Mail image profiling and handwriting matching
First Claim
1. A method for identifying mail pieces having postage sides for special processing based upon a plurality of predetermined profiles, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting a combination of values for individual profile image characteristics to create each one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, the values being chosen such that the combination is consistent with threat mail, the individual profile image characteristics being associated with various locations on the postage side of the mail piece;
b) storing the plurality of predetermined profiles, each of the predetermined profiles having values for the plurality of selected profile image characteristics;
c) obtaining mail piece image characteristics associated with an image of a mail piece;
d) retrieving one of the plurality of predetermined profiles that has not yet been used in a comparison;
e) comparing the mail piece image characteristics to the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles;
f) identifying the mail piece for special processing, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles substantially matches the mail piece image characteristics; and
g) repeating steps d) through f) for another one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles does not substantially match the mail piece image characteristics.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and systems for early detection of potentially hazardous material associated with the collection of mail or other objects. In an embodiment of the method of this invention, image characteristics for an image of an item being examined are obtained. A predetermined profile is then retrieved from a profile database. The image characteristics for the image of the item are compared to the image characteristics present in the predetermined profile. If the image characteristics present in the predetermined profile substantially match the image characteristics for the image of the item, the item is identified for special processing. If the image characteristics present in the predetermined profile do not substantially match the image characteristics for the image of the item, another predetermined profile is retrieved and compared to the image characteristics for the image of the item. A system that implements the method of this invention includes a transport sub-system and a computing sub-system.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for identifying mail pieces having postage sides for special processing based upon a plurality of predetermined profiles, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) selecting a combination of values for individual profile image characteristics to create each one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, the values being chosen such that the combination is consistent with threat mail, the individual profile image characteristics being associated with various locations on the postage side of the mail piece; b) storing the plurality of predetermined profiles, each of the predetermined profiles having values for the plurality of selected profile image characteristics; c) obtaining mail piece image characteristics associated with an image of a mail piece; d) retrieving one of the plurality of predetermined profiles that has not yet been used in a comparison; e) comparing the mail piece image characteristics to the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles; f) identifying the mail piece for special processing, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles substantially matches the mail piece image characteristics; and g) repeating steps d) through f) for another one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles does not substantially match the mail piece image characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system enabling identification of mail pieces based upon predetermined profiles, the system comprising:
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a detector and optical elements configured to obtain an image of a mail piece; at least one processor configured to obtain mail piece image characteristics associated with the image of the mail piece; at least one computer readable memory having; (a) a database storing data for each one of a plurality of predetermined profiles, the data comprising; a profile identifier, a plurality of profile image characteristics and associated values, the values being chosen such that the plurality of profile image characteristics is consistent with threat mail, the profile image characteristics being associated with various locations on the postage side of the mail piece, and an action identifier configured to specify a plurality of actions associated with the profile identified by the profile identifier; and
,(b) computer readable code embodied in the at least one computer readable memory the computer readable code configured to cause the at least one processor to; (i) retrieve the data for one of the plurality of predetermined profiles from the database, (ii) compare the mail piece image characteristics to the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles from the retrieved data, (iii) identify the mail piece as requiring one of the plurality of actions identified by the action identifier from the retrieved data, if the mail piece image characteristics present in the retrieved data substantially match the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles from the retrieved data, (iv) repeat steps i) through iii) for another one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles does not substantially match the mail piece image characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system enabling identification of mail pieces based upon predetermined profiles, the system comprising:
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a detector and optical elements configured to obtain an image of a mail piece; at least one processor configured to obtain mail piece image characteristics associated with the image of the mail piece; a first computer readable memory for storing data for access by a process executed by at least one processor, said memory comprising; a database storing data for each one of a plurality of predetermined profiles, the data comprising; a profile identifier, values for a plurality of selected profile image characteristics, the values being chosen such that the plurality of selected profile image characteristics is consistent with threat mail, the plurality of selected profile image characteristics being associated with various locations on the postage side of the mail piece, and an action identifier configured to specify a plurality of actions associated with the profile identified by the profile identifier; at least one second computer readable memory having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code configured to cause the at least one processor to; (a) retrieve the data for one of the plurality of predetermined profiles from the database, (b) compare the mail piece image characteristics to the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles from the retrieved data, (c) identify the mail piece as requiring one of the plurality of actions identified by the action identifier from the retrieved data, if the mail piece image characteristics present in the retrieved data substantially match the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles from the retrieved data, and (d) repeat steps a) through c) for another one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles does not substantially match the mail piece image characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for processing mail items and identifying mail items for special processing comprising:
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a transport sub-system configured to transport a mail item; an imaging sub-system configured to obtain an image of the mail piece; a database configured to store a plurality of predetermined profiles, each of the plurality of predetermined profiles having a plurality of selected profile image characteristics, the database including a combination of values for the selected profile image characteristics, the values being chosen such that the combination is consistent with threat mail, the selected profile image characteristics being associated with various locations on the postage side of the mail piece; a detector and optical elements configured to obtain mail piece image characteristics associated with an image of the mail piece; a first computer readable code embodied in computer readable memory configured to retrieve one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, a second computer readable code embodied in computer readable memory configured to compare the mail piece image characteristics to one of the plurality of predetermined profiles until a match is found, if any; and a third computer readable code embodied in computer readable memory configured to identify the mail piece for special processing, if the one of the plurality predetermined profiles substantially matches the mail piece image characteristics for the image of the mail piece; and a fourth computer readable code embodied in computer readable memory configured to repeatedly execute said first computer readable code, said second computer readable code, and said third computer readable code for another one of the plurality of predetermined profiles, if the one of the plurality of predetermined profiles does not substantially match the mail piece image characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification