Mail sorting processes and systems

• US 20040024716A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tritek Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tritek Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Edward, Malatesta, James
• Application Number:
  US10/412,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20040024716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/410
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/14 using light-responsive detecting means for information carriers G06K7/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/98 Detection or correction of errors, e.g. by rescanning the pattern or by human intervention; Evaluation of the quality of the acquired patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00725 Reading symbols, e.g. OCR

Abstract

A method of sorting items using multiple OCR attempts. A marking is read on the item with use of at least two or more of the following: a first algorithm with second settings; a second algorithm; and the first algorithm with second settings. The marking readings are compared to a database, and if the marking corresponds to data in the database, the data is selected. Readings may be performed simultaneously or consecutively. Also disclosed is a computer readable medium and system of one or more computers, and computer data signals embodied in a transmission medium to carry out the inventive methods, and a sorting system that carries out methods of the resent invention.

Claims

1. A method of sorting items comprising:

reading a marking on the item with use of at least two or more of the following;

a first algorithm with first settings;

a second algorithm; and

the first algorithm with second settings;

comparing the marking readings to a database; and

if the marking corresponds to data in the database, selecting the data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein two or more of the readings are performed simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein two or more of the readings are performed consecutively.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

designating an expected character texture;

binarizing an image of the marking and comparing it to the expected character texture;

if the binarized image is within a predefined range of the expected character image, selecting that binarized image;

if the binarized image is not within a predefined range of the expected character image, binarizing at a different level;

repeating the binarizing until the image is within a predefined range of the expected character image or until a predefined number of binarizations has been executed, which ever comes first.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

after the image is within a predefined range of the expected character image, binarizing at different levels.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein a user specifies a binarization level.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

locating the marking on the item;

identifying characteristics of one or more elements of the marking; and

identifying the marking type based on the characteristics.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the identifying characteristics are element measurements.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the marking types include machine-printed and handwritten.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein if no marking is located, identifying the item as containing hand-printing.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the marking has a plurality of sub-markings, the method comprising:

merging the sub-markings; and

identifying the markings.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

selecting between a mode that merges sub-markings and a mode that does not merge sub-markings.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

sending a merged and a non-merged image to an optical character reader.

28. A computer readable medium to carry out the method of claim 1.

32. A system comprising one or more computers to carry out the method of claim 1.

36. A computer data signals embodied in a transmission medium to carry out the method of claim 1.

14. A method of sorting items comprising:

locating a first marking on the item;

defining the location of the marking with a first area on the item;

searching the item in a predefined second area to locate a second marking, wherein the search is based on the first area location, first marking orientation or combination thereof; and

sorting the item according to, at least in part, the first marking, second marking or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein sorting the item includes:

reading an image of a marking;

comparing the read image to a database; and

selecting data from the database that most closely resembles the read image.

29. A computer readable medium to carry out the method of claim 14.

33. A system comprising one or more computers to carry out the method of claim 14.

37. A computer data signals embodied in a transmission medium to carry out the method of claim 14.

16. A method of sorting items comprising:

imaging and interpreting a first item, thereby producing settings;

storing at least part of the settings produced from the first item; and

using the stored first item settings for an initial attempt to process a second item.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the settings include dimension measurements of at least a portion of the item.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising;

imaging and interpreting one or more additional items, thereby producing settings for the one or more additional items; and

when a selected number of items produce the same settings, running the process for additional items using the same settings.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

imaging and interpreting one or more additional items, thereby producing settings for the one or more additional items;

storing the settings for any of the one or more additional items not matching to a selected degree the settings produced from the first item; and

using the stored settings for attempts to process subsequently imaged items.

30. A computer readable medium to carry out the method of claim 16.

34. A system comprising one or more computers to carry out the method of claim 16.

38. Computer data signals embodied in a transmission medium to carry out the method of claim 16.

20. A method of sorting items comprising:

sensing a marking on a first item to determine an item orientation based on a known configuration;

imaging and interpreting the first item using settings based on the item orientation; and

sorting the item based on information obtained from the image.

21. The-method of claim 20 further comprising:

locating a first marking on the item;

defining the location of the marking with a first area on the item;

searching the item in a predefined second area to locate a second marking, wherein the search is based on the first area location, first marking orientation or combination thereof; and

sorting the item according to, at least in part, the first marking, second marking or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

storing at least a portion of the settings produced from imaging and interpreting the first item; and

using the stored first item settings for an initial attempt to process a subsequent item.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the settings stored include the location of the marking.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

producing settings from the first item image;

storing at least part of the settings produced from the first item;

using the stored first item settings for an initial attempt to process a second item.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the settings includes dimension measurements of at least a portion of the item.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising;

storing settings produced from one or more additional items;

when a selected number of items produce the same settings, running the process for additional items using the settings.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

imaging and interpreting one or more additional items, thereby producing settings for the one or more additional items;

storing the settings for any of the one or more additional items not matching to a selected degree the settings produced from the first item; and

using the stored settings for attempts to process further items.

31. A computer readable medium to carry out the method of claim 20.

35. A system comprising one or more computers to carry out the method of claim 20.

39. Computer data signals embodied in a transmission medium to carry out the method of claim 20.

40. A method of sorting items comprising:

locating an address POSTNET code on a mail item;

using the POSTNET location to search, within a defined distance from the POSTNET code, for an address in an orientation the same as that of the POSTNET code based on the address having known characteristics.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the predefined distance is in the range of about 0.75 inches to about 1.25 inches.

42. A method of sorting items comprising:

reading a marking on an item;

comparing the marking reading to data in a database using two or more result organizations; and

selecting data in the database most closely resembling the marking.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the two or more database comparisons are performed simultaneously.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the two or more database comparisons are performed consecutively.