Address learning system and method for using same

• US 20010054031A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell & Howell LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Bowe Bell & Howell Company
• Inventors: Chan, Tony, Lee, Raymond, Shah, Amit, Bourek, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/406
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/262 using context analysis, e.g. lexical, syntactic or semantic context
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor

Abstract

A computerized method for learning a delivery point of a first mail piece by using unmatched and/or unused data from at least one other mail piece is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: (a) capturing a text string from said other mail piece using capture means; (b) comparing said text string to a first set of preexisting data in an address database to determine a match for said other mail piece according to a first set of predetermined rules; (c) separating the matched and used data from the unmatched and unused data for said other mail piece determined by step (b); and (d)correlating said unmatched and/or unused data from said other mail piece to a second set of preexisting data relating to said first mail piece according to a second set of predetermined rules, wherein upon the presentation of a third mail piece to the capture means with the same intended delivery point as the first mail piece and having similar unmatched and/or unused data as the at least one other mail piece, the correct point of delivery for the third mail piece can be automatically determined.

The invention further comprises a computerized system for learning a delivery point of a first mail piece by using unmatched data from at least one other mail piece, comprising: (a) means for capturing a data string of address information from said other mail piece; (b) a directory retrieval system database comprising a set of preexisting data relating to said other mail piece and further comprising means for separating matched data from the unmatched data; (c) a tag database comprising the unmatched data; (d) a tag archive; (e) means for correlating the unmatched data to the set of preexisting data according to a plurality of predetermined rules; (f) a rules database comprising said plurality of predetermined rules; and (g) a learning database to determine said delivery point of said first mail piece upon its presentation to the capture means after said other mail piece has been processed by the system.

Claims

1. A computerized method for learning a delivery point address and updating a database of such delivery point addresses and updating a database of such delivery point addresses by using unmatched and/or unused data from at least one mail piece:

The method includes capturing text string from said mail piece using image capture means;

a. comparing the text string to a first set of preexisting data in address database to determine a match for the data on the mail piece according to a first set of predetermined rules;

b. separating the matched and/or data from the unmatched data and/or unused data for the mail piece determined by step (b); and

c. correlating the unmatched and/or unused data from the mail piece to a second set of preexisting data according to a second set of predetermined rules,

wherein upon the presentation of another mail piece to the image capture means with the same intended delivery point as the first mail piece and having similar unmatched and/or unused data as the first mail piece, the correct point of delivery for the other mail piece can be automatically determined.

2. The method of

claim 1

further comprising separating unused data from used data for said mail piece determined by step (b);

and correlating said unused data from said mail piece to the set of preexisting address data according to a third set of predetermined rules,

wherein upon the presentation to the image capture means of the other mail piece with the same intended delivery point as the mail piece and having similar unused data as the at least one mail piece, the correct point of delivery for the other mail piece can be automatically determined.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein said capture means comprises an optical character recognition system.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein said correlation step is performed utilizing a search engine.

5. A computerized system for learning a delivery point address and updating a database of such delivery point addresses using unmatched data from at least a first mail piece, comprising:

(a) means for capturing a data string of address information from said mail piece;

(b) a directory retrieval system database comprising a set of preexisting data relating to an address to which said mail piece is directed, and further comprising means for separating matched data on the mail piece from the unmatched data;

(c) a database comprising the unmatched or unused data;

(d) means for correlating the unmatched and/or unused data to the set of preexisting data according to a plurality of predetermined rules;

(e) a rules database comprising said plurality of predetermined rules; and

(f) a learning database to determine said delivery point of said mail piece upon its presentation to the capture means after said mail piece has been processed by the system.

6. The system of

claim 5

wherein said capture means comprise an optical character recognition device.

7. The system of

claim 6

wherein said correlation means comprise a search engine.