Status indicating system for indicating the deposit and withdrawal of items in a receptacle

• US 6,028,517 A
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Stemmle, Denis J., Moody, John N. D., Russo, Karin A, Dlugos, Daniel F., Sansone, Ronald P., Bernard, Richard A., Salazar, Edilberto I., Blackman, Fran E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWANN III, GLEN R
• Application Number:
  US09/220,011
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 340/569, 340/691.6, 340/691.4, 340/691.1, 340/522, 232/34, 232/35, 232/36, 232/37
• US Class Current: 340/569
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1226 comprising electrical parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/1228 activated by the weight of the letter
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1212 comprising electrical parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means

Abstract

The status of deposits or withdrawals of items in a receptacle is indicated to one or more users having access to the receptacle. A receptacle is accessible by at least one user and is capable of containing an item. A deposit/withdrawal sensor for sensing a deposit or withdrawal of an item in the receptacle is also provided. A user identifier for identifying a user having access to the receptacle during the deposit or withdrawal of the item sensed by the deposit/withdrawal sensor is employed by the system. One or more indicators that are responsive to the deposit/withdrawal sensor and the user identifier are provided to indicate a deposit or withdrawal of the item in the receptacle by the identified user. The indicators may be placed on the receptacle or may be located remote from the receptacle.

Claims

1. A status indicator system for indicating the status of deposits to or withdrawals from a receptacle to one or more users having access to the receptacle, the system comprising:

a receptacle accessible by at least one user and capable of containing an item;

sensing means for sensing a deposit or withdrawal of an item in the receptacle;

identifying means for identifying a user having access to the receptacle during the deposit or withdrawal of the item sensed by the sensing means; and

indicating means, responsive to the sensing means and the identifying means, for indicating a deposit or withdrawal of the item in the receptacle by the identified user.

2. The status indicating system of claim 1, wherein the identifying means for identifying a user having access to the receptacle is a first accessway in the receptacle accessible only by a first user, a first access detector cooperatively associated with the first accessway to detect access to the receptacle therethrough, a second accessway in the receptacle accessible only by a second user and a second access detector cooperatively associated with the second accessway to detect access to the receptacle therethrough.

3. The status indicating system of claim 1, wherein the identifying means for identifying a user having access to the receptacle includes a lockable common accessway, a first user key identifying a first user and enabling access to the receptacle via the common accessway to a first user and a second user key identifying a second user and enabling access to the receptacle via the common accessway to the second user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means is a mass sensor capable of sensing a change in mass within the receptacle caused by the deposit or withdrawal of the item in the receptacle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the mass sensor is a scale.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the mass sensor is a piezoelectric device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means is a volume sensor capable of sensing a change in volume occupied within the receptacle caused by the deposit or withdrawal of the item in the receptacle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the volume sensor is an ultrasonic transducer capable of sending and receiving an ultrasonic signal in the receptacle, wherein the ultrasonic signal sent by the transducer is altered by the presence of an item in the receptacle, and such altered signal is received by the transducer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing means is an optical sensor capable of detecting the item in the receptacle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes means for recording deposits and withdrawals of items in the receptacle.

11. A system for indicating the deposit and subsequent withdrawal of an item in a first receptacle to a first and second user having access to the first receptacle and for indicating a third user'"'"'s withdrawal of the item subsequently deposited in a second receptacle to the first user, the system comprising:

a first receptacle accessible by the first and second users and capable of containing an item;

first sensing means for sensing a deposit or withdrawal of an item in the first receptacle;

first identifying means for identifying the user having access to the first receptacle during the deposit or withdrawal of the item sensed by the sensing means;

first indicating means, responsive to the first sensing means and the first identifying means, for indicating a deposit or withdrawal of the item in the first receptacle by the identified user;

a second receptacle accessible by a third user capable of containing the item;

second sensing means for sensing the withdrawal of an item from the second receptacle;

second identifying means for identifying the user having access to the second receptacle during withdrawal of the item sensed by the sensing means;

second indicating means, responsive to the second sensing means and the second identifying means, for indicating a withdrawal of the item in the second receptacle to the first user when the third user is identified during the sensed withdrawal.

12. The status indicating system of claim 11, wherein the means for identifying the user having access to the first receptacle is a first accessway in the first receptacle accessible only by the first user and a second accessway in the first receptacle accessible only by the second user.

13. The status indicating system of claim 11, wherein the means for identifying the user having access to the first receptacle is a first user key enabling access to the first receptacle by the first user and a second user key enabling access to the first receptacle by the second user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sensing means is a mass sensor capable of sensing a change in mass within the first receptacle caused by the deposit or withdrawal of the item in the receptacle.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the mass sensor is a scale.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the mass sensor is a piezo electric device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sensing means is a volume sensor capable of sensing a change in volume occupied within the first receptacle caused by the deposit or withdrawal of the item in the first receptacle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the volume sensor is an ultrasonic transducer capable of sending and receiving an ultrasonic signal in the receptacle, wherein the ultrasonic signal sent by the transducer is altered by the presence of an item in the receptacle, and such altered signal is received by the transducer.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the second sensing means is a mass sensor capable of sensing a change in mass within the second receptacle caused by the withdrawal of the item in the second receptacle.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for identifying the user having access to the second receptacle is an accessway in the second receptacle accessible only by the third user.