Patent ID: 8370165

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for providing an alternative delivery point code, the method comprising: receiving delivery data corresponding to a delivery point; determining, via a processor, whether to create a normal delivery code or the alternative delivery point code based on whether a plurality of possible delivery locations exist at the delivery point, wherein a plurality of possible delivery locations are shown to exist at the delivery point when the delivery data includes a secondary element that specifies a particular location at the delivery point; creating, via the processor, the normal delivery point code when the delivery data does not include the secondary element, wherein the normal delivery point code is used to sequence delivery to a location among different delivery locations; creating, via the processor, the alternative delivery point code when the delivery data includes the secondary element, wherein the alternate delivery point code contains the same number of digits as the normal delivery point code, wherein the alternate delivery code distinguishes the particular location at the delivery point from the plurality of possible delivery locations at the delivery point, wherein the alternate delivery point code is used to sequence delivery to the particular location at the delivery point from among the plurality of possible delivery locations at the delivery point, and wherein the creating comprises: calculating, based on the secondary element, one of a random number or a pseudo-random number and setting at least one digit of the alternative delivery point code to the calculated number, wherein creating the random number comprises calculating a value S and determining a remainder corresponding to the value S divided by a random prime number; and when the secondary element contains alphanumeric data, converting the alphanumeric data to numeric data; and affixing the alternate delivery point code onto a mail item for use in sequencing delivery of the mail item, including sequencing between the plurality of possible delivery locations at the delivery point.