Method and apparatus for alphanumeric recognition

• US 7,171,049 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Postal Service United States The
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Snapp, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mariam; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/450,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 382/101, 382/102, 382/209, 382/217, 382/218
• US Class Current: 382/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/268 Lexical context

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recognizing alphanumeric characters in which a set of unknown characters is received from an imaging system and a set of known characters from a storage device. A first set of pairs of characters is created from the set of unknown characters (302) and a second set of pairs of characters is created from the set of known characters (304). A matrix is generated having a plurality of cells, each cell containing a pair of characters. The matrix is interrogated with the first set to generate a first result, and the matrix is interrogated with the second set to generate a second result (302, 304). The first result is compared with the second result (306). A first predetermined action is taken if the first result matches the second result, while a second predetermined action is taken if the first result does not match the second result (308).

Claims

1. A method of alphanumeric character recognition, comprising:

receiving a set of unknown characters from an imaging system;

receiving a set of known characters from a memory device;

creating a first set of pairs of characters from the set of unknown characters;

creating a second set of pairs of characters from the set of known characters;

generating a matrix having a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells contains a pair of characters;

interrogating the plurality of cells of the matrix with the first set of pairs of characters and generating a first result;

interrogating the plurality of cells of the matrix with the second set of pairs of characters and generating a second result;

comparing the first result with the second result;

taking a first predetermined action if the first result matches the second result; and

taking a second predetermined action if the first result does not match the second result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging system comprises a scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging system comprises a camera.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the imaging system comprises a video camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging system comprises an optical character reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory device comprises a database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores data that is known.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores data from a plurality of change of address forms.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data comprises a name, an old address, and a new address.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a name from a mailpiece imaged by the imaging system and the set of known characters represents a name from a change of address form.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the matrix comprises an alphabetic matrix.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the matrix comprises an alphanumeric matrix.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first action comprises applying the new address stored in the database to the mailpiece.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the second action comprises sending the mailpiece for further processing.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores data from a plurality of license plates.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a license plate number from a license plate imaged by the imaging system and the set of known characters represents a license plate number for a vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first action comprises issuing a citation to an owner of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second action comprises sending the license plate number for further processing.

19. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores information comprising part numbers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a part number on a part that is imaged by the imaging system and the set of known characters represents a part number for a known part.

21. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores information comprising product codes.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a product code on a product that is imaged by the imaging system and the set of known characters represents a product code for a known product.

23. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores information comprising vehicle identification numbers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a vehicle identification number that is imaged by the imaging system and the set of known characters represents a known vehicle identification number of a vehicle.

25. The method of claim 6, wherein the database stores a plurality of information comprising data about people.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of information comprising data about people further comprises names, addresses, social security numbers, telephone numbers, and email addresses.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a plurality of information on a form that is imaged by the imaging system and the set of known characters represents the plurality of information comprising data about people stored in the database.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix comprises an alphanumeric matrix.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix comprises an alphabetic matrix.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix comprises a numeric matrix.

31. A method of name recognition, comprising:

loading at least one mailpiece onto a scanner;

scanning a mail name and a mail address from the at least one mailpiece;

interpreting a plurality of characters from the mail name;

sending the mail address to a database comprising change of address information;

comparing the mail address with the change of address information;

determining a change of address name from the database, wherein the change of address name corresponds to the mail address and an old address from the change of address information;

creating a first set of pairs of characters from the plurality of characters comprising the mail name;

creating a second set of pairs of characters from the change of address name;

generating a matrix having a plurality of cells, wherein each cell contains a pair of characters;

interrogating the plurality of cells of the matrix with the first set of pairs of characters and generating a first result;

interrogating the plurality of cells of the matrix with the second set of pairs of characters and generating a second result;

comparing the first result with the second result;

printing a new address from the change of address information on the at least one mailpiece if the first result matches the second result; and

sending the at least one mailpiece downstream for further processing if the first result does not match the second result.

32. An apparatus for recognizing alphanumeric characters, comprising:

a scanner for imaging a set of unknown characters;

a memory device comprising a database including a set of known characters; and

a processor, wherein the processor;

generates a first set of pairs of characters from the set of unknown characters and a second set of pairs of characters from the set of known characters;

generates a matrix having a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells contains a pair of characters,

interrogates the plurality of cells of the matrix with the first set of pairs of characters to generate a first result and interrogates the plurality of cells of the matrix with the second set of pairs of characters to generate a second result;

compares the first result with the second result; and

takes a first predetermined action if the first result matches the second result and a second predetermined action if the first result does not match the second result.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the scanner comprises a video camera.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the scanner comprises an optical character reader.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the database stores data from a plurality of change of address forms.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the data comprises a name, an old address, and a new address.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the set of unknown characters represents a name from a mailpiece imaged by the scanner and the set of known characters represents a name from a change of address form.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the matrix comprises an alphabetic matrix.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the matrix comprises an alphanumeric matrix.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first action comprises applying the new address stored in the database to the mailpiece.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein a printer applies the new address.

42. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the second action comprises sending the mailpiece for further processing.

43. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the matrix is an alphanumeric matrix.

44. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the matrix is an alphabetic matrix.

45. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the matrix is a numeric matrix.

46. An apparatus for recognizing alphanumeric characters, comprising:

a scanner for imaging a set of unknown characters;

a memory device comprising a database including a set of known characters; and

a processing means for;

generating a first set of pairs of characters from the set of unknown characters and a second set of pairs of characters from the set of known characters;

generating a matrix having a plurality of cells, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells contains a pair of characters;

interrogating the plurality of cells of the matrix with the first set of pairs of characters to generate a first result and interrogating the plurality of cells of the matrix with the second set of pairs of characters to generate a second result;

comparing the first result with the second result; and

taking a first predetermined action if the first result matches the second result and a second predetermined action if the first result does not match the second result.