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US 5,715,164 AGranted
System and method for communications with postage meters
AssigneeAscom Hasler Mailing Systems, Inc.
InventorsHans-Peter Liechti, deceased, Philipp Merz, Louis Baldisserotto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a communications system, a host computer in a data center communicates with a multiplicity of electronic postage meters via telephone dial-up lines to conduct telemeter setting (TMS) transactions. Through the communications, the host computer may collect statistical data from each meter, and may impose a cumulative postage amount limit, a time limit and/or a piece limit on the meter. To ensure security and data integrity, the communicated data between the meters and the host computer is selectively encrypted and/or authenticated.
Claims88
A postage meter device for printing postage of various values comprising:
- an electro-mechanical element for processing mail items;
- an input for selecting a value of postage for each of said mail items;
- a processing element for defining at least one charge class with a first postage value being an upper bound and a second postage value being a lower bound;
- said processing element associating a subset of said mail items with said at least one charge class based on postage values selected for said subset;
- a counter for determining the number of mail items in said subset;
- a memory buffer for storing statistical data including data representative of the number of said mail items;
- and
- a communications element for directly and electronically transmitting signals representative of said statistical data to an external data center.
5 more elements
A postage meter device for printing postage of various values comprising:
- an electro-mechanical element for processing mail items;
- a communications element for directly receiving at least one signal from an external data center, said signal representative of a piece limit restricting a number of mail items to be processed;
- a memory buffer for storing the piece limit restricting a number of said mail items to be processed;
- and
- a mechanism responsive to the piece limit for stopping the processing of said mail items when said piece limit is reached.
2 more elements
A postage meter device for printing postage comprising:
- an electro-mechanical element for dispensing postage;
- a first memory buffer for providing a pre-selected value as a maximum postage limit up to which cumulative postage dispensed by the meter reaches;
- a second memory buffer for storing a second value higher than said pre-selected value after non-zero postage has been dispensed;
- a communications element for directly receiving at least one signal from an external data center, said signal representative of said second value;
- and
- a processing element for increasing said maximum postage limit from said pre-selected value to said second value.
3 more elements
A communications system comprising:
- a plurality of postage meters for printing postage;
- a data center comprising a communications element for directly communicating to a selected one of said postage meters at least one signal representative of at least a first postage value and a second postage value for defining at least one class in the selected meter, said meter further comprising:
- an electro-mechanical element for processing mail items;
- an input device for selecting postage for said mail items;
- and
- a processing element for associating a subset of said mail items with said at least one class based on postage values selected for said subset;
- a counter for counting the number of items in said subset;
- and
- a memory buffer for storing statistical data reflecting the amount of said mail items processed by said postage meter which are associated with said at least one charge class.
6 more elements
A communications system comprising:
- at least one postage meter for processing mail items;
- and
- a data center comprising:
- a communications element for directly communicating to said postage meter at least one signal representative of at least a time limit restricting a time period during which said mail items are processed by said meter, said meter further comprising a mechanism responsive to said signal for stopping processing of said mail items when said time limit is reached;
- and
- a processing element for determining whether the time limit previously communicated to said meter has been reached;
- whereby when the previous time limit is determined to have been reached, said data center communicates a new time limit directly to said meter by said communications element to disengage the stopping means of said meter to resume processing of said mail items upon a satisfaction of one or more predetermined conditions.
4 more elements
A communications system comprising:
- at least one postage meter for processing mail items with varying amounts of postage;
- and
- a communications element for directly communicating to said at least one postage meter at least one signal representative of a piece limit restricting the number of mail items to be processed thereby, said meter further comprising a mechanism responsive to said limit for stopping processing of said mail items when said limit is reached.
A communications system comprising:
- at least one postage meter for dispensing postage comprising
- a register for storing an available postage amount for dispensation;
- and
- a communications interface for directly transmitting to an external data center at least one signal representative of a request for a postage amount to be added to said available postage amount, the requested postage amount being less than zero;
- and
- a data center comprising
- a communications interface for directly receiving from said at least one postage meter said at least one signal representative of the requested postage amount;
- and
- a processor responsive to the received requested postage amount for refunding to a user of said postage meter an absolute value of the requested postage amount.
6 more elements
A communication system comprising:
- at least one postage meter comprising
- an electro-mechanical element for dispensing postage;
- a memory buffer for providing a pre-selected value as a maximum postage limit up to which cumulative postage dispensed by the meter reaches;
- and
- a communications interface for directly transmitting at least one signal representative of a request for an additional postage amount for dispensation after non-zero postage has been dispensed;
- and
- a data center comprising
- a communications interface for directly receiving from said at least one postage meter said at least one signal representative of the requested additional postage amount
- said communications interface responsive to the requested additional postage amount for directly communicating to said postage meter at least one signal representative of a second value higher than said pre-selected value for causing said maximum postage limit to increase from said pre-selected value to said second value.
6 more elements
A method for use in a postage meter device for printing postage of various values comprising the steps of:
- processing mail items;
- selecting values of postage for said mail items;
- defining at least one charge class with a first postage value being an upper bound and a second postage value being a lower bound;
- associating a subset of said mail items with said at least one charge class based on postage values selected for said subset;
- counting the number of processed mail items associated with said subset;
- and
- storing statistical data reflecting the amount of said mail items processed by said postage meter which are associated with said at least one charge class;
- and
- directly electronically transmitting at least one signal representative of said statistical data to an external data center.
6 more elements
A method for use in a postage meter device for printing postage comprising the steps of:
- processing mail items including the application of postage of varying amounts;
- receiving at least one signal from an external data center, said signal representative of a piece limit restricting a number of mail items to be processed;
- and
- stopping, in response to the received limit, the processing of said mail items when said limit is reached.
1 more element
A method for use in a postage meter device for printing postage comprising the steps of:
- dispensing postage;
- providing a pre-selected value as a maximum postage limit up to which cumulative postage dispensed by the meter reaches;
- directly receiving from an external data center at least one signal representative of a second value higher than said pre-selected value after non-zero postage has been dispensed;
- and
- increasing said maximum postage limit from said pre-selected value to said second value.
2 more elements
A method for use in a communications system including a data center in direct communication with a plurality of postage meters for printing postage, said method comprising the steps of:
- directly communicating to a selected one of said postage meters at least one signal representative of at least a first postage value and a second postage value for defining at least one class in the selected meter;
- storing said first and second postage values;
- processing by the selected postage meter mail items;
- selecting postage for said mail items;
- associating a subset of said mail items with said at least one class based on postage values selected for said subset;
- counting the number of mail items associated with said subset;
- and
- storing statistical data reflecting the amount of said mail items processed by said postage meter which are associated with said at least one charge class.
5 more elements
A method for use in a communications system including at least one postage meter for processing mail items, said method comprising the steps of:
- directly communicating to said postage meter by an external data center at least one signal representative of a time limit restricting a time period during which said mail items are processed by said meter;
- stopping, in response to said limit, processing of said mail items by said postage meter when said time limit is reached;
- determining whether the time limit previously communicated to said meter has been reached;
- and
- when the previous time limit is determined to have been reached, directly communicating a new time limit to said meter to resume processing of said mail items upon a satisfaction of one or more predetermined conditions.
2 more elements
A method for use in a communications system including at least one postage meter for processing mail items with varying postage, said method comprising the steps of:
- directly electronically communicating to said at least one postage meter at least one signal representative of a piece limit restricting a number of mail items to be processed thereby;
- and
- stopping, in response to said piece limit, processing of said mail items when said piece limit is reached.
A method for use in a communications system including at least one postage meter for dispensing postage, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing by said at least one postage meter an available postage amount for dispensation;
- requesting a postage amount to be added to said available postage amount, the requested postage amount being smaller than zero;
- and
- receiving from said at least one postage meter the requested postage amount;
- and
- refunding, in response to the received requested postage amount, to a user of said postage meter an absolute value of the requested postage amount.
3 more elements
A method for use in a communications system including at least one postage meter, said method comprising the steps of:
- dispensing postage by said postage meter;
- providing a pre-selected value as a maximum postage limit up to which cumulative postage dispensed by said postage meter reaches;
- directly communicating to an external data center by said postage meter at least one signal representative of a request for an additional postage amount for dispensation after non-zero postage has been dispensed;
- directly receiving by said data center from said postage meter the requested additional postage amount;
- and
- directly communicating to said postage meter by said data center, in response to the requested additional postage amount, at least one signal representative of a second value higher than said pre-selected value for causing said maximum postage limit to increase from said pre-selected value to said second value.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.