EP1377939A1 - Method for franking postal deliveries and a graphical user interface for carrying out said method - Google Patents
Method for franking postal deliveries and a graphical user interface for carrying out said methodInfo
- Publication number
- EP1377939A1 EP1377939A1 EP02727253A EP02727253A EP1377939A1 EP 1377939 A1 EP1377939 A1 EP 1377939A1 EP 02727253 A EP02727253 A EP 02727253A EP 02727253 A EP02727253 A EP 02727253A EP 1377939 A1 EP1377939 A1 EP 1377939A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- franking
- user interface
- screen
- menu
- button
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- 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
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
- G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
- G07B17/00024—Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
- G07B2017/00048—Software architecture
- G07B2017/00056—Client-server
- G07B2017/00064—Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location
-
- 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
- G07B2017/00266—Man-machine interface on the apparatus
- G07B2017/00298—Visual, e.g. screens and their layouts
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method for franking mail items, the franking being controlled by a graphical user interface.
- the invention further relates to a graphical user interface suitable for carrying out the method.
- a graphical user interface for a franking machine is known from European patent application 0 876 840.
- the familiar user interface allows flexible selection of franking functions.
- the graphic representation also contains a clear representation of an intended franking imprint and outside the image of the
- the invention has for its object to further develop a generic method so that it can be carried out even more flexibly.
- this object is achieved in that when a graphical representation of a draft of the franking is selected, a screen menu is opened which contains a
- Another object of the invention is a To further develop the user interface for a franking system with a clear representation of a draft of an imprint of a franking to be generated in such a way that it also enables the most flexible generation of frankings.
- this object is achieved in that the graphic representation is designed, at least in some areas, as a button for selecting franking options.
- This graphical user interface enables a particularly simple and expedient implementation of the method shown.
- the graphical user interface is particularly user-friendly.
- a selection menu with calculation and / or selection options for postage amounts is called up when the button is selected.
- the selection menu to contain predetermined franking amounts.
- buttons for selecting fee amounts in the selection menu are arranged by arranging buttons for selecting fee amounts in the selection menu.
- the selection menu contains a list of possible postal items to be cleared.
- a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the graphic representation of the draft of the imprint of the franking mark to be generated, which is designed at least in regions as a button for selecting the franking options, is embedded in a screen representation of a text document.
- This embodiment of the invention enables a particularly simple and user-friendly integration of the method for generating frankings in an application program.
- the franking function can be selected and method steps can be initiated to generate an imprint of a franking, which may be shown by way of example at first.
- the address fields of text documents as buttons for generating the frankings
- Fig. 1 is a screen representation of a
- Fig. 3 is a screen window with selectable types of shipment.
- Word processing program shows a letter opened by the word processing program, with an indicium in the address field of the letter.
- the franking note shown which is also referred to as franking 10 without any restriction of its meaning, contains several components.
- a component of the postage indicium 10 is a two-dimensional bit pattern 11, the bit pattern 11 containing information which allows the franking mark 10 to be checked for authenticity.
- the draft of an imprint of the postage indicia 10 to be generated is identified in a manner which shows both the user and any third party, in particular a payment assurance agency or an automatic checking unit, that this is not yet a final postage indicium, but a design that serves as a placeholder.
- the draft of the postage indicium contains a reference 12 to the manufacturer of a customer system that controls the generation of the postage indicium, the serial number 12345678 of the producing customer system in plain text, a letter 13 of the mailing company that permits the postage indicium as valid and a recipient address 14. It is particularly useful that the
- Postage indicium 10 contains all the components mentioned, but a selection of individual components is also possible. However, the maximum possible
- Tamper-proof and user-friendliness guaranteed by integrating as many of these components as possible into the franking mark.
- the graphical representation of the postage indicia 10 can be introduced automatically, for example by a special program routine, or manually, for example by using shifting or copying routines of the operating system or a user program, at a desired location, in particular in the address field.
- the entire postage indicium 10 is designed as a button. If the pointer of a position indicator, in particular a computer mouse or a trackball is in the area of the button 10, a special program routine can be started by selecting a special function, in particular by the known so-called “double-clicking”.
- the program routine first opens a first screen menu 15, for example a window in which the types of mailings including the associated franking amounts are shown as buttons 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70.
- buttons 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or to enable the user to design these buttons.
- Such a window 15 is shown by way of example in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 3 another screen menu 75 is shown as a window, which contains the most complete possible list of mail items to be cleared.
- Basic products such as standard letter, compact letter, large letter, maxi letter or postcard, are shown in a first partial window 80. If one of these basic products is selected as the type of shipment, the additional services possible for this purpose appear in a further sub-window 90.
- the respective franking amount is calculated automatically.
- a price of EUR 0.56 is initially displayed, as well as the additional services that are possible, such as throw-in registered mail, cash on delivery and registered mail with return receipt.
- the additional services that supplement the first additional service as a further additional service are automatically displayed.
- the amount payable for the creation of the final postage indicium will be increased accordingly.
- a final franking mark is generated by calling another program routine.
- a printout of the text document is possible both in test mode and with the correct postage indicium inserted.
- the user of the franking system is not charged for printing out a text document with an invalid franking mark, which is specifically identified as a "sample”.
- the final postage indicia can be settled in different ways. For example, by reducing a postage account saved in a customer system or by billing via a separate list.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE20221810U DE20221810U1 (en) | 2001-03-21 | 2002-03-19 | Graphical user interface for freeing postal items |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE10113913 | 2001-03-21 | ||
DE10113913 | 2001-03-21 | ||
PCT/DE2002/000996 WO2002077926A1 (en) | 2001-03-21 | 2002-03-19 | Method for franking postal deliveries and a graphical user interface for carrying out said method |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1377939A1 true EP1377939A1 (en) | 2004-01-07 |
Family
ID=7678487
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP02727253A Withdrawn EP1377939A1 (en) | 2001-03-21 | 2002-03-19 | Method for franking postal deliveries and a graphical user interface for carrying out said method |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20040143557A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1377939A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2004533040A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2002257540B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2438914A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE20221810U1 (en) |
NZ (1) | NZ527711A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002077926A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7747670B2 (en) | 2001-09-17 | 2010-06-29 | United States Postal Service | Customized item cover |
WO2004070620A1 (en) * | 2002-09-04 | 2004-08-19 | United States Postal Services | Digital cancellation mark |
Family Cites Families (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5606507A (en) * | 1994-01-03 | 1997-02-25 | E-Stamp Corporation | System and method for storing, retrieving and automatically printing postage on mail |
US6671813B2 (en) * | 1995-06-07 | 2003-12-30 | Stamps.Com, Inc. | Secure on-line PC postage metering system |
GB9516977D0 (en) * | 1995-08-17 | 1995-10-18 | Dreamware Design & Dev Ltd | Processing apparatus and method and computer software therefor |
JPH1027272A (en) * | 1995-12-19 | 1998-01-27 | Pitney Bowes Inc | Method for certifying transaction and its executing method |
US5978781A (en) * | 1997-05-08 | 1999-11-02 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Digital printing, metering, and recording of other post services on the face of a mail piece |
US6233565B1 (en) * | 1998-02-13 | 2001-05-15 | Saranac Software, Inc. | Methods and apparatus for internet based financial transactions with evidence of payment |
US6282524B1 (en) * | 1998-07-20 | 2001-08-28 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Method and system of printing postage indicia from an envelope design application |
US6141654A (en) * | 1998-12-30 | 2000-10-31 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Postage printing system having subsidized printing of third party messages |
WO2000073963A2 (en) * | 1999-06-01 | 2000-12-07 | Stamps.Com | Online value bearing item printing |
US6655579B1 (en) * | 2000-04-26 | 2003-12-02 | Eastman Kodak Company | Machine readable coded frame for personal postage |
-
2002
- 2002-03-19 JP JP2002575891A patent/JP2004533040A/en active Pending
- 2002-03-19 EP EP02727253A patent/EP1377939A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2002-03-19 WO PCT/DE2002/000996 patent/WO2002077926A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2002-03-19 AU AU2002257540A patent/AU2002257540B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2002-03-19 CA CA002438914A patent/CA2438914A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-03-19 DE DE20221810U patent/DE20221810U1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-03-19 US US10/471,965 patent/US20040143557A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-03-19 NZ NZ527711A patent/NZ527711A/en unknown
Non-Patent Citations (2)
Title |
---|
None * |
See also references of WO02077926A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
NZ527711A (en) | 2006-11-30 |
AU2002257540B2 (en) | 2007-01-25 |
CA2438914A1 (en) | 2002-10-03 |
JP2004533040A (en) | 2004-10-28 |
US20040143557A1 (en) | 2004-07-22 |
WO2002077926A1 (en) | 2002-10-03 |
DE20221810U1 (en) | 2007-12-20 |
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