System and method for electronic, web-based, address element correction for uncoded addresses

• US 20060058914A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• 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: Dearing, Stephen M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/219
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/10 Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• 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 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00451 Address hygiene, i.e. checking and correcting addresses to be printed on mail pieces using address databases

Abstract

Systems and methods for correcting addresses to contain a code representing a delivery segment (ZIP+4™ code) within a defined geographic location (ZIP Code™) include determining whether the address is already matched with a ZIP+4™ code and contains a valid delivery point. Further, if a match the address cannot be made, the systems and method may correct or adjust the address and check if a match can be made after correcting and/or adjusting the address. If no match can be made after correcting and/or adjusting, the systems and methods may send the address to a district office and/or delivery unit to determine the ZIP+4™ code and the delivery point.

Claims

1. A method of matching a code, representing a delivery segment within a geographic location, to an address within the geographic location, said method comprising:

determining that an address is incorrect by failing to match a code to the address;

sending the incorrect address to a website operated by a server;

sending a transmission to a district office from the server requesting correction of the incorrect address;

determining a code associated with the incorrect address and correcting the incorrect address to reflect the associated code; and

sending the corrected address to a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is a ZIP+4 code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the address is a recipient'"'"'s address for a mail item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mail item is at least one of a letter, flat, or package.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a eUARS server for handling address correction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the website is accessible via at least one of an intranet connection and Internet connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the address to a delivery unit in the event the district office is unable to match the code to the address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending occurs through at least one of a hardcopy of the address sent via mailing, an electronic copy of the address sent via the Internet, and a facsimile of the address sent through a facsimile machine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the corrected address to a mailer sending a mail item to a recipient of the address.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising mailing the mail item with the corrected address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the database is an eUARS database.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the address to the website occurs after a change of address form, including the address, is received by a customer service center.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the address to the website occurs after a mailer sends a mail item containing the address and the address is not matched to the associated code using address matching software.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the address to correct inaccuracies, if a match of the address cannot be made, and determining if the adjusted address matches to the code.

15. A method of matching a code, representing a delivery segment within a geographic location, to an address within the geographic location, said method comprising:

receiving, at a website operated by a server, an incorrect address;

sending, from the server, a transmission to a district office requesting correction of the incorrect address; and

determining a code associated with the incorrect address and correcting the incorrect address to reflect the associated code.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the code is a ZIP+4 code.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the address is a recipient'"'"'s address for a mail item.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the mail item is at least one of a letter, flat, or package.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the server is a eUARS server for handling address correction.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the website is accessible via at least one of an intranet connection and Internet connection.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending the address to a delivery unit in the event the district office is unable to match the code to the address.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the sending occurs through at least one of a hardcopy of the address sent via mailing, an electronic copy of the address sent via the Internet, and a facsimile of the address sent through a facsimile machine.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending the corrected address to a mailer sending a mail item to a recipient of the address.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising mailing the mail item with the corrected address.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the database is an eUARS database.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the address to the website occurs after a change of address form, including the address, is received by a customer service center.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the address to the website occurs after a mailer sends a mail item containing the address and the address is not matched to the associated code using address matching software.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting the address to correct inaccuracies, if a match of the address cannot be made, and determining if the adjusted address matches to the code.

29. A system of assigning a code, representing a delivery segment within a geographic location, to an address within the geographic location, said system comprising:

a server configured to operate a website, the website configured to post the address;

a computer, resident in a district office, configured to communicate with the server, to receive information relating to the address, and to correct the address to reflect the associated code; and

a database configured to receive the corrected address.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the code is a ZIP+4 code.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the address is a recipient'"'"'s address for a mail item.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the mail item is at least one of a letter and package.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is a eUARS server for handling address correction.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the website is accessible via at least one of an intranet connection and Internet connection.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is configured to send the address to a delivery unit in the event the district office is unable to match the code to the address.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the delivery unit is configured to receive the address by at least one of a hardcopy of the address sent via mailing, an electronic copy of the address sent via the Internet, and a facsimile of the address sent through a facsimile machine.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is configured to send the corrected address to a mailer sending a mail item to a recipient of the address.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the database is an eUARS database.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is configured to receive the address after a change of address form, which includes the address, is received by a customer service center.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the server is configured to receive the address after a mailer sends a mail item containing the address and the address is not matched to the associated code using address matching software.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the address matching software is further configured to adjusting the address to correct inaccuracies, if a match of the address cannot be made, and determining if the adjusted address matches to the code.