Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. As an initial step, the activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and will not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage comprises a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. In order to activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.

Systems and methods for processing distribution items having unique identifiers affixed thereon. The unique identifiers can include computer readable codes and written alphanumeric strings generated by a user. A system receives the unique identifier and requests payment information from a user, and stores an association between the unique identifier and the payment information, and processes the item according to the payment information.

A package shipping processing system has a kiosk housing, with a computer terminal with a display device, an input device, a data processor, and network data communications module included therein. A weighing scale with a platform on which objects for shipment are placed, and in communication with the computer terminal, reports a measured weight of the object. An imaging device is disposed in proximity to the weighing scale and positioned to have a field of view extending beyond the platform of the weighing scale. The imaging device is in communication with the computer terminal to transmit captured image data of the object placed on the platform. The data processor generates dimensional parameters along a plurality of axes based on the image data, and a new shipping record with the dimensional parameters and the measured weight of the object.

The invention relates to a method for marking a consignment unit in a logistics process. The invention furthermore relates to a system for marking a consignment unit in a logistics process. The method according to the invention for marking a consignment unit in a logistics process contains the steps of initially creating a first image of the surface of a consignment unit in order to then link this image to an identification number and store the image and the identification number on a data processing unit.

A method includes distributing a number of printer devices across a computer network with corresponding logistical nodes associated therewith, and, through a server, dynamically extracting, from a number of digital pre-print mail files related to physical mailing items, metadata related thereto and mailing constraints based on scanning the number of digital pre-print mail files, and classifying the number of digital pre-print mail files into groups based on an extent to which the dynamically extracted metadata is shared between constituents thereof. The method also includes, through the server, matching each classified group to a logistical node based on the dynamically extracted metadata shared between the constituents thereof and dynamically tracked printer characteristics, and commingling the extracted metadata within the each classified group into a master document in which the extracted metadata is laid out to enable printing thereof through a printer device associated with the matched logistical node.

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. As an initial step, the activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and will not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage comprises a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. In order to activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.

In accordance with an embodiment, a package management system comprises a measurement device and an output device. The measurement device having a platform on which a package for measurement is to be placed, a camera positioned to capture an image of the package placed on the platform, a weight sensor configured to measure a weight of the package placed on the platform, and a processor configured to determine a length, a width, and a height of the package based on the captured image. The output device connected to a network and configured to output onto the network first information indicating the length, the width, and the height of the package and second information indicating the weight of the package.

Systems and methods for processing distribution items having unique identifiers affixed thereon. The unique identifiers can include computer readable codes and written alphanumeric strings generated by a user. A system receives the unique identifier and requests payment information from a user, and stores an association between the unique identifier and the payment information, and processes the item according to the payment information.

A method for uniquely identifying mailpieces having non-personalized enclosures during an inserting and printing process in a mailpieces production system, the method including: creating a Job file containing at least a mailing list of addresses to be printed on mailpieces, allocating a distinct mailpiece identifier for a mailpiece, allocating a temporary machine identifier to a non-personalized enclosure extracted from an insert feeder of the mailpiece production system, associating said temporary machine identifier with said distinct mailpiece identifier and recording the mailpiece identifier as being in process, creating the mailpiece by inserting at least the non-personalized enclosure into an envelope, printing on the envelope an address associated with the mailpiece identifier, and recording the mailpiece identifier as being inserted.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for measuring package dimensions. The systems and methods may include determining, by a computing device comprising a processor, pixel locations of a plurality of corners of a package within an image. The systems and methods may also include determining, by the computing device, the package dimensions based on the pixel locations.