Robert Snapp

US Patent:

6865443, Mar 8, 2005

Filed:

Feb 4, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/358440

Inventors:

Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US
David J. Payne - Collierville TN, US
James D. Wilson - Collierville TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F007/00

US Classification:

700223, 700224, 700226, 209900, 209584

Abstract:

A method and system for sequencing deliverables using combined delivery codes and partial delivery point bar codes (DPBCs) provides pre-sequencing of deliverables for delivery carriers that has improved ordering with respect to the actual delivery route and accounts for un-coded new delivery points in the ordering process. A partial DPBC field is combined with a delivery code to generate the ordering sequence. The DPBC field is combined by generating delivery sequencing tables having sequence numbers splitting ZIP+4 codes into multiple entries delineated by ranges of the last two digits of the DPBC, that can then be flagged for ascending or descending delivery and assigned unique sequence numbers. The full address of actual delivery points is thereby concealed by the table, while providing more accurate sequencing conforming to actual deliver routes. New delivery points within a ZIP+4 code can be assigned a sequence number by reference to the last two digits of the actual address, providing further utility to the method.

US Patent:

6886747, May 3, 2005

Filed:

Mar 22, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/297986

Inventors:

Robert F Snapp - Memphis TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

235385, 235375, 235494

Abstract:

To standardize a mailing address, a zip code is extracted from the mailing address (FIG. A). A primary number () from a primary field of the mailing address () and a secondary number () from a secondary field () of the mailing address are also extracted. The zip code, the primary number, and the secondary number are concatenated.

US Patent:

7159119, Jan 2, 2007

Filed:

Jun 11, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/459013

Inventors:

James D. Wilson - Collierville TN, US
Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US
David J. Payne - Collierville TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

H04L 9/00

US Classification:

713181, 707101

Abstract:

A method and system for efficiently retrieving secured data by securely pre-processing provided access information, provides data store security based on only a single piece of access information, which is generally public, such as the proper name of a business or individual that is used to retrieve mailing address information. The access information is hashed for access to a secured data store and efficient access and low data storage for permutations of input access information are provided by verifying the presence of an entry for the hashed access information in a look-up table. If an entry is found, the data store is accessed using the hashed access information, but if an entry is not found, another look-up table corresponding to another information type may be tried or the input access information permuted and retried.

US Patent:

7171049, Jan 30, 2007

Filed:

Dec 13, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/450470

Inventors:

Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06K 9/64
G06K 9/00

US Classification:

382217, 382101

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for recognizing alphanumeric characters in which a set of unknown characters is received from an imaging system and a set of known characters from a storage device. A first set of pairs of characters is created from the set of unknown characters () and a second set of pairs of characters is created from the set of known characters (). A matrix is generated having a plurality of cells, each cell containing a pair of characters. The matrix is interrogated with the first set to generate a first result, and the matrix is interrogated with the second set to generate a second result (). The first result is compared with the second result (). A first predetermined action is taken if the first result matches the second result, while a second predetermined action is taken if the first result does not match the second result ().

US Patent:

7204415, Apr 17, 2007

Filed:

Sep 30, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/953358

Inventors:

David J. Payne - Collierville TN, US
Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US
James D. Wilson - Collierville TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

235385, 235487, 23546201, 235494, 209584

Abstract:

Systems and methods maintain a database of recipient names and addresses where the delivery point addresses contain secondary address. Data that is stored in the database may be arrayed in secure data tables. The structure of the secure data tables ensures that the data is secure and prevents an unauthorized user from learning address information improperly. A delivery service provider may create secure data tables using 20-byte Secure Hash Algorithm. A software searches secure data tables for the matching recipient name and address. If the match is found, a business sender may receive valid secondary address information for that recipient. If, however, a database does not contain a matching recipient name and address, a business sender may not receive any further information about that recipient's address.

US Patent:

7302582, Nov 27, 2007

Filed:

Aug 21, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/344990

Inventors:

Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US
James D. Wilson - Collierville TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

713185, 713176, 713182, 726 2, 707200, 235375, 705 50

Abstract:

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention encode a list so users of the list may make inquires to the coded list without the entire content of the list being revealed to the users. Each item in the list turns on one or more bits in the array. Once each item in the list has been encoded by an encoder, a bit array with high and low values is used to represent the items in the list. The bit array may be embodied in a validation system for allowing users to query the list to determine whether an inquiry item is on the list. The validation system determines which bits to check by executing the same coding process executed by the encoder. If all the bits are high, then the inquiry item is determined to be part of the list, if at least one of the bits is low, then the inquiry item is determined not to be part of the original list. An exemplary encoder and validation system comprises a standardizer, a hashing function unit, an extraction circuit, and an offset circuit.

US Patent:

7391781, Jun 24, 2008

Filed:

Sep 18, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/665456

Inventors:

David J. Payne - Collierville TN, US
Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US
James D. Wilson - Collierville TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

H04L 12/28
H04L 12/56
G06Q 10/00

US Classification:

370396, 370392, 705 1, 714746

Abstract:

Providing a corrected delivery address comprises receiving a plurality of first data elements, each of the plurality of first data elements comprising a first portion and a second portion. Next providing a corrected delivery address comprises providing a second data element, the second data element corresponding to one of the plurality of first data elements and comprising a corrected version of the second portion of the corresponding first data element. Then providing a corrected delivery address comprises receiving an indication that none of the second portions of the plurality of first data elements match the second data element and providing, in response to the indication, a link associating the second data element with the first data element corresponding to the second data element.

US Patent:

7415171, Aug 19, 2008

Filed:

Mar 28, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/390341

Inventors:

Robert F. Snapp - Memphis TN, US

Assignee:

United States Postal Service - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06K 9/03

US Classification:

382311

Abstract:

Systems, methods, and software consistent with the present invention use combinations of two or more letters (xgraphs) or characters, such as three letter combinations (trigraphs), to aid in deciphering ambiguous characters in OCR systems. Embodiments consistent with the invention compare possible xgraphs constructed by substitution for the ambiguous OCR-read character(s) to a reference set of xgraphs. The reference set of xgraphs contains predetermined valid xgraphs, which may be ranked by preference. If a possible xgraph matches a reference xgraph, then the ambiguous character(s) are resolved in favor of the characters in the reference xgraph. Embodiments may also use the context of the ambiguous character string to aid in resolving the ambiguity where more than one possible solution exists.