Assemblies, systems, and methods for franking one or more sequential mailpiece on a high speed mail sorter

• US 9,969,179 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fluence Automation, LLC (DMT Solutions Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowers, Brian, Yankloski, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Anh T. N.
• Application Number:
  US15/454,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20170259585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• 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 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• 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 2017/00048 Software architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00064 Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00475 Sorting mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00491 Mail/envelope/insert handling system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0058 Printing of code
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces

Abstract

Assemblies, systems, and methods for applying postage indicia to one or more sequential mailpiece on a high speed mail sorter are disclosed. In some aspects, a system for franking one or more sequential mailpiece using a postal security device (PSD) hub assembly on a high speed mail sorter includes a plurality of PSDs configured to generate a coded digital signature for the one or more sequential mailpiece during a latency period, a plurality of photo sensors configured to define the latency period, a PSD host configured to receive the generated coded digital signature, wherein the generated coded digital signature is encoded in a data matrix, and an indicia printer configured to receive printer control data and to print the printer control data on the one or more sequential mailpiece in an order in which the plurality of PSDs are tasked during the latency period.

Claims

1. A postal security device (PSD) hub assembly for franking one or more sequential mailpiece on a high speed mail sorter, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of PSDs configured to generate a coded digital signature for the one or more sequential mailpiece during a latency period;

a PSD host configured to receive the generated coded digital signature, wherein the generated coded digital signature is encoded in a data matrix; and

an indicia printer configured to receive printer control data and to print the printer control data on the one or more sequential mailpiece in an order in which the plurality of PSDs are tasked during the latency period.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of PSDs are configured to be tasked in a round robin sequence.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a single printer is used to print all indicia.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the high speed mail sorter is capable of running greater than 30,000 mailpieces per hour.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein weight data per mailpiece is obtained from inline scale(s), a data record associated with the mailpiece, or from data read from the mailpiece.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the printer control data is configured to be formatted using the generated coded digital signature encoded in the data matrix.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicia printer is configured to print additional items selected from the group consisting of a return address, a sequence number, an endorsement line, a key line, and a weight class.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicia printer comprises an interface that is restricted to the PSD host, and wherein the PSD host is secured from connection to external networks.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the data matrix comprises at least two or more values selected from the group consisting of an indicia version number, a piece counter, an IBI vendor and/or model, a PSD serial number, a postage value, Intelligent Mail Service, and an HMAC message digest.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicia printer is configured to utilize one or more pre-defined print template.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the one or more pre-defined print template is interleaved.

12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the one or more pre-defined template comprises one or more feature selected from the group consisting of different permit marks, company logos and special markings required for indicium, mail class, presort qualification, and weight.

13. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a USB HUB configured to provide a secure connection between the plurality of PSDs and the PSD host.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the indicia printer is configured to receive the printer control data from the PSD host.

15. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sorter computer configured to receive the printer control data from the PSD host and transmit the printer control data to the indicia printer.

16. A system for franking one or more sequential mailpiece using a postal security device (PSD) hub assembly on a high speed mail sorter, the system comprising:

a plurality of PSDs configured to generate a coded digital signature for the one or more sequential mailpiece during a latency period;

a plurality of photo sensors configured to define the latency period, wherein the latency period is a period of time sufficient for transfer of the generated coded digital signature from one of the plurality of PSDs;

a PSD host configured to receive the generated coded digital signature, wherein the generated coded digital signature is encoded in a data matrix; and

an indicia printer configured to receive printer control data and to print the printer control data on the one or more sequential mailpiece in an order in which the plurality of PSDs are tasked during the latency period.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of PSDs are configured to be tasked in a round robin sequence.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the printer control data is configured to be formatted using the generated coded digital signature encoded in the data matrix.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicia printer is configured to print additional items selected from the group consisting of a return address, a sequence number, an endorsement line, a key line, and a weight class.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicia printer comprises an interface that is restricted to the PSD host, and wherein the PSD host is secured from connection to external networks.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising an indicia print verifier.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the data matrix comprises at least two or more values selected from the group consisting of an indicia version number, a piece counter, an IBI vendor and/or model, a PSD serial number, a postage value, Intelligent Mail Service, and an HMAC message digest.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicia printer is configured to utilize one or more pre-defined print template.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more pre-defined print template is interleaved.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more pre-defined template comprises one or more feature selected from a group consisting of different permit marks, company logos and special markings required for indicium, mail class, presort qualification, and weight.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicia printer is configured to receive the printer control data from the PSD host.

27. The system of claim 16, further comprising a sorter computer configured to receive the printer control data from the PSD host and transmit the printer control data to the indicia printer.

28. The system of claim 16, further comprising a USB HUB configured to provide a secure connection between the plurality of PSDs and the PSD host.

29. A method for franking one or more sequential mailpiece using a postal security device (PSD) hub assembly on a high speed mail sorter, the method comprising:

generating, by a plurality of PSDs, a coded digital signature for the one or more sequential mailpiece during a latency period;

defining, by a plurality of photo sensors, the latency period, wherein the latency period is a period of time sufficient for transfer of the generated coded digital signature from one of the plurality of PSDs;

receiving, by a PSD host, the generated coded digital signature, wherein the generated coded digital signature is encoded in a data matrix; and

printing, by an indicia printer, received printer control data on the one or more sequential mailpiece in an order in which the plurality of PSDs are tasked during the latency period.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising formatting, using the generated coded digital signature encoded in the data matrix, the printer control data.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising tasking the plurality of PSDs in a round robin sequence.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising printing, by the indicia printer, additional items selected from the group consisting of a return address, a sequence number, an endorsement line, a key line, and a weight class.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the indicia printer comprises an interface that is restricted to the PSD host, and wherein the PSD host is secured from connection to external networks.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the data matrix comprises at least two or more values selected from a group consisting of an indicia version number, a piece counter, an IBI vendor and/or model, a PSD serial number, a postage value, Intelligent Mail Service, and an HMAC message digest.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising utilizing, by the indicia printer, one or more pre-defined print template.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more pre-defined print template is interleaved.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the one or more pre-defined template comprises one or more feature selected from the group consisting of different permit marks, company logos and special markings required for indicium, mail class, presort qualification, and weight.

38. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving, by the indicia printer, the printer control data from the PSD host.

39. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving, by a sorter computer, the printer control data from the PSD host and transmitting, by the sorter computer, the printer control data to the indicia printer.