CA2164361A1 - External Interface Unit Having Message Routing and Protocol Conversion - Google Patents

External Interface Unit Having Message Routing and Protocol Conversion

Info

Publication number
CA2164361A1
CA2164361A1 CA2164361A CA2164361A CA2164361A1 CA 2164361 A1 CA2164361 A1 CA 2164361A1 CA 2164361 A CA2164361 A CA 2164361A CA 2164361 A CA2164361 A CA 2164361A CA 2164361 A1 CA2164361 A1 CA 2164361A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
communication
microcontroller
port
interface unit
principal
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
CA2164361A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2164361C (en
Inventor
Kevin D. Hunter
Perry A. Pierce
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 CA2164361A1 publication Critical patent/CA2164361A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2164361C publication Critical patent/CA2164361C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
    • H04L9/40—Network security protocols
    • 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
    • G07B17/00185—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
    • G07B17/00185—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
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00258—Electronic hardware aspects, e.g. type of circuits used
    • 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

Abstract

An interface apparatus is provided with a number of communication ports for providing a communication interface between a postage meter and a plurality of external devices, such as, a scale and a modem. A principal communications port connectable to the postage meter. A secure communication port is provided for receiving messages on a secure scale using encrypted protocol signals. The interface unit includes an additional number of unsecured ports for communication with unsecured devices such as a modem or an unsecured scale utilizing conventional protocol signals.
The interface further includes a programmable microcontroller in bus communication with a random access memory, a non-volatile memory and a program memory, a first communication bus connecting the principal port to the microcontroller and a second communication bus connecting one or more of the second communication ports to the microcontroller. The microcontroller of the interface unit is programmed to establish a communication link between one of the second communication ports and the principal port pursuant to a communication request signal from the principal port identifying which of the second communication ports for communication.
Conversely, the microcontroller can establish a communication link between the second communication port and the principal communication port pursuant to a communication request from one of the second communication ports. The messages being communicated are comprised of a number of message frames and each of the message frames has a header, one of headers being designated for message frames which are intended to be directed to the interface unit. The interface unit monitors the header portion of each message frame and stripping the message frames from the messages having the designated message frame header for messages intended as instructions for the interface unit. An established communication link can be interrupted when a message having the designated message frame header and message frame instructs the microcontroller to establish communication between the microcontroller and the postage meter through principal port.
CA002164361A 1994-12-13 1995-12-04 External interface unit having message routing and protocol conversion Expired - Fee Related CA2164361C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/357,174 1994-12-13
US08/357,174 US5666292A (en) 1994-12-13 1994-12-13 External interface unit having message routing and protocol conversion

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2164361A1 true CA2164361A1 (en) 1996-06-14
CA2164361C CA2164361C (en) 2000-04-25

Family

ID=23404591

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002164361A Expired - Fee Related CA2164361C (en) 1994-12-13 1995-12-04 External interface unit having message routing and protocol conversion

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US5666292A (en)
EP (1) EP0717539B1 (en)
CA (1) CA2164361C (en)
DE (1) DE69535089T2 (en)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2757653B1 (en) * 1996-12-20 1999-03-12 Sextant Avionique SELF-CONTAINED INPUT AND OUTPUT CONTROLLER
US6076081A (en) * 1997-08-13 2000-06-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Protocol converter with peripheral machine trip capability
US6378012B1 (en) * 1998-10-29 2002-04-23 Edward R. Bass Interface with data transmission mode from weighing scale to one or more peripheral devices and mailing machine tripping mode determined by individual peripheral device protocol
US7171021B2 (en) * 1998-11-20 2007-01-30 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Data processing apparatus and method, and storage medium therefor
DE19925381A1 (en) 1999-06-02 2000-12-07 Francotyp Postalia Gmbh Arrangement for tariff table loading
US6502143B1 (en) * 1999-12-31 2002-12-31 Edward R. Bass Intelligent interface cable assembly and method of providing the same
US7095741B1 (en) * 2000-12-20 2006-08-22 Cisco Technology, Inc. Port isolation for restricting traffic flow on layer 2 switches
US8019696B2 (en) * 2003-12-23 2011-09-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system to protect and track data from multiple meters on a removable storage medium

Family Cites Families (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4675841A (en) * 1974-12-23 1987-06-23 Pitney Bowes Inc. Micro computerized electronic postage meter system
US4422148A (en) * 1979-10-30 1983-12-20 Pitney Bowes Inc. Electronic postage meter having plural computing systems
US4498187A (en) * 1979-10-30 1985-02-05 Pitney Bowes Inc. Electronic postage meter having plural computing systems
US4466079A (en) * 1981-02-17 1984-08-14 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing system peripheral interface with communications formatting memory
US4410962A (en) * 1981-02-17 1983-10-18 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing system interface interconnecting incompatible communication systems
US4410961A (en) * 1981-02-17 1983-10-18 Pitney Bowes Inc. Interface between a processor system and peripheral devices used in a mailing system
US4535421A (en) * 1983-07-05 1985-08-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Universal real time transparent asynchronous serial/echoplex converter
US4807141A (en) * 1985-12-16 1989-02-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter with microprocessor controlled reset inhibiting means
US4831554A (en) * 1986-04-10 1989-05-16 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter message printing system
US4715030A (en) * 1986-08-04 1987-12-22 General Electric Company Local area network bridge
FR2611953B1 (en) * 1987-02-27 1989-05-05 Smh Alcatel ELECTRONIC POSTAGE MACHINE WITH OPERATING MODE SELECTION
US5206812A (en) * 1987-04-03 1993-04-27 Alcatel Business Systems Limited Franking machine
US5200903A (en) * 1987-07-09 1993-04-06 Alcatel Business Systems Ltd. Franking machine
GB8819647D0 (en) * 1988-08-18 1988-09-21 Alcatel Business Systems Franking machine
US5257196A (en) * 1988-12-13 1993-10-26 Pitney Bowes Inc. Apparatus and method for the processing of mail
US5107489A (en) * 1989-10-30 1992-04-21 Brown Paul J Switch and its protocol for making dynamic connections
US5434864A (en) * 1991-01-25 1995-07-18 Digital Equipment Corporation Encapsulation of an address within a forwarded frame in a computer communications system
US5139439A (en) * 1991-07-16 1992-08-18 Veridata Electronics Inc. Portable computer with detachable cartridge type interface device
US5440690A (en) * 1991-12-27 1995-08-08 Digital Equipment Corporation Network adapter for interrupting host computer system in the event the host device driver is in both transmit and receive sleep states
US5309363A (en) * 1992-03-05 1994-05-03 Frank M. Graves Remotely rechargeable postage meter
KR970002707B1 (en) * 1992-08-31 1997-03-08 엘지정보통신 주식회사 Frame striping method and circuit of fddi bridge system
US5515376A (en) * 1993-07-19 1996-05-07 Alantec, Inc. Communication apparatus and methods

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69535089T2 (en) 2007-01-11
DE69535089D1 (en) 2006-08-10
EP0717539A3 (en) 1998-04-08
CA2164361C (en) 2000-04-25
EP0717539A2 (en) 1996-06-19
US5666292A (en) 1997-09-09
EP0717539B1 (en) 2006-06-28

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA2315722A1 (en) A method for packet authentication in the presence of network address translations and protocol conversions
CA2289217A1 (en) Method and apparatus for multipoint trunking
CA2112885A1 (en) Multi-Protocol Packet Switching Network
CA2045960A1 (en) Generic encryption technique for communication networks
US7023863B1 (en) Apparatus and method for processing encrypted packets in a computer network device
CA2264098A1 (en) Multimedia information communication system
CA2039786A1 (en) Ring communication system
CA2092496A1 (en) System for extending network resources to remote networks
JPH06268689A (en) Communication system between lan
CA2293419A1 (en) Architecture for virtual private networks
WO2002082782A3 (en) System and method for intercepting telecommunications
CA2309931A1 (en) Method for processing data to be transmitted over common channel
CA2327309A1 (en) Data communication system and method
CA2094097A1 (en) Multi-equipment routing method and master station for layered protocol communication network system
CA2164361A1 (en) External Interface Unit Having Message Routing and Protocol Conversion
AU4785099A (en) Method for the control of communication and communications system
JPH07235939A (en) Traffic scattering device/method, and repeating installation and terminal equipment
IL138376A (en) Techniques for protection of data communication networks
WO1998052326A3 (en) A method for packet switched data transmission
CA2231695A1 (en) Node device and scheme for sharing common virtual connection identifier between end-nodes
AU1100299A (en) Method of and apparatus for detecting and controlling direction of transmission of bus packets within an ieee 1394 serial bus node
SG42923A1 (en) A packet switching architecture providing encryption across packets
WO2000019617A3 (en) Performing digital subscriber line (dsl) modem communication over an ac link bus
CA2310907A1 (en) Creating a spanning tree of a network including clusters
CN106254396A (en) Proprietary protocol information transmission system and method

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed