Address reading / VCS

Image acquisition 

SOLYSTIC has designed a high-resolution acquisition system called COPERNIC™, which captures the images of letters, flats or parcels in multi-grey levels (MGL) and in colour. For each of them, several binary images are also generated. All these images (binary, MGL and coloured) are then all sent to the address recognition unit. At the same time, a MGL and a colour image are sent to the image server so that, if necessary, they can be transmitted to the video coding consoles. 

Letters, flats, parcels.

Handwritten or typed addresses.

Horizontal, vertical, upside down or skewed addresses' position.

White or coloured backgrounds.

The VCS system is made up of an image server, an ID-Tag server and a series of coding stations.

• Real-time: coding takes place in real-time via a console on which the envelope’s image is displayed. The operator types in the missing data while the letter remains in the machine.
• Differed mode: this requires the use of an identifying mark. This identifier can be a bar code (ID-tag) or a virtual mark (V-Id™). It provides access to a file containing the sorting information (coding image and approval). This system controls the flow of mail to coding operators with no time constraint.

The ID-tag can also be printed on every letter and used as a means of identification, whether processing is in real-time or deferred mode.

Work station ergonomics.

Processing in real-time - Processing in differed mode.

Easy-to-use graphic interface.

Interaction with OCR.

An extremely open system.

 The OCR can seek help from the VCS when it cannot decide between several address reading interpretations. The image of the mail piece will be sent to a console and the keyer will be required just to answer the questions which stop the automatic recognition process: confirmation of the hypotheses, street number input, partial input of the street, etc. Coding output is 30% higher than with standard processing and requires far less operator skill.

The VCS system does its utmost to make work easier and increase productivity: 

• work station ergonomics.

• allocation of short, repetitive tasks.

• possible relocation of video coding stations (coding rooms or even at home).

• video coding in colour.