IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,221,813
Granted Patent B2
US 11,221,813 · App. 17/127,125 · Granted Jan 11, 2022

Method and system for aggregate asset routing

Inventors: Leore Avidar (San Francisco, CA); Ami Wang (San Francisco, CA); Manushika Yapa (San Francisco, CA); Andrew Nisbet (San Francisco, CA); Boa Khanh Tran (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Lob.com, Inc.
G06F3/1296G06F3/1291G06Q30/0283
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,221,813
App. No.
17/127,125
Granted
Jan 11, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for asset routing including receiving a digital asset, determining a set of print partners for the digital asset, determining a set of candidate batches for the digital asset, selecting a print partner for the digital asset, optionally determining a print partner for an unmatched digital asset, and routing the digital asset to the print partner.

Claims (35)

1. A method for routing a digital mail piece to a print partner, comprising, at a processing system:

receiving the digital mail piece, wherein the digital mail piece is associated with asset parameters;

determining a ruleset, wherein each rule within the ruleset is associated with an asset parameter permutation, wherein a rule comprises a weight for each print partner, and wherein an asset parameter permutation comprises a specified value for at least one asset parameter;

determining a set of preferred print partners based on a rule of the ruleset associated with an asset parameter permutation matching the asset parameters;

determining a set of available print partners from the set of preferred print partners based on a capacity of each print partner of the set of preferred print partners;

selecting the print partner from the set of available print partners based on the weights of the rule associated with each print partner of the set of available print partners; and

routing the digital mail piece to the print partner for printing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rules are determined based on an optimization.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the optimization is based on a cost per print partner.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the optimization is based on a daily capacity per print partner.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the ruleset comprises estimating a mail volume of received digital mail pieces for each asset parameter permutation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the ruleset comprises:

forecasting a mail volume for a month;

forecasting a remaining mail volume for a day; and

generating the ruleset based on the mail volume for the month and the remaining volume for the day.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital mail piece is received as part of an order, wherein the order comprises a plurality of digital mail pieces; wherein each digital mail piece within the order is individually routed using the method.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating when the digital mail piece will be printed by the print partner.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating when the digital mail piece will be delivered by a delivery service.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of preferred print partners is determined based on a cost of printing the digital mail piece.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the print partner is selected based on a daily minimum mail piece volume associated with the print partner.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rules are automatically periodically updated.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital mail piece is routed to the print partner in real time.

14. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising scaling the weights of the rule, wherein the print partner is selected based on the scaled weights.

15. A system for asset routing, comprising a processing system configured to:

receive an asset, wherein the asset is associated with asset parameters;

generate rules, wherein each rule within the ruleset is associated with an asset parameter permutation, wherein a rule comprises a weight for each print partner, and wherein an asset parameter permutation comprises a specified value for at least one asset parameter wherein each rule is associated with a print partner;

automatically determine a set of preferred print partners based on a printing capability of each print partner and the asset parameters;

determine a set of available print partners from the set of capable print partners based on a capacity of each print partner of the set of preferred print partners;

select the print partner for the asset from the set of available print partners based on a subset of the rules that are associated with the set of available print partners; and

route the asset to the print partner for printing.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the asset routing is performed in real time.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the rules are periodically re-generated based on a remaining daily capacity for each print partner.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the rules are re-calculated every hour.

19. The system of claim 15 , further configured to assign the asset to a batch associated with the print partner, wherein the batch comprises multiple different assets from different orders.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the asset is assigned to the batch when a batch threshold volume associated with the batch is below a minimum value.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2023
From: LOB.COM, INC.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 064156/0614 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: AVIDAR, LEORE; WANG, AMI; YAPA, MANUSHIKA; NISBET, ANDREW; TRAN, BAO KHANH
To: LOB.COM, INC.
Reel/Frame 055507/0118 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62950680 · Dec 19, 2019
Related Publication 20210191679A1 · Jun 24, 2021
Cited By (2)
US 12,223,214 US 12,229,711