Insertion machine with audit trail and command protocol

A method of monitoring a plurality of operations performed by a machine of the type in which a plurality of feed stations selectively feed documents onto an insert track for inclusion with a group of related documents, said method comprising the steps of:

• establishing an initiation time for a first time base during which said plurality of operations are to be monitored;
• counting, over said first time base, the number of events associated with each of said plurality of operations;
• establishing at least a temporary termination time for said first time base at which said count is at least temporarily terminated;
• and,
• providing an indication of the number of events counted over said first time base with respect to each of said plurality of operations, and wherein said plurality of operations includes a stoppage of said machine.

A method of operating a machine of the type wherein, in accordance with a machine cycle, a plurality of feed stations selectively feed documents onto an insert track for inclusion with a group of documents, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining the number of documents fed from one of said feed stations;
• (b) determining a machine cycle speed at which said machine is operating;
• (c) providing an indication of the determinations made in steps (a) and (b);
• and,
• (d) using said indications in order to adjust said machine cycle speed to a preferred speed.

A method of operatihg a document handling machine of the type in which a plurality of types of processing stations perform processing events in coordinated manner to associate related documents in a group and to at least partially prepare said group of documents for shipment, said plurality of types of processing stations comprising (1) insert processing stations which perform the processing event of feeding documents onto an insert track for inclusion with appropriate groups of documents;

• and (2) a packaging station which performs the processing event of enveloping a group of documents on said insert track into a packaging medium;
• said machine further being of the type in which first data processing means manages the operation of said processing stations, said first data processing means comprising (1) first processor means for executing coded instructions including coded instruction suitable for use in controlling the operation of said processing stations;
• (2) first memory means for storing data and coded instructions;
• and , (3) first I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said first data processing means, said method comprising the steps of:
• providing a data bus in said first memory means, said data bus comprising a number N of data records related to a number of groups of documents movable on said insert track, each data record comprising record elements for storing informational data relative to processing events performable by various ones of said processing stations with respect to the group of documents associated with its data record,
• configuring said instructions executed by said first data processing means to load machine-related output data into an output buffer included in said first memory means;
• loading into said output buffer at a predetermined point in a given machine cycle at least a portion of the informational data included in a record in said data bus then associated with a predetermined physical position on said insert track;
• loading into said output buffer at said predetermined point in said given machine cycle information indicative of whether certain processing stations performed their respective processing event during the given machine cycle;
• providing a second data processing means for processing said machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer of said first data processing means, said second data processing means comprising second processor means for executing coded instructions, second memory means for storing data and coded instructions including coded instructions suitable for processing said machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer of said first data processing means, and second I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said second data processing means;
• using data transmission means to connect said first I/O means and said second I/O means in a manner whereby said machine-related output data in said output buffer of said first data processing means is transmittable to said second data processing means;
• and,
• using said second data processing means to perform arithmetic operations with respect to portions of the machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer and transmitted to said second data processing means over said data transmissions means, said portions of said machine-related output data including (1) informational data included in said record in said data bus then associated with said predetermined physical position on said insert track, and (2) said information indicative of whether certain processing stations performed their respective processing events during said given machine cycle.

A document handling machine comprising:

• insert track means for transporting documents in timed relation to a machine cycle;
• a plurality of types of processing stations which perform processing events in coordinated manner to associate related documents in a group and to at least partially prepare said group of documents for shipment, said plurality of types of processing stations comprising:
• insert processing stations which perform the processing event of feeding documents onto said insert track means for inclusion with appropriate groups of documents;
• and,
• a packaging station which performs the processing event of enveloping a group of documents on said insert track means into a packaging medium;
• first data processing means for managing the operation of said processing stations, said first data processing means comprising first processor means for executing coded instructions including coded instruction suitable for use in controlling the operation of said processing stations, first memory means for storing data and coded instructions, and first I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said first data processing means, said first data processing means being configured to manage the operation of said processing stations by executing said coded instructions and to load machine-related output data into an output buffer included in said first memory means;
• second data processing means for processing said machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer of said first data processing means, said second data processing means comprising second processor means for executing coded instructions, second memory means for storing data and coded instructions including coded instructions suitable for processing said machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer of said first data processing means, and second I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said second data processing means;
• data transmission means for connecting said first I/O means and said second I/O means and whereby said machine-related output data in said output buffer of said first data processing means is transmitted to said second data processing means;
• and,
• indicator means connected to said second data processing means for providing an indication of said machine-related output data.

A document handling machine comprising:

• insert track means for moving groups of documents in timed relation to a machine cycle;
• a plurality of types of processing stations which perform processing events in coordinated manner to associated related documents in a group and to at least partially prepare said group of documents for shipment, said plurality of types of processing stations comprising:
• insert processing stations which perform the processing event of feeding documents onto said insert track means for inclusion with appropriate groups of documents;
• and,
• a packaging station which performs the processing event of enveloping a group of documents on said insert track means into a packaging medium;
• first data processing means for managing the operation of said processing stations of said document handling machine, said first data processing means comprising first processor means for executing coded instructions including coded instructions suitable for use in controlling the operation of said processing stations, first memory means for storing coded instructions and data including downloaded input parameters, and first I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said first data processing means, said data processing means being configured to manage the operation of said processing stations by executing said coded instructions;
• second data processing means for downloading said machine-related input parameters to said first data processing system, said second data processing means comprising second processor means for executing coded instructions, second memory means for storing data and coded instructions, and second I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said second data processing means;
• and,
• data transmission means connecting said first I/O means and said second I/O means whereby said machine-related input parameters are transmitted from said second data processing means to said first data processing means;
• data entry means connected to said second data processing means for entering said machine-related input parameters into said second memory means.

A method of operating a document handling machine of the type in which a plurality of types of processing stations perform processing events in coordinated manner to associate related documents in a group and to at least partially prepare said group of documents for shipment, said plurality of types of processing stations comprising (1) insert processing stations which perform the processing event of feeding documents onto an insert track for inclusion with appropriate groups of documents;

• and (2) a packaging station which performs the processing event of enveloping a group of document on said insert track in a packaging medium;
• said machine further being of the type in which first data processing means manages the operation of said processing stations, said first data processing means comprising (1) first processor means for executing coded instructions including coded instruction suitable for use in controlling the operation of said processing stations;
• (2) first memory means for storing data and coded instructions;
• and (3) first I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said first data processing means, said method comprising the steps of:
• configuring said instructions executed by said first data processing means to load machine-related output data into an output buffer included in said first memory means;
• providing a second data processing means for processing said machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer of said first data processing means, said second data processing means comprising second processor means for executing coded instructions, second memory means for storing data and coded instruction including coded instructions suitable for processing said machine-related output data loaded into said output buffer of said first data processing means, and second I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said second data processing means;
• using data transmission means to connect said first I/O means and said second I/O means in a manner whereby said machine-related output data in said output buffer of said first data processing means is transmittable to said second data processing means;
• and,
• providing an indication of said machine-related output data on indicator means connected to said second data processing means.

A method of operating a document handling machine of the type in which a plurality of types of processing stations perform procesing events in coordinated manner to associate related documents in a group and to at least partially prepare said group of documents for shipment, said plurality of types of processing stations comprising (1) insert processing stations which perform the processing event of feeding documents onto an insert track for inclusion with appropriate groups of documents;

• and (2) a packaging station which performs the processing event of enveloping a group of documents on said insert track into a packaging medium;
• said machine further being of the type in which first data processing means manages the operation of said processing stations, said first data processing means comprising (1) first processor means for executing coded instructions including coded instruction suitable for use in controlling the operation of said processing stations;
• (2) first memory means for storing data and coded instructions;
• and, (3) first I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said first data processing means, said method comprising the steps of:
• providing second data processing means for downloading machine-related input parameters to said first data processing system, said second data processing means comprising second processor means for executing coded instructions, second memory means for storing data and coded instructions, and second I/O means for facilitating input and output operations with respect to said second data processing means;
• and,
• using data transmission means to connect said first I/O means and said second I/O means whereby said machine-related input parameters are transmittable from said second data processing means to said first data processing means;
• and,
• entering said machine-related input parameters into said second memory means using data entry means connected to said second data processing means.