Importance

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Abstract

A manually-written, machine-readable code system employs the application of indicia to an article, such as a mail envelope or package, having a number of rows/columns of blank spaces in a predetermined code field which are manually marked or darkened corresponding to a destination or identifying code for the article. The indicia may have been applied previously, as in the form of a preprinted envelope. The darkened spaces are machine-readable and convertible to a numeric code that can be used by an automated machinery to generate appropriate control signals for controlling its functions. The system is particularly applicable for automated sorting of mail according to postal area (Zip) codes. The indicia is readily applied to an envelope by preprinting or by using a rubber stamp or an adhesive label. The indicia can include a predetermined indicia-identifying bar code which is recognized by the mail sorting machinery in its normal bar-code-recognizing mode, and causes the machinery to switch to manually-written code recognition and conversion. The system can be used for recognition and conversion of postal area codes in different countries and/or for sorting mail intended for other countries, and may also be applied to other fields, such as, for account number codes, credit card account codes, or document, user, or product identification codes.

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First Claim