System for updating postal rate information utilized by remote mail processing apparatus

• US 4,122,532 A
• Filed: 01/31/1977
• Issued: 10/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Dlugos, Daniel F., Manduley, Flavio M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nusbaum, Mark E.
• Application Number:
  US05/763,998
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/567, 364/406, 364/409, 340/150, 340/148, 235/151.33, 343/175, 177/25, 177/5, 179/2 C, 325/26, 325/66, 325/311
• US Class Current: 705/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/0008 Communication details outside or between apparatus coin-freed apparatus for franking per se G07F17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00096 via phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00161 from a central, non-user location, e.g. for updating rates or software, or for refilling funds
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00395 Memory organization

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A system for replacing obsolete postal rate data with revised postal rate data carried in a mail processing apparatus adapted to calculate postage charges, said system comprising:

(a) central data processing means adapted to generate revised postal rate data in binary format;

(b) encoder means comprising a modem receiving the revised postal rate data in binary format and being adapted to convert such revised postal rate data into tone signals;

(c) means receiving the tone signals and adapted to transmit the tone signals from the encoder to the mail processing apparatus, the transmitting means comprising telephone lines;

(d) decoder means comprising a modem receiving the telephone line transmitted tone signals and adapted to translate said tone signals back into revised postal rate data in binary format;

(e) the mail processing apparatus including a memory and a data processor, the memory being adapted for sequentially storing postal rate data at a plurality of storage locations, the data processor accessing the postal rate data stored in the memory for the purpose of calculation of postage charges;

(f) the remote mail processing apparatus further including a programming transfer controller, the controller interconnecting the decoder means and the memory, the controller receiving the revised postal rate data in binary format from the decoder means and being adapted to;

(1) sequentially address storage locations in the memory,

(2) erase the data from the addressed storage location, and

(3) load revised postal rate data into each sequentially addressed location; and

(g) means to prevent the data processor from accessing the memory when the controller receives the revised postal rate data and for permitting the data processor to access the memory after the revised postal rate data has been loaded into the memory.

2. A system for revising postal rate data constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the memory comprises an electrically programmable erasable read only memory.

3. A system for revising postal rate data constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a random access memory.