| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus are provided for custom sorting, outsorting and remapping mail items by utilizing a processor to compare postal codes read from incoming mail items, M characters at a time, with entries in a stored listing of entries, taking a first action if no match is found for an incoming entry and taking a second action if a match is found for the entry. Appropriate actions may include sending an entry unaltered to a sort processor or sending a directed value to the sort processor which may result in a remapping or outsorting of the mail item. A count may also be stored with each entry in the table, which count can be incremented or decremented when there is a match on such entry, and this count may be used to selectively control the sorting operation. Finally, the entries stored in the list may be converted to ordered entries and then stored as a digital tree, incoming entries also being converted to ordered entries on a character-by-character basis as received, and the entries in the tree being matched on, M characters at a time, as received. At least selected nodes of the tree contain output information so that the search may be terminated after any input character while still obtaining useful output information.
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