Method and apparatus for reading and decoding information

• US 7,177,444 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Jankevics, Andris, Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter, Bonner, Brett Bracewell
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIRE, GREGORY M
• Application Number:
  US10/790,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20040175038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 235/454, 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 385/101, 385/102, 385/143, 385/181, 382/101, 382/143, 382/305, 700/215, 700/28, 700/62, 700/408, 700/410, 700/213, 700/225, 705/401, 705/406, 209/584, 209/900
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/274 Syntactic or semantic context, e.g. balancing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/90 Sorting flat-type mail

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for reading and decoding information extracted from a form. In the system of the present invention, packages are randomly placed on a conveyor belt, with their labels facing a two-camera subassembly. As the conveyor belt moves, the two-camera subassembly continuously takes images of the belt underneath the overhead camera. The design of the camera permits it to take a high resolution image of a non-singulated, unjustified package flow. A digital image of the packages within the field of view of the camera is then transferred to the processing system for analysis. The processing system identifies individual packages in the image, extracts them and then analyzes the information written on the package labels. The analysis process utilizes conventional Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) techniques to evaluate the information written on the package label. Once the information is decoded, the system either accesses a database record associated with the decoded machine-readable code, or creates a new record. When an unknown word image is encountered, the field-specific recognition process is aided by use of lexicon information, optimized based on installation-specific or user-specific criteria. The lexicon information is continuously revised based on processed form information. In a preferred embodiment, verified destination addresses associated with a user are alphabetized or rank-ordered based on frequency of occurrence. It is only after the system determines that the originating user is not stored in the database does it resort to the ZIP+4 or similar database to verify a destination address.

Claims

1. A method of accessing package routing information on a computer network involving at least one user terminal and at least one alias server, the method comprising:

receiving information containing a package identification, including at least a package source address, required by said at least one alias server to retrieve package routing information;

transmitting said received information to said alias server; and

transferring package routing information from said alias server to said user terminal, provided said alias server locates a database record corresponding to said received information and created using information obtained from an analysis of at least one package image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring package routing information comprises accessing a package information server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring package routing information comprises accessing a package tracking database.

2. A The computer system for accessing package routing information on a computer network involving at least one user terminal and at least one alias server, comprising:

a memory having program instructions; and

a processor configured to use the program instructions to access customer-inputted information, said customer-inputted information containing a package identification, including at least a package source address, required by said at least one alias server to retrieve package routing information;

to transmit said customer-inputted information to said alias server; and

to transfer package routing information to said user terminal, provided said alias server locates a database record corresponding to said customer-inputted information and created using information obtained from an analysis of at least one package image.

6. The computer system according of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to use the program instructions to access a package information server when the processor transfers the package routing information.

7. The computer system according of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to use the program instructions to access a package tracking database when the processor transfers the package routing information.

5. A computer system for accessing package routing information on a computer network involving at least one user terminal and at least one alias server, said system comprising:

means for receiving information containing a package identification, including at least a package source address, required by said at least one alias server to retrieve package routing information;

means for transmitting said received information to said alias server; and

means for transferring package routing information to said user terminal, provided said alias server locates a database record corresponding to said received information and created using information obtained from an analysis of at least one package image.