Apparatus and methods for identifying and processing mail using an identification code

• US 9,381,544 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Avant, Oscar Lee, Boldt, Ralph William Jr., Brandt, Bruce A., Fadely, Jay David, Little, Michael Ray, Reidel, Simon Franklin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US14/097,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 209/559, 209/583, 209/584, 209/900, 700223-227, 382/101, 382/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/20 Arrangements for facilitating the visual reading of addresses, e.g. display arrangements coding stations

Abstract

Apparatus and methods consistent with the present invention provide for identifying and processing mail using an identification code on a mailpiece as a redundant source of identification information in a mail sorting system. In one embodiment, this information is stored in a temporary database and used for the identification and processing of mail in a Remote Bar Code System (RBCS). In this embodiment, the identification code enables the automation of mail sorting and other processing tasks, reducing costs and delays in mail delivery services. In another embodiment, the identification and processing of mail occurs in an Identification Code Sorting (ICS) system. In this embodiment, a long-term database allows for mail sorting and other processing tasks on a national or global level.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining mailpiece routing information based on a mailpiece image, comprising the steps of:

receiving, using at least one processor at a remote computer reader, the mailpiece image including an identification tag associated with the mailpiece image, from an image control unit when a routing barcode of the mailpiece cannot be resolved;

receiving a master reference table of identification information from the image control unit, the master reference table being retrieved by the image control unit from a central database;

determining whether the master reference table includes an identification file including routing information associated with the identification tag of the mailpiece image;

transmitting the identification file corresponding to the mailpiece image to the image control unit, if the identification file was determined based on the master reference table; and

assigning a priority designation to the mailpiece image for further processing, if no identification file was determined based on the master reference table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the mailpiece image and priority designation to an identification code sort image buffer.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

storing the mailpiece image in the buffer until receipt of a prompt from the remote computer reader.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing step further comprises the step of:

transmitting the mailpiece image to the image control unit based on the priority designation for the mailpiece image after receiving at the buffer a prompt from the remote computer reader.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the mailpiece image and the priority designation to a keying site for identification by a user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the identification file from the keying site.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the master reference table includes identification information associated with a plurality of unique ID tags.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the master reference table includes at least one of a ZIP code, POSTNET data, or a temporary ID tag.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the master reference table at the central database is accessible to a network of distributed mailpiece processing locations.

5. A system for determining mailpiece routing information based on a mailpiece image, the system comprising:

one or more memory devices storing software instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the software instructions to;

receive, at a remote computer reader, the mailpiece image from an image control unit, the mailpiece image including an identification tag associated with the mailpiece image, when a routing barcode of the mailpiece cannot be resolved;

receive a master reference table of identification information from the image control unit, the master reference table being retrieved by the image control unit from a central database;

determine whether the master reference table includes an identification file including routing information associated with the identification tag of the mailpiece image;

transmit the identification file corresponding to the mailpiece image to the image control unit, if the identification file was determined based on the master reference table; and

assign a priority designation to the mailpiece image for further processing, if no identification file was determined based on the master reference table.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein one or more processors are further configured to execute the software instructions to transmit the mailpiece image and priority designation to an identification code sort image buffer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the software instructions to store the mailpiece image in the buffer until receipt of a prompt from the remote computer reader.

8. The system of claim 7,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the software instructions to transmit the mailpiece image to the image control unit based on the priority designation for the mailpiece image after receiving at the buffer a prompt from the remote computer reader.

9. A system for determining mailpiece routing information based on a mailpiece image, comprising:

means for receiving, at a remote computer reader, the mailpiece image including an identification tag associated with the mailpiece image, from an image control unit when a routing barcode of the mailpiece cannot be resolved;

means for receiving a master reference table of identification information from the image control unit, the master reference table being retrieved by the image control unit from a central database;

means for determining whether the master reference table includes an identification file including routing information associated with the identification tag of the mailpiece image;

means for transmitting the identification file corresponding to the mailpiece image to the image control unit, if the identification file was determined based on the master reference table; and

assigning a priority designation to the mailpiece image for further processing, if no identification file was determined based on the master reference table.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions embodied therein for determining mailpiece routing information based on a mailpiece image, the computer readable instructions comprising:

a mailpiece image receiving module configured to receive the mailpiece image including an identification tag associated with the mailpiece image from an image control unit when a routing barcode of the mailpiece cannot be resolved;

a master reference table receiving module configured to receive a master reference table of identification information from the image control unit, the master reference table of retrieved by the image control unit from a central database;

a determining module configured to determine whether the master reference table includes an identification file including routing information associated with the identification tag of the mailpiece image;

an identification file transmitting module configured to transmit the identification file corresponding to the mailpiece image to the image control unit, if the identification file was determined based on the master reference table; and

a priority designation module configured to assign a priority designation to the mailpiece image for further processing, if no identification file was determined based on the master reference table.