Patent attributes
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a system and methodology for sorting and/or distributing items and articles being shipped to a receiving party through private and/or commercial delivery systems. Various characteristics of an article being shipped are obtained and assembled in a database. In an exemplary embodiment, the descriptive characteristics of the article are acquired at a first site and the processing and desired disposition of the article is determined at a second site which is physically separate from the first site. The descriptive characteristics of the article being shipped are displayed at the second site and are sufficient to identify the article to a processing individual located at the second site. The processing individual is then enabled to indicate a desired disposal of the article from the second site without being exposed to the physical article located at the first site. In an exemplary embodiment, the descriptive characteristics of the article may include one or more images of the article along with various other descriptive physical characteristics of the article such as the size and weight of the article. In one example, the processing individual is enabled to authorize the opening of an article in which case, descriptive characteristics of the contents of the article are acquired at the first site and displayed to the processing individual at the second site for use in determining an appropriate disposition of the article.
