公开(公告)号：US20060287968A1

公开(公告)日：2006-12-21

申请号：US11510381

申请日：2006-08-24

Applicant: Christopher Brehm ,  Stanley Engel ,  Michael McAlpin ,  Sandy Pittman ,  Joseph Teate

Inventor： Christopher Brehm ,  Stanley Engel ,  Michael McAlpin ,  Sandy Pittman ,  Joseph Teate

IPC: G06F17/00

CPC classification number: B07C3/00 ,  Y10S209/90 ,  Y10S209/933

Abstract: A method and system is provided for collecting relatively small batches of mail that, alone, would not qualify for mailing at a pre-sorted postage rate and pooling them together with others for pre-sorting into a qualified batch of pre-sorted mail. The inventive method involves transporting mail in a traceable container to a holding facility where it is pooled with others for pickup and processing by a mail pre-sorting business. The mail may be metered at a reduced program rate. The system creates a cooperative of participating mail senders working together to earn a lower effective postage rate. The method further provides a solution to the technical problem of postal sorting equipment that is overburdened by medium-sized batches of unsorted mail. The solution identifies and diverts such batches for processing at a separate facility before the batch is tendered to the postal service.