System and method for electronic, web-based, address element correction for uncoded addresses

• US 7,664,653 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Dearing, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jabr; Fadey S
• Application Number:
  US11/212,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/401, 707/201, 382/101
• US Class Current: 705/330
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/10 Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection ofthe destination methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00451 Address hygiene, i.e. checking and correcting addresses to be printed on mail pieces using address databases

Abstract

Systems and methods for correcting addresses to contain a code representing a delivery segment (ZIP+4™ code) within a defined geographic location (ZIP Code™) include determining whether the address is already matched with a ZIP+4™ code and contains a valid delivery point. Further, if a match the address cannot be made, the systems and method may correct or adjust the address and check if a match can be made after correcting and/or adjusting the address. If no match can be made after correcting and/or adjusting, the systems and methods may send the address to a district office and/or delivery unit to determine the ZIP+4™ code and the delivery point.

Claims

1. A method of matching a delivery code, representing a delivery segment within a geographic location, to an address within the geographic location, said method comprising:

receiving an incorrect address at a website operated by a server wherein the incorrect address does not match any address in a set of valid addresses;

sending a transmission to a district office covering a geographic area indicated by the incorrect address from the server requesting correction of the incorrect address;

determining, at the district office, a corrected address associated with the incorrect address and a delivery code associated with the corrected address;

receiving, from the district office, the delivery code and the corrected address; and

saving the corrected address and the delivery code in a database accessible via the server; and

determining whether the incorrect address has been previously received and previously corrected;

transmitting the address to an incorrect address website if the incorrect address has not been previously received and previously corrected; and

applying an updated address to a mail item associated with the incorrect address if the incorrect address has been previously received and previously corrected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery code is a ZIP+4 code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the incorrect address is a recipient'"'"'s address for a mail item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mail item is at least one of a letter, flat, or package.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is an electronic uncoded address resolution system (eUARS) server for handling address correction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the website is accessible via at least one of an intranet connection and Internet connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the corrected address from a delivery unit in the event the district office is unable to provide the delivery code associated with the incorrect address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the delivery unit is notified of the incorrect address via at least one of a hardcopy of the incorrect address sent via mailing, an electronic copy of the incorrect address sent via the Internet, and a facsimile of the incorrect address sent through a facsimile machine.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the corrected address to a mailer sending a mail item to a recipient at the incorrect address.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

mailing the mail item with the corrected address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is an electronic uncoded address resolution system (eUARS) database.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the incorrect address at the website occurs after a change of address form, including the incorrect address, is received by a customer service center.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the incorrect address at the website occurs after a mailer sends a mail item containing the incorrect address and the incorrect address is not matched to the associated delivery code using address matching software.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an address element correction process after sending the transmission to the district office, the address element correction process comprising;

determining whether the incorrect address includes an incorrect street address or a misspelled word;

adjusting the incorrect address to correct the incorrect street address or the misspelled word if a determination is made that the incorrect address includes the incorrect street address or the misspelled word; and

determining whether a preliminary delivery code may be assigned to the incorrect address after the incorrect address is adjusted.