Dynamic motion control system and method for transferring documents

• US 5,724,791 A
• Filed: 03/14/1995
• Issued: 03/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DST Output West LLC
• Original Assignee: United States Computer Services
• Inventors: Kuruppath, Remesh, Pishny, Jeff M., Mulkey, Steven L., Fagan, Marc J., Emigh, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Application Number:
  US08/403,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 53/501, 53/500, 53/55, 53/52, 53/495, 53/493, 53/460, 53/569, 53/206, 53/284.3, 53/247, 53/237, 53/154, 53/540, 53/411, 53/131.4, 53/131.2
• US Class Current: 53/501
• CPC Class Codes: B43M 5/04 automatic

Abstract

A system for coordinating an operational speed of an envelope inserter receiving incoming packets containing a predetermined number of document pages with an interval of time required to generate each incoming packet. A printer generates the document pages within each of the packets and a computer coordinates the operational speed of the envelope inserter with the interval of time required by the printer to generate each incoming packet.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating an operational speed of a document transferring device that receives incoming packets of documents having a predetermined number of document pages within each of the packets with an interval of time required to receive each incoming packet, comprising:

a) a document transferring device and

b) means for coordinating the operational speed of said document transferring device with the interval of time required to receive each incoming packet, wherein said coordinating means is a computer programmed to implement the steps;

i) determining for a first incoming packet a number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

ii) establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet a number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

iii) adjusting the operational speed of the transferring device based on said page determinations for both said first and said second incoming packets.

2. For use with an inserter apparatus that receives incoming packets of printed documents, with each of the packets having a predetermined number of pages, a system for coordinating an operational speed of the inserter with the period of time required to generate each incoming packet, comprising:

a) a printer for generating the pages within each packet;

b) an inserter for inserting each of the packets into a mailing envelope; and

c) computer means for coordinating the operational speed of the envelope inserter with the interval of time required by the printer to generate each incoming packet.

3. A speed coordination system according to claim 2, wherein said computer means is programmed with steps comprising:

a) determining for an incoming packet the number of document pages within said incoming packet;

b) initiating operation of the inserter based on said page number determination; and

c) adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination.

4. A speed coordination system according to claim 2, wherein said computer means is programmed with steps comprising:

a) determining for a first incoming packet the number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

b) establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet the number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

c) adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination for both said first and said second incoming packets.

5. A system for coordinating an operational speed of an envelope inserter receiving incoming packets containing a predetermined number of document pages with an interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, comprising:

a) means for printing the document pages within each of the packets and

b) computer means for coordinating the operational speed of the envelope inserter with the interval of time required by the printing means to generate each incoming packet, wherein said computer means is programmed with steps comprised of;

determining for an incoming packet the number of document pages within said incoming packet;

initiating operation of the inserter based on said page number determination; and

adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination.

6. A system for coordinating an operational speed of an envelope inserter receiving incoming packets containing a predetermined number of document pages with an interval of time required to receive each incoming packet, comprising:

a) an envelope inserter and

b) computer means for coordinating the operational speed of said envelope inserter with the interval of time required to receive each incoming packet, wherein said coordinating means is a computer programmed to implement the steps;

i) determining for a first incoming packet the number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

ii) establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet the number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

iii) adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination for both said first and said second incoming packets.

7. A speed coordination system according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

a) ascertaining for at least one additional incoming packet following said second incoming packet the number of document pages within said additional incoming packet and

b) adjusting further the operational speed of the inserter based on said page determination for said additional incoming packet.

8. A system for coordinating an operational speed of an envelope inserter receiving incoming packets containing a predetermined number of document pages with an interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, comprising:

a) means for printing the document pages within each of the packets and

b) computer means for coordinating the operational speed of the envelope inserter with the interval of time required by the printing means to generate each incoming packet, wherein said coordinating means is a computer programmed to implement the steps;

determining for a first incoming packet the number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet the number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination for both said first and said second incoming packets.

9. A speed coordination system according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

a) ascertaining for at least one additional incoming packet following said second incoming packet the number of document pages within said additional incoming packet and

b) adjusting further the operational speed of the inserter based on said page determination for said additional incoming packet.

10. A system for coordinating an operational speed of a document transferring device that receives incoming packets of documents having a predetermined number of document pages within each of the packets with an interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, comprising:

a) means for generating the document pages within each of the packets and

b) means for coordinating the operational speed of the document transferring device with the interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, wherein said coordinating means is a computer programmed to implement the steps;

i) determining for a first incoming packet a number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

ii) establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet a number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

iii) adjusting the operational speed of the transferring device based on said page determinations for both said first and said second incoming packets.

11. A system for coordinating an operational speed of an envelope inserter receiving incoming packets containing a predetermined number of document pages with an interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, comprising:

a) means for printing the document pages within each of the packets and

b) computer means for coordinating the operational speed of the envelope inserter with the interval of time required by the printing means to generate each incoming packet.

12. A speed coordination system according to claim 11, wherein said computer means is programmed with steps comprised of:

a) determining for an incoming packet the number of document pages within said incoming packet;

b) initiating operation of the inserter based on said page number determination; and

c) adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination.

13. A speed coordination system according to claim 11, wherein said coordinating means is a computer programmed to implement the steps:

a) determining for a first incoming packet the number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

b) establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet the number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

c) adjusting the operational speed of the inserter based on said page number determination for both said first and said second incoming packets.

14. A speed coordination system according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

a) ascertaining for at least one additional incoming packet following said second incoming packet the number of document pages within said additional incoming packet and

b) adjusting further the operational speed of the inserter based on said page determination for said additional incoming packet.

15. A system for coordinating an operational speed of a document transferring device that receives incoming packets of documents having a predetermined number of document pages within each of the packets with an interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, comprising:

a) means for generating the document pages within each of the packets and

b) means for coordinating the operational speed of the document transferring device with the interval of time required to generate each incoming packet, wherein said coordinating means is a computer with programming comprised of the steps;

determining for a first incoming packet a number of document pages within said first incoming packet;

establishing for a second incoming packet following said first incoming packet a number of document pages within said second incoming packet; and

adjusting the operational speed of the transferring device based on said page determinations for both said first and said second incoming packets.