Systems and methods for applying secondary information to business addresses

• US 10,430,728 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Snapp, Robert F., Garner, Michael C., Gillock, II, Edgar H., Wilson, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov, Igor N
• Application Number:
  US13/599,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 707769, 707E17014
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining secondary address information. In one implementation, a method is provided that uses a data processing apparatus. According to the method, a code word is created for a business name and a building default extended delivery code. A data table is searched using the code word and secondary address information is revealed when a match is found between the code word and data stored in the data table.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, using at least one processor, a name of a business and primary address information associated with the business, the business name comprising two or more words;

parsing, using the at least one processor, the business name into individual words;

creating, using the at least one processor, a first code word representative of a combination of the business name and a default extended delivery code assigned to the primary address information, the first code word created by computing a first hash value using a secure hash algorithm;

for each of the individual words, creating, using the at least one processor, a second code representative of the each of the individual words and the default extended delivery code, the second code word created by computing a second hash value using the secure hash algorithm;

requesting, using the at least one processor, access to a data table;

after receiving access to the data table, searching, using the at least one processor, the data table using the first code word, at least a portion of the data table comprising candidate secondary address information;

after determining that the first code word fails to match the stored data, automatically identifying, using the at least one processor, a plurality of elements of the candidate secondary address information that match corresponding ones of the second code words;

automatically determining, using the at least one processor, that a number of matches between a first element of the elements and the second code words meets or exceeds a threshold number;

automatically determining, using the at least one processor, secondary address information for the business name from the stored data, based on the first element;

based on the stored data, automatically identifying, using the at least one processor, an extended delivery code that corresponds to a combination of the primary and secondary address information; and

updating, using the at least one processor, address information associated with the business stored in a memory device, based on the identified secondary address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary address information comprises at least one of a suite number or a room number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the default or extended delivery codes comprises a ZIP+4 Code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second code words is a 20-byte code word.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the secondary address information comprises:

identifying a plurality of the candidate elements of secondary address information within the stored data that match corresponding ones of at least the threshold number of second code words;

determining whether the candidate elements correspond to a common element of secondary address information; and

when the candidate elements are determined to correspond to the common element, establishing the common element as the secondary address information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a delivery point code associated with a combination of the business name, the primary and secondary address information, and the identified extended delivery code.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the business name and primary address information are disposed on a surface of a physical mail piece; and

the method further comprises;

generating a barcode that represents a combination of the identified extended delivery code and the delivery point code; and

transmitting information associated with the generated barcode to a device, the information instructing the device to print the barcode onto the surface of the physical mail piece.

4. A system, comprising:

a storage device storing instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the storage device and configured to execute the stored instructions to;

receive a name of a business and primary address information associated with the business, the business name comprising two or more words;

parse, using the at least one processor, the business name into individual words;

create a first code word representative of a combination of the business name and a default extended delivery code assigned to the primary address information, the first code word created by computing a first hash value using a secure hash algorithm;

for each of the individual words, create, using the at least one processor, a second code representative of the each of the individual words and the default extended delivery code, the second code word created by computing a second hash value using the secure hash algorithm;

request access to a data table;

after receiving access to the data table, search the data table using the first code word, at least a portion of the data table comprising candidate secondary address information;

after determining that the first code word fails to match the stored data, automatically identify, using the at least one processor, a plurality of elements of the candidate secondary address information that match corresponding ones of the second code words;

automatically determine that a number of matches between a first element of the elements and the second code words meets or exceeds a threshold number;

automatically determine secondary address information for the business name from the stored data, based on the first element;

based on the stored data, automatically identify an extended delivery code that corresponds to a combination of the primary and secondary address information; and

update address information associated with the business stored in the storage device, based on the identified secondary address.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the secondary address information comprises at least one of a suite number or a room number.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the default or extended delivery codes comprises a ZIP+4 Code.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing a processor to perform a method for providing secondary address information according to a method, the method comprising the steps performed by the processor of:

receiving, using at least one processor, a name of a business and primary address information associated with the business, the business name comprising two or more words;

parsing, using the at least one processor, the business name into individual words;

creating, using the at least one processor, a first code word representative of a combination of the business name and a default extended delivery code assigned to the primary address information, the first code word created by computing a first hash value using a secure hash algorithm;

for each of the individual words, creating, using the at least one processor, a second code representative of the each of the individual words and the default extended delivery code, the second code word created by computing a second hash value using the secure hash algorithm;

requesting, using the at least one processor, access to a data table;

after receiving access to the data table, searching, using the at least one processor, the data table using the first code word, at least a portion of the data table comprising candidate secondary address information;

after determining that the first code word fails to match the stored data, automatically identifying, using the at least one processor, a plurality of elements of the candidate secondary address information that match corresponding ones of the second code words;

determining, using the at least one processor, that a number of matches between a first element of the elements and the second code words meets or exceeds a threshold number;

automatically determining, using the at least one processor, secondary address information for the business name from the stored data, based on the first element;

based on the stored data, automatically identifying, using the at least one processor, an extended delivery code that corresponds to a combination of the primary and secondary address information; and

updating, using the at least one processor, address information associated with the business stored in a memory device, based on the identified secondary address.