Method for entering data into a scale

A method for entering data into a scale of a mail processing system, said mail processing system also containing a postage meter machine, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a postage meter machine;
• providing a modemless cable having means for manually entering data into said scale;
• connecting said scale and said postage meter machine via a cable and respective interfaces, and allowing data entry into said scale exclusively by using said cable and said means for manually entering data;
• connecting said scale and said postage meter machine via a cable and respective interfaces;
• initializing said postage meter machine and said scale for permitting said scale to execute routines for calculating postage, for communicating a postage amount to said postage meter machine via said cable in a normal mode, for communicating check data to the postage meter machine via said cable, and for mode switching;
• automatically checking a most recent status of data content stored in said scale after activation of said scale and said postage meter machine by communication, via said cable, of said check data from said scale to said postage meter machine containing information regarding a data modification which is to become effective at a future validity date, and including transmitting said validity date;
• compiling location-specific data for said scale in a memory external to said scale by entering updating data into said external memory;
• and
• updating data internally stored in said scale after mode switching by transmitting said updating data via said cable from said postage meter machine to said scale.

A method for entering data into a scale of a mail processing system, said mail processing system also including a postage meter machine, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a postage meter machine;
• providing a modemless scale having means for manually entering data into said scale;
• interconnecting said scale and said postage meter machine by interfaces and a connecting cable, and allowing data entry into said scale exclusively by using said cable and said means for manually entering data;
• activating said scale and subsequently initializing said scale;
• activating said postage meter machine and subsequently initializing said postage meter machine;
• selecting a mode for operating said scale and said postage meter machine among a plurality of modes including a normal operating mode and an updating mode;
• in said normal operating mode, selecting an interface of said postage meter machine among a plurality of interfaces for preparing a data transmission;
• transmitting data to said postage meter machine from a remote location including, if necessary, an updating requirement and acknowledging said data transmission from said postage meter machine to said remote location, said data, if said update requirement is present, including updated data for modifying existing data in at least one of said scale and postage meter machine;
• switching the mode of said postage meter machine into said updating mode when said updating requirement is identified in said data transmission and transmitting said updated data to said scale from said postage meter machine via said cable if existing data in said scale require modification;
• and
• switching said postage meter machine back to said normal operating mode when said updating requirement is no longer present.

A method for entering data into a scale of a mail processing system, said mail processing system also containing a postage meter machine, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a postage meter machine;
• providing a modemless scale having means for manually entering data into said scale;
• connecting said scale and said postage meter machine via a cable and respective interfaces, and allowing data entry into sad scale exclusively by using said cable and said means for manually entering data;
• initializing said postage meter machine and said scale for permitting said scale to execute routines for calculating postage, for communicating a postage amount to said postage meter machine via said cable in a normal mode, for communicating check data to the postage meter machine via said cable, and for mode switching;
• and
• updating said data stored in said scale via said cable from said postage meter machine by transmitting updating data to said scale from said postage meter machine via said cable upon receipt of an updating instruction supplied from an external memory.

In a mail processing system having a scale and a postage meter machine connected via a connecting cable and interfaces, the improvement comprising an apparatus for entering data into said mail processing system comprising:

• said scale comprising a modemless scale having means for manually entering data into said scale, said cable and said means for manually entering data comprising an exclusive means for entering data into said scale;
• transmission means for storing and transmitting into said postage meter machine said data;
• a permanent memory in which programs for communicating with an external memory are contained;
• a central processing unit in said postage meter machine;
• reception means for communicating with said central processing unit for programming said central processing unit following initialization or activation of said postage meter machine in conformity with at least two predetermined conditions entered into said postage meter machine and stored therein, for loading updating data into a data storage unit of said postage meter machine;
• said central processing unit comprising means for checking check data communicated from said scale to said postage meter machine via said cable to determine whether a mode switch into an updating mode is required;
• said data storage unit containing the control data for controlling transmission of updating data from said postage meter machine to said scale via said cable;
• a processor in said scale connected to security means for preventing unauthorized erasure of data in a memory in said scale, said processor in said scale comprising means for controlling operating software stored in said memory for location-specific initialization of said scale, for communicating calculating postage to said postage meter machine via said cable and for transmitting said check data to said postage meter machine via said cable and for switching said mode and for updating data in said memory.