Address matching

• US 7,031,959 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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: Aldstadt, Harry W., Garner, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, JOON H
• Application Number:
  US10/416,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24558 Binary matching operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2468 Fuzzy queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system for providing address matching. An address is compared against a plurality of address records in a database, wherein the database comprises at least one of the following: a delivery point database and an enhanced delivery point database. In addition, the method and system include providing an output data indicating whether the address has been matched to at least one of the plurality of address records in the database.

Claims

1. A method for matching an address, comprising:

comparing the address against a plurality of address records in a database, wherein the database comprises at least one of a delivery point database and an enhanced delivery point database;

verifying whether a delivery point exists; and

providing output data indicating whether the address has been matched to at least one of the plurality of address records in the database, wherein the plurality of address records in the enhanced delivery point database comprise correct addresses for a corresponding plurality of delivery points, each of the plurality of address records including a delivery point identification key, wherein the delivery point identification key comprises a delivery point key, a record type, and at least one of a base record flag and an alternate record flag, wherein the delivery point key indicates a time the delivery point identification key was created and the delivery point key includes a sequence number corresponding to a sequence within the time, wherein the delivery point key indicates a year, month, day, hour, minute, and second the delivery point identification key was created, and the delivery point key includes a sequence number corresponding to a sequence within the second the delivery point identification key was created, wherein the record type indicates the address is one of a street address, a rural route box, a post office box, general delivery, a high rise, and a firm, wherein the base record flag indicates an alternative address record corresponding to the delivery point does not exist in the enhanced delivery point database, wherein the alternate record flag indicates an alternative address record corresponding to the delivery point exists in the enhanced delivery point database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of address records in the delivery point database comprise correct addresses for a corresponding plurality of delivery points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output data includes a verification of the validity of the address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the output data includes a correction of the address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the output data includes a completion of the address.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the database to a delivery system user.

7. A system for matching an address, comprising:

a component for comparing the address against a plurality of address records in a database, wherein the database comprises at least one of a delivery point database and an enhanced delivery point database;

a component for verifying whether a delivery point exists; and

a component for providing output data indicating whether the address has been matched to at least one of the plurality of address records in the database, wherein the plurality of address records in the delivery point database comprise correct addresses for a corresponding plurality of delivery points, wherein the plurality of address records in the enhanced delivery point database comprise correct addresses for a corresponding plurality of delivery points, the plurality of address records including delivery point identification keys, wherein a delivery point identification key comprises a delivery point key, a record type, and at least one of a base record and an alternate record flag, wherein the delivery point key indicates a time the delivery point identification key was created and the delivery point key includes a sequence number corresponding to a sequence within the time, wherein the delivery point key indicates a year, month, day, hour, minute, and second the delivery point identification key was created, and the delivery point key includes a sequence number corresponding to a sequence within the second the delivery point identification key was created, wherein the record type indicates the address is one of a street address, a rural route box a post office box, general delivery, a high rise, and a firm, wherein the base record flag indicates an alternative address record corresponding to the delivery point does not exist in the enhanced delivery point database, wherein the alternate record flag indicates an alternative address record corresponding to the delivery point exists in the enhanced delivery point database.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of address records in the delivery point database comprise correct addresses for a corresponding plurality of delivery points.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the output data verifies the validity of the address.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the output data corrects the address.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the output data completes the address.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a component for providing the database to a delivery system user.

13. A method for matching an address, comprising:

providing a database to a delivery system user, the database comprising a plurality of address records, the address records comprising at least a correct address for a delivery point and a delivery point identification key, the delivery point identification key comprising;

a delivery point key indicating a year, month, day, hour, minute, and second the delivery point identification key was created, the delivery point key further includes a sequence number corresponding to a sequence within the second the delivery point identification key was created,

a record type indicating the address is one of a street address, a rural route box, a post office box, general delivery, a high rise, and a firm, and

at least one of a base record flag and an alternate record flag, the base record flag indicating an alternative address record corresponding to the delivery point does not exist in the database, and the alternate record flag indicating an alternative address record corresponding to the delivery point exists in the database;

comparing the address against the plurality of address records in the database; and

providing output data indicating whether the address has been matched to at least one of the plurality of address records in the database, wherein if the address has been matched, the output data indicates at least one of a validity of the address, a corrected address, and a completed address.