Patent ID: 8442266

Claim:
A device for identifying mail items, comprising: a memory for storing mail-item information of a mail item and characteristic image features of the mail item, the characteristic image features being data obtained from brightness patterns or color patterns of the mail item, from geometric parameters of imprints such as length or shape or reciprocal arrangement or such like with which the mail item can be characterized; means for applying an identification code to the mail item; and a control unit configured for: storing characteristic image features and mail-item information of mail items of a plurality of mail items recorded in an earlier identification pass; selecting identification codes for the mail items including selecting the identification code of a mail item based on a discrimination ability of the characteristic image features of the mail item, storing the identification codes assigned to the characteristic image features of the mail items and applying the identification codes to the mail items; comparing characteristic image features of one of the mail items recorded in a later identification pass with the stored characteristic image features with additionally comparing an identification code of the mail item recorded in the later identification pass with the stored identification codes identifying the mail item; and associating a stored mail-item information relating to the mail item identified by the comparing and the additional comparing.