MXPA06011422A - Method for processing mailings comprising wrong recipient addresses - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for processing mailings comprising wrong recipient addresses, according to which the wrong recipient address is determined from a detected copy of a mailing surface. The inventive method is characterized in that a) a code containing data on instructions given ahead of time is detected on the surface of the mailing, and the instructions that were given ahead of time are determined based on the detected code;b) the wrong address is compared to address data in at least one database selected among a plurality of databases in accordance with the instructions that were given ahead of time;and c) a piece of forwarding data is applied to the mailings in accordance with the result of the comparison and the instructions given ahead of time.

Description

METHOD FOR PROCESSING MAILING PARTS THAT INCLUDE ADDRESSES OF ERRONEOUS RECEIVERS DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The invention relates to a method for processing mail pieces with addresses of erroneous receivers, wherein the erroneous receiver address is compared with base on a picture acquired from a surface of a mail piece. Address errors generally occur when a non-updated address or a permanently invalid address has been applied to mail pieces. Methods are known to allow a correction of unauthorized addresses, if the recipient has established a shipping order. Therefore, the German Preliminary Published Application DE 101 50 560 A1 describes a method developed by the applicant to process pieces of mail in which the address information of the pieces of mail is detected and compared with a database containing addresses both not updated as current The query of the database then produces an association of the detected address information with the modified address information, which is then applied to the mail piece as the new address information.

The Preliminary Published Request. German DE 196 44 163 A1 describes a method for online processing of mail pieces that must be sent. With this method, the name and address of the recipient, the address of the sender, the shipping labels, as well as the news of return of the delivery that are in a piece of mail, are read while the piece of mail is in an intermediate storage area. Information about the receiver is verified in a name and address database and, if no match is found, a shipping file is marked and, if applicable, mail pieces leaving the intermediate storage area are printed with a modified address and shipping addresses. In addition, in said piece of mail that is identified as a return mail based on the acknowledgment of pre-instructions or a delivery notification, the reason for the return, if known, is printed with simple text on the pieces of mail and, for each piece of mail, an introduction of the database with a sender address, as well as the new and non-updated address of the recipient, are generated. If the sender so wishes, address change reports are sent regularly. In addition, the international patent application WO 02/093323 A2 describes a method in which a notification is sent to the sender of a piece of mail if the address of the recipient has been changed in a delivery system. In this process, the sender provides the pieces of mail with a code that, in addition to containing information that identifies both the sender Like the receiver, it also contains an address to which notifications about changes in the address of the receiver should be sent electronically. The known methods make it possible to recognize pieces of mail that must be sent as a result of a comparison of the address of the recipient indicated in the mail piece with the addresses present in a sending database, as well as detect the addresses that have changed. They also make it possible to inform the sender about the change of address in an automated way. However, there are no shipping orders for all changes of address and, in addition, in addition to an error due to a change of address, there may be other errors in the addresses. Therefore, the recipient may have changed his address without a shipping address or may have died, or a company designated as the receiver may have closed its operations. In addition, the address of the recipient applied to the mail piece may be an address that is permanently invalid. Processing mail pieces with these additional address errors is not part of the methods described. In addition, the pre-instructions provided by the sender corresponding to the destination of mail pieces with incorrect addresses remain largely ignored. If a shipping order is recognized, it is merely determined if the piece of mail should be sent back to the patch or sent. Therefore, the invention is based on the objective of allowing fast and reliable processing of mail pieces with address errors, taking into account the pre-instructions provided by the sender. In accordance with the invention, this objective is achieved by a method according to claim 1. In particular, the invention allows a method used to process mail pieces that have been provided with an incorrect receiver address, wherein the Incorrect receiver address is determined based on an image acquired from a surface of the mail pieces, is performed in such a way that a code containing information on the pre-instructions and located on the surface of the mail piece is acquired and that the pre-instructions are determined based on the acquired code, the incorrect address is compared with the address information contained in at least one database selected from a plurality of databases as a function of The pre-instructions and the shipping information are applied to the mail pieces as a function of the result of the comparison and as a function of the pre-instructions. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method, it is also allowed that, as a function of the pre-instructions, a notification about the result of comparing the incorrect receiver address with the addresses in one or more databases. As a consequence, the present invention creates an advantageous method for expanding known methods for redirecting or sending mail pieces in which the pre-instructions provided by the sender are taken into account overall in the processing. The comparison in accordance with the invention of incorrect receiver addresses with the addresses in one or more databases is dynamically adapted as a function of the pre-instructions to ensure the fastest possible execution of the method. Advantageously, the pre-instructions contain information about the desired destination by the sender for the mail piece with incorrect address, as well as information about the weather, to what extent and in what way a notification about the reason for the error of the address should be transmitted . The pre-instructions are advantageously applied to mail pieces as a code to achieve standardization and to improve readability in an automated handling procedure. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the code which confers the pre-instructions is a matrix code which, in addition to the pre-instructions, confers at least information identifying the sender and possibly also other information.

The possible destinations of the mail piece include, in addition to the delivery based on a corrected recipient address, the return or destruction of mail pieces with incorrect address. Destruction is only an option for advertising, as well as newspapers and other press publications that are sent in large volumes as identical pieces of mail and whose sender does not want the mail pieces to be returned in case of an address error . According to the invention, a comparison of the incorrect receiver address with the addresses in one or more databases is provided in order to determine the reason for the address error and to correct the address. The scope of the comparison, based on the pre-instructions, is a function of the destination information that the sender has chosen in case of an address error and the point to which the sender would like to receive information about the destination. the reason of the address error. In particular, a distinction is made between the following address errors: • Address errors that are due to the fact that the address of the recipient applied to the pieces of mail is an outdated address that was replaced by a new address due to a change of address, or it is an address with spelling errors that can be corrected.

• Address errors that arise because the receiver has died or the company designated as the receiver has closed its operations, as well as that occur because an address that is permanently invalid was applied to the mail piece, or errors of address whose reason it can not be determined. In order to determine an address error, it is especially advantageous to first compare the receiver address acquired in the mail piece with the addresses in a database containing valid addresses. This comparison is preferably made independently of the pre-instructions provided by the sender. Based on the comparison of the incorrect receiver address with the address information in the database that confers the valid addresses, it is also possible to correct the address errors that are due to minor misspellings in the address. After that error has been corrected, preferably, the shipping information in the form of the corrected address is applied to the mail piece. If the pre-instructions specify the transmission of a notification about a change of address, then a message containing the incorrect and corrected recipient address is transmitted to an address specified in the pre-instructions. Preferably, this address is an electronic address, such as an email address.

However, it is in the same way possible to provide the notification through a user interface, for example, an electronic portal. Mail pieces that have an incorrect receiver address that can not be corrected by a comparison with the database containing valid addresses, go through additional processing based on the method of compliance with the invention after the comparison of the address with the addresses in the database containing valid addresses, while the pieces of mail whose receiver address corresponds to one of the addresses contained in this database, enter a normal processing step for delivery. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the incorrect receiver addresses, as a function of the pre-instructions, are compared with the address information contained in at least one relocation database containing the addresses new and not updated receivers. The database can contain information corresponding to all changes of address in a certain area and can also include addresses for which there is no order to send. However, it is preferable to establish two relocation databases, one of which contains the addresses for which there is a shipment order and the other contains information on address changes without shipping orders.

The comparison of the wrong recipient address with the addresses in the sending database containing addresses with existing shipping orders is not done only if the sender does not want any notification about the reason for an address error and has also specified that the piece of mail should not be sent, but rather should be returned or destroyed (in this case, the shipment is deleted, despite the existence of a shipping order). Otherwise, this comparison is made, especially to execute a receiver order that could exist. An additional comparison of the recipient's address with the addresses in the relocation database that contains address changes without shipping orders is done if the shipping orders specify a notification about a change of address. In a possible mode of the invention, it is also possible for the sender to specify that the mail pieces are sent in case of a new known address of the recipient. In this case, a comparison is also made with this database. If the comparison of the incorrect receiver address with the non-updated address in one of the relocation databases, it produces a match, then the new address that goes with the non-updated address is determined. If there is an order to send the receiver that has not been suppressed by the pre-instructions provided by the sender and / or if there is a sender's sending order, then the Shipment is applied to the mail piece in the form of the new address and the piece of mail is delivered to that address. If the pre-inslucciones require the return or destruction of the piece of mail in case of a change of address, then the shipping information in the form of a return address indicated in the pre-instructions or in the form of a notification of destruction It is applied to the mail piece and the piece of mail is delivered to the return address or destroyed. Here, the return address may be different from the sender's address. In addition, a notification containing the non-updated address and the new address is transmitted to an address specified in the pre-instructions, if the pre-instructions specify the transmission of said notification. In another highly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the incorrect receiver address is compared with the addresses in a database containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies. Preferably, this comparison is made if the determined pre-instructions indicate that, in the event of an address error, the sender would also be notified of the reason for the error if no change of address is present. If the comparison indicates a match of the incorrect recipient address with an address stored in the database containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies, then a notification that the recipient has died or that the company designated as the receiver has been closed, is transmitted to an address indicated in the pre-instructions. In addition, depending on the desired destination of the mail piece, then the shipping information in the form of a return address indicated in the pre-instructions or in the form of a destruction notification is applied to the mail piece. A very advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention is also characterized in that a comparison of the incorrect receiver address with the addresses in a second database is made only if the comparison of the address of the receiver with the addresses on a first basis data did not match the address of the receiver with an address contained in the database. This approach contributes considerably to a rapid implementation of the method according to the invention, since superfluous comparisons are avoided. The embodiments of the method according to the invention presented above allow a completely automated sequence of procedures in which the presence of an address error is recognized when the address of the receiver applied to the mail pieces does not match the address information contained in the mail. a database that contains valid addresses. Of course, mail pieces for which an address error is determined by whoever delivers them at the location of delivery, may also be subjected to processing by the method according to the invention. Here, in a particularly preferred embodiment of the method, the image of the surface of the mail piece containing the address of the receiver and the image of the code which confers the pre-instructions, can be captured by the person delivering them using a means of scanning and transmitting to a central server. The comparisons of the incorrect receiver addresses with the addresses contained in different databases are then made, as explained above, in the area of the central server after the addresses have been determined from the image. This has the advantage that the transportation of the pieces of mail to a distribution center during the processing is eliminated first and is done only once the destination of the mail piece and the modified address are known., by means of which the central server transmits this address to a computer that is operated by the person delivering and this address is then applied by the person delivering the mail pieces, for example, in the form of a printed label with the new address. The pieces of mail that must be destroyed in accordance with the pre-instructions are not transported at all. Therefore, the possibility of a transmission of the surface images of the mail piece and of the code to a central server makes a fundamental contribution to the profitability of the method.

If the address error is determined by who delivered to the delivery location, there is also the possibility of generating delivery notifications and also transmit these to the central server. These notifications can be advantageously taken into account to identify database comparisons that must be made, as well as to determine the order in which database comparisons should be made. Therefore, for example, if due to the existing pre-instructions, an address comparison is made with a plurality of databases that include the database containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies, the comparison of the address of incorrect recipient with the address information in the database containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies, is done before all other database comparisons, if the delivery provider indicates in the delivery notification that the recipient has died. Therefore, the invention provides an advantageous method that makes it possible to take into account globally the pre-instructions provided by the sender during the processing of mail pieces and characterized by fast and efficient execution. Practical refinements and further advantages of the invention result from the following description of preferred embodiments based on the figures. The following is shown in the figures: Figure 1 is a diagram with the sequence for the recognition of an address error and the transfer of pieces of mail with incorrect address to an evaluation system. Figure 2 is a diagram of the sequence for data processing in the evaluation system. Figure 3 is a sequence diagram for the identification of relevant comparisons of address data. And Figure 4 is a sequence diagram for processing mail pieces as a function of the destination of the mail piece as specified by the sender. The method according to the invention allows the pre-instructions provided by the sender to be applied to the mail pieces in code form. Fundamentally, any code that can be read by a machine that can understand a sufficient amount of information is suitable for this purpose and it is possible that the code contains only information that identifies the sender and that the pre-instructions provided by the sender store in a database under this identification information and that can be recovered from that site. However, it is especially advantageous to integrate the information corresponding to the pre-instructions in a method based on a personal computer (PC) for the postage of mail pieces.

Said method developed by the applicant is described, for example, in the German patent specification DE 100 20 566 C2 which is hereby referenced in conjunction with the method. The code used for the postage is a matrix code (DMC) that contains information about the customer, a non-ambiguous identification number of a piece of mail, a billing number, information about the type of postage and date of postage. The matrix code is appropriately encrypted in order to avoid fraudulent use of the postage method. Within the scope of this invention, the information on the pre-instructions provided by the sender is incorporated in this matrix code. These pre-instructions include information on the desired destination by the sender for the mail piece in the event of an address error, as well as information on whether and to what extent you wish to receive information on the reason for the address error. and / or about a change of address. Preferably, the customer must subscribe to these services from a postal service provider and must enter into a contract for this purpose with the postal service provider. A fraudulent use of the pre-instructions by third parties can be ruled out by means of the encrypted matrix code (DMC, for its acronym in English). It is intended that the matrix code (DMC) contain at least information on the pre-instructions to which the client is subscribed. However, the method of compliance with the invention also means that a return address that is different from the sender's address may be indicated for pieces of mail with an incorrect address and requires that an address be provided to which they must be transmitted. notifications, if you wish to make such a transmission. As a consequence of this, in addition to information on different actions to be carried out, the pre-instructions also contain different parts of customer-specific information and are established in a contract between the client and the postal service provider. Here, it is practical to divide all the information about the pre-instructions into a contract component that contains the return address and the notification address, as well as into a component that contains information for certain actions to be carried out, the last part indicating thus the combination selected by the client from among the pre-instructions offered by the postal service provider. As a consequence, the matrix code (DMC) identifies the variant of the pre-instructions and identifies the component of the contract. The part of the matrix code (DMC) that identifies the pre-instructions indicates what actions should be performed by the postal service provider if an address error has occurred. On the other hand, these actions correspond to the destination of the pieces of mail with incorrect address and, on the other hand, to the transmission of notifications.

The possible destinations of the pieces of mail can be: • the delivery of the pieces of mail (if the address error is an error that can be corrected as, for example, a spelling error that can be corrected in the address); • the sending of the pieces of mail (if the address error is due to the fact that a non-updated address has been applied to the piece of mail for which a new address and order of delivery are present); • the return (return) of the mail piece (if the incorrect recipient address is neither an address with an error that can be corrected nor an outdated address with a shipping order, or instead of delivery or destruction); • the destruction of mail pieces, although the applicant only offers this for advertising and newspapers, as well as other press publications, not for letters (even if the incorrect recipient address is not an address with an error that can be corrected or a non-updated address with a shipping order, or instead of delivery or return). The possible actions that can be carried out with respect to a notification may be: • the transmission of a notification in relation to the presence of an address error; • the transmission of a notification containing additional information about a change of address of the recipient, if this has been determined; • or the transmission of a notification that confers additional information about the reason for the address error, if no change of address is present. The different degrees within the scope of the notifications depend on the different requirements of the clients of a postal service provider. The contract component of the matrix code (DMC) indicates the address to which notifications should be sent. Preferably, this address an electronic address such as, for example, an email address. In addition, the contract component contains information on the return address to which the returned mail must be sent. This address is a valid postal address that may differ from the sender's address. Additionally, there is the possibility that a contract may contain several contract components that contain the aforementioned information. The sender can individually indicate for each piece of mail the desired contract component and, therefore, the return address and the address for the transmission of notifications for each piece of mail.

Possible address errors can be assigned to three different groups in terms of the possible destination of mail pieces with incorrect addresses. The first group (Group 1) includes address errors that are due to an error that can be corrected, such as a misspelling. The second group (Group 2) comprises address errors that arise because a non-updated address has been applied to the mailpiece for which there is a shipping order or there are shipping addresses to send the mail piece to a modified address. The third group (Group 3) contains all address errors that are not contained in either Group 1 or Group 2 and, as a consequence, includes all address errors that prevent the delivery of mail pieces to a given target address based on the address of the receiver applied. These address errors occur when the address of the receiver is an address that is not updated and that has been replaced by a new address for which there is no order to send, when the recipient has died or the company designated as the receiver has closed its operations, or when the recipient has changed his address without a known shipping address. With regard to the possible scope of the notification on the reason for an address error or on a change of address, Group 3 can be further subdivided into a Group 3a and a Group 3b. Group 3a contains address errors that result from the application of an out-of-date address for which an address can be determined modified, as well as Group 3b contains address errors that are derived from incorrect addresses that can not be corrected and for which no address change can be determined. In addition, with respect to the possible destinations of mail pieces, a distinction must be made between the different types of mail pieces. The applicant normally distinguishes between regular letters (BS), advertising mails with a cover (Wm), unsub advertising mails (Wo) and press publications (PD) that include newspapers or magazines. Examples of different combinations variants of the pre-instructions for the different address errors and types of mail pieces are compiled in the tables that appear below. Here, the tables indicate the destination of the mail piece and contain a notification as to whether a notification should be transmitted to the sender. In case of Group 1 or Group 2 address errors, the notification contains the old address, as well as the corrected or modified address of the recipient. In case of Group 3 address errors - depending on the pre-instructions - they are notifiable with different content. However, esío will not be presented here, since the tables are intended to be especially to present the possible types of mail pieces. Therefore, the transmission of a notification is marked in the table with the addition of "+ information", regardless of the content of the notification, and Group 3 is not divided into Groups 3a and 3b.

In Variant 1, the following destinations for mail pieces and notifications can be generated by pre-instructions for different types of mail pieces and different address errors: A possible Alternative 2 differs from Alternative 1 because no notification is transmitted to the remitter. This largely corresponds to the boarding when no pre-instruction provided by the sender is present, but it entails the possibility of using the pre-instructions to indicate a return address that differs from the sender's address. Preferably, a Variant 3 is offered only for sealed advertising mails (Wm) and corresponds to the Variant 1 for letters (BS).

Variant 4 can be used for letters (BS) and for enveloped emails (Wm). It is structured as follows: A possible Variant 5 for advertising mails with and without covers (Wm and Wo) contains the following combinations: The variants shown should be understood only by way of example. Fundamentally, any possible combination of pre-instructions can be implemented for any type of mail piece. However, a combination that is sensitive and complies with the law must be selected.

In addition to marking the mail pieces with the matrix code (DMC, for its acronym in English) that contains the pre-instructions, it is equally advantageous if at least some of the pre-instructions are applied with simple text to the pieces of mail or if the pieces of mail are provided with a notification of simple text indicating that there are pre-instructions. For example, this notification may merely contain a single number - for example, a capital "P". Applying the preinstructions or the nullification with simple íexío allows that the delivery recognizes at least the existence of pre-instructions without auxiliary means. In order to transport mail pieces from the shipping location to the delivery location, the applicant - like most postal service providers - first transports mail pieces from the shipping location to a mail center where the pre-drawn cards are collected, they reach a larger region. The pieces of mail are ordered in the mail center and transported to local delivery support points where they are delivered to the delivery person to subsequently deliver the mail pieces. Address errors can be recognized by the delivery person during the preparation or during the delivery procedure, as well as during the ordering of the pieces of mail in a mail center. Figure 1 shows the sequence of recognition of an address error and the transfer of pieces of mail with incorrect address or of mail reports to an evaluation system that can process mail pieces or mail data by means of the method according to the invention. First of all, the pieces of mail are either taken to a mail center or provided to the delivery person at a point of delivery support (105 or 105 '). In the mail center, where an automated processing of the pieces of mail takes place in a sorting device, in order to recognize address errors, the address of the receivers applied to the mail pieces can be read by means of a automated handling procedure and compared with the address information in a database containing all valid addresses for the region associated with the mail center. If the receiver address read does not match any of the addresses contained in the database, then an address error (110) is present. Similarly, the database must contain non-updated addresses - appropriately marked - for which there is a shipping order. In addition, the ordering device must counter with a system that is able to correct the incorrect addresses detected based on the information in the database. Therefore, the address errors of Groups 1 and 2 can be distinguished in the ordering device and, as a consequence, the errors can be assigned to one of Groups 1 to 3. After an address error has been recognized and the address errors have been assigned, the matrix code is read and evaluated, in order to determine the existence of pre-instructions (115). If no pre-instruction (120) has been determined, the mail piece moves away from the processing by means of a standard method (125), which is not described in more detail here. However, if the pre-instructions (130) are present then, first of all, it is determined whether the piece of mail in question must be destroyed or if an address error of Group 1 (135) is present. If the piece of mail should not be destroyed and if no address error of Group 1 is present (140), then the piece of mail is provided with a notification that it is an error of address of Group 2 or. of Group 3 (145). The mail pieces are then output (150) in different places based on their notifications and fed into the evaluation system in separate flows (155). In another embodiment of the invention, it is also possible to store the mail pieces with an identification number in an intermediate storage area and transmit the acquired addresses together with the acquired pre-instructions to the evaluation system, so that the additional transportation of the pieces of mail can be eliminated for the moment. If the piece of mail must be desripped or it is a piece of mail with a correctable address error of Group 1 (160), the acquired addresses and the acquired matrix code (DMC) are stored in a register of mail pieces data and a notification is added to the mail report indicating Groups 1 to 3 to which the address error was assigned (165). The mail report is transmitted electronically (170) to the evaluation system and advantageously, in addition to the recognized address, it also contains an image of the incorrect recipient address. This can be transmitted later to the sender and makes it easier for the sender to correct the address if it could not be read completely or not at all by an automated handling procedure. Subsequently, it is checked if the piece of mail should be destroyed or if it can be delivered (175) based on the correction of the recipient's address and, based on the result, the piece of mail is provided with a notification to be destroyed (190 ), or it moves away (180) for delivery by the standard method based on the corrected address and is then delivered (185). Mail pieces carrying a destruction notification are removed from the processing sequence and destroyed (195).

This recognition is similar to the recognition in a mail center as explained above and is also shown with reference to Figure 1. In addition to address errors, the delivery can determine and also indicate other reasons for not delivering mail pieces. These reasons include that the acceptance of the piece of mail has been denied or that the piece of mail has not been collected from a post office box. During the preparation or during the delivery procedure, an address error or inability to deliver is recognized by the delivery person (110 ') in that it warns that the recipient can not be located at the address indicated or that the mail piece is not has been accepted or collected. The delivery can determine if the address error is wrong in the address, if the address error is present due to a change of address with a shipping order, or if there are other reasons for the address error. The delivery identifier identifies an address error due to a change of address with a shipping order based on a comparison of the address of the recipient with the information on the so-called shipping card that contains information on the shipping order. Other reasons for non-delivery are, for example, that the recipient has died or that the company designated as the receiver has closed its operations, or that the recipient has changed his address and does not exist.

No shipping order for your address. As a consequence, these reasons can be assigned to Group 3. In the next step (115 '), the delivery person determines, based on the notification with simple text applied to the pieces of mail or based on the pre-instructions applied with mere text, if there are pre-instructions for that piece of mail. If this is not the case (120 '), then the mail piece is remote (125') for processing by a standard method, which is not described in more detail herein. If the delivery acknowledges the existence of pre-instructions (130 '), it decides the additional processing of the mail piece (135') as a function of the present type of mail piece and the present address error. If the piece of mail with the wrong address is not a piece of mail to be destroyed - usually an unshelled mail (Wo) or press releases (PD) - or a piece of mail that has a correctable address error of the Group 1 (140 '), then, depending on the type of address error, the mail piece is prepared (145') for further processing in the evaluation system to perform the method according to the invention. Preferably, mail pieces for which there are delivery orders are separated from the other pieces of mail to which a delivery notification (150 ') applies concerning the reason determined by the delivery person for the address error or the non-delivery Depending on the address error or reason for non-delivery, delivery notifications contain the following information: • the recipient / company can not be located at the address provided; • acceptance of the piece of mail is denied by the recipient; • the mail piece was not collected; • the recipient is considered deceased / it is said that the company has closed its operations. Here, it is advantageous, although not necessary, to apply the delivery notifications in coded form to the pieces of mail, in order to achieve a better machine reading than in the case of notifications with simple text. However, this requires an appropriate printer at the delivery support points. Therefore, it is also possible for the delivery person to apply a label to the pieces of mail where the applicable reason for the address error or for non-delivery. The mail pieces prepared in this way are then transported to the evaluation system and fed (155 ') thereinto, in turn, into two separate flows. If the mail piece must be destroyed or it is a piece of mail with a correctable address error (160 '), the matrix code (DMC) containing the pre-instructions and a mage of the wrong recipient address is acquired by means of a digitizer and, by means of keys function, delivery notices (165 ') are entered into a computer indicating the reason for the address error determined by the delivery person. A data record containing the information acquired and entered is created and transmitted (170 ') electronically to the evaluation system, so that the method according to the invention can be realized. In the next step, the delivery person reviews the possibility of delivery (175 '), delivers the mail pieces that can be delivered based on a corrected address (180' and 185 ') and destroys the mail pieces that he has identified with based on pre-instructions or on the type of mail piece as pieces of mail that must be destroyed and whose addresses can not be corrected (190 'and 195'). The sequence of data acquisition and preparation in the area of the evaluation unit is illustrated in Figure 2. As described above, the electronic data records of mail pieces that are delivered despite the address error or that they are destroyed, they are transmitted (210) to the evaluation unit. The mailing report contains the matrix code (DMC), the image acquired from the incorrect address and possibly information about the incorrect address itself, as well as possibly a delivery notification about the reason for the address error or the reason for non-delivery . The mail reports are transmitted (205) to the evaluation system through the device ordering of the mail center or through the computer of the delivery person located at the point of support of enfrega. Incorrectly addressed pieces of mail, which can not be delivered and which have an incorrigible address error - including mail pieces for which there is a shipping order - are transported (215) to the evaluation unit, by means of which mail pieces for which there is a shipping order are handled separately from the other pieces of mail. In the area of the evaluation unit, first of all, the matrix code (DMC) containing the pre-instructions, as well as an image of a part of the surface of the mail piece that confers the address field, are acquired and a piece of mail data record is generated for each piece of mail, said information being stored and filed in the mail piece data record for purposes of further processing. The mail piece data record also provides a notification of whether the piece of mail is one for which the recipient address there is a shipping order, whereby the existence of a shipping order can be determined based on the allocation of the pieces of mail to the corresponding mail flow. During the processing of the mail piece data record, mail pieces are stored in an intermediate storage area where they are stored, for example, with the number of identification contained in the matrix code (DMC) or with a newly assigned identification number. The evaluation unit now has a data record of mail piece comprising at least the matrix code (DMC) and an image of the receiver address for all mail pieces to be processed. The piece of mail data record supplied by the delivery support point to the evaluation system or the mailing piece data record for the mail pieces transported from the delivery support point to the evaluation unit also contain Delivery notifications about the reason of the address error or non-delivery. In contrast to this, the data record of the piece of mail transmitted from the sorting unit to the evaluation system contains, in addition to the image of the address of the receiver, the address of the same receiver that was acquired from the image by means of a OCR and / or video coding device of the sorting unit. Due to errors in upstream systems, multiple piece data records for a piece of mail in the evaluation unit may be present. Therefore, for example, duplicates may occur in data records due to a double digitization procedure at a delivery support point that escaped detection. For this reason, a double review is carried out in the area of the evaluation unit, in order to eliminate (225) duplicates of the data. From preference, this is done based on the matrix code (DMC) contained in the mail piece data record and especially based on the ID number contained in the matrix code (DMC), which is acquired for this purpose for each One of the pieces of mail data records that must be processed and subsequently stored in a file. In order to recognize duplicates, the identification number contained in a mail piece data record is compared to the identification numbers in the file. If the number is already present in the file, then the data record of the piece of mail is a duplicate, it is discarded (235) and it is no longer processed. If the data record of the piece of mail to be processed is not a duplicate (240), the data record is reviewed (245) in terms of usability after the identification number has been stored. In this procedure, the data corresponding to the sender and stored at the time the contract was concluded, are determined based on the information in the matrix code (DMC). If no customer data (250) is present, the mail report is also discarded (255) and no more processed. The revision step (245) is especially useful to rule out or deict a fraudulent use of the matrix code (DMC) by third parties. Once the mail report has been unambiguously associated (260) with a sender or a client, the images of the address of the The receiver of the data record of the piece of mail is sent (265) to an address recognition station if this was not already done in a preceding processing step. Preferably, recognition is performed (285) with an OCR unit that produces records of address data and which can be followed by a manual recognition of the address by processing personnel, if the OCR recognition did not produce a result of unambiguous recognition. After these steps, the entire piece of mail data record, in addition to the image of the receiver address, contains the same recognized receiver address. Depending on the pre-instructions indicated by the matrix code (DMC), the comparisons of relevant address data are now identified (280) and the comparison of the acquired receiver address with the addresses in one or more databases is performed ( 285). The detailed sequence of step (280) is explained extensively later on based on figure 3. After the comparison of addresses, depending on the scope of the notification desired by the sender based on the pre-instructions, there is an amended delivery address and / or the reason for the address error or non-delivery. The mail report is increased by this information (290) and continues to be processed (295). The comparison of addresses to be described based on Figure 3 is preceded by the evaluation of the matrix code (305) and by the evaluation of delivery notifications (310), to the extent to which they are present. In the next step, we review (315) whether a comparison of databases should be performed. This is not the case for mail pieces for which there is no shipping order or for which no shipment is made based on pre-instructions for this purpose, as well as for which either no notification must be transmitted or for those that the notification is merely to contain the observation that the piece of mail can not be delivered. The mail piece data record corresponding to these mail pieces is further processed in step 320, where it is checked whether the mail pieces should be sent back to an address specified in the pre-instructions or if they should be destroyed. If a return address is recognized, it is marked as the new address in the mail piece data record and the mail piece data record is transmitted (350) for further processing purposes. If it is determined based on the pre-instructions that the mail piece has to be destroyed, then this is indicated in the mail piece data record and the mail piece data record is also transmitted for further processing purposes . If the need to perform a database comparison (325) has been determined in step 315, then an order (335) is generated for the database comparisons to be made. In addition to the degree to which a notification must be created, notifications of delivery are also taken into account, if they are contained in the mail report. The following databases are available for searches in databases: • a database (database A, LOS) that contains a list (listing LOS) of all valid postal codes, cities and streets with numbers of houses; • a sending database (B) containing new and non-updated addresses of recipients whose address has changed, for example, due to a move, and those who have left instructions that mail sent to the old address be sent, whereby the sending database (B) also contains information on whether or not the recipient has agreed to have his address disclosed to third parties; • a relocation database (C) containing new and non-updated addresses of recipients whose address has changed, for example, due to a change of address, and who have not left a shipping order, whereby the relocation database (C) also contains information on whether the owner of the address has agreed to have his address disclosed or not to third parties; • a database (D) containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies; • a reference database (E) that contains a list of all valid email addresses; • and a non-deliverable database (F) containing a list of invalid addresses comprising, for example, out-of-date addresses of receivers whose new address or details are not known. When generating the orders to search the different databases, in addition to the information on which databases should be searched, the sequence in which the databases should be consulted is also established. The following table shows pre-instructions and delivery notifications, as well as the databases that should be consulted as a function of pre-instructions and delivery notifications in the prescribed sequence. The presence of a shipping order, which is determined based on the allocation of mail pieces to the corresponding mail flow, is entered in the box as a delivery notification. As a consequence, the following delivery notifications were included in relation to the comparison of databases: • Za: the recipient / company can not be located at the address provided or there is no delivery notification; • Zb: the acceptance of the piece of mail was denied by the recipient or the piece of mail was not collected; • Zc: the recipient is considered to have died / it is said that the company has closed its operations; • Zd: there is a shipping order. With regard to database comparisons to be made, the table makes a distinction between the following variants of shipping orders: • Va: shipment in the case of the existence of a shipment order and either no transmission of a notification or transmission only in the case that the mail piece can not be delivered to the recipient's address indicated on the mail piece. • Vb: sending, returning or destroying the piece of mail and transmitting a notification about a modified address of the recipient, but not about the reason for the address error if no change of address is present. • Vc: sending, returning or destroying the piece of mail and transmitting a notification about a change of address of the recipient and the reason for the address error if no change of address is present. For the different delivery notifications and the different pre-instructions, the following database comparisons are made: Preferably, the comparison of the address of the receiver with the addresses in the database is done in such a way that no additional comparison is made if the comparison in a database has produced a match. The comparisons in databases E and F shown in the brackets can be made in order to find errors in the preceding processing steps or in the preceding comparisons, or to verify an address error resulting from an unknown reason. Another review of the results of the preceding method steps that are associated with much less effort, is performed at the start of all data comparisons in the form of comparing the address of the receiver with the information in the database A. Address errors that are due to the fact that the postal code, city, street or house number of the receiver's address do not exist or are invalid in their combination, can be determined in this way. If such an error is present, subsequent comparisons with much more extensive databases do not have to be made.

If the Za notification is present, the databases are selected based on the information to be transmitted to the receiver and the sequence of the comparisons is the result of the probability of a match in view of the size of the databases. If the delivery notification Zb is present, no database comparison is made because the reason for non-delivery is clear and no address error is present. An address error would be indicated separately by who delivers. If the delivery notification Zc is present, the comparison of the address of the receiver with the addresses in the database containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies, even follows the comparison with the database A if the information of that the recipient has died does not have to be provided to the sender. Based on the notification of delivery indicating that the recipient has died, there is a very high probability that the comparison with the database containing addresses of deceased persons and closed companies will produce a coincidence. Regarding the delivery notification Zd, the sequence produces similar results based on the high probability of the presence of a shipping order in view of the delivery notification. The results of the comparisons made of the databases are stored (345) in the mail report, by means of which a modified address of the receiver is entered only in the record of mail piece data if the owner of the address has agreed to have his address disclosed to third parties. If this authorization has not been provided, then the mail piece data record contains a notification that the recipient has changed address, but that it can not be revealed. The mail piece data record now contains the complete information for further processing of the mail piece and for customer notification. In particular, it comprises shipping information for the piece of mail concerning a modified delivery address or destruction notification. The processing of the mail pieces corresponding to the shipping instructions is explained with reference to figure 4. After delivery (405) of the mail report, it is reviewed (410) based on the pre-instructions and the results from database comparisons what additional processing steps should be performed for the mail piece. If the mail piece data record contains a modified address of the recipient, as well as a notification of a receiver's sending order, and if the sender has agreed on the shipping order in which the piece of mail is sent, then a Address label with the new receiver address is printed and applied (415) to the mail piece that was kept in an intermediate storage area during processing of the mail report. In order to apply the address label, the mail piece is removed from the storage area and, after the label has been applied, it is delivered (420) to the address indicated on the label. If the pre-instructions specify that the mail piece with incorrect or non-deliverable address must be returned, then the return address is determined, which is also contained in the mail report and indicated in the pre-instructions. An address label with the return address is printed and applied (425) to the mail piece. Subsequently, the mail piece is delivered to the address indicated on the address label (430). Even if a change of address with a receiver's send order exists for the receiver's address, the piece of mail is always returned whenever the sender has specified that the mail piece should be returned. In addition, if an address error or notification of destruction is present, the evaluation unit may have received an incorrect piece of mail if the applicable pre-instructions were not recognized by the delivery person or are not within the scope of the delivery. ordering procedure in the mail center. If the presence of a destruction notification is determined, the mail piece is provided (435) with a destruction notification and transmitted (440) to a destruction station. However, as already explained, this is already done in the ordering device in the center of mail or at the point of delivery support. Only misdirected mail pieces are destroyed in the area of the evaluation unit. In order to notify the sender, the mail piece data record is sent to a shipping component if the shipping orders specify a notification from the customer. The sending component determines the address for the transmission of notifications based on the matrix code (DMC) provided in the pre-instructions and sends notifications to this address, which may be, for example, an email address. In addition to the information in the matrix code (DMC) and especially in addition to the identification number of the mail piece, the notifications contain several or all of the following information parts: • the image acquired from the address of the recipient; »The address of the receiver determined based on the image; • the modified or corrected address of the receiver; • the receiver's outdated address; • the reason for the address error or non-delivery (if this information is desired); • information about the destination of the mail piece. Notifications can be transmitted immediately after processing of the mail piece data record, or collected for a period of time to be specified by the sender in the pre-instructions, when they are transmitted. In another embodiment of the invention, the sending component is allowed to be replaced by an interface that allows the client to access the notifications. Preferably, this interface is a portal of Internet that provides notifications in an appropriately processed form. Therefore, the invention creates an advantageous method that makes it possible to integrate an overall compliance of the pre-instructions in automated handling procedures, thus ensuring a fast and reliable processing of the mail pieces.

Claims (15)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A method for processing mail pieces with addresses of erroneous receivers, wherein the incorrect receiver address is determined based on a picture acquired from a surface of a mail piece, characterized in that a) a code containing information on pre -instructions and that is located on the surface of the mail piece is acquired and the pre-instructions are determined based on the code acquired; b) the incorrect address is compared to address information contained in at least one database selected from a plurality of databases as a function of the pre-instructions and c) the shipment information is applied to the pieces of data. mail as a function of the result of the comparison and as a function of the pre-instructions.

2. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that, as a function of the pre-instructions, a notification is transmitted on the result of the comparison of the incorrect receiver address with the addresses contained in one or more bases of data.

3. The method according to one or both of claims 1 or 2, further characterized in that an indicated address in the pre-instructions it is applied as a shipping information to the mail pieces.

4. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that a modified address of the receiver is applied to the mail pieces.

5. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that an address specified in the pre-instructions is applied to the mail pieces.

6. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the acquired code, the image of the address field and the delivery notifications are transmitted to a central server and the incorrect receiver address is compared with the addresses contained in at least one database in the central server area.

7. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the address of the receiver is compared with addresses in a database containing valid addresses.

8. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the address of the receiver is compared with addresses in a relocation database containing an association between the old and new addresses of a receiver.

9. - The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the receiver address is compared with addresses in a database that confers addresses of deceased persons and closed companies.

10. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that, after comparing the address of the receiver with the addresses in a first dail base, a comparison of the address of the receiver with the addresses in a second database is only realized if the comparison based on the first database did not produce a match of the address of the receiver with an address contained in the database.

11. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that a notification about the result of the comparison is sent to an address (electronic) that is specified in the pre-instructions.

12. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the code that confers information on pre-instructions is a matrix code.

13. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the code confers additional information comprising at least information identifying the sender.

14. - The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that delivery notifications are additionally acquired.

15. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the comparison of databases is additionally performed as a function of delivery notifications.