Physical Mail Digitization via Email Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals and organizations face challenges in accessing and managing physical mail efficiently, as much of it is junk mail that goes unnoticed until it accumulates, leading to missed deadlines and unnecessary delivery costs.
Innovation Solution
A system that converts physical mail into emails, allowing users to subscribe to a service where mail delivery providers scan and digitize physical mail, sending it as email with options to delete, respond, or receive physically, thereby reducing unwanted mail and enhancing accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If physical mail is delivered to mailboxes, then mail delivery service is provided, but users cannot access mail early and junk mail accumulates
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy (email) of the physical mail and sends it to the user's email address. This allows users to view the content of physical mail electronically before the physical mail arrives, enabling early access and easier management by deleting unwanted emails without needing to physically handle accumulated mail.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary service (mail scanning service) that receives physical mail, scans it, converts it to email format, and delivers it electronically. This intermediary process bridges the gap between traditional physical mail delivery and modern electronic communication, allowing early access to mail content.
2Loss of energy
If physical mail is delivered, then complete mail service is provided, but delivery costs are incurred for unwanted mail
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scanning and conversion of physical mail to email format before the physical mail is delivered to the user's mailbox. Users can review the scanned content and delete unwanted emails, which triggers a notification to the scanning service to not deliver the corresponding physical mail, thereby avoiding unnecessary delivery costs while maintaining complete mail service for desired items.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where user actions on scanned emails (delete, keep, archive) are communicated back to the mail scanning service. When users delete unwanted emails, the service receives feedback and adjusts physical mail delivery accordingly, preventing delivery of unwanted mail and reducing delivery costs.
3Loss of information
If physical mail is checked daily, then important mail is noticed, but users still miss deadlines when not checking
Solution Approach 1:
By creating and sending digital copies of physical mail to users' email addresses, the system makes mail content visible in the user's email inbox where they already check regularly. This ensures important mail is noticed without requiring users to physically check mailboxes daily, maintaining information visibility while improving processing efficiency through electronic access.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for delivering physical mail via email are provided. A mail delivery service provider scans the front and back of physical mail items and converts the physical mail to an email message. From the email inbox, a user can trash the email and not allow it to reach the user's physical mailbox and/or respond to the physical mail virtually.