Systems and method for providing address template application programming interfaces

• US 20040254799A1
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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: Zebooker, Shani M.
• Application Number:
  US10/312,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and systems consistent with the principles of the present invention provide for application programming interfaces (hereinafter ‘APIs’) that receive and process multinational address information. A user can access an API for a particular country. The API provides to the user a number of fields that represent address elements. Address elements are the smallest building blocks for an address and are coded whereby each address element receives a particular code. The user completes the fields with the address information. The system receives this information and examines the address information for completeness. Once the address information is complete, the information can then be output, i.e., to store in a database, to a printer to print out an address label, or address lists.

Claims

1. A method for processing multinational address information, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an address input interface designating a geographical region;

providing an address input interface for the region, wherein the address input interface includes a set of fields representing a location designation;

receiving location designation information corresponding to the set of fields to designate the location; and

outputting the location designation information in conformity with a format corresponding to the geographical region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to a database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to an address label.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting a list of location designations.

5. A method for providing for address template application programming interfaces, comprising:

receiving a request to access an application programming interface designating a region wherein the application programming interface includes an address template;

providing a plurality of fields representing a plurality of address elements corresponding to the region;

receiving data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of fields;

assigning each of the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of fields representing a plurality of address elements with a code;

processing the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of fields; and

outputting an address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein processing the data further includes:

comparing the data with the address template; and

determining whether additional information is needed based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein outputting the address includes:

determining that the output of the address is to be stored in a database; and

storing the data in the database according to the code assigned to the data

8. The method of claim 5, wherein outputting the address includes:

determining that the output of the address is to a printer to print an, address label;

formatting the address according to the code assigned to the data; and

printing the address label.

9. A method for processing multinational address information, comprising the steps of:

sending a request, by a client computer, for an address input interface designating a geographical region;

receiving the request and providing an address input interface for the region, by a server computer, wherein the address input interface includes a set of fields representing a location designation;

populating the set of fields in the address input interface with location designation information, by a client computer; and

receiving the location designation information, by the server computer, and outputting the location designation information in conformity with a format corresponding to the geographical region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to a database.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to an address label.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting a list of location designations.

13. An apparatus for processing multinational address information, comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a request for an address input interface designating a geographical region;

a providing module configured to provide an address input interface for the region, wherein the address input interface includes a set of fields representing a location designation;

a receiving module configured to receive location designation information corresponding to the set of fields to designate the location; and

an outputting module configured to output the location designation information in conformity with a format corresponding to the geographical region.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the outputting module configured to output the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to a database.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the outputting module configured to output the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to an address label.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the outputting module configured to output the location designation information includes outputting a list of location designations.

17. An apparatus for providing for address template application programming interfaces, comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a request to access an application programming interface designating a region wherein the application programming interface includes an address template;

a providing module configured to provide a plurality of fields representing a plurality of address elements corresponding to the region;

a receiving module configured to receive data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of fields;

an assigning module configured to assign each of the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of fields representing a plurality of address elements with a code;

a processing module configured to process the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of fields; and

an outputting module configured to output an address.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing module configured to process the data further includes:

a comparing module configured to compare the data with the address template; and

a determining module configured to determine whether additional information is needed based on the comparison.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the outputting module configured to output the address includes:

a determining module configured to determine that the output of the address is to be stored in a database; and

a storing module configured to store the data in the database according to the code assigned to the data.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the outputting module configured to output the address includes:

a determining module configured to determine that the output of the address is to a printer to print an address label;

a formatting module configured to format the address according to the code assigned to the data; and

a printing module configured to print the address label.

21. An apparatus for processing multinational address information, comprising:

a sending module configured to send a request, by a client computer, for an address input interface designating a geographical region;

a receiving module configured to receive the request and providing an address input interface for the region, by a server computer, wherein the address input interface includes a set of fields representing a location designation;

a populating module configured to populate the set of fields in the address input interface with location designation information, by a client computer; and

a receiving module configured to receive the location designation information, by the server computer, and outputting the location designation information in conformity with a format corresponding to the geographical region.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the outputting module configured to output the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to a database.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the outputting module configured to output the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to an address label.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the outputting module configured to output the location designation information includes outputting a list of location designations.

25. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for processing multinational address information, comprising:

receiving a request for an address input interface designating a geographical region;

providing an address input interface for the region, wherein the address input interface includes a set of fields representing a location designation;

receiving location designation information corresponding to the set of fields to designate the location; and

outputting the location designation information in conformity with a format corresponding to the geographical region.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to a database.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to an address label.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting a list of location designations.

29. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for providing for address template application programming interfaces, comprising:

receiving a request to access an application programming interface designating a region wherein the application programming interface includes an address template;

providing a plurality of fields representing a plurality of address elements corresponding to the region;

receiving data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of fields;

assigning each of the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of fields representing a plurality of address elements with a code;

processing the data corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of fields; and

outputting an address.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein processing the data further includes:

comparing the data with the address template; and

determining whether additional information is needed based on the comparison.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein outputting the address includes:

determining that the output of the address is to be stored in a database; and

storing the data in the database according to the code assigned to the data.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein outputting the address includes:

determining that the output of the address is to a printer to print an address label;

formatting the address according to the code assigned to the data; and

printing the address label.

33. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for processing multinational address information, comprising the steps of:

sending a request, by a client computer, for an address input interface designating a geographical region;

receiving the request and providing an address input interface for the region, by a server computer, wherein the address input interface includes a set of fields representing a location designation;

populating the set of fields in the address input interface with location designation information, by a client computer; and

receiving the location designation information, by the server computer, and outputting the location designation information in conformity with a format corresponding to the geographical region.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to a database.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting the location designation information to an address label.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein outputting the location designation information includes outputting a list of location designations.