Assembly for franking postal matter

• US 5,606,508 A
• Filed: 05/19/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH (Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH (Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG)
• Inventors: Thiel, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/445,355
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 177/25.15, 364/464.02, 364/464.03
• US Class Current: 705/410
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• 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 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00362 Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00032 Determining the location of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0012 in a mobile phone system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00177 from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00241 Modular design
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00346 Power handling, e.g. power-down routine
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00379 Calculation of different sending options for a mail piece
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00395 Memory organization
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00403 Memory zones protected from unauthorized reading or writing
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces

Abstract

A system for franking postal matter comprises a control module, a printer module, a memory connected to the control module, a receiving device connected with the memory for receiving data transmitted via transmission device. At least one table of data with information linked to one or more conditions are downloaded from the transmission device. The control module storing the data in predetermined memory regions of the memory when the assembly is put into operation. A current table of data and information is selected from the data with specific functions to be available in the assembly for franking postal matter in dependence on the one or more conditions.

Claims

1. An assembly for franking postal matter, comprising:

a control module and a printer module;

internal memory means having predetermined memory regions connected to said control module, receiving means communicatingly connected with said internal memory means for receiving complete rate tables transmitted via transmission means;

said receiving means including means for downloading at least one table of data from the transmission means, wherein the table of data contains information linked to at least one condition;

said control module having means for storing the at least one table of data received by said receiving means into one of said predetermined memory regions of said internal memory means when the assembly is put into operation;

said control module including further means for selecting from the at least one table of data a suitable table of data satisfying the at least one condition; and

wherein the at least one table of data includes at least one postal rate table;

said downloading and storing means, when the assembly is put into operation, loading the at least one postal rate table from the transmission means, via the receiving means, into one of said predetermined memory regions of said internal memory means; and

said control module having further means for reading, from the table stored in said memory regions of said internal memory means, an applicable postage from the postal rate table.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, including a communication bus connecting said control module to other modules and components, and a battery-powered clock component for supplying the assembly with time and date data via said bus.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, including a communications bus connecting said control module to other modules and components, and a programmable clock component for supplying the assembly with an applicable local time on the basis of a specified location.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means include means for reading a chip card, and wherein the transmission means is a chip card, said chip card having a memory with predetermined memory regions, said predetermined memory regions including at least one region for storing a postal rate table and an associated date defining a date when the postal rate table comes into effect.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein said at least one region is a plurality of regions, each region being provided for at least one postal rate table and an associated date.

6. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined memory regions of said memory of said chip card include memory regions for a postal rate, supplementary function tables and supplementary information to be loaded via said receiving means, and including input means for allowing operator input of information selected from country of origin, place of origin, country and local time.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the data transmitted via the transmission means include postal rate tables being divided into zones, and including input means for inputting a weight of the postal matter, a class of service and a type of mail for each zone of the postal rate tables which can be downloaded into the assembly.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein said input means allow direct manual input by an operator for ascertaining a postage.

9. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein said input means allow automatic input for ascertaining a postage.

10. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein said input means include a scales for weighing the postal matter.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein said scales are in the form of an integrated weighing module.

12. An assembly for franking postal matter, comprising:

a control module and a printer module;

memory means having predetermined memory regions connected to said control module, receiving means communicatingly connected with said memory means for receiving data transmitted via a cellular communications network;

said receiving means including means for downloading at least one table of data from the transmission means, wherein the table of data contains information linked to at least one condition;

said control module having means for storing the at least one table of data received by said receiving means into one of said predetermined memory regions of said memory means when the assembly is put into operation; and

said control module including further means for selecting from the at least one table of data a current table of data and information regarding specific functions to be available in the assembly for franking postal matter as a function of the at least one condition, and including a memory in the cellular communications network having memory segments; and

mobile radio means associated with said receiving means for receiving input from the memory in the cellular communications network of information associated with a geographic origin and with a local time.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein said receiving means includes means for automatically transferring into said memory means the information received from the cellular communications network, when said mobile radio means is turned on.

14. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the memory segments of the memory of the cellular communications network include memory segments for the postal rate, supplementary function tables and supplementary information to be loaded via said receiving means, and including input means for allowing input of information selected from country of origin, place of origin, country and local time, when the assembly is switched on.

15. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein said control module, said printer module, said memory means and said receiving means are incorporated in a portable postage meter.

16. An assembly for franking postal matter, comprising:

a control module and a printer module;

memory means having predetermined memory regions connected to said control module, receiving means communicatingly connected with said memory means for receiving data transmitted via transmission means;

said receiving means including means for downloading at least one table of data from the transmission means, wherein the table of data contains information linked to at least one condition;

said control module having means for storing the at least one table of data received by said receiving means into one of said predetermined memory regions of said memory means when the assembly is put into operation; and

said control module including further means for selecting from the at least one table of data a current table of data and information regarding specific functions to be available in the assembly for franking postal matter as a function of the at least one condition, wherein the transmission means include stored data regarding supplementary functions to be downloaded which are valid for only a limited period of time and only for a predetermined geographic location from a previously determined date onward, some of the supplementary functions being freely selectable and some being not manipulatable for security purposes.

17. A method of franking postal matter with an assembly for franking postal matter, wherein the assembly comprises a control module and a printer module;

memory means having predetermined memory regions connected to the control module, receiving means communicatingly connected with the memory means for receiving data transmitted via transmission means;

the method which comprises;

downloading, with the receiving means, at least one table of data from the transmission means, and linking information contained in the table of data to at least one condition;

putting the assembly into operation and immediately storing, with the control module, the at least one table of data received by the receiving means into one of the predetermined memory regions of the memory means; and

subsequently selecting, with the control module, from the at least one table of data a current table of data and information regarding specific functions to be available in the assembly for franking postal matter as a function of the at least one condition.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the receiving means include means for reading a chip card and the transmission means is a chip card, and wherein the method further comprises inserting a chip card into the chip card reading means for downloading with the receiving means, and removing the chip card prior to franking postal matter with the assembly.

19. An assembly for franking postal matter, comprising:

a control module and a printer module;

memory means having predetermined memory regions connected to said control module, receiving means communicatingly connected with said memory means for receiving data transmitted via transmission means;

said receiving means including means for downloading at least one table of data from the transmission means, wherein the table of data contains information linked to at least one condition;

said control module having means for storing the at least one table of data received by said receiving means into one of said predetermined memory regions of said memory means when the assembly is put into operation;

said control module including further means for selecting from the at least one table of data a current table of data and information regarding specific functions to be available in the assembly for franking postal matter as a function of the at least one condition;

a communication bus connecting said control module to other modules and components, and a battery-powered clock component for supplying the assembly with time and date data via said bus;

said transmission means including stored data regarding supplementary functions to be downloaded which are valid for only a limited period of time and only for a predetermined geographic location from a previously determined date onward, some of the supplementary functions being freely selectable and some being not manipulatable for security purposes.