CA2244463A1 - Checking device for printing group - Google Patents

Abstract

In a printing group which is intended for value marks printing (e.g. franking), a checking device is inserted in order to prevent misuse, i.e. not credited stamps, by manipulation of the current feed, or manual operation. This checking device counts every single printing operation, thanks to its on current supply. The meter reading of the ch ecking device can be compared with the reading of the usual printing group meter. In case of a discrepancy between the two readings, the pri nting group jams or an alarm goes off, via the control electronics of the printing group, e.g. in the form of a security card. A great advantage of this checking device is its complete storing in the checking device itself of the printing operations and all manipulations or a ttempts at manipulation.

Description

CHECKING DEVICE FOR PRINTING GROUP

The present invention is directed to a checking device for the printing unit of printing apparatus, a printing apparatus provided with a device of this kind, and a met~od rOr installing a c~ecking device in a printing apparatus.
There are commercially available printing apparatus which pri~t value marks or the like marks that are s~b~ect to monetary charges ~nd that are generally of~icially or otherwise ~uthorized. An example is postage metering ~achines or franking machines by means o~ which postal franking can be imprinted on letters and packages in a business. The basic construction of machines of this type is ~nown and described, for example, in EP-560 716. ~epending on regulations and pract~ces of specific rcgions, the franking machine as described, for example, in EP- -390 731 is loaded with ~ranking amounts purchased beforehand at the post office by credit card or electronic monet~ry transfer.
In normal ope~ation, the franking device then prints the desired postage or ~ran~ing amount, e.g., o~ an envelope, by means oS its printing unit and ~imultaneously debits the corresponding ~ranking value to the card or stored credit amount.
~ owever, it is conceivable that the franking machine could be manipulated in Eiuch a way that its printing unit could print value marks on shipping items without ~imultaneous or subseguent debiting. For example, this can be carried out by controlling . - 2 -the prlnting unit through illicitly tap~ing into the usually unprotected connection llne between the deb~ting electronic~ and the control Qlectronics of the printing unit. It is also : conceivable to put the printing un~t in operation by ~eans o~ an external power supp}y, i.e., a power supply not belong~ng to the ~achine, or by manual driving, e.g., by turning the printing rollsr when the machi~e is disconnected from the power supply.
Countermeasures ~o~ the ~irst type of misuse are described, for example, in U,S. Patent 4,253,158 and in EP-0018081. However, the second and third problems mentioned abovQ have so far not been solved. Furt~er problems ar~ posed by all of the ~imilar illicit tampering with pr$nting units in other printing technology, e.g., by supplying external power ~o the power supply connection o~ a thermal printer.
one ob~ect of the present invention, therefore, is tO 5O1Ve these unsolvgd problems. In addition, protection of printing unitS and apparatus comprising printing units ~gainst illici~ use i6 to be increased generally. This is intended not only f or new prlnting units and apparatus, but also for all of the numQrous dQvices that have already been issue~ and are in use. AB a r~sult of insufficient security, the period Or use of these older devices has already been severely restricted by the authorizing boaies. Therefore, in the time to come, many devices which in th~ms~lve~ are Stl}i capabie or runctioning for a long time will have to be removed from use. For ~his reason, the present invention also h~s the object Or enabling the ~urther use of these devices by means of retrofitting in the most efficient and economical way possible and so as to provide the required security. A further object of the invention consists in the complete monitoring and checking of proper use of the contracting of value marks by the authorized user of the printing unit and/or apparatus. This provides a guarantee for the authorizing body and offers complete security for legal credit accounting.
Finally, correspondingly outfitted devices, in particular, franking machines, are also to be provided. A further goal of the invention also consists in that value mark dispensing devices which are based on personal computers with conventional or special printers and with or without special additional electronics (see CH-2332/96) are monitored in the manner mentioned above and protected against misuse.
These objects are met through the technical teachings indicated in the independent patent claims and in the application text in its entirety.
on the one hand, the suggested measures enable an autonomous recording in the checking device of all printing processes and manipulation in the checking device itself. Due to the fact that it possesses its own power supply within the protected housing, a complete service history of the checking device is made. In a preferred embodiment form, the checking device is connected, e.g., by means of a noncontacting communications arrangement, with the controlling and debiting electronics (e.g., a security card according to US-5 509 117) of the printing apparatus. In a suitable construction, the electronics of the checking device have their own service history and, in addition, also that of the controlling and debiting electronics communicating with it, or vice versa. The authorizing body therefore always has at its disposal at least one, if not two, possibilities for checking the printing processes carried out with the device in the course of its use. In the event of any discrepancy between the service history of the checking device and that of the apparatus, more extensive security measures trigger an interruption in operation either immediately or so as to be controlled according to time or according to the quantity of printing processes after tampering has been detected. In a further arrangement, the control electronics check whether or not the checking device is still present and/or whether it is functioning as intended. When the results of the check are negative, the apparatus can be blocked by the control electronics directly or, as described above, as a function of time or printing number. If the apparatus offers the possibility of data transfer, as it is called, (see US-5 509 117), the data files of the checking device are advisably transferred in addition to the data of the possibly defective controlling and debiting electronics. In this way it is ensured that all data relating specifically to franking (including a complete listing of the franking carried out, possibly with reference to date and time or only sequentially, the individual values of the franking, counter states or counter readings, credit upgrades, tests, manipulation for repair purposes, any exchanging of parts or component groups, with or without data transfer requirement) can always be verified in the apparatus and, therefore, by the owner of the apparatus and are retained.
This advantage is also retained in apparatus having data transfer possibilities when the apparatus has to be exchanged for a replacement apparatus for repair purposes, especially as the service technician has no access to the security card and its data contents (see US-5 509 117). In summary, it is noted once more that the suggested measures offer the authorizing body an uninterrupted, tamper-proof and accordingly 100-percent secure monitoring of the important postage data which includes the entire service history of the apparatus.
Because of the economical checking device and its equally economical assembly, older apparatus can be retrofitted efficiently. As a result of this measure, apparatus which in themselves would still be operational for a long time can be used for an additional number of years. The consequent economic and also environmentally relevant and energy-saving advantage is enormous. Therefore, the claimed retrofitting process also represents a significant invention with respect to economy among others.
As was described above by the example of older apparatus, conventional printing units of a franking machine controlled by a PC can similarly be provided with a retrofitted checking device.
Of course, the protective scope of patent claims 10 and 11 also -extends to such retrofitting and to the installation of checking devices in the PC or other computer printers.
An embodiment example of the invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the diagram. The drawing 1/1 shows the basic wiring circuit configuration of the checking device along with a noncontacting data readout variant. Details and combinations of the electronic and mechanical structures in the apparatus familiar to the person skilled in the art are deliberately omitted for the sake of improved clarity insofar as they do not relate to the construction or operation of the present device according to the invention. In this respect, reference is had to the cited patent documents and the apparatus sold by FRAMA at the time of this patent application.
The checking device has a sensor which responds specifically to the operation of the existing printing unit. When a rotating printing shaft or linearly moving printing stamp is provided, the sensor can operate in a noncontacting manner magnetically, optically, inductively or based on similar principles. The signal-generating element, e.g., a magnet 1 in the present case, is preferably installed in the printing shaft 2 or in the printing cylinder so as to be invisible from the outside. An infrared diode or inductive resistor (coil) may also be similarly installed instead of the magnet. A purely mechanically working, noncontacting signal transmitter would also be possible.
However, the latter has disadvantages compared to the former (including easy detectability). A coil 3, phototransistor, voltage field sensor or the like elements are used in this case as a signal receiver, these elements being arranged within the housing of the checking device or on the surface thereof.
In the case of a thermal printing unit, the sensor can be a temperature-sensitive measuring element or a measuring element that detects temperature by way of other effects. In this case, the heating mechanism of the printing unit acts as a signal transmitter.
In the case of an ink jet printer, the sensor can be a microphonic element which responds to sound. In this case, also, the ink jet itself or the element triggering the ink jet delivers the signal.
In the case of laser printers, the sensors and signal transmitters mentioned above are also conceivable.
Further, the following elements are arranged inside the housing of the checking device: An independent power supply for the checking device, e.g., a long-life battery 4, a counter 5, e.g., a nonresettable electric digital counter of known construction with, for example, 64,000 or 64 million counting units, and a storage element 6, e.g., an EEPROM. A conventional microcontroller 7 connected with the counter assigns additional identification data to the respective counter value, e.g., the event time and/or event date.
The data from the controller 7 are subsequently transferred therefrom by means of a shift register 8, for example, in encoded form, by way of an additional coil 9. The transmission technique shown herein enables a noncontacting data transfer by means of suitable signal receivers in the security card of the franking machine. However, for simple applications, data can also be transferred by means of installed signal lines. Of course, the data transfer can be controlled by the microcontroller or can be triggered externally.
The security card makes use of software programs stored therein to compare the contents of the internal counter 5 of the checking device with the number of printing processes which it determines itself in a known manner. If these independently determined data do not agree or do not fall within an elected interval, the security card blocks all further printing processes immediately or, if desired, after a delay with respect to time or event number.
The microcontroller 7 also checks its own state sequentially or continuously. By means of suitable known sensors, e.g., a current-conducting micro-wire, microphone, magnetic field sensor or the like, the microcontroller 7 detects illicit manipulation performed on it (attempted disassembly, attempted opening and the like), including removal from its original position. These data are stored, also for purposes of the above-described service history, in a nonvolatile or permanent memory 6 and sent to the security card via coil 9. This security card stops the printing unit in the above-described manner as in the case of a discrepancy in the counter readings or failure to recognize the checking device.

g Of course, all of the elements or functional groups described herein can be replaced by others without departing from the protective scope of the patent claims. It is important only that the inventive teaching is adhered to, wherein this teaching consists in that a checking device which is self-sufficiently powered at least over a time period of days, months or years and reacts to any impermissible actions upon it, i.e., those impairing the intended function, delivers its signals, including the total number of printing processes carried out as detected by suitable sensors, to suitable controlling and security elements of the franking machine. For reasons of security only, the exact construction of the circuit and that of the utilized signal receiver and signal transmitter cannot be described herein more fully than has already been done. Several variants will be touched upon in order to demonstrate the wide boundaries within which a person skilled in the art can carry out modifications of the described embodiment form without departing from the framework of the invention:
- A capacitor which charges by means of the magnetic field changing during the rotation of the magnet 1 via coil 3 can be used in place of the battery 4. However, photocells in the interior of the apparatus which deliver their current to an accumulator are also possible.
- The checking device can be installed so as to be concealed in a suitably thick-walled region of the housing of the franking machine, i.e., its housing is partly identical to the franking machine housing.
- The printing detection sensor and, e.g., the controller can be arranged in two different housings and can have separate power supplies. The data transfer between the two housings can be carried out in an optional manner, e.g., optoelectronically.
- The checking device can be attached to the franking machine by riveting, gluing, welding or in a comparable manner. Suitable sensors, e.g., foil strips, can be provided at or in the connection point for position verification or recording of tampering.
- A plurality of counters can be provided in the checking device, e.g., for the sum total and daily total.
- The checking device must periodically be charged by a test signal regardless of whether or not the franking machine is being put to use. If it is not recharged, it will block the franking machine. By means of this step, the post office can check whether or not the machine has been used in the contracted manner.
- When mishandling occurs or attempted fraudulence has been determined, data transfer is rendered impossible or data transfer is coupled with an alarm signal which acts immediately or subsequently.
- Servicing procedures are recorded in memory. They may be signalized in an optional manner, e.g., by security card signals or special signals which are loaded into the apparatus by an auxiliary transmitter.
- The checking device can cooperate with additional elements of the franking machine, e.g., an autonomous locking mechanism (see CH-2333/96) with the objective of increased security.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment form described and illustrated in the Figures. Rather, it comprises all apparatus, equipment and methods in which the teaching of the claims is realized or suggested.
The claims remain subject to subsequent supplementation through portions of the description and/or drawing. It is noted once again that means other than the above-mentioned construction elements and individual elements can be used provided they fulfill the same or a similar purpose. All possible combinations of the individual elements also fall within the scope of protection.

Claims (11)

Claims:

1. Checking device for printing units, characterized in that it has a counting device coupled with a sensor, followed by a data transfer device for transmitting the counter reading or a signal relating thereto, wherein at least the sensor, the counting device and a power supply are arranged in a housing which cannot be opened without leaving detectable evidence of such opening and/or in a housing which is constructed in such a way or possesses means such that the operation of the devices mentioned above is affected at least when an attempt is made to open the housing.

2. Checking device according to patent claim 1, characterized in that at least the counter reading can be interrogated and/or can be set and reset through the housing without direct mechanical or electrical contact.

3. Checking device according to one of patent claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a fastening device which can be used only once is provided in the housing, wherein the housing can be fastened to a carrier or support by means of this fastening device.

4. Checking device according to one of patent claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sensor responds to changes in temperature or in the position of a control element or in a magnetic field or in the intensity of a light source or in the capacitance of a capacitor.

5. Checking device according to one of patent claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has its own comparison device for comparing the counter reading of its counting device with a counter reading external to the housing or means for unidirectional or bidirectional transfer of the counter reading to a comparison device external to the housing.

6. Checking device according to one of patent claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the comparison device sends a signal or resets a signal when the counter reading within the housing is identical to or lies within a predetermined interval from the counter reading external to the housing, wherein the signal or the signal resetting can be delayed as a function of time or depending on the counter reading.

7. Checking device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has storage elements for receiving identification quantities or monitoring quantities, e.g., in the form of a test signal or zero-value charging signal and/or contains means which bring about an irreversible interruption in operation.

8. Printing apparatus with a checking device according to one of patent claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is constructed in such a way that the checking device separately detects and counts every individual printing process in addition to the counting mechanism usually present in the printing apparatus, e.g., in a security card or in a control card.

9. Printing apparatus according to patent claim 8, characterized in that the checking device controls the function of the printing unit directly or with a time delay or depending on the increase in the counter reading.

10. Method for the installation of a checking device according to one of patent claims 1 to 7 in a printing apparatus, characterized in that a signal source is installed in the printing apparatus in such a way that its signal can be detected by the sensor of the checking device and the signal source relays every individual printing process to the sensor.

11. Method for the installation of a checking device according to patent claim 10 in a printing apparatus which does not have its own counter capable of remote interrogation for counting the individual printing processes, characterized in that a counter capable of remote interrogation is installed in the printing apparatus.