Method and system for address result arbitration

• US 7,095,875 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Rundle, Alfred T., Saaf, Lennart A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRONENTHAL, CRAIG W
• Application Number:
  US10/144,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 382/101, 382/321, 382/102, 382/155, 209/584, 209/900
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2178 based on feedback of a supervisor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/285 Selection of pattern recognition techniques, e.g. of classifiers in a multi-classifier system
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/027 Frames
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/274 Syntactic or semantic context, e.g. balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

A method to arbitrate between results obtained from observationally derived data by several procedures, where the results are items characteristic of the observationally derived data is disclosed. Each procedure is given a ranking according to the confidence on the procedure. The results and characteristics derived from the results are used in a plurality of rules, where the rules are used to arbitrate between the results.

Claims

1. A method to arbitrate between results to be arbitrated in order to effectuate a desired result, said results to be arbitrated obtained by one of a plurality of procedures from observationally derived data, each of said results to be arbitrated having a representative characteristic, said representative characteristic herinafter referred to as a type, said method comprising the steps of:

comparing the results to be arbitrated to a plurality of known incorrect results; and

discarding any of said results to be arbitrated that matches any one of said known incorrect results;

applying, after discarding any of said results to be arbitrated, steps comprising;

a. ranking each of the procedures according to confidence on each of said procedures;

b. classifying each of the results to be arbitrated according to a level of accuracy at which each of said results to be arbitrated matches a datum from a database of a plurality of databases;

c. comparing each of the results to be arbitrated to each other;

d. generating rules, said rules utilizing as inputs said results to be arbitrated and information derived from said results to be arbitrated;

e. selecting at least one of said rules;

f. applying said at least one of said rules according to an algorithm;

g. selecting, from the application of said at least one of said rules, said desired result, said desired result being one of the results to be arbitrated; and

said results to be arbitrated being of a same type of result;

 

steps (a) through (g) being applied only to said results to be arbitrated that are not discarded.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

appending an indicator to each result to be arbitrated, said indicator indicating an outcome of applying said at least one rule.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least one indicator for each result to be arbitrated, said at least one indicator indicating a degree of success of said comparative step for each observationally derived datum.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

creating a data structure, said data structure comprising;

said results to be arbitrated;

said desired result;

one other indicator indicating said ranking according to confidence for each of said results to be arbitrated;

said at least one indicator for each of the results.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

assigning to each of said results to be arbitrated yet another indicator of said ranking of confidence of the procedure that produced said result to be arbitrated.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said observationally derived data comprises data derived from addressed pieces and wherein said result to be arbitrated comprises an alphanumerical code.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said rules comprise detecting specific information in observationally derived data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said algorithm is implemented using techniques of artificial intelligence.

9. A method to arbitrated between results to be arbitrated in order to effectuate a desired result, each of said results to be arbitrated obtained by one of a plurality of procedures from observationally derived data, the method comprising the steps of:

a. ranking each of the procedures according to confidence on each of said procedures;

b. classifying each of the results to be arbitrated according to a level of accuracy at which each of said results to be arbitrated matches a datum from a database of plurality of databases;

c. comparing each of the results to be arbitrated to each other;

d. generating rules, said rules utilizing as inputs said results to be arbitrated and information derived from said results to be arbitrated;

e. selecting at least one of said rules;

f. applying said at least one of said rules according to an algorithm;

g. selecting, from the application of said at least one of said rules, said desired result, said desired result being one of the results to be arbitrated;

 

said results to be arbitrated being of a same type of result;

 

wherein said observationally derived data comprises data derived from addressed pieces and wherein said result to be arbitrated comprises an alphanumerical code, and

h. obtaining at least one indicator for one of said alphanumerical codes, said one of said alphanumerical codes resulting from applying one of said procedures to specific observationally derived data, said at least one indicator indicating the number of alphanumerical codes resulting from applying other ones of said plurality of procedures to said specific observationally derived data that are congruent to said one of said alphanumerical codes for a given number digits of said one of said alphanumerical codes.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said rules comprise detecting return or forwarding information in said data derived from addressed pieces.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said rules comprise detecting a lack of congruency of a group of digits in each one of said alphanumerical codes obtained from specific observationally derived data by several ones of said plurality of procedures.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said rules comprise detecting congruency of a group of digits in each one of said alphanumerical codes obtained from specific observationally derived data by several ones of said plurality of procedures.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said rules comprise ignoring, when more than one result to be arbitrated is obtained corresponding to one observationally derived datum by applying a plurality of procedures, the results to be arbitrated corresponding to said one observationally derived datum and obtained from other ones of said plurality of procedures having a lower ranking.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said rules comprise a relationship between a time period, said time period comprising the difference between when an addressed piece was sent and when said observationally derived data was obtained, and a probability of inaccuracy of said results obtained from the observationally derived data corresponding to said addressed piece.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said rules comprise utilizing knowledge of details of each of said plurality of procedures to determine a confidence level to each said comparison of each result to be arbitrated corresponding to one observationally derived datum to another result to be arbitrated for said one observationally derived datum obtained from another one of said plurality of procedures.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for arbitrating between results to be arbitrated in order to effectuate a desired result, each one of said results to be arbitrated obtained from observationally derived data by one procedure from a plurality of procedures, each of said results to be arbitrated having a representative characteristic, said representative characteristic herinafter referred to as a type and each of said results being of a same type of result, said code causing a computer system to;

compare the results to be arbitrated to a plurality of known incorrect results;

discard any of said results to be arbitrated that matches any one of said known incorrect results;

(a) rank each of the procedures according to confidence on each said procedure;

(b) classify each of the results to be arbitrated according to a level of accuracy at which each of the results to be arbitrated matches a datum from a database of a pluralities of databases;

(c) compare each of the results to be arbitrated to each other;

(d) select at least one rule, said at least one rule utilizing as inputs said results to be arbitrated and information derived from said results to be arbitrated;

(e) apply said at least one rule according to an algorithm;

(f) select, by applying said selected at least one rules, said desired result, said desired result being one of the results to be arbitrated;

said code being capable of causing said computer system to apply steps (a) through (f) to said results to be arbitrated that are not discarede.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 where the computer readable code further causes a computer system to:

append an indicator to each result to be arbitrated, said indicator indicating an outcome of applying said at least one rule.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 where the computer readable code further causes a computer system to:

obtain at least one indicator for each result to be arbitrated, said at least one indicator indicating a degree of success of said comparative step.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 where the computer readable code further causes a computer system to:

create a data structure, said data structure comprising;

said results to be arbitrated;

said desired result;

one other indicator indicating said ranking according to confidence for each of said results to be arbitrated;

said at least one other indicator for each result to be arbitrated.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said observationally derived data comprises data derived from addressed pieces and wherein said result to be arbitrated comprises an alphanumerical code.

21. The computer program product of claim 16 where the computer readable code further causes a computer system to:

generate said at least one rule.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein said algorithm is implemented using techniques of artificial intelligence.

23. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said algorithm is implemented using techniques of artificial intelligence.

24. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for arbitrating between results to be arbitrated in order to effectuate a desired result, each one of said results to be arbitrated obtained from observationally derived data by one procedure from a plurality of procedures, said code being capable of causing a computer system to;

(a) rank each of the procedures according to confidence one each said procedure;

(b) classify each of the results to be arbitrated according to a level of accuracy at which each of the results to be arbitrated matches a datum from a database of a pluralities of databases;

(c) compare each of the results to be arbitrated to each other;

(d) select at least one rule, said at least one rule utilizing as inputs said results to be arbitrated and information derived from said results to be arbitrated;

(e) apply said at least one rule according to an algorithm;

(f) select, by applying said selected at least one rule, said desired result, said desired result being one of the results to be arbitrated, wherein said observationally derived data comprises data derived from addressed pieces and wherein said results to be arbitrated comprises an alphanumerical code; and

(g) obtain at least one indicator for one of said alphanumerical codes, said one of said alphanumerical codes resulting from applying one of said procedures to specific observationally derived data, said at least one indicator indicating the number of alphanumerical codes resulting from applying other ones of said plurality of procedures to said specific observationally derived data that are congruent to said one of said alphanumerical codes for a given number digits of said one of said alphanumerical codes.

25. A system including arbitration between results to be arbitrated in order to effectuate a desired result, each one of said results to be arbitrated obtained by one procedure from a plurality of procedures from observationally derived data, the result to be arbitrated being items characteristic of the observationally derived data, each of said results to be arbitrated having a representative characteristic, said representative characteristic hereinafter referred to as a type, and each of said results to be arbitrated being of a same type of result, said system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer readable memory having instructions embodied therein, said instructions causing said at least one processor to;

compare the results to be arbitrated to a plurality of known incorrect results;

discard any of said results to be arbitrated that matches any one of said known incorrect results

said instructions causing said at least one processor for said results to be arbitrated that are not discarded to;

rank each of the procedures according to confidence on each said procedure;

classify each of the results to be arbitrated according to a level of accuracy at which it matches a datum from a database of a plurality of databases;

compare each of the results to be arbitrated to each other;

select at least one rule, said at least one rule utilizing as inputs said results to be arbitrated and characteristics derived from said results to be arbitrated;

apply said at least one rule according to an algorithm;

select, by applying said selected at least one rule, said desired result, said desired result being one of the results to be arbitrated.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the instructions embodied in the at least one computer readable memory further cause said at least one processor to:

append an indicator to each result to be arbitrated, said indicator indicating an outcome of applying said at least one rule.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the instructions embodied in the at least one computer readable memory further cause said at least one processor to:

obtain at least one indicator for each of the results to be arbitrated, said at least one indicator indicating a degree of success of said comparison of results to be arbitrated for each of the results to be arbitrated.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the instructions embodied in the at least one computer readable memory further cause said at least one processor to:

create a data structure, said data structure comprising;

said results to be arbitrated;

said desired result obtained by applying said selected at least one rule;

one other indicator indicating said ranking according to confidence for each of said results to be arbitrated;

said at least one indicator for each of the results to be arbitrated.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein said observationally derived data comprises data derived from addressed pieces and wherein said results said results to be arbitrated comprise alphanumerical codes.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein the instructions embodied in the at least one computer readable memory further cause said at least one processor to:

generate said at least one rule.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said algorithm is implemented using techniques of artificial intelligence.

32. The system of claim 25 wherein said algorithm is implemented using techniques of artificial intelligence.

33. A system including arbitration between results to be arbitrated in order to effectuate a desired result, each one of said results to be arbitrated obtained by one procedure from a plurality of procedures from observationally derived data, the result to be arbitrated being items characteristic of the observationally derived data, said system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer readable memory having instructions embodied therein, said instructions causing said at least one processor to;

rank each of the procedures according to confidence on each said procedure;

classify each of the results to be arbitrated according to a level of accuracy at which it matches a datum from a database of a plurality of databases;

compare each of the results to be arbitrated to each other;

select at least one rule, said at least one rule utilizing as inputs said results to be arbitrated and characterisitcs derived from said results to be arbitrated;

apply said at least one rule according to an algorithm;

select by applying said selected at least one rules, said desired result;

wherein said observationally derived data comprises data derived from addressed pieces and wherein said results said results to be arbitrated comprise alphanumerical codes; and

obtain at least one indicator for one of said alphanumerical codes, said one of said alphanumerical codes resulting from applying one of said procedures to specific observationally derived data, said at least one indicator indicating the number of alphanumerical codes resulting from applying other ones of said plurality of procedures to said specific observationally derived data that are congruent to said one of said alphanumerical codes for a given number digits of said one of said alphanumerical codes.