Defined data patterns for object handling

A method, comprising:

• obtaining an image of an area of interest of a mail piece;
• processing the image to obtain image data associated with the area of interest;
• comparing the image data with a pattern, wherein the pattern identifies spatial information of corresponding pattern field elements of the pattern;
• determining a confidence level of the comparison of the image data according to a success in matching the image data with the pattern fields;
• comparing the confidence level with a confidence threshold associated with the pattern, wherein each pattern of a plurality of patterns is associated with a corresponding confidence threshold;
• selecting the pattern;
• identifying a pattern output associated with the selected pattern, wherein the pattern output corresponds to a predetermined output format;
• and
• applying the pattern output to the mail piece.

A non-transitory memory device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by a sorting system, cause the sorting system to perform operations comprising:

• loading a set of sample input data images corresponding to a plurality of input data images into the sorting system, wherein the plurality of input data images each contain a defined area of interest;
• loading descriptions of the set of sample input data images, wherein the defined area of interest is associated with at least one description;
• generating patterns based on the set of sample input data images and the descriptions, wherein a different pattern is generated for each combination of the defined area of interest and the at least one description;
• specifying a confidence threshold for the patterns, wherein the confidence threshold identifies to what extent image data of a mail piece being sorted must match a particular pattern before a match is verified in a sorting operation;
• comparing the image data with the patterns;
• selecting a pattern that corresponds to the confidence threshold that has been met by the comparison;
• identifying output associated with the selected pattern, wherein the output corresponds to a predetermined output format;
• and
• applying the output to the mail piece.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

• one or more directories including a number of entries, wherein each entry includes indexed data that provides for an identification of a desired output;
• a plurality of patterns including a number of data fields, wherein the plurality of patterns identify a spatial relationship of the data fields, and wherein the data fields are related to the indexed data according to both the spatial relationship and a description of a corresponding pattern;
• and
• image data corresponding to an area of interest of a mail piece, wherein the image data is parsed into a plurality of lines that are compared with the patterns and the indexed data to determine a confidence level, wherein each of the plurality of patterns is associated with a corresponding confidence threshold that determines if the confidence level is sufficient to determine that the desired output has been identified, wherein a pattern is selected based, at least in part, on comparing the confidence level with the confidence threshold, wherein the desired output is associated with the selected pattern and corresponds to a predetermined format, and wherein the desired output is applied to the mail piece.