Apparatus and method for ensuring good print quality in a mail handling system including a fixed printhead/moving mailpiece subsystem
First Claim
1. A mail handling system comprising:
- a printhead for printing a postage indicium on a mailpiece;
a transport mechanism that moves the mailpiece past the printhead during printing of the postage indicium;
a postage meter including means for accounting for a value of postage associated with the postage indicium;
an image generator in operative communication with the postage meter, the image generator producing a synchronous image data stream for use by the printhead in printing the postage indicium;
a buffer which receives and stores the synchronous image data stream from the image generator;
means for switching the image generator between an ON status whereby the image generator produces the synchronous image data stream and an OFF status whereby the image generator does not produce the synchronous image data stream based upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition;
means for transferring the stored synchronous image data stream to the printhead in an asynchronous manner; and
wherein the switching means regulates within a predetermined range an amount of the synchronous image data stream stored in the buffer by switching the image generator between the ON status and the OFF status thereby effectively permitting the printhead to use the synchronous image data stream in an asynchronous manner.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mail handling system includes a printhead for printing a postage indicium on a mailpiece; a transport mechanism that moves the mailpiece past the printhead during printing of the postage indicium; a postage meter including means for accounting for a value of postage associated with the postage indicium; an image generator in operative communication with the postage meter, the image generator producing a synchronous image data stream for use by the printhead in printing the postage indicium; a buffer which receives and stores the synchronous image data stream from the image generator; apparatus for switching the image generator between an ON status whereby the image generator produces the synchronous image data stream and an OFF status whereby the image generator does not produce the synchronous image data stream based upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; structure for transferring the stored synchronous image data stream to the printhead in an asynchronous manner; and wherein the switching apparatus regulates within a predetermined range an amount of the synchronous image data stream stored in the buffer by switching the image generator between the ON status and the OFF status thereby effectively permitting the printhead to use the synchronous image data stream in an asynchronous manner.
41 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A mail handling system comprising:
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a printhead for printing a postage indicium on a mailpiece; a transport mechanism that moves the mailpiece past the printhead during printing of the postage indicium; a postage meter including means for accounting for a value of postage associated with the postage indicium; an image generator in operative communication with the postage meter, the image generator producing a synchronous image data stream for use by the printhead in printing the postage indicium; a buffer which receives and stores the synchronous image data stream from the image generator; means for switching the image generator between an ON status whereby the image generator produces the synchronous image data stream and an OFF status whereby the image generator does not produce the synchronous image data stream based upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; means for transferring the stored synchronous image data stream to the printhead in an asynchronous manner; and wherein the switching means regulates within a predetermined range an amount of the synchronous image data stream stored in the buffer by switching the image generator between the ON status and the OFF status thereby effectively permitting the printhead to use the synchronous image data stream in an asynchronous manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for printing a postage image on a mailpiece in a mail handling system comprising the steps of:
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moving a mailpiece past a printhead; generating in a synchronous manner postage image data for each postage transaction utilizing an image generator; buffering the postage image data generated by the image generator in a buffer; sending the postage image data from the buffer in an asynchronous manner to the printhead; utilizing the postage image data asynchronously at the printhead to print the postage image on the mailpiece in synchronization with the movement of the mailpiece past the printhead; and switching the image generator, based upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition, between an ON status whereby the image generator produces the postage image data synchronously and an OFF status whereby the image generator does not produce postage image data based thereby regulating within a predetermined range an amount of postage image data stored in the buffer to permit the printhead to print the postage image on the mailpiece by using the postage image data which is produced synchronously by the image generator in an asynchronous manner. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification