1 / 12

Advanced Package Processing System [APPS] MTAC – August 2004

Advanced Package Processing System [APPS] MTAC – August 2004. Agenda. System Description Deployment Status Bundle Processing Machine Recognition Characteristics Sample Image Review (not in handouts) Federal Register Notice Future Initiatives. APPS Mail Characteristics.

marcie
Download Presentation

Advanced Package Processing System [APPS] MTAC – August 2004

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Advanced Package Processing System [APPS]MTAC – August 2004

  2. Agenda • System Description • Deployment Status • Bundle Processing • Machine Recognition Characteristics • Sample Image Review (not in handouts) • Federal Register Notice • Future Initiatives

  3. APPS Mail Characteristics

  4. APPS Deployment Status • 74 Machines, 70 sites • First Article Test completed May ‘04 • Deployment from Aug ‘04 to Oct ‘05

  5. Bundle Processing on APPS • APPS uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to read both OEL and address block information to sort the mail • Current read rates for OEL bundles is around 80% • Read failures occur due to: • The address block is obscured by opaque strapping material • The address block is obscured by opaque shrink wrap • The OCR fails to correctly decode the OEL

  6. Image Capture Gray Scale Image – 5,807Kb OCR decodes Binary Image Binary Image – 201Kb

  7. Clear Strapping Examples Strap flush with surface Strap spaced away from surface

  8. Federal Register Notice • Recommends placing the address label in one of the four corners of the mailpiece • Where the label WILL be covered - Proposed DMM Changes • Clear strapping (less than 70% haze) • Clear shrinkwrap (less than 70% haze) • An optional bundle label: Includes the OEL, the words “OPTIONAL BUNDLE LABEL”, and the City, State, and ZIP Code

  9. OCR Decoding Challenge APPS OCR Result Mis-segmented Characters, not Identified as “*” “SORT” read as “SORF” Due to touching “*”

  10. Future OEL improvements These are NOT in the proposed DMM changes • Add a bar code to the package and / or OEL label • Use of OCR-friendly fonts for OEL data • Add redundant single-character indication of OEL type • Eliminate dashes ( - ) in OEL, which can appear to touch when printed poorly • Separate fill characters with spaces, to eliminate near-touching

  11. APPS Recommended Address Font • Recommendations same as Flats OCR Optimization • Use 10-12 point font size • Recommended Fonts: Arial Lucida FAX Arial Black Lucida Sans Copperplate OCR-A Courier OCR-B MT Courier New SF Sans Serif Helvetica Tahoma • Avoid narrow type & script fonts

  12. APPS Point of Contact • For questions regarding APPS processing contact: Scott Bombaugh Manager, Material Handling Technology USPS Engineering (703)280-7849

More Related