CA2003141A1 - Apparatus and method for the processing of mail - Google Patents

Apparatus and method for the processing of mail

Info

Publication number
CA2003141A1
CA2003141A1 CA2003141A CA2003141A CA2003141A1 CA 2003141 A1 CA2003141 A1 CA 2003141A1 CA 2003141 A CA2003141 A CA 2003141A CA 2003141 A CA2003141 A CA 2003141A CA 2003141 A1 CA2003141 A1 CA 2003141A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
mail
postage
postage meter
batch
devices
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA2003141A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2003141C (en
Inventor
Ronald P. Sansone
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of CA2003141A1 publication Critical patent/CA2003141A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2003141C publication Critical patent/CA2003141C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
    • G07B17/0008—Communication details outside or between apparatus
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
    • G07B17/0008—Communication details outside or between apparatus
    • G07B2017/00153—Communication details outside or between apparatus for sending information
    • G07B2017/00177—Communication details outside or between apparatus for sending information from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00241—Modular design
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G07B2017/00322—Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00733—Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00741—Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system using specific cryptographic algorithms or functions
    • G07B2017/0075—Symmetric, secret-key algorithms, e.g. DES, RC2, RC4, IDEA, Skipjack, CAST, AES

Abstract

A system has been conceived whereby the capability of a postage meter can be expanded through use of an interface device. A device is put into electrical communication with an electronic postage meter, and this device in turn is connected to a number of other devices. The other devices can include a computer, a printer, a scale, and the like, whereby mail may be processed, the postage required to mail such mail pieces accumulated, and the final amount of postage required to mail a batch of mail communicated to the postage meter. The postage meter would then print an indicia either upon a tape or upon a statement sheet thereby providing the required postage for accompaniment with a batch of mail.
CA002003141A 1988-12-13 1989-11-16 Apparatus and method for the processing of mail Expired - Fee Related CA2003141C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US282,713 1988-12-13
US07/282,713 US5257196A (en) 1988-12-13 1988-12-13 Apparatus and method for the processing of mail

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2003141A1 true CA2003141A1 (en) 1990-06-13
CA2003141C CA2003141C (en) 2000-02-22

Family

ID=23082800

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002003141A Expired - Fee Related CA2003141C (en) 1988-12-13 1989-11-16 Apparatus and method for the processing of mail

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5257196A (en)
CA (1) CA2003141C (en)
GB (1) GB2226988B (en)

Families Citing this family (30)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2232121B (en) * 1989-05-30 1993-11-10 Alcatel Business Systems Mail item processing system
US5050078A (en) * 1989-10-03 1991-09-17 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mail processing and accounting system with communication among processing units and data reformatting
US5384886A (en) * 1991-04-01 1995-01-24 Xerox Corporation Process for electronically printing envelopes
FR2685800B1 (en) * 1991-12-31 1997-04-04 Alcatel Satmam SECURE SYSTEM FOR COMPUTER FRANKING OF BATCHES OF ARTICLES.
FR2700043B1 (en) * 1992-12-30 1995-02-10 Neopost Ind Franking machine allowing to memorize a history.
US5666292A (en) * 1994-12-13 1997-09-09 Pitney Bowes Inc. External interface unit having message routing and protocol conversion
US5715164A (en) * 1994-12-14 1998-02-03 Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Ag System and method for communications with postage meters
US5826247A (en) * 1996-04-09 1998-10-20 Pitney Bowes Inc. Closed loop transaction based mail accounting and payment system with carrier payment through a third party initiated by mailing information release
US5918234A (en) * 1995-11-22 1999-06-29 F.M.E. Corporation Method and apparatus for redundant postage accounting data files
US5778066A (en) * 1995-11-22 1998-07-07 F.M.E. Corporation Method and apparatus for authentication of postage accounting reports
US5818724A (en) * 1996-03-20 1998-10-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method of in-line addressing for modular folder inserters
US5881133A (en) * 1996-09-30 1999-03-09 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method for correcting communications errors when communicating with a voice response unit over a cellular telephone network
US5970150A (en) * 1996-12-19 1999-10-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for producing verifiable kiosk receipts and records
US5983264A (en) * 1996-12-23 1999-11-09 Pitney Bowes Inc. Network-based mail piece generation
WO1998057304A1 (en) 1997-06-12 1998-12-17 Pitney Bowes Inc. Virtual postage meter with secure digital signature device
US6546377B1 (en) 1997-06-13 2003-04-08 Pitney Bowes Inc. Virtual postage meter with multiple origins of deposit
US7203666B1 (en) 1997-06-13 2007-04-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Virtual postage metering system
US6567794B1 (en) 1997-06-13 2003-05-20 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method for access control in a virtual postage metering system
US6466921B1 (en) 1997-06-13 2002-10-15 Pitney Bowes Inc. Virtual postage meter with secure digital signature device
US5935221A (en) * 1997-06-30 1999-08-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing Machine disabling a keyboard/display of a resident user interface which has function keys and the keyboard/display if an external user interface is connected
US6233565B1 (en) 1998-02-13 2001-05-15 Saranac Software, Inc. Methods and apparatus for internet based financial transactions with evidence of payment
US6108643A (en) * 1998-05-22 2000-08-22 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for metering permit mail that has an encrypted message affixed to a mail piece
US6188996B1 (en) * 1998-05-22 2001-02-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for metering permit mail
US6125162A (en) * 1998-08-20 2000-09-26 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter having non-Gregorian calendar capability
US7278094B1 (en) 2000-05-03 2007-10-02 R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. Variable text processing for an electronic press
AU7496300A (en) * 1999-09-17 2001-04-17 Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems, Inc. Payment system and method
US7082417B1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2006-07-25 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method of calculating mailroom chargeback cost for incoming mails
US7987119B2 (en) * 2004-01-30 2011-07-26 Neopost Technologies Inventory management for postage supplies
US7745754B2 (en) * 2004-03-17 2010-06-29 Bowe Bell + Howell Company Apparatus, method and program product for processing mail or documents using a mail or document processing device
US8301297B2 (en) * 2009-03-04 2012-10-30 Bell And Howell, Llc System and method for continuous sorting operation in a multiple sorter environment

Family Cites Families (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4097923A (en) * 1975-04-16 1978-06-27 Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Remote postage meter charging system using an advanced microcomputerized postage meter
US4253158A (en) * 1979-03-28 1981-02-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for securing postage printing transactions
US4569022A (en) * 1983-03-07 1986-02-04 Pitney Bowes Inc. Meter selection for drop shipment mailing system
US4511793A (en) * 1983-04-04 1985-04-16 Sylvester Racanelli Mail metering process and machine
US4831555A (en) * 1985-08-06 1989-05-16 Pitney Bowes Inc. Unsecured postage applying system
FR2584557B1 (en) * 1985-07-02 1989-07-28 Smh Alcatel REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR POSTAGE MACHINES
US4713761A (en) * 1985-07-18 1987-12-15 Pitney Bowes, Inc. System for centralized processing of accounting and payment functions
US4787046A (en) * 1985-11-12 1988-11-22 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing system having a capability for one-step postage metering
US4760534A (en) * 1985-12-26 1988-07-26 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing system with postage value transfer and accounting capability
GB8630680D0 (en) * 1985-12-26 1987-02-04 Pitney Bowes Inc Accounting for postage
US4853864A (en) * 1985-12-26 1989-08-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing systems having postal funds management
US4837701A (en) * 1985-12-26 1989-06-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mail processing system with multiple work stations
US4821195A (en) * 1985-12-26 1989-04-11 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and apparatus for sequentially numbering mail pieces
US4858138A (en) * 1986-09-02 1989-08-15 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Secure vault having electronic indicia for a value printing system
US4849884A (en) * 1986-09-05 1989-07-18 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing and accounting system
CA1301334C (en) * 1988-02-08 1992-05-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postal charge accounting system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2226988A (en) 1990-07-18
CA2003141C (en) 2000-02-22
GB2226988B (en) 1992-06-24
US5257196A (en) 1993-10-26
GB8928172D0 (en) 1990-02-14

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed