Mail processing system with diagnostic facilities
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a mail processing apparatus including a plurality of processing stations having sensors to measure measurement data of the processing stations and having setting means to control, set and adjust operating parameters of said processing stations, said processing stations including at least one of an envelope inserter and an enveloper opener, and said apparatus including a control system for controlling at least one of said processing stations for assembling sheets for at least one of forming at least one document to be mailed and processing received documents;
at least one external diagnostic device including a computer separate from the mail processing apparatus; and
a communication channel operative for reciprocal communication between the control system and the at least one external diagnostic device;
wherein, the control system includes means for obtaining measurement data taken by the sensors and for obtaining setting data from the setting means for at least one of the processing stations, the measurement data relating to objective measured values obtained by the sensors on physical conditions at the processing station, including at least temperature and a processing speed of the processing station and the setting data relates to objective setting values of settable properties of the processing station which are set by the setting means, andwherein, the control system further includes means for feeding said measurement and setting data via the communication channel to the computer of the external diagnostic device for processing the objective setting and measurement data to obtain diagnostic information about the processing station.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system comprising a mail processing apparatus includes a number of processing stations such as for instance a printer and an inserter. In addition, the system comprises a control system which controls at least one processing station for assembling sheets to form at least one document to be mailed or for processing received documents. The system further comprises at least one external diagnostic device separate from the mail processing apparatus and a communication channel between the control system and the diagnostic device. The control system is arranged for performing diagnostic tests for detecting, for instance, malfunctions, deviations in performance and/or required preventive maintenance in a processing station. The diagnostic device initializes via the communication channel the performance of said tests and/or receives the results of the tests for further processing.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a mail processing apparatus including a plurality of processing stations having sensors to measure measurement data of the processing stations and having setting means to control, set and adjust operating parameters of said processing stations, said processing stations including at least one of an envelope inserter and an enveloper opener, and said apparatus including a control system for controlling at least one of said processing stations for assembling sheets for at least one of forming at least one document to be mailed and processing received documents; at least one external diagnostic device including a computer separate from the mail processing apparatus; and a communication channel operative for reciprocal communication between the control system and the at least one external diagnostic device; wherein, the control system includes means for obtaining measurement data taken by the sensors and for obtaining setting data from the setting means for at least one of the processing stations, the measurement data relating to objective measured values obtained by the sensors on physical conditions at the processing station, including at least temperature and a processing speed of the processing station and the setting data relates to objective setting values of settable properties of the processing station which are set by the setting means, and wherein, the control system further includes means for feeding said measurement and setting data via the communication channel to the computer of the external diagnostic device for processing the objective setting and measurement data to obtain diagnostic information about the processing station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A system comprising:
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a mail processing apparatus including a plurality of processing stations having setting means to control, set and adjust operating parameters of the operation of the processing station, said processing stations including at least one of an envelope inserter and an envelope opener, and a control system for controlling system for controlling at least one of said processing stations for assembling sheets to form at least one document to be mailed or for processing received documents; at least one external diagnostic device including a computer separate from the mail processing apparatus; and a communication channel operative for reciprocal communication between the control system and the at least one external diagnostic device; wherein, the control system includes means for obtaining setting data from the setting means of at least of the processing stations, the setting data relating to objective setting values of settable properties of the processing station which are set by the setting means, and the control system further comprises means for supplying the setting data via the communication channel to the computer of the external diagnostic device for processing the objective setting data to obtain diagnostic information about the processing station.
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31. A system comprising:
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a mail processing apparatus having a plurality of processing stations including at least one of an envelope inserter and an envelope opener, sensors at each processing station to measure measurement data at the processing station, and a control system which controls at least one of said processing stations for at least one of assembling sheets to form at least one document to be mailed and processing received documents; at least one external diagnostic device including a computer separate from the mail processing apparatus; and a communication channel operative for reciprocal communication between the control system and the at least one external diagnostic device; wherein, the control system includes means for obtaining the measurement data measured by the sensors for at least one of the processing stations, the measurement data relating to objective measured values obtained by measurements taken by the sensors on physical conditions at the processing station, including at least temperature and processing speed of the processing station, and the control system further includes means for feeding said measurement data via the communication channel to the computer of the external diagnostic device for processing the objective measurement data to obtain diagnostic information about the processing station.
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Specification