Patent · US Expired

System and method for reading package information

US5770841A · kind A · utility

217Cited by
18References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 29, 1995
Grant dateJun 23, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 29, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB07C3/00
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A system for reading package information includes an imaging system and a label decoding system. The imaging system captures an image of a package surface that includes a machine readable code such as a bar code and an alphanumeric destination address. The label decoding system locates and decodes the machine readable code and uses OCR techniques to read the destination address. The destination address is validated by comparing the decoded address to a database of valid addresses. If the decoded address is invalid, an image of the destination address is displayed on a workstation and an operator enters the correct address. The system forms a unified package record by combining the decoded bar code data and the correct destination address data. The unified package record is used for subsequently sorting and tracking the package and is stored in a database and applied to a label that is affixed to the package.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.