Mail processing systems and methods

• US 20030179906A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mailcode Incorporated A Subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Incorporated
• Inventors: Moon, Alexander, Wolverton, Jennifer, Baker, Christopher A., Baker, Peter N.
• Granted Patent: US 6,819,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/20 Arrangements for facilitating the visual reading of addresses, e.g. display arrangements coding stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator

Abstract

A mail sorter (22) includes an imaging device (60) to generate a plurality of images each corresponding to one of the plurality of mail pieces (36). The mail sorter (22) performs a character recognition routine on each of the images to sort a number of the mail pieces (36) and identify one of the mail pieces as being unsortable by the routine. An operator input processing subsystem (24) includes a number of stations (74). These stations (74) each include a display and a voice input device. The subsystem (24) responds to the mail sorter (22) to route the images to the stations (74). One of the stations (74) is operable to display one of the images on its corresponding display device and receive vocal input from an operator with its corresponding voice input device in response to viewing the image. The subsystem (24) executes a voice recognition routine to determine address information from the vocal input and provides this information to the mail sorter (22) to sort a corresponding one of the mail pieces (36).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing each of a plurality of mail pieces with at least one character recognition routine performed with a mail sorter to sort a first number of the mail pieces;

determining a second number of the mail pieces are unsortable by said processing;

sending a number of images to a group of operator input stations, the images each corresponding to one of the second number of the mail pieces;

displaying a first one of the images on a display device for a first one of the operator input stations;

entering address information from the first one of the images with a voice input device for the first one of the operator input stations wherein said entering includes speaking at least one character of at least one of a postal code, locality designation, a house designation, an apartment designation, a suite designation, a floor designation, a post office box designation and a street designation and wherein the address information entered from the first one of the images includes a first address part;

displaying the first one of the images on a display device for a second one of the operator input stations; and

entering a second address part with a voice input device for the second one of the operator input stations

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first address part is at least a portion of a postal code and the second address part is at least one of a locality designation, a house designation, an apartment designation, a suite designation, a floor designation, a post office box designation, and a street designation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the one of the mail pieces to a re-sort bin.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fading-in a second one of the images on the display device in response to initiation of said entering;

providing a vocal input to enter at least part of an address determined from the second one of the images with the voice input device;

wherein said displaying, said entering, said fading-in, and said providing are performed at a location remote from the mail pieces; and

the first one of the images fades-out in response to initiation of said entering.

5. A method, comprising:

processing several mail piece images each corresponding to a different piece of mail;

displaying one of the mail piece images;

entering address information from the mail piece image with a voice input device in response to said displaying;

sorting a mail piece in accordance with the address information provided by said entering;

wherein said entering includes speaking at least one character of at least one of a postal code, locality designation, a house designation, an apartment designation, a suite designation, a floor designation, a post office box designation and a street designation;

processing a first part of the address information with a first voice recognition vocabulary and a second part of the address information with a second voice recognition vocabulary, the second voice recognition vocabulary including a number of options each selected based on a relationship between the first part of the address information and the second part of the address information, wherein the first part of the address includes at least a portion of a postal code, and the second part of the address includes at least one of a locality designation, a street designation, a house designation, an apartment designation, a floor designation, a suite designation, and a post office box designation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said processing includes executing a character recognition routine and determining the mail piece is unsortable with the character recognition routine.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising routing the mail piece through a delay queue.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said displaying is performed at a location remote from the mail pieces.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising fading-out the one of the mail piece images and fading-in another of the mail piece images on a display device in response to initiation of said entering.

10. A method, comprising:

presenting a first mail piece image to an operator on a display device;

entering address information from the first mail piece image into a processing system with a voice input device;

displaying a second mail piece image on the display device in response to initiation of said entering;

providing a vocal input of at least a part of an address determined from the second mail piece image;

removing the second mail piece image in response to said providing;

starting display of a third mail piece image relative to a start time for said providing;

imaging a plurality of mail pieces with a mail sorter to generate a corresponding plurality of mail images, the mail images including the first mail piece image, the second mail piece image, and the third mail piece image;

executing a character recognition routine;

sorting a first number of the mail pieces with the character recognition routine;

determining a second number of the mail pieces are unsortable with the character recognition routine, the first mail piece image, the second mail piece image, and the third mail piece image each corresponding to a different one of the second number of mail pieces;

transmitting the first mail piece image, the second mail piece image, and the third mail piece image from the mail sorter to an operator entry subsystem to perform said presenting, said entering, said displaying, said providing, said removing, and said starting, the operator entry subsystem being remotely located relative to the mail sorter; and

returning sorting data to the mail sorter determined from the first mail piece image, the second mail piece image, and the third mail piece image to sort corresponding members of the second number of mail pieces.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said displaying includes timing display of the second mail piece image relative to initiation of said entering.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an output to the operator to confirm the address information provided by said entering and starting display of the second mail piece image before completion of said providing.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising fading-out the first mail piece image over a first time interval and wherein said displaying includes fading-in the second mail piece image over a second time interval.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mail piece image and the second mail piece image overlap for a period of time on the display device during said entering and the first time interval and the second time interval are determined relative to said entering.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting at least one of the first time interval and the second time interval in accordance with an operator profile.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first mail piece image and the second mail piece image are presented on the display device simultaneously for a period of time during said entering.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an image locator on the display device and repositioning the first mail piece image on the display device.

19. A method, comprising:

presenting a first mail piece image to an operator on a display device;

entering address information from the first mail piece image into a processing system with a voice input device;

initiating removal of the first mail piece image from the display device relative to a start time for said entering;

fading-in a second mail piece image over a second time interval overlapping the first time interval; and

processing a first part of an address corresponding to the first mail piece image with a first voice recognition vocabulary and a second part of the address with a second voice recognition vocabulary, the second voice recognition vocabulary including a number of options each selected based on a relationship between the first part of the address and the second part of the address;

wherein the first part of the address includes at least a portion of a postal code, and the second part of the address includes at least one of a locality designation, a street designation, a house designation, an apartment designation, a floor designation, a suite designation, and a post office box designation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said presenting includes displaying the first mail piece on a first region of the display device, and defining a second region of the display device to provide one or more visual indicators to an operator, the one or more visual indicators each being provided in a contrasting color.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a confirmation of the address information provided by said entering.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a first time interval to selectively recall the first mail piece image after said removing is initiated.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said removing includes fading-out the first mail piece image over a time first interval determined relative to the start time.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the address information provided by said entering is a first part of an address corresponding to the first mail piece image and further comprising:

displaying the first mail piece image after said removing on a different display device;

providing a vocal input to the processing system corresponding to a second part of the address different than the first part of the address with a different voice input device; and

fading-out the first mail piece image over a time interval relative to initiation of said providing.

25. A method, comprising:

providing a first vocal input to a mail processing system;

determining a first character representation with the system in response to the first vocal input, the first character representation corresponding to a first part of an address of a mail piece being processed by the system;

establishing a number of options with the system for a second character representation corresponding to a second part of the address, the options being determined in accordance with a relationship between the first part of the address and the second part of the address;

selecting one of the options for the second character representation in accordance with a second vocal input to the system;

generating a third character representation with the system in response to a third vocal input, the third character representation corresponding to a third part of the address of a mail piece being processed by the system;

providing a number of selections for a fourth character representation corresponding to a fourth part of the address, the selections being determined in accordance with a relationship between the third part of the address and the fourth part of the address; and

selecting one of the selections for the fourth character representation in accordance with a fourth vocal input to the system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first part of the address corresponds to a postal code and the second part of the address corresponds to a locality designation.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first part of the address corresponds to a house designation and the second part of the address corresponds to a street designation.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

sorting mail with a character recognition routine performed with a mail sorter belonging to the mail processing system;

determining the mail piece cannot be sorted by the character recognition routine;

sending an image of the mail piece from the mail sorter to a first operator input station, the first operator input station including a first display device and a first voice input device;

displaying the image of the mail piece on the first display device; and

entering the first vocal input with the first voice input device in response to said displaying.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

fading-out the image from the first display device over a time interval relative to initiation of said entering;

presenting the image of the mail piece on a second display device for a second operator input station;

providing the second vocal input with a second voice input device for the second operator input station in response to said presenting; and

fading-out the image from the second display device in response to said providing.

30. A system, comprising:

an operator display device operable to receive a first image of at least a portion of an address of a first mail piece and present the first image for viewing by an operator;

a voice input device to provide one or more characters of voice inputs selected from one or more predetermined positions in the address information from the first image by the operator; and

a processor responsive to the one or more characters of voice inputs to generate an output signal to direct processing of the first mail piece;

means for determining a first character representation in response to a first vocal input with said voice input device, the first character representation corresponding to a first part of the address;

means for establishing a number of options for a second character representation corresponding to a second part of the address, the options being determined in accordance with a relationship between the first part of the address and the second part of the address; and

means for selecting one of the options for the second character representation in accordance with a second vocal input provided with said voice input device.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising a mail sorter operable to sort mail with a character recognition routine, said mail sorter being responsive to said output signal to sort the first mail piece.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising an operator processing subsystem including a number of operator input stations, said display device, said voice input device, and said processor belonging to one of said operator input stations.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said operator processing subsystem includes an image management device operable to receive a number of mail piece images from said mail sorter including the first image, said image management device being coupled to each of said operator input stations to selectively route the mail piece images thereto.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said operator processing subsystem is coupled to said mail sorter by a computer network to provide for processing of the mail piece images by one or more operators at a remote location relative to said mail sorter.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein said processor is operable to cause the first image to fade out from said display device over a time interval determined relative to initiation of input with said voice input device.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein said processor is operable to cause a second image of a second mail piece being processed by the system to fade-in on said display device over a time interval determined relative to initiation of input with said voice input device.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein said processor is operable to display the first image and a second image of a second mail piece on said display device concurrently.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein said processor is operable to output a confirmation to said display device for a vocal input provided with said voice input device and provide a time interval after the confirmation for an operator to correct an error.