Loss of funds prevention for postage meters and personal computer meters
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsJohn V. Evans, Al Ewers, David L. Rich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a postage meter, funds are requested from an accounting unit and transferred to a print buffer when a print registration sensor detects a mailpiece at a location that is sufficiently downstream of the printing mechanism in order to enable the meter sufficient time to compose the indicia. A presentation sensor detects the presence of the mailpiece just prior to printing the indicia; and a printing mechanism prints the indicia if the mailpiece is properly aligned with the printing mechanism, or stores the indicia data in a secure register if the mailpiece is not properly aligned with the printing mechanism to enable the operator to obtain a refund.
Claims6
A postage metering system having an accounting unit for deducting the amount of postage used from the amount of postage purchased and a printing mechanism for printing a postal indicia containing postage, the improvement comprising:
- a first sensor that detects a mailpiece at a location upstream of the printing mechanism in order to enable the metering system sufficient time to compose the indicia;
- a second sensor slightly upstream of the printing mechanism so that the second sensor may determine whether or not the mailpiece is properly aligned with the printing mechanism, whereby the printing mechanism will print the indicia if the mailpiece is properly aligned with the printing mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.