Deferred optical character recognition active pigeon hole sorting of mail pieces

A data processing system for providing active pigeon hole sorting of mail pieces, comprising:

• first means for inputting delivery sequence data;
• second means for inputting addressee data for postal recipients receiving mail, in a data base;
• means coupled to said first and second means, for compiling an ordered list of addressees receiving mail, in delivery sequence;
• means coupled to said compiling means, for partitioning a sorting case for first pass sorting of mail pieces using said ordered list of addresses;
• means for picking a mail piece;
• means for reading a code for the mail piece;
• means coupled to said second means, for accessing an address from the data base;
• means coupled to said compiling means, for assigning the mail piece to a pigeon hole in said sorting case in accordance with said partitioning;
• means coupled to said assigning means, for displaying a prompt referring to said pigeon hole in accordance with said partitioning;
• whereby an operator can view the prompt and sort the mail piece to a pigeon hole.