System for evaluating bar code quality on mail pieces

A system for evaluating barcoded mail, comprising:

• an imaging device configured to provide an image signal corresponding to an image of a barcode from a mail piece;
• a transport device configured to selectively deliver the mail piece to said imaging device for evaluation;
• an output device for providing evaluation results;
• a processor receiving said image signal, said processor being configured to compare said image signal to barcode requirements data to detect a barcode defect, said processor being configured to provide an output signal to said output device if said barcode defect is detected;
• and,
• wherein said output device responds to said output signal to provide a visual barcode defect marker, said marker indicating said barcode defect location.

A system for evaluating barcoding mail, comprising:

• an image device configured to provide an image signal corresponding to a barcode and at least a portion of a destination address of a mail piece;
• an output device for providing evaluation results;
• a processor receiving said image signal, said processor being configured to decode said barcode from said image signal to generate a decoded address signal corresponding to an address decoded from the barcode, said processor being configured to provide an output signal to said output device in accordance with said decoded address signal and image signal;
• and,
• wherein said output device responds to said output signal to provide a decoded address image corresponding to said decoded address signal and a mail piece image corresponding to said image signal, said decoded address image and said mail piece image being visually presented by said output device for comparison.

A mail barcode evaluation method, comprising the steps of:

• (1) feeding a mail piece to an imaging device for evaluation;
• (2) generating an image of a barcode from the mail piece with the imaging device;
• (3) evaluating the image with a processor to identify a barcode defect;
• (4) determining a defect state corresponding to the barcode defect identified in step (3), the defect state being selected from among at least four defect states by the processor;
• and
• (5) printing a report with an image of the barcode and a marker, the marker indicating the defect state determined in step (4).

A mail barcode evaluation method, comprising:

• (a) feeding a mail piece with a barcode to an imaging device for evaluation, the barcode having a number of bars;
• (b) generating an image of the barcode with the imaging device;
• (c) evaluating the image of the barcode with a processor to identify a first barcode defect;
• and
• (d) visually presenting a first marker to indicate location of the first barcode defect along the barcode, the first marker identifying a first defective on the bars.