Compression of data attributes
Systems and techniques for compressing shipping data are provided. Origin/destination location code pairs are arranged, compressed, and de-duplicated to provide data files that can be processed and updated efficiently regardless of the number of location codes used or updated.
1. A method comprising steps performed by at least one processor:
obtaining an initial set of origin/destination shipping location code pairs, each pair comprising an origin code indicating a geographic origin location from which a mailpiece can be shipped and a destination code indicating a geographic destination location to which a mailpiece can be delivered;
generating an ordered list of the origin/destination shipping location code pairs based upon the origin code for each pair;
based upon the ordered list, generating a translation code array that maps shipping location codes to smaller translation codes;
identifying one or more break points in the ordered list at which attributes for consecutively-ordered origin/destination shipping location code pairs change;
based upon the one or more break points and each origin shipping location code in the ordered list, generating one or more destination code arrays of destination shipping location codes and associated attributes, wherein each destination shipping location code in each destination code array is a first destination shipping location code occurring after one of the one or more break points and is represented by an associated translation code;
generating an origin code array that maps each origin shipping location code to an associated destination code array;
modifying the origin code array so that origin shipping location codes that have common origin/destination attributes map to a common destination code array; and
providing the translation code array, the origin code array, and the one or more destination code arrays to a shipping selection system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shipping selection system is configured to use the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array to identify and provide shipping options to a shipper in response to a request to ship a mailpiece.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
compressing the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array prior to providing them to the shipping selection system.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array is provided in the form of a binary array.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each shipping location code corresponds to a U.S. ZIP code.
6. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
obtain an initial set of origin/destination shipping location code pairs, each pair comprising an origin code indicating a geographic origin location from which a mailpiece can be shipped and a destination code indicating a geographic destination location to which a mailpiece can be delivered;
generate an ordered list of the origin/destination shipping location code pairs based upon the origin code for each pair;
based upon the ordered list, generate a translation code array that maps shipping location codes to smaller translation codes;
identify one or more break points in the ordered list at which attributes for consecutively-ordered origin/destination shipping location code pairs change;
based upon the one or more break points and each origin shipping location code in the ordered list, generate one or more destination code arrays of destination shipping location codes and associated attributes, wherein each destination shipping location code in each destination code array is a first destination shipping location code occurring after one of the one or more break points and is represented by an associated translation code;
generate an origin code array that maps each origin shipping location code to an associated destination code array; and
modify the origin code array so that origin shipping location codes that have common origin/destination attributes map to a common destination code array; and
a computerized communications interface configured to provide the translation code array, the origin code array, and the one or more destination code arrays to a shipping selection system.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the shipping selection system is configured to use the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array to identify and provide shipping options to a shipper in response to a request to ship a mailpiece.
8. The system of claim 6 , said processor further configured to compress the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array prior to providing them to the shipping selection system.
9. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array is provided in the form of a binary array.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein each shipping location code corresponds to a U.S. ZIP code.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:
obtaining an initial set of origin/destination shipping location code pairs, each pair comprising an origin code indicating a geographic origin location from which a mailpiece can be shipped and a destination code indicating a geographic destination location to which a mailpiece can be delivered;
generating an ordered list of the origin/destination shipping location code pairs based upon the origin code for each pair;
based upon the ordered list, generating a translation code array that maps shipping location codes to smaller translation codes;
identifying one or more break points in the ordered list at which attributes for consecutively-ordered origin/destination shipping location code pairs change;
based upon the one or more break points and each origin shipping location code in the ordered list, generating one or more destination code arrays of destination shipping location codes and associated attributes, wherein each destination shipping location code in each destination code array is a first destination shipping location code occurring after one of the one or more break points and is represented by an associated translation code;
generating an origin code array that maps each origin shipping location code to an associated destination code array;
modifying the origin code array so that origin shipping location codes that have common origin/destination attributes map to a common destination code array; and
providing the translation code array, the origin code array, and the one or more destination code arrays to a shipping selection system.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the shipping selection system is configured to use the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array to identify and provide shipping options to a shipper in response to a request to ship a mailpiece.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , the method further comprising:
compressing the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array prior to providing them to the shipping selection system.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the translation code array, the one or more destination code arrays, and the origin code array is provided in the form of a binary array.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein each shipping location code corresponds to a U.S. ZIP code.