System for remotely resetting postage rate memories

• US 4,138,735 A
• Filed: 01/31/1977
• Issued: 02/06/1979
• 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: Cinque, Gregory M., Allocca, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nusbaum, Mark L.
• Application Number:
  US05/764,054
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/406, 364/567, 340/150, 340/148, 235/151.33, 325/26, 325/311, 343/175, 343/176, 177/25
• US Class Current: 705/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/005 with electric or electronic computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4148 for controlling postal rate in articles to be mailed franking apparatus with means for computing G07B17/02
• 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 2017/00112 Wireless
• 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 simultaneously writing current postage rate charts into remote memories associated with a plurality of postage scale or meter microprocessors incorporates carrier wave transmission of encoded rate charts to the microprocessors. A data block, which includes an encoded receiving station address, the encoded postage rate chart, an encoded incremented rate revision designation and encoded error check characters, is transmitted. Each user'"'"'s scale and/or meter includes a radio receiver, audio to digital conversion circuitry, serial to parallel conversion circuitry, and improper signal rejection circuitry. Optional direct telephone line reception is provided.

Claims

1. A system for simultaneously revising postage rate data carried in a plurality of memories associated with a like plurality of processors adapted to calculate postage charges pursuant to a revisable postage rate structure, the system comprising means for supplying a data block, the data block including an encoded postage rate memory revision data signal, a remote location address signal and a rate revision designation signal, means for modulating a carrier wave with the data block, means for transmitting the modulated carrier wave from a first location, the memories and processors being positioned at a plurality of locations remote from the first location, carrier wave receiving means at each remote location, decoding means connected to each receiving means, the decoding means receiving the data block and in response thereto providing a corresponding data block signal, means disposed at each remote location receiving the data block signal and segregating the address signal from the postage rate data signal and the rate revision designation signal, means at each remote location receiving the address signal and comparing such address signal with a preset address signal and in response to the equality thereof providing a comparison signal, each processor receiving the comparison signal and in response thereto accepting the postage rate data signal, receiving the rate revision designation signal, said processor including means for supplying an incremented rate revision designation signal and for comparing the received designation signal with said incremented rate revision designation signal, and in response to the equality thereof entering the accepted postage rate data signal into each memory for subsequent recall during the postal calculation computations in accordance with the revised postage rate structure.

2. A system constructed in accordance with claim 1 for revising data carried in a remotely located memory associated with a processor wherein the data block further includes a digital receipt check signal, each processor receiving both the postal rate data signal and the check signal, each processor being adapted to verify the accuracy of the entry of the memory revision data with reference to the receipt check signal.

3. A system constructed in accordance with claim 1 for revising data carried in a remotely located memory associated with a processor, the system further including means for transmitting the encoded memory revision data signal over telephone lines to the remote locations.

4. A system constructed in accordance with claim 3 for revising data carried in a remotely located memory associated with a processor, wherein the telephone line transmitted data signal is transmitted at a data bit rate different from the carrier wave transmitted signal data bit rate, the system further including synchronizing means disposed at the remote location and adapted to provide a synchronization signal indicative of the data bit rate associated with each transmission mode.

5. A system for determining postage rate charges as constructed in accordance with claim 1 further including a scale at at least one of the remote locations, the scale including means providing a signal indicative of the weight of an article to be mailed, the processor at the one remote location receiving the weight signal, said processor accessing the revised postage rate data stored in the memory to determine the postage required for transportation of the article.

6. A method for updating postal rate data in a postal calculation system, the system comprising a plurality of postage meters, a like plurality of processors adapted to calculate postage charges each associated with a respective meter, and a plurality of memories each associated with a respective processor, the method comprising the steps of

(a) modulating a carrier wave with revised postage rate data, a processor address signal and an incremented rate revision designation,

(b) transmitting the modulated carrier wave from a first location to the plurality of processors at locations remote from the first location,

(c) demodulating the carrier wave at each remote location to provide the revised postal rate data, a received address signal, and a received rate revision designation,

(d) providing an independent address signal at each remote location,

(e) comparing the received address signal with the independent address signal at each remote location,

(f) generating a rate revision designation at each remote location,

(g) comparing the received rate revision designation and the generated rate revision designation, and

(h) entering the revised postal rate data in each remote memory after verifying the coincidence between the received address signal and the independent address signal, and the coincidence between the received rate revision designation and the generated rate revision designation,

whereby the revised data may be utilized for postage calculations and setting of the respective postal meters at each remote location.

7. A method for simultaneously updating postal rate data as set forth in claim 6, the method comprising the further steps of

(i) modulating the carrier wave with a transmission check signal,

(j) demodulating the carrier wave to provide a received check signal at each remote location,

(k) generating a check signal at each remote location as a function of the revised postal rate data received, and

(l) verifying the error free receipt of the revised postal rate data after determining the coincidence between the generated check signal and the received check signal.

8. A method for simultaneously updating postal rate data as set forth in claim 7 wherein the rate revision designation for a subsequent revision is generated after verification of the error free receipt of the revised postal rate data.

9. A method for updating postal rate data in a postal calculation system, the system comprising a plurality of postage scales, a like plurality of processors adapted to calculate postage charges each associated with a respective scale, and a plurality of memories each associated with a respective processor, the method comprising the steps of

(a) modulating a carrier wave with revised postage rate data, a processor address signal, and an incremented rate revision designation,

(b) transmitting the modulated carrier wave from a first location to the plurality of processors at locations remote from the first location,

(c) demodulating the carrier wave at each remote location to provide the revised postal rate data signal, a received address signal and a received rate revision designation,

(d) providing an independent address signal at each remote location,

(e) comparing the received address signal with the independent address signal at each remote location,

(f) generating a rate revision designation at each remote location,

(g) comparing the received rate revision designation and the generated rate revision designation, and

(h) entering the revised postal rate data in each remote memory after verifying the coincidence between the received address signal and the independent address signal, and the coincidence between the received rate revision designation and the generated rate revision designation,

whereby the revised data may be utilized for postage calculations.

10. A method for updating postal rate data in a postal calculation system, the system comprising a plurality of processors adapted to calculate postage charges and a plurality of memories each associated with a respective processor, the method comprising the steps of

(a) modulating a carrier wave with revised postage rate data, a processor address signal, and a check signal,

(b) transmitting the modulated carrier wave from a first location to the plurality of processors at locations remote from the first location,

(c) demodulating the carrier wave at each remote location to provide the revised postal rate data signal, a received address signal and a received check signal,

(d) providing an independent address signal at each remote location,

(e) comparing the received address signal with the independent address signal at each remote location,

(f) entering the revised postal rate data in each remote memory after verifying the coincidence between the received address signal and the independent address signal,

(g) generating a check signal at each remote location as a function of the revised postal rate data received, and

(h) verifying the error free receipt of the revised postal rate data after determining the coincidence between the generated check signal and the received check signal.