EP2131331B1 - Franking method based on the mail category - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of mail processing. In particular, it relates to a method of franking mail items by means of a franking system.

Prior art

Today, the pricing of mail items is based not only on weight and service criteria, but also on the format (thickness, length and width) of mail items shipped. This includes verifying that the three dimensions of an envelope or package are greater than thresholds (eg the "letter", "large letter" and "packet" thresholds of the "Price-in-Proportion" system. Of the regulation of the British postal administration).

Currently, to automatically allocate the tariff adapted to each mail item in a non-homogeneous batch, it is available, upstream of the franking module of a mail processing machine, generally at its power supply module Also called feeder, a device that measures the weight and dimensions of each envelope, and transmits this information to a fare calculator. The weight measurement can also be carried out separately by means of an independent weighing module arranged in the transport path of the envelopes, for example between the feeder and the franking module. An example of such a device is illustrated in the patent US 7,098,410 filed in the name of the plaintiff.

However, the entry-level franking machines do not have such an automatic feeding device that is both complex and expensive, but a simple plate devoid of any measuring device and on which are deposited one by one the mail items to be conveyed to the franking module, which, in order to calculate the appropriate franking amount, requires a prior seizure of the format of each mail item to the user interface of the franking module and therefore limit considerably the franking rate of these entry-level machines.

Object and definition of the invention

The present invention thus aims to provide a method of franking automatically taking into account the measurement of the format (length, width, thickness) of a mail item without the need to resort to complex or expensive systems to perform this measurement. An object of the invention is also to provide a method particularly suitable for franking non-standard mail items.

• chargement par un opérateur d'un article de courrier sur un plateau d'alimentation de ladite machine d'affranchissement,
• détermination automatique de la largeur de l'article de courrier par une pluralité de détecteurs de présence montés sur ledit plateau d'alimentation perpendiculairement à une paroi longitudinale de mise en référence de l'article de courrier,
• estimation de la catégorie de courrier à laquelle appartient l'article de courrier par des moyens de traitement de ladite machine d'affranchissement, à partir de ladite largeur de l'article de courrier,
• calcul par lesdits moyens de traitement d'un montant d'affranchissement initial à appliquer audit article de courrier,
• extraction automatique de l'article de courrier dudit plateau d'alimentation et impression, par des moyens d'impression de ladite machine d'affranchissement, d'une empreinte postale incluant ledit montant d'affranchissement initial,
• détermination de la longueur réelle de l'article de courrier par des moyens de mesure de ladite machine d'affranchissement,
• comparaison par lesdits moyens de traitement de ladite catégorie de courrier estimée préalablement avec une catégorie de courrier déterminée à partir de ladite longueur réelle de l'article de courrier,
• si ces deux catégories de courrier ne sont pas identiques, génération d'un avertissement sonore ou visuel par un avertisseur de ladite machine d'affranchissement,
• calcul par lesdits moyens de traitement d'un montant d'affranchissement corrigé, et,
• impression d'une nouvelle empreinte postale permettant la correction du montant d'affranchissement initial.

These objects are achieved according to the invention by means of a method of franking mail items in a franking machine, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

• loading by an operator of a mail piece on a feed tray of said franking machine,
• automatically determining the width of the mail article by a plurality of presence detectors mounted on said feed tray perpendicular to a longitudinal referencing wall of the mailpiece,
• estimating the category of mail to which the article of mail belongs by means of processing said franking machine, from said width of the article of mail,
• calculating by said processing means an initial postage amount to be applied to said mail item,
• automatic extraction of the mail article from said supply tray and printing, by printing means of said franking machine, a postage stamp including said initial franking amount,
• determining the actual length of the mail piece by means of measuring said franking machine,
• comparison by said processing means of said previously estimated mail category with a mail category determined from said actual length of the mail article,
• if these two categories of mail are not identical, generating an audible or visual warning by an alarm of said franking machine,
• calculation by said processing means of a corrected postage amount, and
• printing of a new postal imprint allowing the correction of the initial franking amount.

Thus, the method of the invention makes it possible, without resorting to complex and therefore expensive format determination means, to automatically calculate the postage amount for standard mailpieces and by a second impression allowing a correction of an amount. initial franking, also the passage of non-standard mail items.

Said extraction step of said mail item can be performed automatically after validation by the operator of the initial postage amount previously displayed on said franking machine and it can be further provided a step of displaying said franking amount corrected on said franking machine.

Advantageously, the method of the invention further comprises, prior to the calculation of the initial postage amount, a step of weighing the mail article by a weighing device and a step of measuring the thickness of the article. mailpiece by a thickness measuring device, this thickness measurement can be continued throughout the advancement of said mail article through said franking machine to determine a maximum thickness of the mail piece.

Preferably, when said maximum value of thickness is greater than a maximum value of thickness for the category of mail considered, it is generated an audible or visual warning by said alarm of said franking machine and a calculation is carried out by said processing means of a postage amount corrected.

According to the embodiment envisaged, it may be provided a step of reloading by the operator of said postage-paid article on said supply tray and printing of said new postal imprint on said mail item is carried out for an amount of franking corresponding to the difference between the the amount of postage corrected and the amount of initial postage incorrect or a step of loading a label and printing of said new stamp on said label is carried out for a postage amount corresponding to the difference between the the amount of postage corrected and the initial postage amount erroneous or simply equal to the amount of postage corrected, said label then being affixed to said postage item containing the initial postage amount erroneous.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective pour différents formats d'articles de courrier d'une machine d'affranchissement mettant en oeuvre le procédé d'affranchissement selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 montre les diverses étapes permettant l'affranchissement d'un article de courrier non standard par la machine de la figure 1, et
• la figure 3 illustre un article de courrier dans un mode de réalisation du procédé de l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given by way of example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view for different sizes of mail items of a franking machine implementing the franking method according to the invention,
• the figure 2 shows the various steps allowing the postage of a non-standard mail item by the machine of the figure 1 , and
• the figure 3 illustrates a mail article in an embodiment of the method of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The figure 1 illustrates in perspective a franking machine implementing the method of franking mail items according to the invention. Conventionally, such a machine intended for one-on-one printing of mailpieces comprises means for printing the postal imprint on the mail article, typically an inkjet printing head, a tray feed 12 provided with a longitudinal reference wall 14 for supplying mail items with these printing means. An external receiving tray (not shown) may be provided to receive the mail items once they are freed by the printing means. Of course, this machine includes a user interface 10A for entering the postal data necessary to determine the amount of postage (weight class, geographical area of destination, services requested, etc.) and secure processing means 10B including, inter alia, the postage accounting data, in particular ascending and descending counters, and the reloading data. It may also include means of connection to a remote server system (not shown) which then makes it a communicating machine including reloading and sending postal statistics.

An external weighing device 16 delivering the weight of the mail article that must then be placed on the tray prior to its franking is also provided. This device is of course in connection with the franking machine to communicate the value of weight thus obtained.

For the implementation, there is provided a thickness measuring device 18 which extends partly on and across the supply tray from the reference wall 14 and which comprises for example a pressing member acting on the upper face of the mail piece and which can move vertically during the advancement of the mail item according to the thickness of this mail piece. Moreover, the feed plate comprises, arranged on the same line perpendicular to the referencing wall 14 of the mail items, several presence detectors 12A-12C each connected to the secure processing means 10B, the respective predetermined positions of these presence detectors relative to this referencing wall being intended, by defining a range of width for a mail item deposited on the feed tray, to determine an estimate of the category of mail to which this article belongs. mail, estimate which will then be confirmed or not by a measure of the actual length of the mail item, as will be described further. These individualized presence detectors can be of any type allowing detection of the article of mail on the board, such as optical, mechanical, ultrasonic sensors, etc.

Thus, in the illustrated example corresponding to a use of the machine according to US regulations, the first sensor 12A, the closest to the referencing wall, disposed at a distance of 88.9 mm from this wall makes it possible to detect a mail item corresponding to the US minimum card format (US postcard), the second sensor 12B, disposed at a distance of 108 mm can detect a mail item corresponding to the US maximum card format (US postcard) and the third sensor 12C disposed at a distance of 155.6 mm can detect a mail item corresponding to the US Letter Maximum.

Of course, these positions corresponding to the width limit values defining a specific category of mail items will differ according to the postal regulations considered. However, it is conceivable to provide positions to make the detectors compatible with two postal regulations at once, such as the American and British posts. More particularly, in a preferred embodiment, these individualized detectors may be replaced by a single light-emitting diode array (not shown) disposed perpendicularly to the referencing wall, in order to allow the machine to be adapted to all the electromagnetic existing postal regulations and thus make the machine more universal.

The franking process is now described with regard to the flowchart of the figure 2 .

The machine being initialized when it is powered up with the applicable postal regulations, the operator can then carry out the franking operations one by one of the mail items in his possession. In a first step 100, the mail item is in principle weighed on the weighing device 16 and the corresponding weight value is sent to the processing means 10B (this step is however not essential if the mailpieces to be processed are all of the same weight) then, in a step 102, the mail piece is loaded (deposited) on the feed tray 12 under the pressure member of the thickness measuring device 18 (which will deliver a first measure the thickness of the processing means 10B) and against the referencing wall 14 so as to cover part of the line of the presence detectors 12A-12C and the operator, in a step 104, enters the geographical code of destination of the mail item and possibly the requested service (as well as the weight if it was not provided automatically by the weighing device).

The receipt of the mail item on the feed tray will, along with this input, start the process of calculating the amount of postage, by determining, in a next step 106, the only width (more exactly a range width) of the mail item given by the state, covered or not, presence detectors. Indeed, in general, the formats of mail items being standardized, it is possible for a given width to estimate the probable length of the mail piece and therefore to deduce, once its known thickness, the category of mail to which a mail item belongs. This is done in a step 108, in which it is proceeded at the level of the processing means 10B to an estimate of the category of mail to which the mail item belongs from the previous evaluation of its width and knowledge of its initial thickness. The franking amount is then calculated automatically, in a step 110, according to this estimate and the postal data entered or determined previously and this computation completed, the mail item is, in a step 112, automatically extracted from the board. supply to start the franking process (printing of the postal stamp) at the level of the printing means 10 (it can however also be envisaged a manual launch of the extraction process by the operator by validating the amount of postage displayed at the user interface of the machine).

The synchronization of the printing process is carried out, as is known, during the entry of the mail item in the franking machine from the detection of the front of this mail piece, for example by a detector conventional lever or optical (not shown), which, in the context of the present invention, also allows, in a step 114, a measurement of the actual length of the mail piece obtained during the passage of the front and the back of the mail item at this detector. This measured actual length of the mail piece can then, in a next step 116, be compared to the length previously estimated from the width of the mail piece and a warning generated by a sound or visual horn of the mailpiece. user interface 10A will then be sent to the operator, in a step 118, when the estimated mail category and the determined effectively will not coincide, thereby signifying to the operator the need for a second printing process of the mail item. It will be noted that this lack of identity of the categories will occur mainly in the presence of non-standard mail items and therefore in practice relatively infrequently. However, since the postal imprint is a monetary value, an incorrect postage amount which causes financial loss or rejection by the postal administration can not be tolerated.

Note also that the device 18 for measuring the thickness of the mail piece generating a value of thickness throughout the advance of the article of mail, it is possible that the maximum thickness of this article of mail is greater than the static value of thickness initially obtained on receipt of the mail piece and that it also results in an erroneous postage amount calculation (which is possible if this variation in thickness causes a change of category of mail). In this case, it will also be generated an audible or visual warning to the operator so that he is also informed of the need for a second printing process of the mail item.

In a step 120, the processing means will then calculate automatically and if possible display to the user interface the postage amount corrected and it will eventually be proposed to the operator is to print a label of this corrected amount, or print a new postal imprint of a postage amount corresponding to the additional postage required to obtain the corrected amount from the erroneous amount initially printed. According to the choice made by the operator, when this choice is given to him (it may indeed be decided to print a label systematically), it will be proceeded in a step 122 to the loading (manually or automatically by means of a distributor of integrated label) of a label and the printing on it of the corrected amount or, in an alternative step 124, the reloading of the mail item and printing next to and preferably at the back of the initial postal impression, as shown in figure 3 , a new postage stamp of the postage supplement calculated. In the case of printing a label, the operator will in a final step 128 paste this label in place of the initial postal imprint which it corrects the amount. Of course, during this second passage, it will not be proceeded to a new weighing or a new measurement of the thickness of the mail piece nor to a new measurement of the actual length thereof.

Thus, by implementing the double printing method of the invention, it is possible with a postage meter machine with very low cost, and therefore without a complex automatic format determination device, to ensure, despite everything, a calculation. Automatic postage amounts regardless of the format of mail items and even with non-standard mail items.

The franking machine implementing the method of the invention is thus particularly suitable for small numbers (a few tens per day) and, because of its simplified and robust structure, it can be implemented in various environments. , not only office, but also industrial or commercial.

Claims (11)

1. A method of franking mailpieces in a franking machine, wherein said method comprises the following steps:

   · loading by an operator a mailpiece on a feed deck (12) of said franking machine;

   · automatically determining the width of the mailpiece by a plurality of presence detectors (12A, 12C) mounted on said feed deck perpendicularly to a longitudinal wall (14) for referencing the mailpiece;

   · estimating the mail category to which the mailpiece belongs by processor means (10B) of said franking machine, on the basis of said width of the mailpiece;

   · computing an initial franking amount to be applied to said mailpiece by said processor means;

   · extracting the mailpiece from said feed deck and printing a postal imprint including said initial franking amount by print means (10) of said franking machine;

   · determining the real length of the mailpiece by length measurement means of said franking machine;

   · comparing by said processor means the previously estimated mail category with a mail category determined on the basis of said real length of the mailpiece;

   · if these two mail categories are not identical, generating an audible or visible alarm by a warning device (10A) of said franking machine;

   · computing by said processor means a corrected franking amount; and

   · printing a new postal imprint making it possible to correct the initial franking amount.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said mailpiece extraction step is performed automatically after the operator has validated the initial franking amount previously displayed on said franking machine.
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a corrected franking amount display step on said franking machine.
4. A method according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises, prior to computation of the initial franking amount, a mailpiece weigh step by a weigh device (16).
5. A method according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises, prior to computation of the initial franking amount, a thickness measurement step by a thickness measurement device (18).
6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that said thickness measurement step is performed throughout the advance of said mailpiece through said franking machine, so as to determine a maximum thickness of the mailpiece.
7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that when said maximum thickness value is greater than a maximum thickness value for the mail category in question, an audible or visible alarm is generated by a warning device of said franking machine, and a corrected franking amount is computed by said processor means.
8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a mailpiece reloading and printing step in which the operator reloads the franked mailpiece onto said feed deck, and said new postal imprint is printed directly on said mailpiece for a franking amount corresponding to the difference between the corrected franking amount and the erroneous initial franking amount.
9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a label loading and printing step and said new postal imprint is printed on said label for a franking amount corresponding to the difference between the corrected franking amount and the erroneous initial franking amount.
10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a label loading and printing step and said new postal imprint is printed on said label for a franking amount corresponding to the corrected franking amount.
11. A method according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a label-sticking step in which said label is stuck on said mailpiece bearing the erroneous initial franking amount.

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