Optically readable mail system with general and receiver specific information

• US 5,018,072 A
• Filed: 03/13/1990
• Issued: 05/21/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sato, Manabu, Mizumura, Takeshi, Ibamoto, Masahiko, Morooka, Yasuo, Koyanagi, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruggiero, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/492,225
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 364/478, 364/464.02, 364/464.03, 235/375, 235/432, 360/2, 360/55, 360/137, 369/14, 369/64, 434/311-313
• US Class Current: 700/227
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 1/00 Measures preceding sorting according to destination

Abstract

A mail system includes a selector selectively composing character information, image information and/or audio information; a printer printing the composite information as optically readable bit information in a plurality of recording mediums; a first storage device storing specific information for specifying the receivers of said recording media; a second storage device storing the required items of said receivers; a third storage area storing the information related to the required items of said receivers; a selector selecting information corresponding to the required items of said receivers from the information related to the required items of said receivers; a recorder recording the selected information corresponding to the required items of said receivers as optically readable bit information in at least one of said recording media; and a recorder recording the specific information specifying said receivers in at least one of said recording media.

Claims

1. A mail system comprising:

a composer selectively composing at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a printer printing the composite information as optically readable bit information on a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing information identifying items required by said receiver;

a third memory area storing information related to the identified required items of said receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to said identified required items of said receiver from said third memory area;

a recorder recording said selected information corresponding to the required items of said receiver as optically readable bit information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording said specific information specifying said receiver on said at least one of said recording elements.

2. The mail system of claim 1, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.

3. The mail system of claim 1, wherein said printer includes:

a converter converting plural composite information into bit information;

a third recorder recording said bit information on a printing medium; and

means for adjusting printing density to provide a desired density of bit information on said printing medium.

4. The mail system of claim 1, wherein said recorder records the bit information of the information to be recorded at a pitch different from a printing interval of bit information which has previously been printed on the recording element.

5. The mail system of claim 1, wherein said printer comprises means for editing a discriminatable image with a set of bit information before printing.

6. A mail system comprising:

a composer composing a composite information including at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a printer printing said composite information as optically readable bit information on a plurality of recording elements;

means for storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a first memory area storing information identifying the items required by said at least one receiver;

means for varying the items required by said at least one receiver;

a second memory area storing information related to the identified items required by said at least one receiver;

means for selecting information from said second memory area;

a first recorder recording the selected information as optically readable bit information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording said specific information specifying said receiver on said at least one of said recording elements.

7. The mail system of claim 6, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.

8. The mail system of claim 6, wherein said printer comprises:

a converter converting plural composite information into bit information;

a third recorder recording said bit information on a printing medium; and

means for adjusting printing density to provide a desired density of bit information on said printing medium.

9. The mail system of claim 6, wherein said first recorder records the bit information of the information to be recorded at a pitch different from a printing interval of bit information which has previously been printed on the recording element.

10. The mail system of claim 6, wherein said printer comprises means for editing a discriminatable image with a set of bit information before printing.

11. A mail system comprising:

a composer composing a composite information including at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a printer printing said composite information as optically readable bit information on a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing information identifying the items required by said at least one receiver;

a third memory area storing information related to the identified required items of said at least one receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to the identified required items from said third memory area;

a first recorder recording both said selected information and at least a portion of said specific information as optically readable bit information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording a portion of said specific information as visibly recognizable information on said at least one of said recording elements.

12. The mail system of claim 11, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.

13. The mail system of claim 11, wherein said printer comprises;

a converter converting plural composite information into bit information;

a second recorder recording said bit information on a printing medium; and

means for adjusting printing density to provide a desired density of bit information on said printing medium.

14. The mail system of claim 11, wherein said first recorder records the bit information of the information to be recorded at a pitch different from a printing interval of bit information which has previously been printed on the recording element.

15. The mail system of claim 11, wherein said printer comprises means for editing a discriminatable image with a set of bit information before it prints.

16. A mail system comprising:

data memory storing at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a composer selectively composing composite information from the information stored in said data memory;

a printer printing the composite information on a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing items required by said at least one receiver;

a third memory area storing information related to the required items of said at least one receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to the required items for said at least one receiver from the information stored in said data memory;

a first recorder recording said selected information corresponding to the required items of said at least one receiver on at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording the specific information on said at least one of said recording elements.

17. The mail system of claim 16, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording medium element.

18. A mail system comprising:

a data memory storing at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a composer composing composite information from the information stored in said data memory;

a printer printing the composite information in a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing information identifying items required by said at least one receiver;

means for varying the required items of said at least one receiver;

a third memory area storing information related to the required items of said at least one receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to the required items of said at least one receiver from the information stored in said data memory;

a first recorder recording the selected information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording the specific information on said at least one of said recording elements.

19. The mail system of claim 18, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.

20. A mail system comprising:

a data memory storing at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a composer composing composite information from the information stored in said data memory;

a printer printing the composite information as optically readable bit information on a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing items required by said at least one receiver;

a third memory area storing information related to the required items of said at least one receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to the required items of said at least one receiver from the information stored in said data memory;

a first recorder recording the selected information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording the specific information on said at least one of said recording elements.

21. The mail system of claim 20, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.

22. The mail system of claim 20, wherein said printer comprises:

a converter converting plural composite information into bit information;

a third recorder recording said bit information on a printing medium; and

means adjusting printing density to provide a desired density of bit information on said printing medium.

23. The mail system of claim 20, wherein said first recorder records the bit information of the information to be recorded at a pitch different from a printing interval of the bit information which has already been printed on the recording element.

24. The mail system of claim 20, wherein said printer comprises means for editing a discriminatable image with a set of bit information before it prints.

25. A mail system comprising:

a data memory storing at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

a composer composing composite information from the information stored in said data memory;

a printer printing the composite information as optically readable bit information on a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing items required by said at least one receiver;

a third memory area storing information related to the required items of said at least one receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to the required items of said at least one receiver from the information stored in said data memory;

a first recorder recording both the selected information and at least a portion of the specific information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording a second portion of said specific information as visibly recognizable information on at least one of said recording elements.

26. The mail system of claim 25, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.

27. The mail system of claim 25, wherein said printer comprises:

a converter converting plural composite information into bit information;

a third recorder recording said bit information on a printing medium; and

means for adjusting printing density to provide a desired density of said bit information on said printing medium.

28. The mail system of claim 25, wherein said first recorder records the bit information of the information to be recorded at a pitch different from a printing interval of the bit information which has previously been printed in the recording medium.

29. The mail system of claim 25, wherein said printer comprises means for editing a discriminatable image with a set of bit information before it prints.

30. A mail system comprising:

a data memory storing at least one of character information, image information and audio information;

means for inputting at least one of said character information, image information and audio information;

a composer composing composite information from the information stored in said data memory and the information inputted from said means for inputting;

a first printer printing the composite information on a plurality of recording elements;

a first memory area storing specific information for specifying at least one receiver of at least one of said recording elements;

a second memory area storing items required by said at least one receiver;

a third memory area for storing information related to the required items of said at least one receiver;

a selector selecting information corresponding to the required items of said at least one receiver from the information stored in said data memory;

a first recorder recording the selected information on said at least one of said recording elements; and

a second recorder recording the specific information on said at least one of said recording elements.

31. The mail system of claim 30, wherein said composer edits and composes the character information and the image information so that they may be simultaneously displayed when they are displayed and reproduced by a recording element player.