The present invention relates to the technical field of computers. Disclosed are a mailing method and a mailing apparatus. An embodiment of the method comprises: in response to a mailing request from a user, sending an open instruction to an intelligent mailing cabinet, controlling an article placement region of the intelligent mailing cabinet to open, and acquiring article information of an article to be mailed already placed inside the article placement region; generating recommended service information according to the acquired article information, and sending the recommended service information to the intelligent mailing cabinet, such that the intelligent mailing cabinet displays the recommended service information; and in response to the user making an adjustment to the recommended service information, determining mailing service information corresponding to the article, and controlling the intelligent mailing cabinet to perform a mailing operation with respect to the article according to the mailing service information.

Systems, methods, 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; determining a delivery fee for the item; and generating a digital stamp using the destination address, the delivery fee, and user account information for the user. The operations may also include obtaining an image of the item including the destination information; determining, from the image, that the item lacks any physical indicator regarding the delivery fee; checking for a digital stamp corresponding to the item; and directing the item for delivery to the destination information, if the digital stamp is found.

Embodiments of the invention involve an integrated thermal printer with a scale that is connected to a computer. The computer is connected to a web server that is authorized by a government postal agency, e.g. the USPS, to issue postage.

A postage evidencing system for tracking postage amounts for multiple users comprising at least two register set partitions is disclosed. Each of the partitions includes an ascending register holding a number representing a value of postage that can be evidenced by the device, a descending register holding a number representing a value of postage that has been previously evidenced by the device, and an identification representing a source of mail pieces that are evidenced with postage from the partition. A security module limits access to the partitions and registers. The identifier for a selected partition is printed on mail pieces as part of an Information Based Indicia (IBI) to identify the source of the mail pieces.

A terminal for measuring at least one dimension of an object includes a range camera, a visible camera, and a display that are fixed in position and orientation relative to each other. The range camera is configured to produce a range image of an area in which the object is located. The visible camera is configured to produce a visible image of an area in which the object is located. The display is configured to present information associated with the range camera's field of view and the visible camera's field of view.

A mail item sortation system and method that includes an external controller for culling candidate letters in a mailing job to produce groupings of letters based on industry average weights and/or thicknesses in order to place all the candidate letters going to a single address adjacent to each other, an internal controller, interfaced with the external controller, that utilizes the groupings of letters to manage multiple letter sorters, wherein a specific letter sorter is selected to pair a calculated number of pockets to accommodate the groupings with an actual number of pockets in the selected letter sorter, and a transfer process for moving letters within the letter sorter pockets to a StatementPack machine.

Device for weighing flat objects in motion comprising a conveyor (12) with drive rollers (22A, 22B) for conveying the flat objects along a transport path (14), a weighing plate (16) facing said transport path and comprising a set of free rollers (160) for receiving the flat objects, and a weighing sensor (18) attached to the weighing plate for measuring the weight of the flat objects during their passage between the conveyor and the weighing plate, wherein the weighing sensor is arranged above the transport path and the conveyor is adapted to move vertically in order to press the flat objects in motion against the weighing plate.

A mail item sortation system and method that includes an external controller for culling candidate letters in a mailing job to produce groupings of letters based on industry average weights and/or thicknesses in order to place all the candidate letters going to a single address adjacent to each other, an internal controller, interfaced with the external controller, that utilizes the groupings of letters to manage multiple letter sorters, wherein a specific letter sorter is selected to pair a calculated number of pockets to accommodate the groupings with an actual number of pockets in the selected letter sorter, and a transfer process for moving letters within the letter sorter pockets to a StatementPack machine.

A hybrid system for securely controlling deposition and retrieval of shipments, including a managing distribution centre, at least one electronic locker unit connected to the managing distribution centre through a communication network, and having a control desk and several lockable compartments of different sizes, wherein the electronic locker unit comprises a shape measurement module located inside each compartment for acquiring the shipment content's shape.

Systems and methods which provide for distributed activation of pre-printed, or otherwise pre-produced, indicia to thereby provide value bearing indicia, such as postage indicia, are shown. Embodiments apply indicia to fungible items, such as envelopes, paper stock, labels, etc., at a central location. When one of the items bearing the pre-produced indicia is incorporated into a mail item by a user, the pre-produced indicia may be activated and thus becomes valid postage indicia for use in posting the mail item. Various images, information, characters, symbols, and/or marks may be provided in association with pre-produced indicia. Such marks may be printed using a same or different media than an accompanying pre-produced indicia. Embodiments implement a system for scanning pre-produced indicia for activation as postage indicia.