Encoding method

• US 20020194472A1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• 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: Lawson, Alfred D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/163
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method is described that provides efficient, secure web-based recognition services. More particularly, an embodiment of the method relates to confidential encoding by dissociating image information into individual word segments, or snippets, at a distribution point and distributing the snippets over a network to users who subscribe to provide their services. Users could include college students, housewives, or any individual with Internet access. The users view the snippets, enter equivalent ASCII information for the snippets, and send the ASCII information back over the network to the distribution point for reassembly.

Claims

1. A method of identifying an image of information, comprising:

receiving an image from an imaging system;

tagging the image with an encrypted identification tag;

distributing a tagged image over a network;

displaying the tagged image to a user, wherein the user views the tagged image, identifies the tagged image, enters a corresponding ASCII representation, and sends the tagged image and the corresponding ASCII representation over the network; and

receiving the tagged image and the corresponding ASCII representation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of dissociating an electronic object into a plurality of images.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of assembling a plurality of tagged images and corresponding ASCII representations into a complete address.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the complete address is a diplomatic address.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the complete address is a Congressional address.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of assembling a plurality of tagged images and corresponding ASCII representations into a complete license plate identification.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of receiving the tagged image and the corresponding ASCII representation and assembling is executed on a single computer.

8. A method of encoding information confidentially, comprising:

receiving an image from an imaging system;

dissociating the image into a plurality of image snippets;

tagging the plurality of image snippets with an encrypted identification tag;

distributing a tagged image snippet over a network;

displaying the tagged image snippet to a user, wherein the user views the tagged image snippet, identifies the tagged image snippet, enters a corresponding ACSII representation, and sends the tagged image snippet and the corresponding ASCII representation over the network;

receiving the tagged image snippet and the corresponding ASCII representation; and

combining a plurality of identified ASCII representations based on the identification tag to effectuate a recognition process.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of distributing further comprises dustributing a tagged image snippet over the internet through an internet service provider to a plurality of users.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the image snippets are selected from the group comprising a first name, a middle name, a last name, a street number, a street address, a street suffix, a city, a state, and a postal zip code.

11. A method of providing web-based recognition services for reading address information on mailpieces comprising the steps of:

dissociating address information into a plurality of snippets;

attaching an ID tag to each snippet;

sending snippets via the web to a plurality of users;

receiving user-inputted information related to each snippet

recombining snippets and user-inputted information

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of querying recombined snippet and user-inputted information to yield a ZIPCODE result.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of recombining snippets and user-inputted information creates address information.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said address information comprises a name, street number, street address, city, state, and postal zip code.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of recombining utilizes the ID tag associated with each snippet to assemble the snippets and user-inputted information into an address.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of sending snippets via the web to a plurality of users further comprises sending the snippets via the web through at least one internet service provider to a plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of transmitting fields of address information to a plurality of users.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of encrypting each field of address information.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of attaching an auto tag to each field.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of manually reading is achieved by a plurality of users viewing image fields received via the internet.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of assembling is done on a single computer.

17. A method of identifying address information on a mailpiece comprising the steps of:

reading the mailpiece address with a multi-line optical character reader;

reading a stored image of the mailpiece address with a remote computer reader;

dissociating a stored image of the mailpiece address into a plurality of fields;

manually reading each field of the stored image of the mailpiece address; and

assembling information learned from each step into a final address.