Methods and systems for providing an alternative delivery point code

• US 20050021481A1
• Filed: 04/09/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• 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: Wilson, James D., Payne, David J., Snapp, Robert F., Garner, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/401
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing an alternative delivery point code may comprise receiving delivery data corresponding to a delivery point. Furthermore, the systems and methods may include determining if the delivery data includes a secondary element. Moreover, the systems and methods may include creating the alternative delivery point code based upon the secondary element if the delivery data includes the secondary element. The secondary element may comprise a descriptor or a secondary number associated with the delivery point. If the delivery data does not include the secondary element, a normal delivery point code may be created.

Claims

1. A method for providing an alternative delivery point code, the method comprising:

receiving delivery data corresponding to a delivery point;

determining if the delivery data includes a secondary element; and

creating the alternative delivery point code based upon the secondary element if the delivery data includes the secondary element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary element comprises at least one of a fractional number, a trailing alpha, a descriptor, and a secondary number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a normal delivery point code based upon the delivery data if the delivery data does not include the secondary element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the normal delivery point code comprises the two right-most digits in a primary address number of the delivery point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the alternative delivery point code further comprises:

creating a random number based upon the secondary element; and

setting the alternative delivery point code equal to the created random number.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the random number further comprises initializing an alphanumeric field with blanks and a numeric field with zeros, the three element alphanumeric field comprising a first alphanumeric element, a second alphanumeric element, and a third alphanumeric element, and the three element numeric field comprising a first numeric element, a second numeric element, and a third numeric element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein creating the random number further comprises storing data associated with the secondary element in one of the three element alphanumeric field and the three element numeric field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein creating the random number further comprises converting the contents of the three element alphanumeric field to numeric data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein creating the random number further comprises calculating a value S characterizeable by the following equation:

S=((27²)*(10³)*(the first alphanumeric element))+((27¹)*(10³)*(the second alphanumeric element))+((27⁰)*(10³)*(the third alphanumeric element))+((27⁰)*(10²)*(the first numeric element))+((27⁰)*(10¹)*(the second numeric element))+((27⁰)*(100)*(the third numeric element)).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the random number further comprises determining a remainder corresponding to the value S divided by a random prime number.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein creating the random number further comprises calculating a value R as the random number, the value R characterizeable by the following equation:

R=(the remainder*2)+(a normal deliver point code associated with the delivery point)+1.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the random prime number is 47.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the normal delivery point code associated with the delivery point comprises the two right-most digits in a primary address number of the delivery point.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative delivery point code is numeric.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative delivery point code comprises one of two digits and two alphanumeric characters.

28. The system of claim 6, wherein the normal delivery point code associated with the delivery point comprises the two right-most digits in a primary address number of the delivery point.

16. A system for providing an alternative delivery point code, the system comprising:

a memory storage for maintaining a database; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to

receive delivery data corresponding to a delivery point;

determine if the delivery data includes a secondary element; and

create the alternative delivery point code based upon the secondary element if the delivery data includes the secondary element.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the secondary element comprises at least one of a fractional number, a trailing alpha, a descriptor, and a secondary number.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is further configured to create a normal delivery point code based upon the delivery data if the delivery data does not include the secondary element.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the normal delivery point code comprises the two right-most digits in a primary address number of the delivery point.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the alternative delivery point code further comprises the processing unit being configured to:

create a random number based upon the secondary element; and

set the alternative delivery point code equal to the created random number.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the random number further comprises the processing unit being configured to initialize a three element alphanumeric field with blanks and a three element numeric field with zeros, the three element alphanumeric field comprising a first alphanumeric element, a second alphanumeric element, and a third alphanumeric element, and the three element numeric field comprising a first numeric element, a second numeric element, and a third numeric element.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the random number further stores data associated with the secondary element in one of the three element alphanumeric field and the three element numeric field.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the random number further converts the contents of the three element alphanumeric field to numeric data.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the random number further calculates a value S characterizeable by the following equation:

S=((27²)*(10³)*(the first alphanumeric element))+((27¹)*(10³)*(the second alphanumeric element))+((27⁰)*(10³)*(the third alphanumeric element))+((27⁰)*(10²)*(the first numeric element))+((27⁰)*(10¹)*(the second numeric element))+((27⁰)*(100)*(the third numeric element)).

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the random number further determines a remainder corresponding to the value S divided by a random prime number.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit being configured to create the random number further calculates a value R as the random number, the value R characterizeable by the following equation:

R=(the remainder*2)+(a normal deliver point code associated with the delivery point)+1.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the random prime number is 47.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the alternative delivery point code is numeric.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the alternative delivery point code comprises one of two digits and two alphanumeric characters.

31. A computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions which when executed perform a method providing an alternative delivery point code, the method comprising:

receiving delivery data corresponding to a delivery point;

determining if the delivery data includes a secondary element; and

creating the alternative delivery point code based upon the secondary element if the delivery data includes the secondary element.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the secondary element comprises at least one of a fractional number, a trailing alpha, a descriptors, and a secondary number.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising creating a normal delivery point code based upon the delivery data if the delivery data does not include the secondary element.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the normal delivery point code comprises the two right-most digits in a primary address number of the delivery point.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein creating the alternative delivery point code further comprises:

creating a random number based upon the secondary element; and

setting the alternative delivery point code equal to the created random number.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein creating the random number further comprises initializing a three element alphanumeric field with blanks and a three element numeric field with zeros, the three element alphanumeric field comprising a first alphanumeric element, a second alphanumeric element, and a third alphanumeric element, and the three element numeric field comprising a first numeric element, a second numeric element, and a third numeric element.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein creating the random number further comprises storing data associated with the secondary element in one of the three element alphanumeric field and the three element numeric field.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein creating the random number further comprises converting the contents of the three element alphanumeric field to numeric data.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein creating the random number further comprises calculating a value S characterizeable by the following equation:

S=((27²)*(10³)*(the first alphanumeric element))+((27¹)*(10³)*(the second alphanumeric element))+((27⁰)*(10³)*(the third alphanumeric element))+((27⁰)*(10²)*(the first numeric element))+((27⁰)*(10¹)*(the second numeric element))+((27⁰)*(10⁰)*(the third numeric element)).

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein creating the random number further comprises determining a remainder corresponding to the value S divided by a random prime number.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein creating the random number further comprises calculating a value R as the random number, the value R characterizeable by the following equation:

R=(the remainder*2)+(a normal deliver point code associated with the delivery point)+1.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the random prime number is 47.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the normal delivery point code associated with the delivery point comprises the two right-most digits in a primary address number of the delivery point.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the alternative delivery point code is numeric.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the alternative delivery point code comprises one of two digits and two alphanumeric characters.