US-12626213-B2 - Digital stamps

US12626213B2US 12626213 B2US12626213 B2US 12626213B2US-12626213-B2

Abstract

Systems, methods, interface devices, and media for the delivery of physical items using a digital stamp. Various implementations include operations such as receiving a request from a user to deliver an item to a destination using a digital stamp, wherein the item includes destination information and lacks any physical indicator that the delivery fee for the item has been paid or will be paid; receiving a destination address from the user; presenting a delivery fee for the item; and causing the generation of a digital stamp using the destination address and the delivery fee, which may be correlated with the item.

Inventors

Anthony Cramer Jones
Dominik Heinrich
Caspar Serge Ouvaroff

Assignees

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241104

Claims (20)

1 . A system for creating and using an electronic digital stamp record, the system comprising: a user interface including a processor executing instructions to perform operations comprising: receiving a request from a user to deliver a physical item to a destination using the electronic digital stamp record, wherein the physical item includes a written destination address; accessing destination information corresponding to the written destination address; presenting to the user a delivery fee for the physical item that is computed based on the destination information; receiving an acceptance of the delivery fee; and prompting the user to place the physical item at a collection location; and an item sorting module executing instructions to perform operations comprising: generating the electronic digital stamp record using the destination information and the delivery fee; obtaining an image of the physical item including the destination information; determining, based on the image, that the physical item lacks any physical indicator that the delivery fee for the physical item has been paid or will be paid; correlating the electronic digital stamp record with the physical item, wherein the electronic digital stamp record includes the destination information, the delivery fee, a user name, and an indicator of whether a digital stamp associated with the electronic digital stamp record is active; and automatically controlling equipment that sorts and moves the physical item for delivery according to the destination information when the electronic digital stamp correlates to the physical item, the electronic digital stamp is active, and the delivery fee has been paid.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request from the user to deliver the physical item comprises: receiving a spoken request from the user; and receiving the destination information comprises receiving spoken destination information from the user.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein presenting, to the user, the delivery fee for the physical item comprises: audibly presenting the delivery fee using automated speech generation.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the physical item comprises: a written origin address, wherein the operations further include: receiving origin information corresponding to the written origin address; computing the delivery fee for the physical item based on the destination information, the origin information, and a weight of the physical item; and generating the electronic digital stamp record using the destination information, the origin information, and the delivery fee.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the electronic digital stamp record comprises: the weight of the physical item.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein presenting the delivery fee for the physical item comprises: presenting to the user a plurality of delivery service types and a corresponding delivery fee for the delivery service type, wherein receiving the acceptance of the delivery fee comprises receiving, from the user, the acceptance of one delivery service type and the corresponding delivery fee from among the plurality of delivery service types.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving a weight of the physical item from a scale that is operably connected to the system.
8 . A computer implemented method for creating and using an electronic digital stamp record, the method comprising: receiving a request from a user to deliver a physical item to a destination using the electronic digital stamp record, wherein the physical item includes a written destination address; accessing destination information corresponding to the written destination address; presenting, to the user, a delivery fee for the physical item that is computed based on the destination information; receiving an acceptance of the delivery fee; prompting the user to place the physical item at a collection location; generating the electronic digital stamp record using destination information and the delivery fee; obtaining an image of the physical item including the destination information; determining, based on the image, that the physical item lacks any physical indicator that the delivery fee for the physical item has been paid or will be paid; correlating the electronic digital stamp record with the physical item, wherein the electronic digital stamp record includes the destination information, the delivery fee, a user name, and an indicator of whether a digital stamp associated with the electronic digital stamp record is active; and automatically controlling equipment that sorts and moves the physical item for delivery according to the destination information when the electronic digital stamp correlates to the physical item, the electronic digital stamp is active, and the delivery fee has been paid.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the request from the user to deliver the physical item comprises receiving a spoken request from the user, and receiving the destination information comprises receiving spoken destination information from the user.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein presenting, to the user, the delivery fee for the physical item comprises: audibly providing the delivery fee using automated speech generation.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the physical item includes a written origin address, and further comprising: receiving origin information corresponding to the written origin address; computing the delivery fee for the physical item based on the destination information, the origin information, and a weight of the physical item; and generating the electronic digital stamp record using the destination information, the origin information, and the delivery fee.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electronic digital stamp record comprises: the weight of the physical item.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein presenting the delivery fee for the physical item comprises: presenting to the user a plurality of delivery service types and a corresponding delivery fee for the delivery service type, wherein receiving the acceptance of the delivery fee comprises receiving, from the user, the acceptance of one delivery service type and the corresponding delivery fee from among the plurality of delivery service types.
14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: receiving a weight of the physical item from a scale.
15 . A non-transitory computer readable media including instructions for creating and using an electronic digital stamp record, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising: receiving a request from a user to deliver a physical item to a destination using the electronic digital stamp record, wherein the physical item includes a written destination address; accessing destination information corresponding to the written destination address; presenting, to the user, a delivery fee for the physical item that is computed based on the destination information; receiving an acceptance of the delivery fee; prompting the user to place the physical item at a collection location; generating the electronic digital stamp record using the destination information and the delivery fee; obtaining an image of the physical item including the destination information; determining, based on the image, that the physical item lacks any physical indicator that the delivery fee for the physical item has been paid or will be paid; correlating the electronic digital stamp record with the physical item, wherein the electronic digital stamp record includes the destination information, the delivery fee, a user name, and an indicator of whether a digital stamp associated with the electronic digital stamp record is active; and automatically controlling equipment that sorts and moves the physical item for delivery according to the destination information when the electronic digital stamp correlates to the physical item, the electronic digital stamp is active, and the delivery fee has been paid.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving the request from the user to deliver the physical item comprises receiving a spoken request from the user; and receiving the destination information comprises receiving spoken destination information from the user.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein presenting, to the user, the delivery fee for the physical item comprises: audibly providing the delivery fee using automated speech generation.
18 . The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the physical item includes a written origin address, and wherein the operations further comprise: receiving origin information corresponding to the written origin address; computing the delivery fee for the physical item based on the destination information, the origin information, and a weight of the physical item; and generating the electronic digital stamp record using the destination information, the origin information, and the delivery fee.
19 . The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , wherein the electronic digital stamp record further includes the weight of the physical item.
20 . The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving a weight of the physical item from a scale.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 18/296,017 filed on 5 Apr. 2023 (now U.S. Pat. No. 12,141,738), which is continuation of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 17/752,121 filed on 24 May 2022 (now U.S. Pat. No. 11,625,666), which is a continuation of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/850,914 filed on 21 Dec. 2017 (now U.S. Pat. No. 11,348,056), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND Electronic mail and instant messaging have become the primary means to communicate written messages and visual information. Physical items (e.g., letters, postcards, and packages) continue to be carried and delivered by delivery and courier services, such as the United States Postal Service (“USPS”). Use of such services can be inconvenient in comparison to sending electronic mail and instant messaging. For example, the delivery fee can be prepaid by an individual requesting delivery of an item (i.e., “the sender”). In such situations, the sender may obtain a stamp (e.g., a postage stamp) or other physical indicia (e.g., a shipping label) indicating that the delivery fee has been paid, and affix it to an outside surface of the item, so that the delivery service can recognize that the delivery fee has been paid or will be paid. If a delivery service receives an item that lacks any stamp(s) or other physical indicia indicating payment of the delivery fee, then the delivery service may return the item to the sender instead of delivering it to the addressee. The delivery fee for different items may vary based on, for example, the type of delivery requested (e.g., priority delivery, first class delivery, overnight delivery, parcel post delivery, etc.) and the weight of the item. Thus, prior to dropping an item off for collection at a collection box (e.g., blue box, postbox, mailbox, letter box, or drop box), the sender may wish to know the delivery fee (e.g., postage) for the item. And, even if the sender knows the delivery fee, they may not have the stamps or other physical indicia on hand. Obtaining stamps or other physical indicia can be inconvenient for a sender who simply desires to drop off an item at a collection box. In some situations, the sender may obtain the stamps or other physical shipping indicia indicating payment of the delivery fee by traveling to a retail location of a delivery service (e.g., a post office). In that situation, the sender can simply drop off the package and pay the delivery fee at the retail location, instead of using a collection box as the sender originally intended. In other situations, the sender can avoid traveling to the retail location by obtaining stamps or shipping labels online via the Internet. For example, the sender can obtain postage stamps from services such as USPS.COM or STAMPS.COM™, which is a business partner of the USPS. Such Internet transactions can be inconvenient because a typical Internet purchase can involve numerous steps, including locating, accessing, and browsing a virtual storefront; and completing a purchase with a secure payment system. Additional steps may be taken if the user has forgotten their security credentials for the online store or the secure payment system. For the reasons above, it would be desirable to provide more convenient methods and systems for sending and paying the delivery fee for physical items using a delivery service. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides systems, interface devices, methods, and computer-readable media for the delivery of physical items using digital stamps. Implementations in accordance with the present disclosure include hardware for and/or perform functions and operations that include: receiving, by a computerized user interface device, a request from a user to deliver a physical item to a destination using a digital stamp, wherein the physical item includes a written destination address; receiving, from the user, destination information corresponding to the written destination address; receiving a weight of the physical item; presenting to the user a delivery fee for the physical item that is based on the destination information and the weight of the physical item; and receiving an acceptance of the delivery fee; and prompting the user to place the physical item at a collection location. In various embodiments, in response to the acceptance, a delivery service computing system may generate a record for the digital stamp using the destination information and the delivery fee and correlate the record with the physical item. The physical item lacks any physical indicator that the delivery fee for the physical item has been paid or will be paid. In various implementations, the operations may further include receiving the request from the user to deliver the physical item comprises receiving a spoken request from the user; and receiving destination information comprises receiving spoken destination information