Fee calculating apparatus for calculating delivery fee of parcel in accordance with its weight, length, and delivery area

• US 5,121,328 A
• Filed: 01/12/1990
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Tutomu, Tsuzuki, Hanzou, Sakai, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US07/464,413
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 33/712, 177/4, 177/25.15, 364/464.02, 364/464.03
• US Class Current: 705/407
• 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: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0037 Calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00685 Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces

Abstract

In a fee calculating apparatus for calculating a delivery fee, when weight data obtained by measurement in a weight measuring section such as an electronic scale, length data obtained by measurement in a length measuring section such as an automatic measure, and area data input by area data input means are all supplied to the calculating means, a delivery fee is calculated from the data by the calculating means in accordance with fee tables such as a parcel rank conversion table and a fee conversion table.

Claims

1. A fee calculating apparatus for calculating a delivery fee of a parcel in accordance with weight, length, and delivery area of the parcel, comprising:

a weight measuring section for measuring the weight of the parcel;

a length measuring section for measuring the length of the parcel;

area data input means for inputting area data representing the delivery area of the parcel;

a fee table for storing delivery fees corresponding to weight, lengths, and areas; and

calculating means for, when weight data obtained by measurement in said weight measuring section, length data obtained by measurement in said length measuring section, and the area data input by said area input means are all received, obtaining the delivery fee from said fee table by using the received data;

wherein said fee table comprises a parcel rank conversion table and a fee conversion table, parcel ranks corresponding to weight and length combinations being pre-stored in said parcel rank conversion table, and delivery fees corresponding to combinations of said parcel ranks and said delivery areas being pre-stored in said fee conversion table; and

wherein said calculating means obtains from said parcel rank conversion table one of said parcel ranks on the basis of the weight and length data for said parcel from said weight and length measuring sections, and obtains from said fee conversion table one of said delivery fees in accordance with said one parcel rank and the area input from said area input means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing three types of length data, and operating means for, when the three types of memory means data are respectively set in said length, obtaining the size of said parcel by calculating the sum of the three types of length data.

3. A fee calculating apparatus for calculating the delivery fee of a parcel in accordance with the weight, length and delivery area of the parcel, comprising:

a weighing device having a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of a parcel and a wireless transmitting means for transmitting weight data obtained by the weighing device;

an electronic device including a weight data receiving means for receiving the weight data transmitted by said wireless transmitting means;

an area data input means for inputting area data representing a delivery area of the parcel;

a fee table for storing delivery fees corresponding to weights, lengths and delivery areas; and

a calculating means for, when the weight data received by said receiving means, length data obtained by measurement in a length measuring section and area data input from said area input means are all received, obtaining a delivery fee from said fee table by using the received data;

wherein said fee table comprises a parcel rank conversion table and a fee conversion table, parcel ranks corresponding to weight and length combinations being pre-stored in said parcel rank conversion table, and delivery fees corresponding to combinations of said parcel ranks and said delivery areas being pre-stored in said fee conversion table; and

wherein said calculating means obtains from said parcel rank conversion table one of said parcel ranks on the basis of the weight and length data for said parcel from said weight and length measuring sections, and obtains from said fee conversion table one of said delivery fees in accordance with said one parcel rank and the area data input from said area input means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said weight measuring instrument further comprises transmitting means for transmitting weight data obtained by measurement a plurality of times, and said comprises discriminating means for discriminating the average of the weight data received the plurality of times.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said electronic device further comprises length registers for storing three types of length data, and operating means for, when the three types of length data are respectively set in said length registers, obtaining the size of the parcel by calculating the sum of the three types of length data.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said weight measuring instrument has a parcel sensor means for detecting that the parcel is placed thereon, so as to apply a power supply voltage upon detection of the parcel.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said weight measuring instrument comprises disconnecting means for disconnecting the supply of power from a power supply after the weight data is transmitted.