System for providing early warning preemptive postal equipment replacement
First Claim
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1. A postal equipment replacement warning system comprising:
- a monitoring system for monitoring at least two preselected system parameters of the postal equipment, the postal equipment comprising a postage meter including a franking portion, a secure funds portion and a printing means; and
a generating system for generating a summary of at least two of the system parameters monitored by the monitoring system, the summary being generated by algorithmically representing data on the preselected parameters as a value, wherein the generating system comprises;
a memory of predetermined system parameters; and
a varying system for varying at least one of the predetermined system parameters based at least partially upon time or usage of the postal equipment, and where the warning system is adapted to compare the summary with the corresponding varied predetermined system parameters and generate a warning if replacement of the postal equipment is warranted.
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Abstract
An improved system for providing early warning preemptive postal equipment replacement. Selected performance parameters the postal equipment are monitored and compared against predetermined operational boundaries. The system is capable of providing for variability in the performance parameters, wherein these parameters may be permitted to vary over time and usage of the equipment. The monitoring gives an indication of the overall system performance. If the system performance goes outside of operational boundaries, or changes significantly over time, replacement of the equipment can then be scheduled with minimal inconvenience to the customer.
35 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A postal equipment replacement warning system comprising:
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a monitoring system for monitoring at least two preselected system parameters of the postal equipment, the postal equipment comprising a postage meter including a franking portion, a secure funds portion and a printing means; and
a generating system for generating a summary of at least two of the system parameters monitored by the monitoring system, the summary being generated by algorithmically representing data on the preselected parameters as a value, wherein the generating system comprises;
a memory of predetermined system parameters; and
a varying system for varying at least one of the predetermined system parameters based at least partially upon time or usage of the postal equipment, and where the warning system is adapted to compare the summary with the corresponding varied predetermined system parameters and generate a warning if replacement of the postal equipment is warranted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A postal equipment replacement warning system comprising:
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a monitoring system for monitoring at least two preselected system parameters of postal equipment comprising a postage meter including a franking portion, a secure funds portion and a printing means; and
a generating system for generating a summary of at least two of the system parameters monitored by the monitoring system, the summary being generated by algorithmically representing data on the preselected parameters as a value, wherein the generating system is adapted to periodically generate the summary, and where the warning system is adapted to compare a first in time summary to a second in time summary and generate a warning if the postal equipment warranty replacement depending on a change in value from the first in time summary to the second in time summary and a period between the first in time summary and the second in time summary. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A postal equipment replacement warning system comprising:
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a monitoring system for monitoring at least two preselected system parameters of postal equipment comprising a postage meter including a franking portion, a secure funds portion and a printing means;
a generating system for periodically generating a summary of at least two of the system parameters monitored by the monitoring system the summary being generated by algorithmically representing data on the preselected parameters as a value; and
a determinator for determining, based at least partially upon comparing the summary to at least one predetermined stored value representing a desired value for the at least preselected system parameters and a period of time between a change in a value of the periodically generated summary, if the postal equipment is a candidate for replacement. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A postal equipment replacement warning system comprising:
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a monitoring system for monitoring preselected system parameters of postal equipment comprising a postage meter including a franking portion, a secure funds portion and a printing means;
a memory containing predetermined system parameters;
a varying system for varying at least one of the predetermined system parameters in the memory based at least partially upon time; and
a comparing system for comparing the system parameters monitored by the monitoring system to the corresponding system parameters stored in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification