Distributed Mail Image Storage Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current postal processing systems face challenges in efficiently managing and transferring large, high-resolution mail piece images across networks due to bandwidth constraints, as aggregating these images in a centralized storage point requires significant network resources.
Innovation Solution
A distributed system where local image servers maintain original images and generate metadata, transmitting only metadata and low-resolution images to a regional server, allowing for efficient aggregation and access without the need to transfer large images unless specifically required, thereby reducing network bandwidth usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mail piece images are aggregated in a centralized storage point, then image availability for alternative uses is improved, but network bandwidth requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the centralized storage architecture into distributed local image servers and a central server. Each local server stores images locally, segmenting the storage function geographically. This allows images to be made available locally without requiring centralized aggregation, thus improving image availability while avoiding excessive network bandwidth consumption for transferring all images to a central location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary metadata and thumbnail images from the full-resolution mail piece images, transmitting only these extracted elements to the central server. The full images remain stored locally at the source. This extraction approach enables alternative uses of image data (such as routing decisions based on metadata) without requiring transfer of the complete high-resolution images, thereby improving versatility while conserving network bandwidth.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution original images are transmitted across the network, then image quality is maintained, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and transmits copies of the original high-resolution images in reduced form (metadata and thumbnails) to the central server, while the original high-resolution copies remain stored locally. This copying strategy allows the central server to perform processing and alternative uses with the copied data, maintaining image quality where needed locally without requiring continuous transmission of high-resolution images across the network.
3Loss of energy
If a distributed storage system is implemented, then network bandwidth usage is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The local image servers perform multiple functions: storing original high-resolution images, generating metadata, creating thumbnails, and serving both local and central server requests. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each task, simplifying the overall distributed architecture while achieving bandwidth efficiency. The central server similarly handles multiple roles including metadata aggregation, processing requests, and coordinating with local servers.
Data Source
AI summary
System, methods, and computer-readable media. A method includes maintaining an original image of a mail piece in a local image server and generating metadata corresponding to the original image by the local image server. The method includes transmitting the metadata to a regional image server over a network. The method includes receiving a request for the original image from a second system, and transmitting the original image to the second system in response to the request.