Value dispensing mechanism, such as a postage meter, having automatic display/printing selection

• US 5,787,406 A
• Filed: 12/11/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Arsenault, Robert G., Bailey, William F., Mozdzer, Joseph M., Lefebvre, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/764,399
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 101/71, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 364/464.11, 364/464.18, 364/464.2, 364/464.21, 395/333, 705/401, 705/408, 705/410, 705/411, 345/333
• US Class Current: 705/410
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00298 Visual, e.g. screens and their layouts
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit

Abstract

A value dispensing mechanism which prints an indication of value includes a portable accounting device which accounts for the printed indication of value; and a terminal including apparatus for printing the indication of value, a display which displays messages related to functions of the value dispensing mechanism, structure for controlling messages displayed on the display and for initiating operation of the printing means to print the indication of value, a storage device for storing a plurality of display options, and apparatus for removably receiving the portable accounting device such that at times when the portable accounting device is received in the receiving apparatus the controlling structure and the portable accounting device are in operative communication with each other to permit operation of the value dispensing mechanism; wherein the portable accounting device includes means for automatically designating at least one of the display options upon insertion of the portable accounting device into the receiving means for at least one of displaying the selected display option on the display and printing the selected display option as at least a portion of the indication of value.

Claims

1. A value dispensing mechanism, which prints an indication of value, comprising:

a portable accounting device which accounts for the printed indication of value; and

a terminal including means for printing the indication of value, a display which displays messages related to functions of the value dispensing mechanism, means for controlling messages displayed on the display and for initiating operation of the printing means to print the indication of value, means for storing a plurality of display options, and means for removably receiving the portable accounting device such that at times when the portable accounting device is received in the receiving means the controlling means and the portable accounting device are in operative communication with each other to permit operation of the value dispensing mechanism;

wherein the portable accounting device includes means for automatically designating at least one of the display options upon insertion of the portable accounting device into the receiving means for at least one of displaying the selected display option on the display and printing the selected display option as at least a portion of the indication of value.

2. The value dispensing mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein the value dispensing mechanism is a postage meter, the portable accounting device is a postage meter vault, the indication of value includes an indicia and an advertising slogan, the plurality of display options is a plurality of different advertising slogans, and the postage meter vault automatically designates a first one of the plurality of different advertising slogans to be printed in the indication of value upon insertion of the postage meter vault into the receiving means.

3. The value dispensing mechanism as recited in claim 1, the plurality of display options is a plurality of different languages in which the messages can be displayed and the portable accounting device automatically designates a first one of the plurality of different languages so that the messages are displayed in the first one of the plurality of different languages.

4. A method of automatically designating one of a plurality of advertising slogan images to be printed as part of a postal indicia image comprising the steps of:

inserting a portable meter vault into a postage meter terminal having means for printing the postal indicia image, means for initiating printing of the postal indicia image by the printing means, and means for storing the plurality of advertising slogan images;

configuring the portable meter vault for automatically designating a desired one of the plurality of advertising slogan images to be printed as part of the postal indicia image upon insertion of the portable meter vault into the postage meter terminal; and

printing the postal indicia image to include the desired one of the plurality of advertising slogans based on the automatic designation.

5. A value dispensing mechanism, which prints an indication of value, comprising:

a portable accounting device which accounts for the printed indication of value; and

a terminal including means for printing the indication of value, a display which displays messages related to functions of the value dispensing mechanism, means for controlling messages displayed on the display and for initiating operation of the printing means to print the indication of value, means for storing a plurality of display options, and means for removably receiving the portable accounting device such that at times when the portable accounting device is received in the receiving means the controlling means and the portable accounting device are in operative communication with each other to permit operation of the value dispensing mechanism;

wherein the portable accounting device includes means for automatically designating at least one of the display options upon insertion of the portable accounting device into the receiving means for at least one of displaying the selected display option on the display and printing the selected display option as at least a portion of the indication of value;

wherein the value dispensing mechanism is a postage meter, the portable accounting device is a postage meter vault, the indication of value includes an indicia and an advertising slogan, the plurality of display options is a plurality of different advertising slogans, and the postage meter vault automatically designates a first one of the plurality of different advertising slogans to be printed in the indication of value upon insertion of the postage meter vault into the receiving means;

wherein the terminal further includes a keyboard and means for modifying via the keyboard the designating means to automatically designate a second one of the plurality of different advertising slogans instead of the first one of the plurality of different advertising slogans upon insertion of the postage meter vault into the receiving means.

6. The value dispensing mechanism as recited in claim 5, wherein the postage meter vault is a smart card.

7. A value dispensing mechanism, which prints an indication of value, comprising:

a portable accounting device which accounts for the printed indication of value; and

a terminal including means for printing the indication of value, a display which displays messages related to functions of the value dispensing mechanism, means for controlling messages displayed on the display and for initiating operation of the printing means to print the indication of value, means for storing a plurality of display options, and means for removably receiving the portable accounting device such that at times when the portable accounting device is received in the receiving means the controlling means and the portable accounting device are in operative communication with each other to permit operation of the value dispensing mechanism;

wherein the portable accounting device includes means for automatically designating at least one of the display options upon insertion of the portable accounting device into the receiving means for at least one of displaying the selected display option on the display and printing the selected display option as at least a portion of the indication of value;

wherein the plurality of display options is a plurality of different languages in which the messages can be displayed and the portable accounting device automatically designates a first one of the plurality of different languages so that the messages are displayed in the first one of the plurality of different languages;

wherein the terminal further includes a keyboard and means for modifying via the keyboard the designating means to automatically designate a second one of the plurality of different languages instead of the first one of the plurality of different languages upon insertion of the postage meter vault into the receiving means.

8. A value dispensing mechanism, which prints an indication of value, comprising:

a portable accounting device which accounts for the printed indication of value; and

a terminal including means for printing the indication of value, a display which displays messages related to functions of the value dispensing mechanism, means for controlling messages displayed on the display and for initiating operation of the printing means to print the indication of value, means for storing a plurality of display options, and means for removably receiving the portable accounting device such that at times when the portable accounting device is received in the receiving means the controlling means and the portable accounting device are in operative communication with each other to permit operation of the value dispensing mechanism;

wherein the portable accounting device includes means for automatically designating at least one of the display options upon insertion of the portable accounting device into the receiving means for at least one of displaying the selected display option on the display and printing the selected display option as at least a portion of the indication of value;

wherein the terminal further includes a keyboard and means for modifying via the keyboard the designating means to automatically designate a second one of the plurality of display options instead of the selected display option upon insertion of the portable accounting device into the terminal.