GB2066735A - Electronic postal meter - Google Patents
Electronic postal meter Download PDFInfo
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- GB2066735A GB2066735A GB8039253A GB8039253A GB2066735A GB 2066735 A GB2066735 A GB 2066735A GB 8039253 A GB8039253 A GB 8039253A GB 8039253 A GB8039253 A GB 8039253A GB 2066735 A GB2066735 A GB 2066735A
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- register
- subroutine
- meter
- error
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F11/00—Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring
- G06F11/07—Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
- G06F11/08—Error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation, e.g. by using checking codes
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00362—Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
- G07B2017/00233—Housing, e.g. lock or hardened casing
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
- G07B2017/00241—Modular design
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
- G07B2017/00322—Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
- G07B2017/00338—Error detection or handling
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
- G07B17/00362—Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
- G07B2017/00427—Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information
Abstract
An electronic postal meter has an electronic accounting system including a memory and connected to control a postage printing device, and also has means for applying data and control signals to the electronic accounting system. Means are provided responsive to determined errors in said signals for storing in said memory the number of said determined errors that have occurred in said signals. Means are also provided responsive to the accumulation of a count of a predetermined number of said errors in said memory and operative to disable further operation of said postal meter.
Description
1 GB 2 066 735 A 1
SPECIFICATION Electronic postal meter
The present invention relates to an electronic postal meter and more particularly to an electronic meter which is highly secure from tampering involving the data processing capabilities of the meter.
Postal meters in use today are, almost universally, mechanical devices in which postage values are set, printed, and accounted for by means of mechanical assemblies such as linkages and registers- Such meters include a mechanical ascending register which provides a record of the amount of postage printed over the life of the meter. The meter also includes a mechanical 80 descending register which provides a record of the amount of postage remaining for use in the meter.
To prevent tampering with the critical functions of such mechanical meters, a number of different mechanical interlocks have been used. Such interlocks prevent a user from printing postage amounts without changing the contents of the ascending and descending registers. Similarly, such interlocks make it nearly impossible for a user, without leaving telltale signs, to reset the descending register himself to "recharge" the postal meter.
Electronic postal meters have been developed.
In such meters, a computer device such as a microprocessor may calculate postage amounts and cause an electrically driven printer to be set to 95 the proper postage amount. All data, including critical accounting data, is stored in electrical format in memory units.
The advantages of electronic postal meters are known. Such meters, having fewer mechanical parts, should last longer and prove more reliable than mechanical meters. Furthermore, electronic postal meters are extremely versatile devices which may perform functions that cannot practically be performed in a purely mechanical meter. For example, an electronic postal meter may include logic circuitry for determining the destination zone of a package given the zip code of the point of origin and the zip code of the point of destination. Moreover, such meters can 110 generally be more readily changed to accommodate changes in the postal regulations or rates. Also,.such meters are generally capable of performing at high speeds, a necessity for high volume mailing operations.
While electronic postal meters have many advantages, they also present certain problems which had already been solved in the widely-used mechanical postal meters. The use of electronics to perform the necessary meter functions renders obsolete many of the mechanical interlocks formerly developed to prevent tampering with the meter contents. Naturally, this increases the risk that a user knowledgeable in the electronic technologies employed in a postal meter may find a way to print postage amounts without these amounts being registered in the descending or ascending registers. Similarly, a knowledgeable and unscrupulous user may attempt to develop a method for "recharging" the meter without the normally necessary payment to the Post Office.
A problem which occurs in most present designs of electronic postal meter is that such meters will not necessarily be disabled upon a malfunction or failure in a particular section or upon the occurrence of certain events. The meter will continue to functioh, albeit perhaps improperly, until instructed to stop. It is particularly important that operation of the meter shall be disabled if more than one, or more than a selected number, of particular errors should occur.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic postal meter having an electronic accounting system connected to control a postage printing device, and means for applying data and control signals to the electronic accounting system, in which the electronic accounting system includes a m emory, means responsive to determined errors in said signals for storing in said memory the number of said determined errors that have occurred in said signals, and means responsive to the accumulation of a count of a predetermined number of said errors in said memory and operative to disable further operation of said postal meter.
Description of the Drawings
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming that which is regarded as the present invention, details of a preferred embodiment of the invention may be more readily ascertained from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the housings for one embodiment of an electronic postal meter system into which the present invention may be incorporated; FIGURE 2 is a basic block diagram of an electronic postal meter incorporating the present invention; FIGURE 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the meter unit of the electronic postal meter system; FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram of a preterred embodiment of a noiserejecting input/output channel linking the meter unit to the controi upb. of the system; FIGURE 5 is a detailed schematic diagram of a preferred circuit for protecting against abnormal variations of a supply voltege; FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a portion of one embodiment of a postage printer for the meter system; FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of selected parts of the mechanism of FIGURE 6; FIGURE 8 is an elevation view taken along lines 8-8 of FIGURE 7; FIGURE 9 is a top view of position encoder plates for a preferred form of postage printer; FIGURE 10 is a detailed schematic diagram of 2 GB 2 066 735 A 2 the interface between the meter unit electronics and the drive motors for one embodiment of postage printer; FIGURE 11 is a detailed schematic diagram of a postage printer setting detector array, including the input connections to the meter section electronic control section; FIGURE 12 is a detailed schematic diagram of an interrupt generator circuit for the electronic control of the meter section; FIGURE 13 is a detailed schematic diagram of a condition-indicating LED display; FIGURE 14 is a representation of the assignment of memory locations in a nonvolatile memory; FIGURE 15 is a representation of the assignment of memory locations in random access memory unit 38; FIGURE 16 is a more detailed representation of the assignment of memory locations for display 85 indicator bits within unit 38; FIGURE 17 is a representation of the assignment of memory locations in random access memory unit 40; FIGURE 18 is a representation of the assignment of memory locations in random access memory unit 42; FIGURE 19 is a more detailed representation of the assignment of memory locations for status character bits within unit 42; FIGURE 20 is a simplified flow chart of the operation of the postal meter system; FIGURES 21-26, taken collectively, comprise a more detailed flow chart of the main program for the postal meter system; FIGURE 27 is a flow chart of a routine for establishing counter loops or, with slight modification, fixed time delays; FIGURES 28-29, taken collectively, comprise a flow chart of an INITS subroutine which resets 105 the postage printer to zero; FIGURE 30 is a flow chart of a TNVM subroutine which cheeks for the presence of error indicators stored in the nonvolatile memory; FIGURE 31 is a flow chart of a TINT subroutine used to test the operation of interrupt photocells; 110 FIGURE 32 is a flow chart of a TPST subroutine which compares the contents of a meter setting register with the contents of the descending register; FIGURE 33 is a flow chart of a READS subroutine for reading printer setting detectors and for checking for detector failure; FIGURE 34 is a flow chart of a CHKSM subroutine which generates error-detecting checksums for stored information; FIGURE 35 is a flow chart of an ERRR subroutine which retrieves error indications stored in nonvolatile memory for use in deciding whether certain subroutines should be called; FIGURE 36 is a flowchart of a DISP subroutine 125 which outputs condition- indicating data from memory to the LED display; FIGURE 37 is a flow chart of a DSKE subroutine which is used to drive the printer to a disabled position; FIGURE 38 is a flow chart of a READR subroutine for reading selected memory registers; FIGURE 39 is a flow chart of a SETZ subroutine which performs preliminary and final operations during setting of the postage printer; FIGURE 40 is a flow chart of a STER subroutine which handles error messages and calls a disabling routine; 75 FIGURES 41-42, taken collectively, comprise a flow chart of a SETS routine used to set the printer to a desired postage; FIGURE 43 is a flow chart of a STEPS subroutine used to control the bank select motor of the printer; FIGURE 44 is a flow chart of a STEPD subroutine used to control the digit select motor of the printer; FIGURE 45 is a CMP subroutine called during setting of the printer to a desired postage value; FIGURE 46 is a flow chart of an ENABL subroutine which controls enabling of the printer; FIGURE 47 is a flow chart of an ENBLE subroutine for driving the printer to an enabled position when there is sufficient postage; FIGURE 48 is a flow chart of an ERR1 subroutine for incrementing cumulative error indicators associated with the setting of the printer; FIGURE 49 is a flow chart of a DISAB routine for calling a printer disabling subroutine and for generating error indicators; FIGURE 50 is a flow chart of a DESLT subroutine called to disable the meter when problems occur during reading or setting; FIGURE 51 is a flow chart of a LOAD/SEND subroutine which provides restricted access to the nonvolatile memory; FIGURE 52 is a flow chart showing a modification of the TNVM subroutine of FIGURE 30; and FIGURE 53 is a flow chart showing a modification of the CHKSM subroutine of FIGURE 34.
Detailed Description
Referring now to FIGURE 1, the meter section of an electronic postal meter system may be a relatively small unit 10 which, in one embodiment, contains electronic circuitry for performing necessary postal calculations for storing critical accounting data and for controlling a postage printer. Meter unit 10 is controlled by a control unit 12 which preferably has a segmented numeral display, backlighted legend panels and a keyboard for entering data and commands into the meter unit. The meter unit 10 rests on a relatively larger base 11 which will, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, include a power supply such as an AC to DC converter circuit for converting 110 volt alternating line voltage to a positive or negative DC voltage suitable as power supply voltage for the logic circuitry contained in meter unit 10. The connections between the AC to DC converter in base 11 and the meter unit 10 can 3 GB 2 066 735 A 3 be conventional, detachable connectors which permit the meter to be removed from the base for servicing. Preferably, a monitored mechanical interlock is used to secure the meter to the base.
When such an interlock is released in order to remove the meter from the base, a signal is generated which can disable the meter (i.e., assure preservation of its contents) before the meter is actually separated from its base. This signal is generated within an event-indicating signal 75 generator circuit described in detail later.
Referring to FIGURE 2, circuitry for the meter unit 10 may be linked to the remote control unit 12 through a communications link consisting of input/output channel 14. The meter unit 10 accepts data and instructions sent to it- through channel 14 from the control unit 12. In turn, the meter unit 10 provides signals to the control unit 12 through channel 14 representing the results of calculations, requests for instructions and error messages.
Control unit 12 may include a keyboard for remotely entering data and instructions into the system and a printer or display for presenting the results of calculations, instruction requests and error messages to an operator. While unit 12 is represented as a single device, the input and output sections of unit 12 obviously could be physically independent units. For example, the output section might be a printer or CRT display while the input sections might be a keyboard terminal. Unit 12 might also be a larger host computer which would control meter unit 10 as one component of a more complex mail-handling system.
A central processor unit 16 in the meter communicates with random access memory 18, output ports 19 associated with the random access memory 18 and with a memory interface unit 20 which generally controls the flow of data and instructions between central processor unit 16, read-only memory 22 and a special purpose, non-volatile random access memory 24. A power supply circuit 100, to be described in detail later, provides power for these and other components.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the components may be commercially-available solid state devices. For example, central processor unit 16, random access memory 18 and read-only memory 22 maybe, respectively, 4040,4002 and 115 4001 chips available in a MCS-40 Micro Computer Set from Intel Corporation of Santa
Claims (6)
1 The subroutine includes preliminary steps (not shown) for selecting which of the three detector- containing columns of the printer setting detector array are to be selected. After the preliminary steps have been carried out the error indicator for the array output is cleared (block 3302) and all inputs from the array are read (block 3304) before any data is shifted into the shift register 28. At this point, the detector array should produce all zeros. If it does not, an error condition is indicated and stored. Then, under the control of the electronic control unit, a binary 1 is shifted (block 3306) to the first stage of the shift register multiplexer. The signals on the outputs of the comparator amplifiers are again read. At this point, the amplifiers should have binary 1 outputs for the reasons stated in the description of Figure 11. If not, all of the signals are binary 1's, an error indication is stored (block 3308) and the shift register 28 is clocked by the single clock pulse. A check is then made at decision block 3310 as to whether the binary 1 is at the preselected stage of the shift register. The clock pulses are repeatedly 100 applied to the shift register until the binary 1 is shifted into the desired stage.
When the binary 1 has been shifted into the desired multiplexer stage, the inputs from the associated detectors are read and stored. After the 105 read operation is complete, the shift register 28 is again clocked and a check made at decision block 3312 to see whether the binary 1 has cleared the last stage of the shift register. The shifting operation is repeated until the shift register is 110 clear, after which the control is returned to the main meter program.
Figure 34 is a full chart of a CHKSM subroutine which is called togenerate new checksums for selected registers in the nonvolatile memory when the contents of those registers have been changed. The starting address of the NVIV1 register to be accessed is set in the calling routine. Once that register hae been selected, a pair of temporary registers are initialized (block 3402) by loading them with zeros. A four bit word from the selected nonvolatile memory register is then read and added to the contents of one of these registers, arbitrarily designated as register R,, Carry bits are accumulated in an adjacent register 125 Ra. During the first cycle of the CHKSM subroutine, there is of course no carry bit. The address register which indicates the nonvolatile memory word being read is incremented and a determination (block 3404) is made as to whether 130 the last word in the register has been read. The decision 3404 is made using a count loop of the type previously discussed. The count loop ir, not expressly illustrated in the CHKSM flow chart.
If the end of the selected NVIV! register has not been reached, the cycle is repeated with a new four bit word being read from memory and added to the previously accumulated words in register Rb. The carry (if any) which results from this step is added to the contents of register R, When the end of the loop is reached, the contents of registers R,, and Rb are written into the checksum locations for the selected NVIV1 register. The high order or carry is written into word 0 of the register while the low order is written into word 1. Control is returned to the main program.
Figure 35 is a flow chart of an ERFIR subroutine called to read error registers in the nonvolatile memory and to set up error indications in an index register of the central processor in a form which permits determination as to whether certain operations or subroutines should be performed or aborted. Error indications are stored in Register 2, words 2-6 of the nonvolatile memory. The first step in the ERRR is to set up the address of the first of these error registers; i.e., the error register containing error codes for the RMRS subroutines. Any error code stored at this location is read (block 3502) and a check is made (block 3504) as to whether the RMRS error exceeds a fixed limit. As was mentioned earlier, the user is given a certain number of opportunities to carry out required steps at the beginning of the RMRS subroutine. If he does enter the correct combination within a certain number of attempts, a zero is written to the most significant bit or bit 8 of a specified index register. If the user fails to enter the correct combination M8n the allowed number of attempts, a 1 is written into the same location. The central processor is instructed (block 3506) to clear the accumulator carry bit as a precaution, since the bit might have been set during the performance of earlier subroutines.
The nonvolatile memory location containing the error flags associated with the initialization process is read and a determination (block 3508) is made as to whether any initialization errors are indicated. If such errors are indicated, the accumulator carry bit is set to 1. If no errors are indicated, the carry bit remains at the zero level. The nonvolatile memory register containing error flags associated with the meter setting subroutine is read and another determination (block 3510) is made as to whether setting errors have been recorded. If so, the carry bit of the accumulator is set to 1. The value of the carry bit is stored (block 3512) in the second most significant bit of the specified index register.
A binary 1 loaded into this location in the specified index register will indicate that an initialization error and/or a setting error has occurred but will not specify exactly which kind of error has occurred. A binary 0 loaded into this location in the specified index register indicates that no errors have been recorded during the 18 execution of either the initialization or meter setting subroutines.
The nonvolatile memory register which stores error codes related to the cumulative number of sequentially occurring setting errors is read (block 3514) and a determination is made (block 3516) as to whether the cumulative number exceeds a predetermined limit. If it has, a binary 1 is written into the second least significant bit of the specified index register. Otherwise, a binary 0 is written into that location in the register. The accumulator carry bit is cleared (block 3518) assuming it was set during the reading of the initialization error flags and setting error flags. The nonvolatile memory register which stores error flags relating to 80 memory or photocell errors is read and a determination made (block 3520) as to whether any errors are indicated. If errors are indicated, the accumulator carry bit is set to one. The carry bit value, whether a 1 or a 0 is stored (block 3522) in the least significant bit position of the index register. Meter control branches back to the main program at this point.
The error-indicating bits which are loaded into the specified index register remain there after the ERRR subroutine is exited. The contents of this register are accessed during the execution of other subroutines.
Figure 36 is a flow chart of a DISP subroutine used to retrieve LED display indicator bits from random access memory 38 and to write those indicators to the outputs of the shift register multiplexer 11, which drives the LED display 13. A specified index register is loaded with the address of the first word (word 1 D) of the display area in random access memory 38. The output port connected to the shift register multiplexer 11 is specified (block 3602) and a four count loop counter is set up.
The first four bit word is read from memory into 105 the accumulator. One bit of this word is written out (block 3604) to shift register multiplexer 11, after which a cheek (block 3606) is made as to whether the count in the loop counter is less than or equal to four. If it is, the count is incremented by one and another bit from the same word is written out to the shift register multiplexer. When the loop count exceeds four, the program branches to block 3608 which determines whether another word in the display area registers and random access memory remains to be read. If another word is to be read, the memory address is incremented before program control returns to block 3602 to repeat the read/write cycle for the newly addressed word. When all three words in the display area of the random access memory have been read out, control is returned to the main program.
Figure 37 is a flow chart of a DS13LE subroutine 60,pjhich is used to disable the printer; i.e., to drive the yoke to a position in which all of the print wheels are mechanically locked up by the troughs on the yoke surface. When control of the meter jumps to the DSBLE subroutine, a disable flag is initially written (block 3702) into SC 1 of register 1 GB 2 066 735 A 18 in random access memory 38.
The last bank setting of the printer is read from SC3 of the same register and a determination is made (block 3704) whether the printer was already sitting in the disabled position when the DS13LE subroutine was called. If the printer was already disabled, a 0 is loaded into a specified index register and control returns to the main program. But, if the printer is not disabled, a jump is made (block 3706) to the STEPS subroutine to drive the printer to the disabled position. Any errors which are noted during the execution of the STEPS subroutine are written (block 3708) into nonvolatile memory before a jump is made to a DESLT subroutine.
The DESLT subroutine is called only when setting problems or photocell reading problems occur. This subroutine is described in more detail with reference to a later figure. If the DESLT subroutine is called, the contents of the error flag index register are loaded into the index register specified earlier in the DS13LE subroutine (block 3710) before control is returned to the main program.
If, however, the STEPS subroutine is called and executed without errors, only a 0 is loaded (block 3712) into the specified index register before control is returned to the main program.
Figure 38 is a flow chart of a READR subroutine which gives a user unrestricted access to certain registers in the nonvolatile and volatile memories. The register to be read is specified in the data message block in register 0 of memory 38. The first data word (word 03) in this register is read (block 3802) to specify the memory location to be accessed by the user. A check is made (block 3804) to determine whether the user has specified a location within the nonvolatile memory. If a memory location other than the nonvolatile memory is specified, a further check (block 3806) is made as to whether the specified register is undefined; i.e., whether it is a register other than the meter setting register. If the block 3806 indicates the meter setting register is specified, that register is read and the contents written into an output area from which they can be sent to the control unit. After the register is read and written out, control is returned to the main program. But if the check 3806 determines that the register sought to be accessed is undefined, control is returned immediately to the main program.
If the earlier check 3804 shows that a register within nonvolatile memory has been specified, the first location in the specified area is read (block 3808) before a counter loop is set up. The specified register is read (block 3810) and written into a specified output area. The addresses for the registers to be read and for the output area into which the data is to be written are incremented and a check 3812 is made as to whether the end of the specified register has been reached. If it has not, program control is returned to block 3810. If it has, control is returned to the main program.
Figure 39 is a flow chart of a SETZ subroutine X i 19 GB 2 066 735 A 19 which is used to set the printer to a specified postage amount. The first operation in the subroutine (block 3902) is a jump to the ERFIR subroutine described previously to permit any error flags stored in nonvolatile memory to be retrieved and loaded into a specified index register. If any flags are detected after the return from the ERRR subroutine, a "70" error message is generated (block 3904) and a direct jump is made (block 3906) to an error writing STER subroutine. But if no error flags are detected, a cheek is made as to whether the BCD ropresentations of the postage to be set are within limits; i.e. 0-9. If a postage value is found to fall outside the limits, a -60- error message is generated (block 3908) and a direct jump made to the STER subroutine. If the postage values are within limits, the NT13S register is read (block 3910). The SETS subroutine, described in more detail later, is called in operation 3912 to set the printer mechanism to the postage values specified in the NTBS register. If any errors are noted during the execution of the SETS subroutine, a direct jump is made to the STER subroutine. If no errors are noted, a decision (block 3914) is made as to whether the message has an enable bit. If the message lacks an enable bit, a jump is made to an ERR3 subroutine (block 3916) zo reset the cumulative set error indicator and to generate a new NVIV1 checksum. After that, control is 95 returned to the main program.
If, however, the message has the enable bit, a jump is made (block 3918) to an ENBLE subroutine to enable the meter, assuming there is sufficient postage remaining in the descending 100 register to actually print the specified postage.
After execution of the ENBL subroutine, a decision 3920 is made as to whether the meter was actually enabled. If it was not, a disabled flag is written (block 3922) into random access memory. 105 The status of the descending register (whether less than $100.00 and/or less than the meter setting register) is loaded into memory (block 3924) before a jump is made to block 3916. 45 If the decision block 3920 shows the meter was actually enabled as requested, a check 3926 is made as to whether any errors occurred in the enabling process. If they did, a "50" error message is generated before control is jumped to the STER subroutine. If there were no errors during the enabling, control branches to the block 3916 which ultimately returns control to the main program.
Figure 40 is a flow chart of the STER subroutine which can be called at several points during the execution of the meter setting or SETZ subroutine.
When the STER subroutine is called, a specific error message has already been loaded into the accumulator. The first operation in the STER subroutine (block 4002) is to write this error 125 message into a specified word of the data message register of memory 38. A hexadecimal A is loaded into the accumulator (block 4004) and the generated error code is added to the accumulator contents. If a decision 4006 shows that the carry bit has been set to 1, this means either that error flags were originally read from the nonvolatile memory at the start of the SETZ subroutine or that the postage values are not within BCD limits. In the event of either type of error, a jump (block 4008) is made to the DSILT subroutine to disable the ' meter. Thereafter, control is jumped (block 4010) to ERR 1 to cause an error message to be written in the nonvolatile memory.
If decision block 4006 shows that no error or that an error code other than a "60- or '70- error code was generated during the execution of the SETZ subroutine, control is returned immediately to the main program.
Figures 41 and 42, taken collectively are a flow chart of the SETS subroutine which is called during execution of the SETZ subroutine to actually set the printer to the postage values specified in the NT13S register.
The first operation in the SETS subroutine is a jump to the DSBLE subroutine described previously to initially disable the printer. Any error code associated with the execution of the DSBLE subroutine is loaded into the accumulator and a decision 4102 is made as to whether the accumulator contents are equal to zero. A nonzero accumulator indicates that an error has occurred during the execution of the DSBLE subroutine. Under such conditions, control is returned to the main program with a 1 being loaded into the accumulator. If no errors occur during execution of the DS13LE subroutine, the addresses of the NTBS register and MSR register are loaded (block 4104) into a specified index register and jump block 4106 is made to a CMP subroutine, to be described in more detail later. Basically, the CMP subroutine compares the contents of the two registers and provide the data which indicates how far and in which direction each of the print wheels of the printer must be moved. If the CMP subroutine shows that no setting is required at a particular bank, a determination is made (block 4108) as to whether all banks have been checked. The digit-by-digit comparisons of the contents of the NT13S register and Meter Setting Register continue through the loop including blocks 4106 and 4108 as long as no setting is required, at least until the end of the loop is reached. If the end of the loop is reached without any setting being required, control is returned to the main program (block 4202) with a 0 being loaded into the accumulator.
If the comparison of the NTBS and MSR registers for particular banks show that setting is required, control jumps to the STEPS subroutine (block 4110) to drive the main gear into engagement with the spur gear for the particular bank. The STEPS subroutine is described in more detail with reference to a later figure. After execution of the STEPS subroutine, a decision 4112 is made as to whether any errors have occurred. If errors have occurred, an error code is loaded into a specified index register, control is returned to the main program (block 4114) and a GB 2 066 735 A 20 2 is loaded into the accumulator. If no errors occur during the execution of the STEP subroutine, another decision 4116 is made as to whether the printer yoke has been driven to the last bank to be set. If it has not, the loop beginning with block 4110 and ending with block 4116 is repeated until the printer reaches the last bank to be set.
At that point, the motor direction indicator for the banks select motor is reversed (block 4118) and control jumps to the STEPD subroutine (block 4204) to actually set the print wheels to the desired digit. This subroutine is described in more detail later. Errors, if any, occurring during execution of the STEP subroutine are loaded into a specified index register before control returns (block 4206) to the main program. When control is returned to the main program under these conditions, a 3 is loaded into the accumulator.
Each execution of the STEPID subroutine causes 20. the print wheel to be moved from one digit to the adjacent digit. Therefore, the STEP subroutine must be repeated as many times as is necessary to alter the print wheel position from the original position to the position specified in the NTBS register. When the STEPID subroutine has been repeated the necessary number of times, program control branches to the STEPS subroutine (block 4208) which drives the printer yoke to the next less significant digit position. Errors, if any, occurring during the execution of the STEPS 95 subroutine are loaded (block 4210) into a specified index register. Program control returns to the main program (block 4212) with a 4 being loaded into the accumulator.
If no errors occur during the execution of the STEPS subroutine, a decision 4216 is made as to whether all banks of the printer have been set. If not all banks of the printer have been set, program control jumps (block 4218) to the CMP subroutine to determine whether the currently selected bank needs setting. If it does, the subroutine is repeated beginning with block 4204. If the currently selected bank does not need setting, control is returned to block 4208 to select the next lower bank. When the decision block 4216 shows that the last bank has been set or at least has been checked to determine whether setting is required, program control is returned to the main program with a zero being loaded into the accumulator.
When the SETS subroutine is exited, the contents of the specified index register identify any error which has occurred.
FIGURE 43 is a flow chart of the STEPS subroutine for controlling the bank select motor in the printer. The first step 4302 in this subroutine is energization of the bank select motor, which drives the yoke and main gear between the enabled position, the disabled position and the various banks of print wheels. Error indicators are cleared and the bank bit pattern for an adjacent bank to which the yoke is to be driven is written out in a step 4304. To give the motor time to respond, a delay loop 4306 is incorporated into the routine. A check 4308 is then made to determine whether against the force of a spring or other resilient member which normally tends to bias the yoke out of that position. If the bank select motor is acting against the force of the spring, an extra delay 4310 is built into the program.
The first of two error checks is then made. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the yoke position encoder consisting of the parallel plates 206 and 208 and associated optical detectors described with reference to FIGURE 6-8 should read all binary zeros at any intermediate position of the yoke. If a check 4312 inaicates otherwise, an error message is written into an error register in operation 4814. If the readings are zeros, the program goes directly to an end of loop decision 4316. The loop, which begins with block 4304 and ends with block 4316, is repeated for as many motor steps as are necessary to drive the yoke from one bank position to the next. When the necessary number of motor stepping operations have been completed, the yoke position detectors are again read in an operation 4318 to obtain an updated bank reading 4320 which is compared with the anticipated reading for the selected bank in an operation 4322. Any mismatch between the anticipated bank reading and the detected bank reading causes an error message to be written in an operation 4324. At this point, a check 4326 is made as to whether the motor has driven the yoke into the enabled position in which it must be maintained against the force of a biasing spring. If the yoke has been driven into the enabled position, the motor remains energized. If the yoke has been driven to any other position, the bank select motor is turned off in step 4328. Control is then returned to the main program.
The STEPS routine is executed each time the yoke is driven from one bank position to an adjacent bank position.
The routine which controls the print wheel setting motors is the STEP1) routine referred in several places above and described now in detail with reference to FIGURE 44. The print wheel or digit select motor 84 is energized in the initial step 4402 and the error indicators are cleared. A count loop (block 4404) is initialized. This count loop provides an indication of the number of different motor coil energization patterns required in order to drive the print wheel through a half step or halfway to the adjacent digit position. After the count loop is initialized, the signals required to energize the motor coils employing each pattern in sequence are generated in an operation 4406. A programmatic delay 4408 permits the motor time to respond.
After the motor coil pattern has been changed, a check 4410 is made as to whether the necessary number of counts have occurred in the count loop. If less than the anticipated number have occurred, the bit pattern for the next coil energization pattern in the sequence is written in an iterated operation 4406 and the motor driven through another angular increment. The process involving operations 4406,4408 and 4410 is the yoke is being driven into the enabling position 130 repeated until the end of the loop count is sensed.
Y f p 21 An indicator is updated in an operation 4412 to indicate that the print wheel has advanced from a full step or digit position through a half step or midway position. The optical detectors associated with the print wheel setting gears are read (block 4414) and an error check is made to determine whether a gear slot or a gear tooth can be seen. In the half step or midway position, a gear tooth - should always be interposed between the light source and the phototransistor of an optical detec',or. Therefore, the presence of a gear slot in what is believed to be a half step position will cause a half/full step error message to be written (block 4416) into random access memory. A check 4418 is made as to whether the motor is on 80 a full step. If not, the program returns to block 4404 in which the count loop needed to move the motor through a half step is again initialized. If necessary, the motor is driven to another half step by means of the operations 4404 through 4418.
If check 4418 reveals that the motor has been driven to a full step position, the fifth step counter referred to in the description of FIGURES 6-8 is updated by one digit. A check is then made as to whether the extra deep slot on the monitoring wheel 166 is detected when the count in the fifth step counter is other than a multiple of 5. If the extra long slot is aligned with the optical detector 168 while the fifth step counter is other than a multiple of 5, an error condition exists. Conversely, if the extra long slot is not aligned with the optical detector when the fifth step counter does contain a multiple of 5, an error condition also exists. Under either of these conditions, a "fifth step error- bit is written into an error indicator in the operation 4420. The print wheel motor is turned off in an operation 4422 and control is returned to the main program. The main program responds to the error indications generated when the STEPID routine has been called.
The CIVIP subroutine, which is used to determine the number of steps through which a print wheel must be driven from its previous setting to a new setting, is now described in more detail with reference to FIGURE 45. The first step 110 (block 4502) is to read the MSR or Meter Setting Register digit which is the current setting of the print wheel. The NTBS of Next To Be Set digit is subtracted and the accumulator carry is set or cleared to indicate a positive or negative difference. The difference must then be adjusted (block 4505) to indicate the number of actual motor energization changes.
The energization pattern for the coils of the stepping motor which drives the print wheels 120 must be changed more than once in order to span one digit difference. For example, to provide a one digit change in the position of the print wheel might require 16 changes in the motor energization pattern. If the number of pattern changes per digit is 16, and the difference between the previous wheel setting and the desired setting is two digits, the adjustment referred to in block would be 16 X 2 or 32 sequential pattern changes; appendum C may be 130 GB 2 066 735,A 21 consulted for more details.
After the number of required pattern changes is calculated, the meter setting register must be updated (block 4506) to reflect the new setting of the print wheel before control is returned to the main program.
Figure 46 is a flow chart for an ENABL subroutine which provides an entry into and an exit from the subroutine which drives the printer yoke to the enabled position. The first operation of the ENABL subroutine (block 4602) is a jump to the ERRR subroutine which retrieves any error flags stored in nonvolatile memory and writes those flags into index register 6. The accumulator carry bit is set to 1 in operation 4604 befoie the contents of register R6 are read. if R6 equals zero, indicating there are no error flags stored in nonvolatile memory, the accumulated carry bit is reset or cleared to zero in operation 4608. If R6 is not equal to zero, indicating that error flags do exist, operation 4608 is bypassed. In either event, the next operation in the sequence (block 4610) is te load in 8 into the accumulator, followed by a check 4612 as to whether the carry bit equals zero. If it does equal zero, indicating no error flags, a jump is made (block 4614) to an ENBLE subroutine actually emoloyed to drive the printer to its enabled position.
Whether or not check 4612 shows that the carry equals zero, a further check 4616 is made as to whether any errors have arisen either during the execution of the ENBLE subroutine or otherwise. If no errors have occurred, the contents of the error code- containing index register R6 are loaded into the accumulator. If errors have occurred, the accumulator will already be set to 8 because of operation 4610. The accumulator contents are written into an error message location in the data message block of register zero in random access memory 38. Control is returned to tho main program after the write operation.
Figure 47 is a flow chart of the ENBLE subroutine called by the previously described ENABL subroutine to actually drive the printer into its enabled position. The TIPST subroutine is called (block 4702) to determine whether the descending register is less than $100 or less than the meter setting register. Step down and enabled flags are then written into SCO and SC l respectively of register one in random access memory 38. The third status character in that register is read to determine whether the printer is sitting in the enabled position. If it is, index register 6 is loaded with a zero and control is returned (block 4706) to the main program. If the printer is not sitting in the enabled position at the time of check 4704, another decision 4708 is made as to whether the contents of the descending register are greater than or equal to the meter setting register. If the meter setting register shows the greater amount, indicating that there is insufficient postage to print the requested amount, a zero is loaded into index register 6 in operation 47 10. Then, control is returned to the mainprogram with a hexadecimal F being loaded 22 (block 4712) into the accumulator.
If decision block 4708 indicates that the descending register contains sufficient postage, the STEPS subroutine is called (block 4714) to drive the printer into its enabled position. If any errors occur during the execution of the STEPS subroutine, the ERR1 subroutine is called (block 4716) to write error codes into nonvolatile memory. A DESLT subroutine, to be described in more detail later, is called (block 4718) to disable 75 the printer. Control is then returned to the main program. If no errors are detected during the enabling step, control is returned immediately.
The ERR1 subroutine flowcharted in Figure 48 is used to write error messages into nonvolatile memory. The SETZ error word NVIV1 location 24 for the memory assignment shown in Figure 14) is first selected in an operation 4802. A 1 is written into that location. The cumulative SETZ error word, or NVM location 25, is selected and read into central processor. The value is incremented by 1 in operation 4804 and the result written back into nonvolatile memory. A jump 4806 is made to the CHKSM subroutine to generate a new check sum for nonvolatile memory register No. 2. Control is then returned to the main program.
A DISAB subroutine, which is the calling routine for the DS13LE subroutine, is shown in flow chart form in Figure 49. Nonvolatile memory error flags are first read into iridex register 6 by jumping to the ERRR subroutine in operation 4902. A predetermined error code or value is loaded into a specified index register, after which a cheek 4904 is made as to whether index register 6 is equal to 0, meaning there are no error flags stored in nonvolatile memory, the predetermined error code stored in index register 2 is written (block 4906) into the data message block of random access memory 38. But if the contents of index register 6 are not equal to 0, indicating that error flags were 105 stored in the nonvolatile memory, a jump is first made (block 4908) to the DSBLE subroutine to disable the printer. After the predetermined error code has been loaded into memory, control is returned to the main program.
A special subroutine DESLT is called to disable the meter when problems occur during setting or reading of photocells. This subroutine is flowcharted in Figure 50. When the DSLT subroutine is called, register 0 of random access memory 38 is selected (block 5002) and a predetermined error code (hexadecimal/F) is written into SCO of that register. A jump is then made to the STEPS subroutine (block 5004) to step the printer away from the enabled position and control is returned to the main program.
Since meter security requires that the user be kept unaware of the RMRS seed number stored in nonvolatile memory, it is necessary to provide restricted access to that register. The switch 75 at one input to input buffer 76 can be connected by the manufacturer or an authorized serviceman to a minus 15 volt source. When the switch is set this way, the nonvolatile memory registers can be read out or written into using a LOAD/SEND subroutine GB 2 066 735 A 22 described in flow chart form in FIGURE 5 1.
If the LOAD (or write) subroutine is called, the accumulator carry bit is set (block 5102) to 1. If the SEND (or read) subroutine is called, the accumulator carry bit is cleared (block 5104) to 0. The input port connected to switch 75 is read and a decision (block 5106) is made whether the switch is at binary 1; i.e., connected to the minus 15 volt source. If the switch is not at binary 1 when either the LOAD or SEND subroutine is called, an error code/F is loaded (block 5108) into word 5 of register 0 and random access memory 38. In consequent operation 5110, zeros are loaded into the remaining words of the register, after which control is returned to the main program.
If decision block 5106 shows that switch 75 was set to a binary 1 level, the data message register in random access memory 38 is read (block 5112) to determine which NVIV1 locations are to be accessed. An eight count loop is set up and a decision 5114 is made as to whether the LOAD subroutine or the SEND subroutine was called. If the LOAD subroutine was called, the data characters to be loaded into the specified nonvolatile memory location are read from the data message register in operation 5116 and then written into the specified NVIV1 location. The addresses between which data is being transferred and the loop count are incremented in operation 5118 and a check 5120 is made as to whether the end of the count loop has been reached. If it has not, program control returns to block 5114.
When block 5114 indicates that the SEND subroutine, rather than the LOAD subroutine was called, the specified nonvolatile memory registers are read in operation 5122 and then written into the data message registdr of random access memory 38. The addresses and loop counter are incremented in operation 5118 whether the LOAD subroutine or the SEND subroutine was called.
When decision block 5120 shows that the end of the count loop has been reached, control branches back to the main program.
The system described above was developed specifically to control a mechanical postage printer since such a printer already has received the necessary Governmental approvals to permit commercial use. A considerable amount of hardware and software is required to service this mechanical printer. For example, the printer setting elements 26 and the printer setting detector array 30 are needed in the hardware primarily to service the mechanical printer. Similarly, subroutines such as [NITS, DSBLE, SETZ, SETS, STEPS, STEPD, and others are dedicated almost exclusively to servicing the mechanical aspects of the printer operation. It is certainly considered to be within the scope of the present invention to use the hardware and software to control nonmechanical printers such as inkjet printers, dot-matrix printers and other such printers.
Although the RMRS subroutine has been ip J 23 GB 2 066 735 A 23 referred to in a number of places throughout the specification and drawings, the details of the subroutine and supporting subroutines have not been included herewith as these are auxiliary to the present invention. Moreover, the security of postal meters manufactured by the present applicant would be unnecessarily jeopardized by providing detailed flow charts and descriptions of the RMRS subroutine.
In general terms, a RMRS subroutine permits a user to re-fund the meter himself while his account at a funding center is debited by the proper amount. U.S. patent 3,792,446 McFiggans et al. described one such system. in accordance with that patent, a user establishes communications with a funding center computer and identifies himself and the meter to be funded. After the funding center verifies the identity of the user, a stored seed number is operated on in accordance with a predetermined algorithm to generate a pseudo-random number. The pseudorandom number is furnished to the user, preferably via a voice answer-back unit.
When the user receives the generated pseudo- random number, he enters it into the meter, which has already operated on a stored seed number in accordance with the same algorithm employed by the funding center computer to generate what should be the same pseudo- random number. If the meter-generated number matches the number entered by the user, indicating the user has properly accessed the funding center computer, the descending register and control sum register of the meter are incremented by a fixed amount.
The user's account at the funding center computer will have already been debited by the fixed amount.
The seed numbers which are stored in the meter and in the funding center computer are altered in the same manner during each funding operation to 105 provide new, pseudo-random seed numbers for the next funding operation.
In the TNVM subroutine of FIGURE 30, a direct comparison was made between the stored checksum and data stored in the nonvolatile memory. In the event that all data have been lost during a shut-down period, then this checking operation would proceed normally. In order to avoid this, in accordance with a modification of the invention, the complement of the checksum may be stored in rows zero and one of the NVIV1 register. This modification is illustrated in the subroutine of FIGURE 52, wherein the generator checksum derived from the register contents is complemented and subtracted from the complemented stored checksum in rows zero and one of the register. If the data in the register has 120 been lost during the shut-down period, this comparison of the complements of the checksum will reveal the error.
The routine in accordance with FIGURE 52 therefore overcomes an additional source of possible error in the system.
In order to implement the routine of FIGURE 52, it is, of course, necessary to complement the stored checksum. This may be effected by the routine illustrated in FIGURE 53, which shows the necessary modification of the routine of FIGURE 34. Thus, before writing R,, and Rb in the NVIV1 checksum location, these values must be complemented. While-FIGURES 52 and 53 illustrate this modification as being software modification, it is, of course, apparent that they may also constitute a part of the hardware of the system in accordance with the invention.
The modification of the routine illustrated in FIGURES 52 and 53 may also be indicated in the attached program printout by the insertion of CMA instructions between program steps 1512 and 1513; 151 A and 151 B; 15E2 and 15E3; and 15E7 and 15E8.
This modification, in accordance with the invention, assures that logic ones and zeros are in each register, so that in the event of total loss of stored data wherein all locations would appear as either zeros or ones, the complemented checksum routine will ensure recognition of the error.
While there has been described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, variations and modifications therein will occur to those skilled in the art once they become acquainted with the basic concepts of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the, appended claims shall be construed to include the disclosed embodiment and obvious variations and modifications thereof.
- In our co-pending Patent Application No.
42183/78 (Publication Serial No. 2008030), filed 27th October 197 8, from which this application is divided, there is included as Appendia A, B, C and D respectively a program printout, an Instruction Set, a Description of Setting Motor Operation, and a Format of messages sent to and from Control Unit 12, all appropriate to one particular central processor unit 16 employed in a meter according to the present invention. This material is not repeated herein, in the interest of brevity.
CLAIMS 1. An electronic postal meter having an electronic accounting system connected to control a postage printing device, and means for applying data and control signals to the electronic accounting system, in which the electronic accounting system includes a memory, means responsive to determined errors in said signals for storing in said memory the number of said determined errors that have occurred in said signals, and means responsive to the accumulation of a count of a predetermined number of said errors in said memory and operative to disable further operation of said postal meter.
2. The meter of claim 1 wherein said memory is a non-volatile memory.
*
3. The meter of claim 1 or 2 wherein said means applying data and control signals comprises a plurality of manually operable keys on said postal meter for applying signals to said 24 GB 2 066 735 A 24 electronic accounting system related to an amount of postage to be printed.
4. The meter of claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising means responsive to determined error conditions for disabling said postal meter even in the absence of the storage of said predetermined number of errors in said memory.
5. A method for controlling an electronic postal meter having an electronic accounting system, a postage printing device and a source of data and control signals coupled to said accounting system, comprising the steps of: detecting error conditions in said signals, storing the number of said detected error conditions that have occurred, and disabling said postal meter when said number reaches a determined value.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising detecting determined further error conditions in said postal meter, and disabling said postal meter in response thereto in the absence of the occurrence of said determined number of first mentioned error conditions.
Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1981. Published by the Patent Office. 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A IlAY, from which copies may be obtained.
4
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US84652677A | 1977-10-28 | 1977-10-28 | |
US05/950,302 US4251874A (en) | 1978-10-16 | 1978-10-16 | Electronic postal meter system |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB2066735A true GB2066735A (en) | 1981-07-15 |
GB2066735B GB2066735B (en) | 1983-07-13 |
Family
ID=27126644
Family Applications (4)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB8039253A Expired GB2066735B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Electronic postal meter |
GB7940874A Expired GB2033627B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Method of error checking contents of a register |
GB8039108A Expired GB2066734B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Electronic postal meter |
GB7842183A Expired GB2008030B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Electronic postal meter system |
Family Applications After (3)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB7940874A Expired GB2033627B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Method of error checking contents of a register |
GB8039108A Expired GB2066734B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Electronic postal meter |
GB7842183A Expired GB2008030B (en) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-10-27 | Electronic postal meter system |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
FR (1) | FR2407536B1 (en) |
GB (4) | GB2066735B (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4500083A (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1985-02-19 | R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company | Collating and binding system and method with postage indication |
US4506329A (en) * | 1982-03-08 | 1985-03-19 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Non-volatile memory serial number lock for electronic postage meter |
US4674052A (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1987-06-16 | R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company | Collating and binding system and method with postage indication |
USRE32690E (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1988-06-07 | R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company | Collating and binding system and method with postage indication |
EP0516403A2 (en) * | 1991-05-29 | 1992-12-02 | Neopost Limited | Method of remote diagnostics for franking machines |
Families Citing this family (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2063160B (en) * | 1979-10-30 | 1984-01-11 | Pitney Bowes Inc | Electronic postage meter |
US4301507A (en) * | 1979-10-30 | 1981-11-17 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Electronic postage meter having plural computing systems |
US4302821A (en) * | 1979-10-30 | 1981-11-24 | Pitney-Bowes, Inc. | Interposer control for electronic postage meter |
AT398649B (en) * | 1979-10-30 | 1995-01-25 | Pitney Bowes Inc | Franking machine control device |
US4310755A (en) * | 1979-12-26 | 1982-01-12 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Electronic postage meter radiant energy device circuit |
IN161526B (en) * | 1983-07-29 | 1987-12-19 | Westinghouse Brake & Signal | |
GB2153165A (en) * | 1984-01-20 | 1985-08-14 | Avx Corp | Connector assembly |
US4760532A (en) * | 1985-12-26 | 1988-07-26 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Mailing system with postage value transfer and accounting capability |
FR2702068B1 (en) * | 1993-02-26 | 1995-06-30 | Secap | Franking machine with additional displays. |
EP0675463B1 (en) * | 1994-03-31 | 2004-09-29 | Secap | Franking machine with additional displays |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
NL293950A (en) * | 1962-06-14 | |||
US3820068A (en) * | 1972-06-29 | 1974-06-25 | Westinghouse Learning Corp | Background reference level system and method for document scanners |
GB1476338A (en) * | 1974-06-07 | 1977-06-10 | Pitney Bowes Inc | Flat bed printer and apparatus including same |
US3978457A (en) * | 1974-12-23 | 1976-08-31 | Pitney-Bowes, Inc. | Microcomputerized electronic postage meter system |
CA1077171A (en) * | 1976-07-14 | 1980-05-06 | Frank T. Check (Jr.) | Electronic postal meter having noise-rejecting input/output channel |
FR2375670A1 (en) * | 1976-12-21 | 1978-07-21 | Vickers Ltd | Electronic franking machine with digital registers - has print unit, postage paid value selector and tote register containing accumulated value and summing device |
-
1978
- 1978-10-27 GB GB8039253A patent/GB2066735B/en not_active Expired
- 1978-10-27 GB GB7940874A patent/GB2033627B/en not_active Expired
- 1978-10-27 GB GB8039108A patent/GB2066734B/en not_active Expired
- 1978-10-27 GB GB7842183A patent/GB2008030B/en not_active Expired
- 1978-10-30 FR FR7830751A patent/FR2407536B1/en not_active Expired
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4506329A (en) * | 1982-03-08 | 1985-03-19 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Non-volatile memory serial number lock for electronic postage meter |
US4500083A (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1985-02-19 | R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company | Collating and binding system and method with postage indication |
US4674052A (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1987-06-16 | R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company | Collating and binding system and method with postage indication |
USRE32690E (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1988-06-07 | R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company | Collating and binding system and method with postage indication |
EP0516403A2 (en) * | 1991-05-29 | 1992-12-02 | Neopost Limited | Method of remote diagnostics for franking machines |
GB2256396A (en) * | 1991-05-29 | 1992-12-09 | Alcatel Business Machines Limi | Monitoring faults in postage meter systems. |
EP0516403A3 (en) * | 1991-05-29 | 1993-10-13 | Neopost Limited | Method of remote diagnostics for franking machines |
GB2256396B (en) * | 1991-05-29 | 1995-03-29 | Alcatel Business Systems | Method of remote diagnostics for franking machines |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2033627B (en) | 1982-08-11 |
GB2066734B (en) | 1982-12-01 |
GB2066734A (en) | 1981-07-15 |
FR2407536B1 (en) | 1989-04-28 |
GB2008030A (en) | 1979-05-31 |
FR2407536A1 (en) | 1979-05-25 |
GB2033627A (en) | 1980-05-21 |
GB2008030B (en) | 1982-06-09 |
GB2066735B (en) | 1983-07-13 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PE20 | Patent expired after termination of 20 years |
Effective date: 19981026 |