System and method for automated management of an address database

• US 8,165,909 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2006
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• 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: Dearing, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, GEORGE YUNG CHIEH
• Application Number:
  US11/434,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/18 Jumping jacks
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for electronically managing an address database such as AMS, and more particularly a system and method for automatically managing an address database through the use of a web-based application. Moreover, embodiments of the invention manage an address database, such as AMS, by comparing data in the address database with data collected from mailpieces during sorting operations.

Claims

1. A method for managing an address database comprising:

reading, using a scanning device, delivery point data from a plurality of mailpieces for a predetermined time interval, wherein the delivery point data comprises digits of delivery point barcodes uniquely identifying delivery points for the mailpieces;

storing the digits of at least one of the delivery point barcodes in association with density data comprising a number of the mailpieces addressed to an address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes;

storing, in association with the density data, a site identifier of a facility at which the delivery point data was read;

determining, by a computer, whether the density data exceeds a predetermined threshold for density data; and

determining whether the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes is stored in the address database,

wherein the method further comprises;

adding, by the computer, the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes to the address database based at least on a determination that the density data exceeds the predetermined threshold for density data and a determination that the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes does not exist in the address database;

or

deleting, by the computer, the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes from the address database based at least on a determination that the density data does not exceed the predetermined threshold for density data and a determination that the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes exists in the address database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time interval is a daily interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the density data includes associating a date with the density data corresponding to the delivery points.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes is stored in the address database includes determining whether a delivery point file includes the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes.

5. The method of claim 4, further including, outputting a notice that the delivery point file requires an update.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the delivery point data further comprises:

incrementing density counts associated with the delivery points.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes is stored in the address database includes determining whether a delivery point file includes the address associated with the delivery point.

8. The method of claim 1, further including, outputting a notice that the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes does not exist in the address database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is a density of one.

10. The method of claim 1, further including, outputting a notice that the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes exists in the address database.

11. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable code, the processor-executable code configured to perform a method, the method comprising:

reading delivery point data from a plurality of mailpieces for a predetermined time interval, wherein the delivery point data comprises digits of delivery point barcodes uniquely identifying delivery points for the mailpieces;

storing the digits of at least one of the delivery point barcodes in association with density data comprising a number of the mailpieces addressed to an address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes;

storing, in association with the density data, a site identifier of a facility at which the delivery point data was read;

determining whether the density data exceeds a predetermined threshold for density data; and

determining whether the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes is stored in the address database,

wherein the method further comprises;

adding the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes to the address database based at least on a determination that the density data exceeds the predetermined threshold for density data and a determination that the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes does not exist in the address database;

or

deleting the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes from the address database based at least on a determination that the density data does not exceed the predetermined threshold for density data and a determination that the address represented by the at least one of the delivery point barcodes exists in the address database.

12. The processor-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the predetermined threshold is a density of one.