Have you got mail?

Since 1989, America Online’s (AOL’s) phrase “You’ve got mail” has been associated with the arrival of digital messages. More recently, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has provided a digital message (email) to alert customers of the arrival of physical mail and packages. The email notifications are part of the USPS Informed Delivery system and rely on different sensing techniques.

As letters process through the USPS processing facilities, high-speed automated mail sorting machines take pictures (providing grayscale images) of the address side. Packages are photographed when they are scanned by an overhead parcel scanner. These images provide the input for the Informed Delivery service. With this free and optional online notification feature, residential, business, and eligible PO Box consumers receive an email to digitally preview their letter-sized mail and manage their packages scheduled to arrive soon. Alternatively, subscribers can also get Informed Delivery notifications via a text message or access more information through the USPS mobile app. Most customers who use USPS Informed Delivery can also choose to get emails notifying them when their mail has been delivered.

Another sensing technology used by the Postal Service is barcode scanning to track mail and provide mailers with detailed information on where and when their mail was processed and delivered. With Informed Visibility Mail Tracking & Reporting (IV-MTR) that uses barcode scans, commercial mailers have a real-time, single source to track domestic-bound barcoded letters, flats, bundles, handling units (trays, tubs, and sacks), and containers.

Tools of the trade

The USPS has been using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to track mail carriers for nearly twelve years. The technology is provided in several ways, including through a device called a Mobile Delivery Device (MDD) for scanning and tracking. By having these GPS-enabled units installed in USPS vehicles or worn by carriers for route optimization and other purposes, the Informed Delivery system can track package delivery in real time. The MDD shows all of the packages that have been received at the Post Office, loaded on the vehicles, and delivered, as well as packages that were not loaded.

Figure 1. (a) The newest MDD‑TR handheld mobile scanning device (b) as worn by a Postal Service employee. (Image (a) USPS)

Figure 2. With feedback from customers, the USPS can tweak the algorithm in the Informed Delivery system to more accurately provide email arrival messages. (Image: USPS)

According to a Nov. 8, 2024, memo, Mobile Delivery Device-Technology Refresh (MDD-TR) scanners, improved handheld scanning devices, began deploying in 2019 to enhance employee security, increase delivery security, and improve efficiency. Replacing the initial MDD, which debuted in 2014, select MDD‑TRs also use electronic lock (eLock) technology that requires multi-factor authentication to open collection and cluster boxes. These types of boxes have traditionally opened with regular keys, but the keys have been a target of thieves in the past. Since 2023, the newer handhelds have received periodic software updates to improve carrier security and efficiency. Technical advances in the newest devices include larger touch-screen displays, faster Wi-Fi, faster processors, improved battery life, more memory, and improved cellular connectivity, as well as better GPS capabilities.