摘要:
This invention prevents the accounting unit of a postage meter from deducting funds when a mailpiece has been removed. The foregoing is achieved by giving the postage meter the intelligence to stop printing the postal indicia and deducting the value of the postal indicia just before the indicia is printed. This would eliminate the loss of funds due to problems between trip command and actual indicia printing. The apparatus of this invention utilizes a sensor to detect the presence of a mailpiece at a printing position and a detector to determine the location of the indicia printing plate or the time that an ink jet printer is going to print so that the system will be able to prevent the printing of a postal indicia and deducting the value of the postal indicia just before the indicia is printed.
摘要:
The method and apparatus for verifying that the correct postage has been paid includes a mail processing machine which is adapted to receive properly oriented mail via a transport from a racer apparatus. The mail processing machine includes a scale for weighing a mailpiece having postage affixed thereto for the purpose of cancelling it with a mark which includes the actual postage which should be affixed. In a further embodiment other information necessary to calculate the necessary postage is obtained by reading the information from the mailpiece. Any discrepancies between the postage affixed and the amount of postage which should actually be paid may be noted at acceptance or seen by the carrier as the mail is delivered. A batch of mail may be sampled to select representative mailpieces in a random manner and verified to compare the calculated total of postage required based on the sample to the postal amount paid for the batch by the sender.
摘要:
A system for monitoring the integrity of mail pieces passing through multiple stages of a mail delivery system. A database is created when the mail piece enters the system that includes its initial weight and destination address. The mail piece is tracked through each of the delivery stages, where its weight and destination address are determined and compared with the initial values. Any discrepancy causes an alarm in the system.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for the delivery of replacement units, particularly suited for the delivery of replacement electronic components such as Programmable Read-Only Memories (PROM's) mounted on printed circuit boards. The apparatus includes a box-like housing divided into upper and lower regions by a partition. U-shaped track guides containing flexible linkages are fixed to the inner walls of the housing and extend between the upper and lower regions. Each region is accessible through a door which when closed may only be opened by from inside the housing. To deliver a replacement unit the replacement unit is inserted into the track guides in the lower region and the lower door is closed. The housing is then wrapped, with the upper door open, with shrinkable plastic, or other suitable material. A customer's address and any necessary mailing permits are fixed to the wrapping and the whole is mailed to the customer. When the customer receives the mailed apparatus he removes the wrapper and inserts the replaced unit into the track guides in the upper region. As the replaced unit is inserted the flexible linkages force the replacement unit forward through the lower door so the customer may remove it. Since a return address and necessary mail permits are fixed to the outside of the housing the customer need only then close the doors and deposit the housing in the mail.
摘要:
A system for replacing obsolete postal rate data with new data used by a remote mail processing apparatus comprises a central data processor for generating the new data. An encoder translates the new data into electronic tone signals which are transmitted to the remote apparatus by, for example, telephone transmission lines. The electronic tone signals are translated back into new data by a decoder. A memory incorporated in the remote apparatus is equipped to store obsolete or new data at a plurality of storage locations and a programming transfer controller, which interconnects the decoder and memory, sequentially addresses each of the locations storing obsolete data, erases the obsolete data, and loads new data into the addressed location.
摘要:
A delayed latch strobe generator for a display on a monitor used to service digital logic systems wherein time-based or event-based latch strobes are generated. A device on the monitor can be pre-set by a user to select the interval between the system latch strobe and the delayed latch strobe. When the normal latch strobe occurs, a binary counter is enabled. This counter is then incremented by system clock pulses. An exclusive-NOR comparator continually compares the counter contents with the setting of the user-controlled device. A match, which indicates the interval has elapsed, results in the generation of a delayed latch strobe which is applied to the display.
摘要:
A library of simulated-diffraction signals for an integrated circuit periodic grating is generated by generating sets of intermediate layer data. Each set of intermediate layer data corresponding to a separate one of plurality of hypothetical layers of a hypothetical profile of the periodic grating. Each separate hypothetical layer has one of a plurality of possible combinations of hypothetical values of properties for that hypothetical layer. The generated sets of intermediate layer data are stored. Simulated-diffraction signals for each of a plurality of hypothetical profiles are generated based on the stored generated sets of intermediate layer data.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for printing information, such as postal indicia and other information, on a medium. The system is implemented by detecting a type of medium and entering a printing mode as a function of the type of medium detected. The printing mode is either an envelope printing mode or a tape/label printing mode. When in the envelope printing mode, a print module is positioned at a first position, and prints postal indicia data on a first area of the envelope. The print module is then positioned at a second position. Additional data is obtained and the additional data is printed on a second area of the envelope. The print module is then positioned at a third position and recipient address data is obtained and printed on a third area of the envelope. The print module is positioned at a fourth position, and sender address information is obtained and printed on a fourth area of the envelope.
摘要:
A method is provided for activating an optional feature in a data processing device that includes a microprocessor and memory. The method includes storing in the memory: a number of applications programs, at least one of which has at least one optional feature; application manager software for controlling access to the application programs; a communications software module, accessed by means of the application manager, for controlling data communication by the device; and a program activation software module, accessed by means of the application manager and including activation data that indicates whether each optional feature is activated or unactivated. The method also includes receiving a request to operate one of the optional features, determining by reference to the activation data whether the feature is activated or unactivated, operating the feature if it is activated and otherwise preventing operation of the feature. The method further includes receiving a request to activate the feature (if unactivated) and updating the activation data to indicate that the feature has been activated.
摘要:
A system for producing mail pieces. The system includes a plurality of apparatus each having a first printer for printing documents and a second printer for printing envelopes and a mail finishing unit for receiving the printed documents from the first printer and the envelopes printed with corresponding addresses from the second printer and inserting the documents into the envelope to form and frank a mail piece, and a plurality of user input stations. The apparatus operates under the control of a single stream of job data from a mail center controller, where the job data includes a job header defining default mail piece attributes and mail piece records which include document data and address data, and which may include specific mail piece attribute data for each corresponding mail piece. The apparatus control mechanism partitions the data stream and controls the first printer to print the documents while controlling the second printer to separately print the envelopes which are moved along a separate path to an insert station where the mail piece is formed. The system also includes data stores of postal rates and of per item weights of items of materials used to form mail pieces which are used to calculate postage values for mail pieces.