Apparatus and methods for identifying a delivery item using an identification code
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsOscar Lee Avant, Bruce A. Brandt, Jay David Fadely
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods consistent with the present invention provide for identifying a mailpiece in an identification code sorting system using an identification code. In one embodiment, an identification code is marked on a mailpiece. In this embodiment, the identification code is linked to an identification file containing identification information uniquely corresponding to the mailpiece.
Claims40
A method of identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, using identification codes corresponding to identification files, comprising the steps of:
- marking one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item;
- creating an identification file corresponding to the identification code, where the identification file is read from the delivery item by a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on a delivery item sorting system related to a sender and at least one node on a sorting system related to a destination;
- and
- using the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve information from the corresponding identification file for sorting the delivery item at a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on the sorting system related to the destination.
A system for identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, using identification codes corresponding to identification files, comprising:
- a marking component configured to mark one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item;
- a creating component configured to create an identification file corresponding to the identification code, where the identification file is read from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on a sorting system related to a sender and at least one node on a sorting system related to a destination;
- and
- a using component configured to use the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file for sorting the delivery item at a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on the sorting system related to the destination.
A system for identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, using identification codes corresponding to identification files, comprising:
- means for marking one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item;
- means for creating an identification file corresponding to the identification code, where the identification file is read from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on a sorting system related to a sender and at least one node on a sorting system related to a destination;
- and
- means for using the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file for sorting the delivery item at a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on the sorting system related to the destination.
A computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, the computer readable code comprising:
- a marking module configured to mark one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item;
- a creating module configured to create an identification file corresponding to the identification code, where the identification file may be accessed from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on a sorting system related to a sender and at least one node on a sorting system related to a destination;
- and
- a using module configured to use the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file for sorting the delivery item at a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system including at least one node on the sorting system related to the destination.
A method of identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, using identification codes corresponding to identification files, comprising the steps of:
- marking one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item on the one delivery item;
- creating an identification file uniquely corresponding to the identification code and the one delivery item, where the identification file may be accessed from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system;
- and
- using the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file at a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system.
A system for identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, using identification codes corresponding to identification files, comprising:
- a marking component configured to mark one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item on the delivery item;
- a creating component configured to create an identification file uniquely corresponding to the identification code and the one delivery item, where the identification file may be accessed from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system;
- and
- a using component configured to use the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file at a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system.
A system for identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, using identification codes corresponding to identification files, comprising:
- means for marking one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item on the one delivery item;
- means for creating an identification file uniquely corresponding to the identification code and the one delivery item, where the identification file may be accessed from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system;
- and
- means for using the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file at any node on the delivery item sorting system.
A computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for identifying a plurality of delivery items in a delivery item sorting system, the computer readable code comprising:
- a marking module configured to mark one of the plurality of delivery items with an identification code that uniquely corresponds to the one delivery item on the one delivery item;
- a creating module configured to create an identification file uniquely corresponding to the identification code and the one delivery item, where the identification file may be accessed from a plurality of nodes on the delivery item sorting system;
- and
- a using module configured to use the identification code read from the delivery item to retrieve identification information from the corresponding identification file at any node on the delivery item sorting system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.