Patents by Inventor Michael J. Amato
Michael J. Amato has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20250165917Abstract: Systems and methods for digitally accompanied delivery of delivery items, such as mail or packages. A delivery item has supporting digital data, such as electronic text, a digital file, an image, a web page(s), or the like. The delivery item includes an indicia, such as a bar code, that provides access to, or references, the digital resource. When the delivery item is processed during transit from the sender to the recipient of the delivery item, the indicia is scanned, read, and/or decoded, and the supporting digital data is identified therefrom. The delivery service transmits, to the recipient, an electronic notification indicating or including at least part of the supporting digital data. The notification may include information about the enroute status of the delivery item. The recipient may access the delivery item's supporting digital data, e.g., as included directly in the notification or via a link provided with the notification, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2025Publication date: May 22, 2025Inventor: Michael J. AMATO
-
Patent number: 12205071Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing digitally informed delivery of delivery items, such as mail or packages. A delivery item has an associated digital resource(s), such as electronic text, a digital file, an image, a web page(s), or the like. The delivery item includes an indicia, such as a bar code, that provides access to, or references, the digital resource. When the delivery item is processed during transit from the sender to the recipient of the delivery item, the indicia is scanned, read, or decoded, and the associated digital resource is identified therefrom. The delivery service transmits, to the recipient, an electronic notification indicating that the delivery item is enroute to the recipient and also indicating the associated digital resource. The recipient can then access the digital resource, e.g., the custom text, files, images or web pages associated with the delivery item.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2023Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICEInventor: Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20240046198Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing digitally informed delivery of delivery items, such as mail or packages. A delivery item has an associated digital resource(s), such as electronic text, a digital file, an image, a web page(s), or the like. The delivery item includes an indicia, such as a bar code, that provides access to, or references, the digital resource. When the delivery item is processed during transit from the sender to the recipient of the delivery item, the indicia is scanned, read, or decoded, and the associated digital resource is identified therefrom. The delivery service transmits, to the recipient, an electronic notification indicating that the delivery item is enroute to the recipient and also indicating the associated digital resource. The recipient can then access the digital resource, e.g., the custom text, files, images or web pages associated with the delivery item.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2023Publication date: February 8, 2024Inventor: Michael J. AMATO
-
Patent number: 11797917Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing digitally informed delivery of delivery items, such as mail or packages. A delivery item has an associated digital resource(s), such as electronic text, a digital file, an image, a web page(s), or the like. The delivery item includes an indicia, such as a bar code, that provides access to, or references, the digital resource. When the delivery item is processed during transit from the sender to the recipient of the delivery item, the indicia is read, and the associated digital resource is identified therefrom. The delivery service transmits, to the recipient, an electronic notification indicating that the delivery item is enroute to the recipient and also indicating the associated digital resource. The recipient can then access the digital resource, e.g., the custom text, files, images or web pages associated with the delivery item.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICEInventor: Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20230091390Abstract: A system and method of verifying the identity of a user or registrant. The user or registrant provides identification information and registration information. The identification information may be a visual representation of an identifying item associated with location information. In some embodiments, the identification information may be a visual representation of a government issued identity. An identification module verifies the identification information and compares the verified identification information to the registration information.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2022Publication date: March 23, 2023Inventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato, William G. Ackerman, Robert E. Dixon, Daniel W. Smith, Gregory Crabb, Paul Anthony Bernicchi
-
Publication number: 20230041705Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing digitally informed delivery of delivery items, such as mail or packages. A delivery item has an associated digital resource(s), such as electronic text, a digital file, an image, a web page(s), or the like. The delivery item includes an indicia, such as a bar code, that provides access to, or references, the digital resource. When the delivery item is processed during transit from the sender to the recipient of the delivery item, the indicia is read, and the associated digital resource is identified therefrom. The delivery service transmits, to the recipient, an electronic notification indicating that the delivery item is enroute to the recipient and also indicating the associated digital resource. The recipient can then access the digital resource, e.g., the custom text, files, images or web pages associated with the delivery item.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2022Publication date: February 9, 2023Inventor: Michael J. Amato
-
Patent number: 11508024Abstract: A system and method of verifying the identity of a user or registrant. The user or registrant provides identification information and registration information. The identification information may be a visual representation of an identifying item associated with location information. In some embodiments, the identification information may be a visual representation of a government issued identity. An identification module verifies the identification information and compares the verified identification information to the registration information.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2021Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato, William G. Ackerman, Robert E. Dixon, Daniel W. Smith, Gregory Crabb, Paul Anthony Bernicchi
-
Patent number: 11468399Abstract: A system and method for enhancing digitally informed delivery of delivery items such as mail. The sender of a delivery item creates custom electronic text, files, images, web pages, or other electronic/digital resource(s) to provide to the recipient. A postage meter, a server of the delivery service, or the like creates a digital indicia that includes the digital resource, associating it with the delivery item. When the delivery item is processed by the delivery service equipment during transit, the digital indicia is read and the associated digital resource is are identified therefrom. The delivery service equipment transmits, to the delivery item recipient, an electronic notification indicating that the delivery item is en-route to the recipient, and also provides the associated digital resource. The recipient can then access the resource, e.g., the custom text, files, images or web pages associated with the delivery item.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2019Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICEInventor: Michael J. Amato
-
Patent number: 11226640Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for use in delivery of items to a storage unit. The storage unit can include one or several storage receptacles and a control unit that controls and monitors the status of the one or several storage receptacles. The storage unit may be included in a storage unit system that can include one or several storage units and a central control unit. The central control unit can communicate with the one or several storage units, and can receive status and availability updates from the one or several storage units.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2018Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20210241407Abstract: A system and method of verifying the identity of a user or registrant. The user or registrant provides identification information and registration information. The identification information may be a visual representation of an identifying item associated with location information. In some embodiments, the identification information may be a visual representation of a government issued identity. An identification module verifies the identification information and compares the verified identification information to the registration information.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021Inventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato, William G. Ackerman, Robert E. Dixon, Daniel W. Smith, Gregory Crabb, Paul Anthony Bernicchi
-
Patent number: 10991061Abstract: A system and method of verifying the identity of a user or registrant. The user or registrant provides identification information and registration information. The identification information may be a visual representation of an identifying item associated with location information. In some embodiments, the identification information may be a visual representation of a government issued identity. An identification module verifies the identification information and compares the verified identification information to the registration information.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2015Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato, William G. Ackerman, Robert E. Dixon, Daniel W. Smith, Gregory Crabb, Paul Anthony Bernicchi
-
Patent number: 10920470Abstract: A lock and method of locking a lockable volume is described. The lock may be located on a door of a lockable volume, such as a locker configured to hold an item. The lock may comprise a post and a cam, the cam having an opening corresponding to the size and shape of the post. The cam is rotatable about an axis, wherein the rotation of the cam about the axis releasably secures the post within the opening, thereby locking the door to which the post is attached.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William Albert Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20190354931Abstract: A system and method for enhancing digitally informed delivery of delivery items such as mail. The sender of a delivery item creates custom electronic text, files, images, web pages, or other electronic/digital resource(s) to provide to the recipient. A postage meter, a server of the delivery service, or the like creates a digital indicia that includes the digital resource, associating it with the delivery item. When the delivery item is processed by the delivery service equipment during transit, the digital indicia is read and the associated digital resource is are identified therefrom. The delivery service equipment transmits, to the delivery item recipient, an electronic notification indicating that the delivery item is en-route to the recipient, and also provides the associated digital resource. The recipient can then access the resource, e.g., the custom text, files, images or web pages associated with the delivery item.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2019Publication date: November 21, 2019Inventor: Michael J. Amato
-
Patent number: 10346891Abstract: A method and system is provided for notifying an addressee about a mail piece having an address. The system captures an image of the mail piece and determines a communication channel for the addressee using the address from the mail piece. The system provides the addressee with the image via the communication channel.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2002Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICEInventor: Michael J. Amato
-
Patent number: 10281931Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for use in delivery of items to a storage unit. The storage unit can include one or several storage receptacles and a control unit that controls and monitors the status of the one or several storage receptacles. The storage unit may be included in a storage unit system that can include one or several storage units and a central control unit. The central control unit can communicate with the one or several storage units, and can receive status and availability updates from the one or several storage units.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20190112851Abstract: A lock and method of locking a lockable volume is described. The lock may be located on a door of a lockable volume, such as a locker configured to hold an item. The lock may comprise a post and a cam, the cam having an opening corresponding to the size and shape of the post. The cam is rotatable about an axis, wherein the rotation of the cam about the axis releasably secures the post within the opening, thereby locking the door to which the post is attached.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2018Publication date: April 18, 2019Inventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William Albert Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Patent number: 10184277Abstract: A lock and method of locking a lockable volume is described. The lock may be located on a door of a lockable volume, such as a locker configured to hold an item. The lock may comprise a post and a cam, the cam having an opening corresponding to the size and shape of the post. The cam is rotatable about an axis, wherein the rotation of the cam about the axis releasably secures the post within the opening, thereby locking the door to which the post is attached.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William Albert Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20180210468Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for use in delivery of items to a storage unit. The storage unit can include one or several storage receptacles and a control unit that controls and monitors the status of the one or several storage receptacles. The storage unit may be included in a storage unit system that can include one or several storage units and a central control unit. The central control unit can communicate with the one or several storage units, and can receive status and availability updates from the one or several storage units.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2018Publication date: July 26, 2018Inventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Publication number: 20180202204Abstract: A lock and method of locking a lockable volume is described. The lock may be located on a door of a lockable volume, such as a locker configured to hold an item. The lock may comprise a post and a cam, the cam having an opening corresponding to the size and shape of the post. The cam is rotatable about an axis, wherein the rotation of the cam about the axis releasably secures the post within the opening, thereby locking the door to which the post is attached.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2018Publication date: July 19, 2018Inventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William Albert Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
-
Patent number: 9958877Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for use in delivery of items to a storage unit. The storage unit can include one or several storage receptacles and a control unit that controls and monitors the status of the one or several storage receptacles. The storage unit may be included in a storage unit system that can include one or several storage units and a central control unit. The central control unit can communicate with the one or several storage units, and can receive status and availability updates from the one or several storage units.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventors: Donald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William A. Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato