System for processing addresses at a very fast rate

Abstract

A mail processing system including a franking machine for franking mail items, which franking machine is connected to a first server that is itself connected to a second server in communication with a sorting machine, the franking machine including scanner means for scanning the destination addresses borne on the mail items as said mail items are inserted, storage means for storing the digital images of the addresses scanned in this way, in association with respective unique identification numbers, and communications means for periodically transferring the digital images as indexed in this way to the first server, the first or second server further including means for extracting determined data from the digital images, which data, associated with said unique identification numbers, is suitable for enabling said sorting machine to be controlled automatically on receiving said franked mail items.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the field of processing documents, and it relates more particularly to a system for processing addresses making it possible to sort mail items at a very fast rate.PRIOR ART[0002]In order to avoid bottlenecks while processing mail for delivery, the mail items should preferably be sorted at a fast rate. One known way of accelerating sorting is to print specific codes, in general bar codes, on the envelopes to be sorted, which codes, by forming automatically-readable graphic representations of the post code or “ZIP code” of each destination, make it possible to accelerate sorting.[0003]Unfortunately, that solution is not universal, and, since not all mail items have such codes, it is necessary to perform destination address recognition at the inlet of the sorting machine in order for the sorting to be performed correctly. Since such recognition is complex, it takes time, which results in the mail delivery process being slowed...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]An object of the present invention is thus to provide a mail processing system that makes it possible to achieve a sorting rate that is particularly fast for franked mail items, i.e. for mail items that bear postage values.

[0006]Thus, with this particular configuration that makes it possible to scan the mail items as they are being sent, and thus to recognize the addresses of the destinations before the mail items enter the sorting machine, the mail items can be sorted very rapidly and at lower cost, and delivering the mail items to the destinations can be planned.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, that solution is not universal, and, since not all mail items have such codes, it is necessary to perform destination address recognition at the inlet of the sorting machine in order for the sorting to be performed correctly.

Since such recognition is complex, it takes time, which results in the mail delivery process being slowed down significantly.

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