Custom class selection in automated mail processing

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A program controlled automatic mail processor includes custom rates software to facilitate processing of mixed mail streams for posting via a plurality of classes, without manual sorting of the mail into classes or manual selection of classes during mail processing. A user defines a custom rates template, specifying classes and break point parameters (e.g. weight values) for controlling shifts between the selected classes. The mail processor uses the template and previously stored standard postage rate tables to develop a custom rates rate table for processing mail in multiple classes. Once the custom rates rate table is established, an operator can select any table from among the standard …