Method and arrangement for entering data into a postage meter machine

• US 5,852,813 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH (Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH (Francotyp-Postalia Holding AG)
• Inventors: Guenther, Stephan, Kubatzki, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/770,525
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 101/71, 235/375, 283/71, 395/117, 705/401, 705/408, 705/409, 705/410
• US Class Current: 705/408
• 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 17/00362 Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00032 Determining the location of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00096 via phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00161 from a central, non-user location, e.g. for updating rates or software, or for refilling funds
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00298 Visual, e.g. screens and their layouts
• 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 2017/00604 Printing of advert or logo
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00645 Separating print into fixed and variable parts

Abstract

In a method and to an arrangement for entering data into a postage meter machine, after calling stored setting data, a routine is triggered that includes a manual input routine. The arrangement includes specific actuation elements for data input for positioning, within the overall image, sub-images (image portions or constituents of the overall image). After interrogation of the actuated inputs, request data are formed if a non-available data set is needed. The formation likewise ensues when a microprocessor in the machine finds data of the clock/date module that were called but were modified due to the passage of time. A communication is then implemented, whereby the data central communicates sub-image data files and, if necessary, further data files to the postage meter machine on the basis of the communicated request data. As a result of the actuation of selected actuation elements, a corresponding sub-image positioning routine is triggered, whereby allowable change data are identified and lead to the modification of a control data file. The modification is displayed on the basis of another sub-routine as a cleartext presentation of the print image.

Claims

1. A method for entering data into a postage meter machine comprising the steps of:

(a) initializing a postage meter machine;

(b) calling non-volatilely stored setting data, for formulating a print data input, into said postage meter machine;

(c) conducting a routine including sub-routines for data entry, for forming request data, for automatic print data entry, for checking and for display of an image to be printed;

(d) entering into a communication between said postage meter machine and a remote data central and transmitting a plurality of sub-image data files and, if necessary, further data files to the postage meter machine from the data central on the basis of said request data communicated from the postage meter machine to the data central; and

(e) updating a franking image to be printed employing said sub-image data files and, if necessary, said further data files, including selectively positioning at least one of said sub-images in an overall franking image to be printed and modifying a control data file containing data corresponding to said franking image to be printed to incorporate any selected change in position of said at least sub-image.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

entering mail carrier data restively identifying a plurality of mail carriers and an associated positioning of a respective sub-image relating to each mail carrier;

checking the requested data upon receipt thereof by said postage meter machine from said data central;

updating a sub-image relating to at least one of a time and date from running time-data generated by a clock-date module;

positioning said sub-images in order to modify said control data file by actuating selected actuation elements of said postage meter machine;

checking each change of a sub-image to determine whether the change is within a permissible range and whether permissible have been modified; and

upon approval of the change, displaying the modified franking image in the form of a cleartext presentation on a display of said postage meter machine.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 comprising the additional steps of:

storing any sub-images transmitted to said postage meter machine from said data central in respective sub-image data files in said postage meter machine in a non-volatile manner;

for any of said sub-image data files which relate to identification of a mail carrier, allocating a carrier identified number respectively to the sub-image data file corresponding to the mail carrier identified therein; and

storing pixel image data in respective pixel image data files non-volatilely for printing the information contained in the respective sub-image data files.

4. A postage meter machine comprising:

a memory;

input means including a plurality of actuation elements for setting said postage meter machine for operation using a selected mail carrier among a plurality of mail carriers;

said input means including an actuation element for specifically setting a new mail carrier, different from a current mail carrier;

processor means responsive to actuation of said actuation element for loading data into a control data file in said memory relating to said new mail carrier for causing modification of mail carrier information a printed franking image which contains said mail carrier information, said control data file containing a plurality of data files respectively containing sub-images uniquely allocated to different one of said plurality of mail carriers and each of said data files containing change data associated with the mail carrier respectively allocated thereto for modifying said franking image dependent on the mail carrier allocated to the sub-image data file; and

said processor means comprising means for using said change data for automatically positioning the sub-image, with franking image, contained in the sub-image data file allocated to the new mail carrier.

5. A postage meter machine as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

means for establishing communication between said postage meter machine and a remote data central;

means, responsive to actuation of said actuation element for setting a new mail carrier, for establishing communication, via said communication means, with said remote data center to obtain said sub-image data relating to the new mail carrier if said sub-image data relating to the new mail carrier are not already stored in one of said sub-image data files in said memory of said postage meter machine;

means for storing sub-image data communicated to said postage meter machine from said remote data central relating to said new mail carrier in a new sub-image data file in said memory allocated to a carrier identification number for the new mail carrier;

a character memory containing a plurality of invariable sub-data files, and means for storing invariable sub-image data allocated to said carrier identification number of said new mail carrier transmitted to said postage meter machine from said remote data central.

6. A postage meter machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said input means comprises an actuation element for entering a command for calling an advertisement communicated to said postage meter machine from said data central during a preceding communication.

7. A method for entering data into a postage meter machine at a user location for automatically modifying a most recent status of stored data in said postage meter machine, said stored data corresponding to a setting of said postage meter machine, comprising the steps of:

upon a use of said postage meter machine at any arbitrary time at said user location, initializing said postage meter machine for postage calculation using weight data communicated to said postage meter machine from a scale, including a location-specific initialization of said postage meter machine;

calling data and automatically checking whether the most recent status of stored data, stored with a date in said postage meter machine has been modified by comparing current date data with the date of the stored data;

offering updated location-specific data for said postage meter machine from external memories if said date of said stored data has passed; and

updating the stored data, to obtain updated data in said postage meter machine using said updated location-specific data communicated to said postage meter machine from at least one of said external memories and using said updated data in said postage calculation.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising offering location-specific window data for at least one of a postage stamp and auxiliary functions of said postage meter machine and current information for configuring said postage stamp via a communication network connected to a memory containing fetchable data blocks for reloading auxiliary functions and said current information and for updating data into said postage meter machine.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising offering a location-specific list from a remote data central to said postage meter machine for entering a carrier identification number into said postage meter machine corresponding to a name of a mail carrier for initializing said postage meter machine, said location-specific offering of said list being loaded from an external memory via a communication network between said postage meter machine and said remote data central.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising the additional steps of:

storing a fee schedule in said postage meter machine for each mail carrier among a plurality of mail carriers, each fee schedule having a minimum validity duration associated therewith; and

upon selection of a new mail carrier by said postage meter machine, automatically dialing a remote data station to obtain a new fee schedule for said new mail carrier if the minimum validity duration of the fee schedule for the new mail carriers stored in said postage meter machine has been exceeded.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising the additional steps of:

offering location-specific window data for at least one of a postage stamp and auxiliary functions of said postage meter machine and entering current information for configuring said postage stamp using a first transmission means; and

entering a user-specific setting of said postage meter machine using a second transmission means.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 comprising using an integrated chipcard as each of said first and second transmission means, said chipcard having a memory with fetchable data blocks for reloading updating data and said auxiliary functions.

13. A method as claim in claim 7 comprising the additional steps of:

changing a location of said postage meter machine to a new location; and

upon said postage meter machine being switched on at said new location, entering a postal zipcode for said new location into said postage meter machine automatically via a transmission means connected to one of a mobile radio telephone or a communication network and thereafter completing initialization of said postage meter machine at said new location.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 comprising the additional steps of:

during initialization of said postage meter machine, forming a communication requirement including request data and communicating said communication requirement from said postage meter machine to a remote data central in a communication path including a local switching center; and

identification of the location of said postage meter machine being automatically inserted into said communication requirement and request data sent to said remote data central from said local switching network, and information identifying the location of the postage meter machine thereafter being automatically included in all communications from said postage meter machine to said data central.

15. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising offering a location-specific list from a remote data central for entering a postal zipcode into said postage meter machine during initialization of said postage meter machine and offering location-specific data to said postage meter machine from an external memory via said communication network.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 comprising the additional steps of:

changing a location of said postage meter machine to a new location; and

upon said postage meter machine being switched on, entering a postal zipcode of said new location into said postage meter machine via a keyboard during initialization of said postage meter machine.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15 comprising the additional step of:

transmitting a telephone number of a location at which said postage meter machine is located to a remote data central;

evaluating said telephone number at said remote data central; and

at said remote data central, allocating at least a portion of said telephone number to a stored, allocated portion of a franking image.

18. A postage meter machine comprising:

a processor;

a user-operable input unit for entering signals into said processor;

reception means for receiving data from a remote data source at a location external to said postage meter machine;

a write/read memory connected to said processor;

a clock/date module for offering information identifying time and date to said processor;

transmission means for establishing communication between said remote data source and said reception means; and

said processor comprising means for, in response to a signal at any arbitrary time from said input unit, formulating a request for a fee schedule including request data identifying a country and a location in said country of said postage meter machine and a time and date from said information from said clock/date module, and for transmitting said request to said remote data source via said transmission means and for receiving a first fee schedule, dependent on said request data, from said remote data source via said reception means, said fee schedule having a validity date, and for loading said first fee schedule into said write/read memory, and for automatically comparing said validity date with said information offered by said clock/date module and for, if said validity date has expired, automatically formulating a new request for a fee schedule including new request data updated as to country, location and time and date and for automatically transmitting said new request to said remote data center and for receiving an updated second fee schedule, dependent on said new request data, via said reception means, and for loading said second fee schedule into said write/read memory in place of said first fee schedule.