit.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a management unit is located in each mail processing center and that the processing units log on to the administration unit of the mail processing center in which it is operated.

In this way, each mail processing center can also be operated autonomously.

In order that the registration information of processing units in another mail processing center is also present in a mail processing center, it is preferably provided that the registration information is exchanged between the administration units of the mail processing centers.

Appropriately, it is also provided that the first processing unit transmits the first information to the administrative unit of the mail processing center in which it is operated.

Expediently, the connection information for establishing the data connection to the second processing unit comprises a network address of the second processing unit.

Further advantages, features and expedient developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to FIGS.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Netzwerks mit miteinander vernetzten Bearbeitungseinheiten und einer Verwaltungseinheit in einem Postbearbeitungszentrum,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Darstellung eines Netzwerks mit miteinander vernetzten Bearbeitungseinheiten und jeweils einer Verwaltungseinheit in zwei Postbearbeitungszentren,

Fig. 3

eine schematische Darstellung des Aufbaus einer Verwaltungseinheit,

Fig. 4

ein Ablaufdiagramm, in dem die Erstellung einer neuen Prozessreihenfolge veranschaulicht ist,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Darstellung verschiedener Bearbeitungseinheitenverbünde,

Fig. 6

eine schematische Darstellung einer in eine Verwaltungseinheit integrierten Lastausgleichseinheit und mehrer Bearbeitungseinheiten und

Fig. 7

eine schematische Darstellung mit einer Verwaltungseinheit und mehreren Bearbeitungseinheiten, die jeweils über eine Lastausgleichseinheit verfügen.

From the figures shows

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a network with interconnected processing units and a management unit in a mail processing center,

Fig. 2

a schematic representation of a network with interconnected processing units and each one administrative unit in two mail processing centers,

Fig. 3

a schematic representation of the structure of an administrative unit,

Fig. 4

a flow chart illustrating the creation of a new process order,

Fig. 5

a schematic representation of various processing unit networks,

Fig. 6

a schematic representation of an integrated in a management unit load balancing unit and multiple processing units and

Fig. 7

a schematic representation with a management unit and multiple processing units, each having a load balancing unit.

In the processing of mailings usually take place a departure sorting in a distribution center at the sender of the shipments as well as an input sorting in a distribution center at its destination. In departure sorting, the shipments are sorted to the mail processing centers in the destinations where the inbound sorting involves sorting the shipments by the order of delivery routes at the destination.

Address information and other data relevant to the sorting or transport of the mailpieces, such as, for example, the regularity of the franking, are determined by processing units that are connected to the sorting devices in terms of data.

The processing units are given an image of the mailing surface, from which they determine the information required for sorting according to their functionality. In this case, a distinction must be made between an online processing in which the items are within a storage line in the sorting machine during the processing of the image and an offline processing in which the items are not in the sorting machine during the processing of the image.

The assignment between the image or the information determined from the image and the physical transmission takes place during the offline processing by means of a unique ID code, which is printed on the program and assigned to the image.

The invention can equally be used for online and offline processing.

Address information is determined in a coding system comprising a plurality of processing units. These are, in particular, automatic address readers in which the address information is read automatically by means of an OCR software, and a video coding system with a plurality of video coding stations, to which the image of the mailing surface is transferred in the event of an unsuccessful reading attempt in an automatic address reader.

Furthermore, the image is fed to an automatic franking reader, in which an automatic franking check is carried out, and further processing units can be provided, such as automatic retransmission readers, in which it is determined whether there is a forwarding order for the mailpiece.

The processing units can be operated in the distribution centers of a postal company or in other mail processing centers. In particular, at least one mail processing center can also be a video coding center into which the video coding for some or all distribution centers is outsourced.

Like in the FIG. 1 shown schematically, it is provided in the invention that the processing units 20 are connected to each other in a mail processing center 10 within a data network.

Their functionality is provided by the processing units 20 within the network in the form of so-called CORBA objects available, which can be used by other processing units 20 or called. CORBA objects and their use are in principle known to those skilled in the art.

The in the FIG. 1 Data communication within the network illustrated by the solid lines, ie the exchange of transmission data, preferably takes place directly between the processing units 20.

The network is thus a so-called peer-to-peer network, in which the processing units 20, on the one hand, make services available and, on the other hand, use the services of other processing units 20.

In the data network, any processing units 20 can be integrated, which are provided for determining shipment data from the image of the surface of a mail item.

Also, sorting machines or control systems for the sorting machines, which feed the recorded images of the mailing surface into the data network and to which the information determined from the image for the sorting of the mailings, can be integrated into the data network.

It is provided that during the processing of a mailpiece first a mailing data record with the image of the mailing surface is generated by the processing units 20 respectively to broadcast data, in particular from the image determined broadcast data, such as the name and components of the address of the consignee or the regularity of the franking.

The complete, i. All the shipment information record containing relevant information is then transmitted to the control systems of the sorting machine provided for the sorting or a sorting machine network provided for the sorting in order to sort the mailpiece on the basis of the mailing data.

The shipment data record comprises, in addition to the image of the mailing surface, further data elements, such as, for example, the weight, the dimensions, the postal code, the name, the street and the house number of the recipient, as well as the data elements relating to the regularity of the franking. In addition, the mailing data record preferably contains an indication of the mail processing center 10 in which the associated mailpiece has been received.

The mailing data record preferably also contains a unique ID number with which the associated mailpiece is also provided. During the sorting of the mail item, the ID number in the sorting machine is detected and the mailing data record with the read-in ID number is determined, from which the mailing data are then read, by means of which the sorting takes place. In the case of online processing, however, the ID number can also be dispensed with.

The values of the data elements are determined by the processing units 20 according to their functionality and stored in the mailing data record, the mailing data record being assigned to the processing units 20 of different functionality is successively transferred in a predetermined process order.

In this case, transfer conditions for the values of the data elements are defined, in the presence of which the shipment data record is transferred from a processing unit 20 having a first functionality to a processing unit 20 having a second functionality.

If one considers, for example, the coding of the delivery address as a sub-process in the entire process sequence, the shipment data record is first transmitted to an automatic address reader. If the delivery address can not be determined within a predetermined period of time, the shipment data record is transferred to a video coding station. Otherwise, it is sent by the automatic address reader, for example, to a franking reader, which checks the regularity of the franking on the basis of the determined delivery address.

In order to transfer the mailing data record to a processing unit 20 following in the process order or to retrieve it from a processing unit 20 preceding in the process order, connection information is required which in particular includes the network address of this processing unit 20 and the port address of the service provided by it.

These are provided to the processing units 20 by a management unit 30 in which the processing units 20 of the mail processing center 10 are registered.

In the FIG. 2 In addition to the network described, a further network is shown in a second mail processing center 10 in a second mail processing center 10, in which processing units 20 are also networked and can connect to one another in a data connection.

The second mail processing center 10 likewise has a management unit 30 which supplies the processing units 20 with the connection information.

In order to enable cross-processing center data communication between the processing units 20, the management units 30 of the mail processing centers 10 exchange registration information of the processing units 20 registered in the respective mail processing center 10.

In order to retrieve a shipment data record from a processing unit 20 of the other mail processing center 10 or to transmit the shipment data record to a processing unit 20 of the other mail processing center 10, a processing unit 20 receives the connection information from the administration unit 30 of its own mail processing center 10.

In the same way, the processing units 20 of any number of mail processing centers 10 can be networked within a network, each mail processing center 10 preferably having its own management unit 30 and the various administrative units 30 exchange registration information with each other.

By means of the own administration unit 30, each mail processing center 10 can thus be operated autonomously. However, shipment data sets can also be exchanged across processing centers between processing units 20.

In order to make their functionality available to other processing units 20, the processing units 20 of a mail processing center 10 log on to the administration unit 30 of this mail processing center 10 and are registered there.

When registering a processing unit 20, the administration unit 30 in particular has the task of creating a process order (PcO) for the successive processing of the mailing data record by the registered processing units 20 and grouping the registered processing units 20 with the same functionality into a processing unit network. For this, the management unit 30 has a PcO manager 40 and a grouping component 50.

To create the process order, a processing unit 20 transmits a service PcO to the administration unit 30 when logging in, which is part of the configuration of the processing unit 20 and is stored in a memory during its programming.

In addition, a processing unit 20 transmits at logon information about its functionality, its network address and the port address under which the service it provides can be accessed.

In particular, the service PCO contains a creation date or version number, whereby the PCO manager 40 can always determine the current service PCO for processing units 20 with the same functionality and take them into account when generating the process order.

It also contains an indication of the functionality of the processing unit 20 or another generic name of the processing unit 20. The manner in which a particular processing unit 20, such as a video coding station, or its functionality is to be designated, becomes uniform throughout the processing center spanning network predetermined.

In addition, in the service Pco, the functionalities of the immediate predecessor and successor processing units of a processing unit 20 are specified within the process order.

These are the processing units 20 immediately preceding and / or following the processing unit 20 within the intended process sequence.

In this case, a processing unit 20 receives shipment data records, in particular from the immediate predecessor processing unit, and passes them on to the successor processing unit after processing, in particular.

The service PCO of a processing unit 20 thus indicates the possible "paths" that a shipment data record can take to a processing unit 20 and away from a processing unit 20 within the process sequence.

In the service PCO of a processing unit 20, for each predecessor and successor processing unit, in addition to the functionality, in particular also a transmission type is specified, as well as one or more transmission conditions,

The transmission type determines whether the transmission data record is transferred from the predecessor processing unit and to the successor processing units in the context of a push-oriented or pull-oriented transmission method.

In the push-oriented transmission method, the transmission is initiated by the sender of the transmission data record, i. the mailing data record is sent by a first processing unit 20 to a second processing unit 20 following in the process order.

In the pull-oriented transmission method, the transmission is initiated by the receiver of the transmission data set, i. the second processing unit 20 following in the process order retrieves the mailing data record from the first processing unit 20.

Under the conditions under which conditions a shipment data record is retrieved by a processing unit 20 from a processing unit 20 preceding in the process order, or under which conditions a shipment data record is transmitted by a processing unit 20 to a processing unit 20 following in the process order.

The transmission conditions preferably relate to the data elements in the serial data record, wherein, for example certain limit values or data formats can be specified, in the presence of which the mailing data record is to arrive at a processing unit 20 following in the process sequence or in whose presence it is not intended to reach the subsequent processing unit 20.

Of particular importance are the transmission conditions when a processing unit 20 has several immediate successor or predecessor processing units to which the transmission data record is transferred under different conditions or from which the transmission data record is retrieved under different conditions.

An example of such a processing unit 20 is an automatic address reader whose immediate successor processing units are a video coding station as well as an automatic franking reader or a retransmission reader.

Based on the transmission conditions can be specified that a mailing data set is transmitted to a video coding only if at least one of the recipient address descriptive data elements of the mailing record after processing the mailing record in the automatic address reader has the value zero or is empty, since its value could not be detected automatically.

In addition, there is the possibility that, within an old process sequence, there is data communication between the predecessor processing unit of a processing unit 20 and another processing unit 20 which is directly in the current process sequence and which in the new process sequence, which is created on the basis of the service PCO, should be replaced.

Therefore, it can be specified in the service Pc0 that a communication path between an immediate predecessor processing unit and another processing unit 20 with a specific functionality to be specified should be omitted.

If there is already data communication between the immediate predecessor processing unit and another processing unit 20 in an old process sequence and the service PCO does not specify that the communication path should be omitted, it will be retained as an alternative communication path in the process sequence to be newly created.

For the immediate successor processing units an indication of outdated communication paths is not necessary because in the service PcO all successor processing units are already specified and such a replacement is thus made almost automatically based on the information in the service PcO.

The creation of a new process order made in the PCO manager 40 is in the FIG. 4 illustrates:

The service PcO transmitted to the management unit 30 during the registration of a processing unit 20 is thereby transferred to the PcO manager 40, which initially determines the functionality of the registering processing unit 20 from the service PcO in step 410 and checks it in step 420 if already a service PCO for a processing unit 20 with the same functionality and has been used to create the existing process order.

If this is not the case, a new process sequence is created using the service PcO, which for this purpose is integrated into the existing process sequence in step 430.

If there is already a service PcO for a processing unit 20 with the same functionality, the creation date of the service PcO is determined in step 440 and it is checked in step 450 whether it is younger than the creation date of the existing service PcO.

If the service PcO of the enrollment processing unit 20 is younger than the existing service PcO, a new process order is created and the PcO manager 40 proceeds to step 430. At an older creation date, the service PcO becomes 460 discarded.

This ensures that the process order is always based on the most up-to-date service PcO for the processing units 20 with the same functionality,

The new process order is created by the PcO manager 40 in step 430 based on the information about the predecessor and successor processing units in the service PcO, which uniquely describe the position that the registering processing unit 20 should take in the process order.

In particular, the registering processing unit 20 is placed in the process order between the predecessor and successor processing units specified in the service PcO,

If no predecessor or successor processing units are specified in the service Pc0 of a processing unit 20, then this processing unit 20 marks the start or the end point of the process order.

In step 470, it is checked whether the integration of the service PcO in the process order has occurred without errors, i. in particular, whether in the process order a clear and uninterrupted path of the transmission data set from the start to the end point is specified.

If this is not the case, for example due to incomplete or incorrect information in the service PCO, the PCO manager 40 proceeds to step 460 and the service PCO is discarded.

If the service PcO could be incorporated error-free into the process sequence, a reconfiguration of all processing units 20 of the own mail processing center 10, including the registering processing unit 20, to be described will be initiated by the administration unit 30.

Further, even if the service PcO has been discarded, a response to the logon is communicated to the logon processing unit 20, which contains the current process order as well as the service PcO associated with the processing units 20 having the same functionality how the registering processing unit 20 has been used to create the applicable process order.

However, no reconfiguration is initiated because no changes occur in the process order for the other processing units 20.

Preferably, in order to reconfigure the processing units 20, a reconfiguration event is triggered in the event handler of the administration unit 30, which in the FIG. 3 designated by the reference numeral 60.

The event handler 60 generally serves to communicate management information, in particular the process order, from the management unit 30 of a mail processing center 10 to the processing units 20 of that mail processing center 10, wherein the processing units 20 can register for the management events that occur, respectively. The registration for the reconfiguration event is mandatory for all processing units 20.

If a processing unit 20 receives a new process order in response to the logon event or a reconfiguration event, it is passed within the processing unit 20 to a PcO worker who identifies the processing unit 20 within the process order based on its functionality and the process order for the processing unit 20 determined relevant information.

The PcO worker extracts a "chapter" from the process order, which, like the service PcO of a processing unit 20, provides information about the functionality of the immediate predecessor and successor processing units of a processing unit 20, as well as the immediate predecessor and successor Processing units assigned to transmission types and conditions.

In addition, however, the chapter of a processing unit 20 also contains information about the functionalities and transmission conditions for all preceding in the process order to the starting point processing units 20, which have at least one immediate successor processing unit, which retrieves mailing records in a pull-oriented transmission method of these processing units 20 ,

These indications are each given a priority which reflects the position of such processing unit 20 preceding in the process order in the process order.

The first predecessor processing unit within the process order, from which shipment records are retrieved in a pull-oriented procedure, thereby receives the priority 1, the next predecessor processing unit in the process order, from at least one of its immediate successor processing units via a poll procedure is addressed, priority 2, etc.,

If there is an instance with multiple processing units 20 in the process order, from which the shipment records are retrieved in a pull-oriented transfer process, ie if there are a plurality of such processing units 20 that can alternatively process shipment data records, then these processing units 20 receive the same priority.

The chapter of a processing unit 20 furthermore contains information about the functionalities of all processing units 20 that follow this processing unit 20 in the process order, as well as information about the transmission conditions associated with these processing units 20,

The subsequent processing units 20 in the process order are assigned a priority in an analogous manner, which indicates the position of the processing unit 20 in the process order. In this case, the immediate successor processing units receive the priority 1, the processing units 20 in the process sequence immediately following processing units 20 receive the priority 2, etc.

By means of this information, a processing unit 20 can retrieve shipment records from a low-priority predecessor processing unit if a higher-priority processing unit 20 fails. Likewise, it may transmit shipment records to lower priority successor processing units if a higher priority processing unit 20 fails.

This ensures that the data flow is not interrupted even if a processing unit 20 fails.

Another task of the administrative unit 30 of a mail processing center 10 is to combine registered processing units 20 with the same functionality.

Within a mail processing center 10, the processing units 20 registered in the administration unit 30, which are operated in the mail processing center 10, are grouped by the grouping component 50 of the administration unit 30 into local processing unit associations, wherein the different processing unit groups each comprise processing units 20 with the same functionality.

In this case, a service list is created in the grouping component 50 for each local processing unit network, which comprises the connection information for the processing units 20 of the processing unit network.

The assignment of a processing unit 20 to a processing unit network preferably takes place during the logon on the basis of the information on the functionality of the processing unit 20 communicated to the administrative unit 30 during the logon.

After the assignment, the connection information also transmitted during the registration is stored in the service list of the Hearbeitungseinheitenverbunde to which the processing unit 20 has been assigned.

If there is no processing unit network for the functionality of the registering processing unit 20, such is created with an associated service list.

Further, in the grouping component 50, for each local processing unit group or service list determines whether the included processing units 20 can only be accessed by other processing units 20 of the same mail processing center 10 or whether the access can also be global, ie, by processing units 20 of other mail processing centers 10.

In addition, it can also be individually specified for each processing unit 20 whether it is available locally or globally, wherein this information is preferably transmitted to the management unit 30 during the registration from a processing unit 20.

Thus, from a global processing unit group within a mail processing center 10, processing units 20 can also be included, which can only be accessed locally. A processing unit network that comprises at least one processing unit 20 that is globally accessible is regarded as global.

Processing units 20, which are no longer available for the determination or processing of shipment data, log off at the management unit 30.

In this case, a logoff is sent, for example, to the administration unit 30 if maintenance work is to be performed on a processing unit 20 or if a processing unit 20 in a mail processing center 10 is permanently dismantled.

In the case of video coding stations, it can also be provided that they log off at the administration unit 30 of the mail processing center 10 in which they are operated, if they are left by the video coding personnel, for example during a shift change.

In the unsubscribe message sent to the administration unit 30 for deregistration, an indication of the functionality of the deregistering processing unit 20 is included as well as an indication of its connection information.

In the administration unit 30, a logging-off processing unit 20 is first identified on the basis of its functionality and it is checked whether a plurality of processing units 20 having the same functionality as the logging-off processing unit 20 are registered within a processing unit network.

If this is the case, the logging-off processing unit 20 or its connection information is deleted from the service list of the processing unit network corresponding to the functionality of the processing unit 20. This is done by the grouping component 50.

However, if the deregistering processing unit 20 is the only registered processing unit 20 with a particular functionality, a new process order is generated by the PcO manager 40 in which the deregistering processing unit 20 is no longer contained.

The new process sequence is subsequently checked in the PcO manager 40, wherein in particular it is checked whether an uninterrupted and clear path of the shipment data record is determined by the production system with the process order.

If this is the case, as already described, a reconfiguration of the remaining processing units 20 of the mail processing center 10 is initiated.

A further task of the administration unit 30 of a mail processing center 10 is the administration of lease management for the registered processing units 20 of the mail processing center 10.

The lease management is performed by a lease manager 70 of the management unit 30.

In this case, the lease manager 70 assigns a validity period to each processing unit 20, wherein the processing units 20 log on again to the management unit 30 before expiry of the validity period, preferably between the expiration of 0.8 times and 0.9 times the validity period must send a predetermined signal to the management unit 30.

If the renewed registration or the signal of a processing unit 20 remains off, this processing unit 20 is automatically logged off after expiry of the validity period.

The validity period is the same for all processing units 20 of a mail processing center 10. It is preferably between 100 and 500 seconds and begins each time after their expiration.

A newly registered at the management unit 30 processing unit 20 is notified in this case the validity period with a response to the application.

The lease management prevents the service list from containing connection information for processing units 20 that have been unintentionally or not logged off due to an error, even though they are not available for the processing of shipment records.

In order to enable cross-processing center communication between processing units 20, a synchronization of the administrative units 30 of all processing centers 10 is performed, which are combined in a predetermined association. This can in particular include all mail processing centers 10, which are operated by a postal company.

In the synchronization, management information for the processing units 20 registered in the various mail processing centers 10 is exchanged between the management units 30 of the mail processing centers 10.

This preferably takes place in the context of a so-called multicast transmission, in which each management unit 30 sends the management information to a multicast address of the network, via which the management information is forwarded to the administrative units 30 of the various other mail processing centers 10.

The synchronization takes place at regular intervals. Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it may be provided that a management unit 30 also sends the management information to the remaining administration units 30 after a processing unit 20 has been logged on or off at this management unit 30.

The management information stored in the administration unit 30 of a mail processing center 10, which is made available to the other administration units 30 during synchronization, comprises at least the service lists of the global processing unit groups of a mail processing center 10 or the connection information and functionalities of the processing units 20 of a mail processing center 10. which can be accessed globally.

If at least one processing unit 20 is present in each mail processing center 10 for each task or functionality required for processing the mailing data, this information is sufficient for synchronization.

On the other hand, it can also be provided that processing units 20 with specific functionalities are present only in certain locations 20.

In this case, the management information transmitted to the remaining management units 30 during synchronization additionally also includes the service PcOs of the registered globally accessible processing units 20, so that they can be integrated into the mail processing centers 10 in the process order.

In addition to a complete synchronization, it can also be provided, in particular when a processing unit 20 of a particular processing unit network is logged in or out, that only the updated service list of the processing unit network concerned is transmitted to the other administrative units 30 for synchronization or the management information of a processing unit 20 that logs in or out.

The management information received by a management unit 30 during synchronization is processed in the grouping component 50 and optionally in the PcO manager 40.

The grouping component 50 assumes the connection information obtained for the global processing units 20 with different functionalities in the corresponding own service lists.

The connection information of a processing unit 20 are stored in the service lists together with an indication of the mail processing center 10 in which this processing unit 20 is located.

If, during the synchronization in the administration unit 30 of a mail processing center 10, the service PcO of a processing unit 20 is received with a functionality for which no processing unit network exists in the mail processing center 10, then the service PcO is transferred to the PcO manager 40.

This binds the service PCO as well as in the local registration of a processing unit 20 in the manner already described in the process order and triggers, as also already described, a reconfiguration event for the processing units 20 of the mail processing center 10.

Likewise, a new process order is created by the PCO manager 40 if, after synchronization, no further processing units 20 of a certain functionality are available, since all globally available processing units 20 have logged off this functionality in other mail processing centers 10.

In this case, the corresponding processing unit 20 is deleted from the process order, and a reconfiguration event is also initiated in the mail processing center 10.

In the manner described above, a processing center-spanning data network is created, in which processing units 20 with different functionalities are networked to one another, wherein a shipment data record is transferred to the processing units 20 in a predetermined process order as part of a peer-to-peer connection, and the processing units 20 with consignment data to complete. The processing units 20 are thereby integrated by a plug-and-play mechanism into the process sequence for processing the mailing data record.

The process order and the connection information used by one processing unit 20 to establish a data connection to another processing unit 20 preceding or following the process order are managed and provided by management units 30, one of which is preferably present in each mail processing center 10. Thus, each mail processing center 10 can be operated autonomously.

Advantageously, there are machining center-overlapping processing unit networks which on the one hand enable processing center-spanning load balancing and on the other hand permit processing units 20 of another mail processing center 10 to be used for processing the mailing data records if processing units 20 with this functionality are not present in a mail processing center 10.

In this way, for example, a video coding center, into which the video coding of the address data of a plurality of mail processing centers 10 can be outsourced, can be integrated into the data network. This is treated as if it were another mail processing center 10 in which only video coding stations are operated as processing units 20.

The combination of local processing unit groups into global processing unit groups, in which the comprising processing units 20 can be used across processing centers, is described in US Pat FIG. 5 illustrated by the example of two mail processing centers 11 and 12.

In the situation illustrated by way of example, the local processing unit group 60A for the functionality A and the processing unit group BOB for the functionality B exist in the mail processing center 11, the processing units 20 of the processing unit group 80A only locally, but the processing units 20 of the processing unit group 80B global, ie both Mail processing centers 11 and 12 are accessible.

In the mail processing center 12, the processing unit groups 81B and 81C exist for the functions B and C, the processing units 20 of the two processing unit groups 81B and 81C being globally accessible.

Overall, this results in an exclusively local processing unit group BOA for the functionality A, a global processing unit group 90B for the functionality B consisting of the local processing unit groups BOB and 81B, and a global processing unit group 90C for the functionality C consisting only of the local processing unit group 81C.

The communication of the processing units 20 with each other is carried out using the chapter of the process order, which is created in the manner described above by the processing units 20 and subsequently stored in the processing units 20.

In this case, a processing unit 20 can establish a data connection to the processing units 20 preceding them in the process order, from which the mailpiece data record is retrieved as part of a pull-oriented data transmission, and to the processing units 20 specified in the following in the process order who receive the shipment record as part of a push-oriented data transfer.

If a push-oriented transmission of the transmission data record to a processing unit 20 following in the process order is provided for a processing unit 20, the processing unit 20 successively attempts to process the transmission data record in the order of processing as specified in the chapter Subsequent processing units 20 to communicate, the order in which this is done, is determined based on the priorities that are assigned to the subsequent processing units 20 in the chapter.

When a processing unit 20 retrieves the shipment record in the course of a push-oriented transfer from a processing unit 20 preceding in the process order, the processing unit 20 successively tries in the order based on the priorities of the processing units 20 indicated in the chapter, the shipment data from that in the Chapters specified in the Vorvensfolge previous processing units 20 call.

In both cases, an attempt is made to establish a data connection to a processing unit 20 with a higher priority if no data connection could be established to the processing unit 20 with the next-lowest priority.

If there are several processing units 20 of different functionalities with the same priority preceding or succeeding in the process sequence, a processing unit 20 determines the further processing unit 20 from which the mailing data record is retrieved or to which the mailing data record is transmitted based on the predetermined transmission conditions.

To retrieve a shipment data record from a predecessor processing unit determined from the chapter in the manner described above or to transmit the shipment data to a determined successor processing unit, one needs Processing unit 20 the connection information for this predecessor or successor processing unit.

In this case, this connection information is retrieved by the active processing unit 20 from a load balancing unit 100 by means of a service request.

In a first embodiment of the invention, which in the FIG. 6 In this case, exactly one load-balancing unit 100 is present in each mail processing center 10, which is preferably a component of the administration unit 30 of the mail processing center 10.

In a second, in the FIG. 7 illustrated embodiment, each processing unit 20 has its own load balancing unit 100. This can, as in the FIG. 7 shown operated within the processing unit 20 or the processing unit 20 only functionally uniquely assigned and integrated, for example, in the management unit 30.

The second embodiment has the advantage that the processing units 20 can be provided with connection information even with a temporary failure of the management unit 30, so that the availability of the entire system is increased.

A load balancing unit 100 stores the service lists of the existing processing unit groups which are made available to the load balancing unit 100 by the administration unit 30 of the same mail processing center 10.

The service lists are either transmitted from the management unit 30 to the load balancing unit 100, or this retrieves the service lists from the management unit 30.

This is preferably done at regular intervals, so that a load balancing unit 100 always has the current service lists. Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that a management unit 30 transmits the service lists to a load balancing unit 100 if these have changed due to the logon or logoff of a processing unit 20,

In the second embodiment, in which each processing unit 20 has its own load balancing unit 100, it may also be provided that only the service lists that are relevant to the associated processing unit 20 are stored in it, ie. to which this processing unit 20 transmits shipment records or from which it retrieves shipment records.

Which service lists or processing unit groups are relevant depends on the transmission conditions that exist for the various predecessor and successor processing units.

The service request, which is transmitted from a first processing unit 20 to the load balancing unit 100 of the mail processing center 10 or to the own load balancing unit 100, contains in particular an indication of the functionality of a second processing unit 20 determined from the chapter in the described manner, to which a Data connection to be established.

Furthermore, one or more mail processing centers 10 can be specified in the service request in which the second processing unit 20, to which a data connection is to be established, should be located. The request may relate in particular to the own Postbearbeitungezentrum 10.

This will allow shipment records to be processed within predefined mail processing centers 10, despite the existence of a global processing unit group.

For example, shipment records may be sent in this manner from the mail processing center 10 where the departure sort is made to the mail processing center 10, where the inbound sorting occurs.

Furthermore, by means of this specification, a shipment data record which is processed by a processing unit group 20 of a global processing unit group which is not located in the mail processing center 10 in which the physical mail item is processed can be sent back to this mail processing center 10, where it then processes in further process steps and in particular can be handed over to a sorting machine.

When receiving a service request, the load balancing unit 100 first determines the service list for the functionality specified in the service request.

The connection information is then determined from the ascertained service list by means of a load balancing method.

In a preferred embodiment, the load-balancing method is based on the so-called round-robin method, which is basically known to the person skilled in the art.

In this method, the processing units 20 of a processing unit group are cyclically loaded in a predetermined order. If, for example, the processing units 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available in a processing unit network, these are loaded in the order 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 etc.,

If a global service list has been determined from which the connection information is determined and the service request contains an indication of a specific mail processing center 10, the round-robin method is modified in such a way that only connection information for processing units 20 of the specified mail processing center 10 are considered and skipped the other connection information contained in the service list.

The load balancing unit 100 subsequently sends a status request to a processing unit 20 whose connection information has been determined by means of the round-robin method in order to ascertain the availability of this processing unit 20.

If the processing unit 20 returns the status "registered", the load balancing unit 100 transmits the Connection information for this processing unit 20 within a response to the service request to the processing unit 20 from which the service request originated.

If the processing unit 20 to which the status request has been sent reports the status "overloaded", "temporarily logged off" or "logged off", or if no response to the status query is received within a predefined period of time, the load balancing unit 100 determines the next connection information in the service list according to the round-robin method and in turn checks the status of the associated processing unit 20.

The status "temporarily deregistered" is provided so that machining units 20 can be put out of operation for a short time, for example in the case of maintenance work to be carried out quickly, without a logoff to a management unit 30 being required.

Connection information for processing units 20 for which the status has been "overloaded" or "temporarily logged off" or of which no response to the service request has been received within a predetermined period of time, will continue to be performed according to the round-robin procedure in the case of subsequent service requests considered.

Connection information for processing units 20 for which the status "logged off" has been determined is preferably considered again only when the load balancing unit 100 has received an updated service list from the administration unit 30 or its grouping component 50 in which this connection information is contained ,

Using the connection information obtained from the load balancing unit 100, the processing unit 20 from which the service request originated establishes a data connection to another processing unit 20.

Depending on whether a push-oriented or a pull-oriented data transmission is provided, the shipment data record is transmitted to the further processing unit 20, or it is retrieved by the further processing unit 20.

If no processing unit 20 corresponding to the service request could be determined, an error message is transmitted to the processing unit 20 from which the service request originated.

The error message also contains an indication of the reason that no processing unit 20 corresponding to the service request could be determined.

If, in this case, the reason is that all processing units 20 registered in the administration unit 30, which correspond to the service request have the status "overloaded" or "temporarily logged off" and are thus only temporarily unavailable, the invention is in a preferred embodiment provided that the processing unit 20 from which the service request originated can register in the free handler 60 of the management unit 30 of the same mailing center 10 for a notification event.

Upon registration, the service request is communicated to the event handler 60.

If at least one of the service request corresponding processing unit 20 is available again, then a message to the processing unit 20 is transmitted.

The message can contain the connection information for the processing unit 20 that is available again, so that a data connection to this processing unit 20 can be established. However, it can also be provided that a processing unit 20 again transmits the service request to the load balancing unit 100 upon receipt of the message.

In addition, a processing unit 20 that is registered in the event handler 60 for a notification event also transmits a message when all the processing units 20 corresponding to the service request have logged off.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10, 11, 12

Mail processing center

20

processing unit

30

management unit

40

Pco Manager

50

Set component

60

event handler

70

Lease manager

80A

Local processing unit network for the functionality A

80B, 81B

Local processing unit network for the functionality B

81C

Local processing unit network for the functionality C

90B

Local processing unit network for the functionality B

90C

Local processing unit network for the functionality C

100

Load balancing unit

410

Determine the functionality of a processing unit

420

Check whether there is already a service PcO for the same functionality

430

Integrating the service PcO in the process order

440

Determine the creation date of the service PCO

450

Verify that the service PCO creation date is younger than that of an existing service PCO for the same functionality

460

Discard the service PCO

470

Verify that the service PcO has been correctly included in the process order.

Claims (28)

1. A method for processing a mailpiece,

   - in which an image of a surface of the mailpiece is recorded in a processing unit, and

   - mailing data that is associated with the mailpiece is ascertained from the image of the surface in other processing units,

   - the processing units (20) are connected to each other within a data network and whereby

   - a process order is determined in which the mailing data is ascertained by the processing units (20),

   characterized

   - in that first information about at least one other processing unit (20) that precedes and/or follows in the process order is stored in the processing units (20),

   - in that a management unit (30) provides connection information for establishing a data connection from a first processing unit (20) to a second processing unit (20),

   - in that the connection information is associated with the first information,

   - and in that a first processing unit (20) uses the connection information in order to establish a data connection to the second processing unit (20) in order to transmit the image to the second processing unit (20) or to retrieve the image from the second processing unit (20).
2. The method according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that,
   in the data network, processing units (20) are connected to each other that are located in at least two different mail processing centers (10, 11, 12).
3. The method according to either Claim 1 or 2,
   characterized in that
   the image of the surface of the mailpiece is contained in a mailing data record that is augmented in the processing units (20) by the mailing data ascertained from the image.
4. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the first processing unit (20) transmits the mailing data record to the second processing unit (20) or retrieves the mailing data record from the second processing unit (20).
5. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the first processing unit (20) transmits the first information to the management unit (30), in that the connection information is associated with the first information within the management unit (30), and the management unit (30) transmits the connection information to the first processing unit (20).
6. The method according to any of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in that
   the management unit (30) transmits the connection information to the first processing unit (20) and that the association between the first information and the connection information is carried out within the first processing unit (20).
7. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the first information about the other processing units (20) that is stored in the first processing units (20) comprises information about the functionality of the other processing units (20).
8. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the processing units (20) log on to the management unit (30).
9. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that,
   at the time of the logon, a processing unit (20) transmits first registration information to the management unit (30), whereby the first registration information comprises information about the functionality of this processing unit (20) as well as connection information for establishing a data connection to this processing unit (20).
10. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the association between the first information and the connection information for establishing a data connection to the second processing unit (20) takes place making use of the first registration information.
11. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    at the time of the logon, a processing unit (20) transmits second registration information to the management unit (30), whereby the second registration information comprises information about other processing units (20) that immediately precede or follow in the process order.
12. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    on the basis of the second registration information, the management unit (30) ascertains the position of a processing unit (20) within the process order and incorporates this processing unit (20) into the process order.
13. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the management unit (30) transmits the process order to the processing units (20).
14. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    on the basis of the process order received from the management unit (30), a processing unit (20) ascertains the first information about the other processing units (20) that precede and/or follow in the process order.
15. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the first information contains information about all of the other processing units (20) that precede a given processing unit (20) in the process order and from which the mailing data record is retrieved.
16. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the first information contains information about all of the other processing units (20) that follow a given processing unit (20) in the process order and to which the mailing data record is transmitted.
17. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    a processing unit (20) assigns a priority to the first information about the other processing units (20) that follow in the process order, whereby the priorities are reduced in the order in which the following processing units (20) follow this processing unit (20) in the process order.
18. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    a processing unit (20) assigns a priority to the first information about the other processing units (20) that precede in the process order, whereby the priorities are reduced in the order in which the processing units (20) precede this processing unit (20) in the process order.
19. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the first processing unit (20) establishes a data connection to a second processing unit (20) having a lower priority that precedes or follows in the process order if the establishment of a data connection to a processing unit (20) having a higher priority that precedes or follows in the process order is unsuccessful.
20. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    in the processing units (20) for other processing units (20) that precede and/or follow in the process order, transmission conditions are stored under which the mailing data record is transmitted to the other processing units (20) or retrieved from the other processing units (20).
21. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the transmission conditions refer to mailing data contained in the mailing data record.
22. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    in a processing unit (20), several items of first information about this processing unit (20) are stored in the second processing units (20) that precede and/or follow in the process order and that have different functionalities, whereby different transmission conditions are specified for these processing units.
23. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    in a processing unit (20), several items of first information about this processing unit (20) are stored in the second processing units (20) that precede and/or follow in the process order and that have different functionalities, whereby the same priority is assigned to said processing units and different transmission conditions are specified for these processing units.
24. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    in the first processing unit (20), a second processing unit (20) to which the mailing data record is transmitted or from which the mailing data record is retrieved is ascertained on the basis of the transmission conditions specified for the second processing units (20).
25. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    a management unit (30) is located in every mail processing center (10, 11, 12) and that the processing units (20) log on to the management unit (30) of the mail processing center (10, 11, 12) in which they are operated.
26. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the registration information is exchanged between the management units (30) of the mail processing centers (10, 11, 12).
27. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the first processing unit (20) transmits the first information to the management unit (30) of the mail processing center (10, 11, 12) in which it is being operated.
28. The method according to any of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the connection information for establishing the data connection to the second processing unit (20) comprises a network address of the second processing unit (20).

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