Address matching system and method

• US 7,236,970 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Winslow, Richard Baker
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Hung Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/692,031
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 5, 707/10, 707103 R-103 Z, 707/101, 707/102, 705/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00451 Address hygiene, i.e. checking and correcting addresses to be printed on mail pieces using address databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00596 Printing of address
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

An address matching system that maintains a central database of valid addresses has been designed. According to the invention, address matching requests are received by the system from a plurality of remote users located at respective machines (“clients”). Those requests are processed at the central system, and the results are returned to the client that made the request. In addition, novel techniques are implemented for improving the likelihood of obtaining one or more matches from a request.

Claims

1. A method for matching an address with a database of pre-approved addresses for printing on a value bearing item (VBI), the method comprising:

storing a plurality of pre-approved addresses with a predetermined format in the database;

receiving address data with different formats;

mapping the received address data with the different formats into the predetermined format;

comparing the received address data in the predetermined format to the pre-approved addresses in the database for validating the received address data;

displaying a list of potential matches for selection by a user;

selecting a match from the list of potential matches;

sending a request to the database for address information corresponding to the selected match;

receiving address information; and

printing the received address information on the VBI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing data in the predetermined format with valid addresses in the database comprises accessing a remote database of addresses over a communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the database is maintained by a remote address matching server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping comprises applying a plurality of query permuters to the address data to convert the address data into respective formats.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein applying a plurality of query permuters comprises applying at least one of a direct permuter and a single line permuter to the address data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein applying further comprises applying a truncate permuter to the output structure of the direct permuter.

7. A method for validating an address for printing on a value bearing item (VBI), the method comprising:

storing a plurality of pre-approved addresses in a database;

receiving the address from a user using a terminal remote from the database over a wide area network;

accessing the database from a server that is communicating with the terminal over the wide area network;

comparing the address received from the remote terminal to the database of pre-approved addresses;

transmitting a list of potential matches to the remote terminal;

displaying the transmitted list of potential matches on the remote terminal;

selecting a match from the displayed list of potential matches;

sending a request to the server for address information corresponding to the selected match;

receiving address information; and

printing the received address information on the VBI.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing address information in a companion file upon a validation of the address.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the address comprises importing the address from a database of addresses.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second address from the user;

comparing selected information from the second address with stored information in the companion file;

approving the second address for use if the selected information corresponds with the stored information in the companion file; and

accessing the database if no match is found.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein comparing the second address with the stored addresses in the companion file comprises determining whether a stored address in the companion file is stale, and rejecting the stored address if it is stale.