Method and apparatus for delivering mail items to non-postal route locations

Abstract

A data structure for storing non-postal route data records for access by a sortation program including a non-postal route data table containing a plurality of non-postal route data sets; a destination data table containing a plurality of destination data sets corresponding to the one or more non-postal route data sets, each non-postal route data set having a link to the corresponding destination data sets of said destination data table. Each destination data set includes a sequence designation indicating an order of delivery of materials between the plurality of destinations. A delivery point data table containing one or more delivery point data sets corresponds to each destination data set, each destination data set having a link to the corresponding delivery point data set of said delivery point data table.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer readable medium containing a data structure for storing non-postal route data records for access by a sortation program comprising: 
 a non-postal route data table containing a plurality of non-postal route data sets;    a destination data table containing a plurality of destination data sets corresponding to the one or more non-postal route data sets, each non-postal route data set having a link to the corresponding destination data sets of said destination data table, each destination data set including a sequence designation indicating an order of delivery of materials between the plurality of destinations; and    a delivery point data table containing one or more delivery point data sets corresponding to each destination data set, each destination data set having a link to the corresponding delivery point data set of said delivery point data table.    
     
     
         2 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  wherein each delivery point data set includes delivery point sequence data that indicates an order of delivery of materials between multiple delivery points.  
     
     
         3 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2  wherein each delivery point data set includes all delivery points within a destination of the corresponding destination data set and the delivery point sequence data includes sequence designations corresponding to each delivery point.  
     
     
         4 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2  wherein each delivery point data set includes a range of delivery points and the delivery point sequence data includes a sequence designation corresponding to the range of delivery points.  
     
     
         5 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  wherein each destination data set includes a destination address.  
     
     
         6 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5  wherein each destination data set includes a shipping address.  
     
     
         7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5  wherein the shipping address is different from the destination address.  
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5  wherein each destination data set includes the name of the destination.  
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5  wherein each destination data set includes an alias for the destination.  
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the non-postal route data sets include identification data comprising the name and address of the non-postal route location.  
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the non-postal route data sets include a nickname for the non-postal route location.  
     
     
         12 . A data processing system for executing an extraction program for extracting non-postal route mail records from among a plurality of input mail records, said data processing system comprising: 
 a processor for processing said extraction program; and    a medium readable by said processor for storing a data structure for access by said extraction program, said data structure including: 
 a non-postal route data table containing a plurality of non-postal route data sets;  
 a destination data table containing a plurality of destination data sets corresponding to the one or more non-postal route data sets, each non-postal route data set having a link to the corresponding destination data sets of said destination data table, each destination data set including a sequence designation indicating an order of delivery of materials between the plurality of destinations; and  
 a delivery point data table containing one or more delivery point data sets corresponding to each destination data set, each destination data set having a link to the corresponding delivery point data sets of said delivery point data table.