Interpretation of handwritten addresses in US mailstream

Determining the delivery location for mail pieces based on handwritten addresses is a problem that trained humans can normally solve. As a problem in machine reading and interpretation, it presents many challenges. A method for determining the delivery point codes (DPCs) for handwritten addresses by computer is described. Solution to the task requires locating and recognizing address components (e.g., ZIP Code, street number, P.O. box number) and using multiple information sources to assign the DPC to an address. The methodology uses diverse pattern recognition techniques, image processing algorithms (thresholding, underline removal, separation of lines, location and recognition of address components), and access to United States Postal Service (USPS) databases to determine the DPC. >