IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,670,464
Granted Patent B2
US 12,670,464 · App. 17/190,489 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Disposition of items based on item image datasets

Inventor: Todd M. Schimmel (Annandale, VA)
Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
G06Q10/0833G06K7/1413
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,670,464
App. No.
17/190,489
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods perform operations that include receiving information regarding an item; obtaining one or more digital images of the item; generating an image dataset, which may be unique, for the item based on the one or more digital images; storing information linking the image data set to the information regarding the item; receiving, from an item disposition system, a request to identify the item, wherein the request includes the image dataset for the item; identifying the item based on receiving the request and the image dataset; and providing, to the item disposition system, the information regarding the item to cause the item disposition system to disposition the item based on the information regarding the item.

Claims (116)

1 . A computer-implemented method of identifying mail-deliverable items conveyed through a sorting system, wherein the sorting system comprises an identification system and a disposition system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the identification system, information regarding a first mail-deliverable item conveyed through an identification system, the identification system comprising a digital camera;

obtaining, by the identification system, one or more first digital images of the first mail-deliverable item from the digital camera as the first mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the identification system;

generating, by the identification system, a first set of image hash values, wherein the identification system applies a hash function to the one or more first digital images to translate the one or more first digital images into the first set of image hash values;

generating, by the identification system, a unique image dataset for the first mail-deliverable item comprising the first set of image hash values;

storing, by the identification system, information linking the unique image dataset comprising the first set of image hash values to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

receiving, by the identification system and from the disposition system, a request to identify a mail-deliverable item as the mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the sorting system, wherein the request includes a second set of image hash values for the mail-deliverable item and a measured value associated with the mail-deliverable item, wherein the identification system is communicatively coupled to the disposition system through a network;

identifying, by the identification system, the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system as the first mail-deliverable item based on: receiving the request including the second set of image hash values and the measured value, comparing the first set of image hash values with the second set of image hash values to determine if there is a match between at least one image hash value of the first set of image hash values and at least another image hash value of the second set of image hash values, and comparing at least a portion of the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item with the measured value to identify the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system as the first mail-deliverable item;

providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

sorting, by the disposition system, the mail-deliverable item based on the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item; and

routing, by the disposition system, the mail-deliverable item based on the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

wherein the disposition system comprises a second digital camera;

wherein the disposition system obtains one or more second digital images of the mail-deliverable item from the second digital camera as the mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the sorting system;

wherein the disposition system applies the hash function to the one or more second digital images to translate the one or more second digital images into the second set of image hash values;

wherein the disposition system determines the measured value associated with the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system; and

wherein the measured value is at least one of a measured dimension associated with the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system or a measured weight of the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the storing information linking the unique image dataset to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises linking a serial number to the first mail-deliverable item; and

wherein the providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises providing, to the disposition system, the serial number based on the identifying the mail-deliverable item, wherein the disposition system obtains additional information regarding the first mail-deliverable item based on the serial number.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item includes at least one of:

providing sorting information for the mail-deliverable item;

providing location tracking information for the mail-deliverable item;

updating status information for the mail-deliverable item;

providing rerouting information for the mail-deliverable item; or

updating a service feature for the mail-deliverable item.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a serial number for the first mail-deliverable item, before the storing information linking the unique image dataset to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item.

5 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the portion of the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item conveyed through the identification system that is compared with the measured value is determined using a measuring system or a scale.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises at least one of:

a sender of the first mail-deliverable item;

a recipient of the first mail-deliverable item;

an origin address of the first mail-deliverable item;

a destination address of the first mail-deliverable item;

tracking information of the first mail-deliverable item;

dimensions of the first mail-deliverable item;

a weight of the first mail-deliverable item; or

a transit route of the first mail-deliverable item.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mail-deliverable item does not include a fluorescent ID tag.

8 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations identifying mail-deliverable items conveyed through a sorting system, wherein the sorting system comprises an identification system and a disposition system, the operations comprising:

receiving, by the identification system, information regarding a first mail-deliverable item conveyed through an identification system, the identification system comprising a digital camera;

obtaining, by the identification system, one or more first digital images of the first mail-deliverable item from the digital camera as the first mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the identification system;

generating, by the identification system, a first set of image hash values, wherein the identification system applies a hash function to the one or more first digital images to translate the one or more first digital images into the first set of image hash values;

generating, by the identification system, a unique image dataset for the first mail-deliverable item comprising the first set of image hash values;

storing, by the identification system, information linking the unique image dataset comprising the first set of image hash values to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

receiving, by the identification system and from the disposition system, a request to identify a mail-deliverable item, wherein the request includes a second set of image hash values for the mail-deliverable item and a measured value associated with the mail-deliverable item, wherein the identification system is communicatively coupled to the disposition system through a network;

identifying, by the identification system, the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system as the first mail-deliverable item based on: receiving the request including the second set of image hash values and the measured value, comparing the first set of image hash values with the second set of image hash values to determine if there is a match between at least one image hash value of the first set of image hash values and at least another image hash value of the second set of image hash values, and comparing at least a portion of the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item with the measured value to identify the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system as the first mail-deliverable item; and

providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

sorting, by the disposition system, the mail-deliverable item based on the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item; and

routing, by the disposition system, the mail-deliverable item based on the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

wherein the disposition system comprises a second digital camera;

wherein the disposition system obtains one or more second digital images of the mail-deliverable item from the second digital camera as the mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the sorting system;

wherein the disposition system applies the hash function to the one or more second digital images to translate the one or more second digital images into the second set of image hash values;

wherein the sorting system disposition the measured value associated with the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system; and

wherein the measured value is at least one of a measured dimension associated with the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system or a measured weight of the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the storing information linking the unique image dataset to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises linking a serial number to the first mail-deliverable item; and

wherein the providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item further comprises providing, to the disposition system, the serial number based on the identifying the mail-deliverable item, wherein the disposition system obtains additional information regarding the first mail-deliverable item based on the serial number.

10 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item includes at least one of:

providing sorting information for the mail-deliverable item;

providing location tracking information for the mail-deliverable item;

updating status information for the mail-deliverable item;

providing rerouting information for the mail-deliverable item; or

updating a service feature for the mail-deliverable item.

11 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a serial number for the first mail-deliverable item, before the storing information linking the unique image dataset to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item.

12 . The computer program product of claim 8 ,

wherein the portion of the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item conveyed through the identification system that is compared with the measured value that is received is determined using a measuring system or a scale.

13 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises at least one of:

a sender of the first mail-deliverable item;

a recipient of the first mail-deliverable item;

an origin address of the first mail-deliverable item;

a destination address of the first mail-deliverable item;

tracking information of the first mail-deliverable item;

dimensions of the first mail-deliverable item;

a weight of the first mail-deliverable item; or

a transit route of the first mail-deliverable item.

14 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the mail-deliverable item does not include a fluorescent ID tag.

15 . An identification system comprising:

a digital camera; and

a processor, a computer readable memory, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device, and program instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations identifying mail-deliverable items conveyed through a sorting system, wherein the sorting system comprises the identification system and a disposition system, and wherein the identification system is communicatively coupled to the disposition system through a network, the operations comprising:

receiving, by the identification system, information regarding a first mail-deliverable item conveyed through the identification system;

obtaining, by the identification system, one or more first digital images of the first mail-deliverable item from the digital camera as the first mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the identification system;

generating, by the identification system, a first set of image hash values, wherein the computing device applies a hash function to the one or more first digital images to translate the one or more first digital images into the first set of image hash values;

generating, by the identification system, a unique image dataset for the first mail-deliverable item comprising the first set of image hash values;

storing, by the identification system, information linking the unique image dataset comprising the first set of image hash values to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

receiving, by the identification system and from the disposition system, a request to identify a mail-deliverable item, wherein the request includes a second set of image hash values for the mail-deliverable item and a measured value associated with the mail-deliverable item;

identifying, by the identification system, the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system as the first mail-deliverable item based on: receiving the request including the second set of image hash values and the measured value, comparing the first set of image hash values with the second set of image hash values to determine if there is a match between at least one image hash value of the first set of image hash values and at least another image hash value of the second set of image hash values, and comparing at least a portion of the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item with the measured value to identify the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system as the first mail-deliverable item; and

providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

wherein the disposition system sorts the mail-deliverable item based on the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item; and

wherein the disposition system routes the mail-deliverable item based on the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item;

wherein the disposition system comprises a second digital camera;

wherein the disposition system obtains one or more second digital images of the mail-deliverable item from the second digital camera as the mail-deliverable item is conveyed through the sorting system;

wherein the disposition system applies the hash function to the one or more second digital images to translate the one or more second digital images into the second set of image hash values;

wherein the disposition system determines the measured value associated with the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system; and

wherein the measured value is at least one of a measured dimension associated with the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system or a measured weight of the mail-deliverable item conveyed through the sorting system.

16 . The identification system of claim 15 , wherein the storing information linking the unique image dataset to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises linking a serial number to the first mail-deliverable item; and

wherein the providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item further comprises providing, to the disposition system, the serial number based on the identifying the mail-deliverable item, wherein the disposition system obtains additional information regarding the first mail-deliverable item based on the serial number.

17 . The identification system of claim 15 , wherein providing, by the identification system and to the disposition system, the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item includes at least one of:

providing sorting information for the mail-deliverable item;

providing location tracking information for the mail-deliverable item;

updating status information for the mail-deliverable item;

providing rerouting information for the mail-deliverable item; or

updating a service feature for the mail-deliverable item.

18 . The identification system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a serial number for the first mail-deliverable item, before the storing information linking the unique image dataset to the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item.

19 . The identification system of claim 15 ,

wherein the portion of the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item conveyed through the identification system that is compared with the measured value is determined using a measuring system or a scale.

20 . The identification system of claim 15 , wherein the information regarding the first mail-deliverable item comprises at least one of:

a sender of the first mail-deliverable item;

a recipient of the first mail-deliverable item;

an origin address of the first mail-deliverable item;

a destination address of the first mail-deliverable item;

tracking information of the first mail-deliverable item;

dimensions of the first mail-deliverable item;

a weight of the first mail-deliverable item; or

a transit route of the first mail-deliverable item.