CA2215451A1 - Modular mailing system - Google Patents

Modular mailing system

Info

Publication number
CA2215451A1
CA2215451A1 CA002215451A CA2215451A CA2215451A1 CA 2215451 A1 CA2215451 A1 CA 2215451A1 CA 002215451 A CA002215451 A CA 002215451A CA 2215451 A CA2215451 A CA 2215451A CA 2215451 A1 CA2215451 A1 CA 2215451A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
printing mechanism
printing
mailpiece
vault
control module
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
CA002215451A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2215451C (en
Inventor
Edward P. Cornell
Jerome E. Jackson
Wallace Kirschner
Richard A. Malin
Edward J. Naclerio
Maria P. Parkos
John H. Steinmetz
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 CA2215451A1 publication Critical patent/CA2215451A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2215451C publication Critical patent/CA2215451C/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
    • G07B17/00733—Cryptography or similar special procedures 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
    • G07B17/00193—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
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00225—Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) 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
    • G07B2017/00233—Housing, e.g. lock or hardened casing
    • 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
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00516—Details of printing apparatus
    • G07B2017/00524—Printheads
    • G07B2017/00532—Inkjet
    • 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
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00959—Cryptographic modules, e.g. a PC encryption board
    • G07B2017/00967—PSD [Postal Security Device] as defined by the USPS [US Postal Service]

Abstract

A mailing system includes a mailing machine having a printing mechanism for printing an indication of postage value on a mailpiece and structure for controlling relative movement between the printing mechanism and the mailpiece to ensure the mailpiece is properly positioned relative to the printing mechanism during printing of the indication of postage value; a meter vault having a securely sealed housing, and apparatus, within the securely sealed housing, for accounting for the printed indication of postage value, wherein the meter vault is removably mounted in the mailing machine for easy removal via a plug-in connector; and a printing mechanism control module for securely controlling printing by the printing mechanism based on data received from the meter vault, the printing mechanism control module being removably mounted in the mailing machine for easy removal via a quick disconnect connector; wherein the meter vault and the printing mechanism control module are in electrical communication via the mailing machine. The mailing system can also include ciphered communications between the vault and the printing mechanism.
CA002215451A 1996-09-30 1997-09-15 Modular mailing system Expired - Fee Related CA2215451C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/724,131 1996-09-30
US08/724,131 US5898785A (en) 1996-09-30 1996-09-30 Modular mailing system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2215451A1 true CA2215451A1 (en) 1998-03-30
CA2215451C CA2215451C (en) 2003-11-25

Family

ID=24909147

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002215451A Expired - Fee Related CA2215451C (en) 1996-09-30 1997-09-15 Modular mailing system

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5898785A (en)
EP (1) EP0833280A3 (en)
CA (1) CA2215451C (en)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6144950A (en) * 1998-02-27 2000-11-07 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage printing system including prevention of tampering with print data sent from a postage meter to a printer
US6427139B1 (en) * 1999-12-30 2002-07-30 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method for requesting and refunding postage utilizing an indicium printed on a mailpiece
WO2001084435A1 (en) * 2000-04-28 2001-11-08 Sheldon Margolis Apparatus for converting an envelope feeding machine into an internet connected postage machine
US20020178130A1 (en) † 2001-02-23 2002-11-28 Christian Moy Letter flow control
US20020169728A1 (en) * 2001-02-23 2002-11-14 Christian Moy Modular franking system
US20020133471A1 (en) * 2001-02-23 2002-09-19 Fetneh Eskandari Configuration enablement of franking system
US7769700B1 (en) * 2002-08-15 2010-08-03 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and apparatus for transferring post meter data
US6692168B1 (en) * 2003-04-15 2004-02-17 Pitney Bowes Inc Method and system for secure printing of images
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 (23)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5007083A (en) * 1981-03-17 1991-04-09 Constant James N Secure computer
US4775246A (en) * 1985-04-17 1988-10-04 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for detecting unaccounted for printing in a value printing system
US4835713A (en) * 1985-08-06 1989-05-30 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter with coded graphic information in the indicia
US4802218A (en) * 1986-11-26 1989-01-31 Wright Technologies, L.P. Automated transaction system
US4858138A (en) * 1986-09-02 1989-08-15 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Secure vault having electronic indicia for a value printing system
US4813912A (en) * 1986-09-02 1989-03-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Secured printer for a value printing system
US4864618A (en) * 1986-11-26 1989-09-05 Wright Technologies, L.P. Automated transaction system with modular printhead having print authentication feature
US4900903A (en) * 1986-11-26 1990-02-13 Wright Technologies, L.P. Automated transaction system with insertable cards for transferring account data
CA1301335C (en) * 1988-02-08 1992-05-19 Robert K.T. Chen Postage meter value card system
US4908502A (en) * 1988-02-08 1990-03-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Fault tolerant smart card
US4949381A (en) * 1988-09-19 1990-08-14 Pitney Bowes Inc. Electronic indicia in bit-mapped form
GB8908391D0 (en) * 1989-04-13 1989-06-01 Alcatel Business Systems Detachable meter module
US5189700A (en) * 1989-07-05 1993-02-23 Blandford Robert R Devices to (1) supply authenticated time and (2) time stamp and authenticate digital documents
FR2655753B1 (en) * 1989-12-08 1992-01-24 Alcatel Satmam POSTAGE MACHINE WITH REMOVABLE POSTAGE.
EP0605618A4 (en) * 1991-09-23 1998-05-13 Microsystems Z Enhanced security system for computing devices.
US5544579A (en) * 1992-12-17 1996-08-13 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing machine including overrideable sheet length discriminating structure
GB9401789D0 (en) * 1994-01-31 1994-03-23 Neopost Ltd Franking machine
US5535279A (en) * 1994-12-15 1996-07-09 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage accounting system including means for transmitting a bit-mapped image of variable information for driving an external printer
US5583779A (en) * 1994-12-22 1996-12-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method for preventing monitoring of data remotely sent from a metering accounting vault to digital printer
US5467709A (en) * 1994-12-22 1995-11-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing machine utilizing ink jet printer
US5583970A (en) * 1995-02-28 1996-12-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Printer command set for controlling address and postal code printing functions
US5684949A (en) * 1995-10-13 1997-11-04 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for securing operation of a printing module
US5696829A (en) * 1995-11-21 1997-12-09 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Digital postage meter system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US5898785A (en) 1999-04-27
EP0833280A3 (en) 2000-06-28
CA2215451C (en) 2003-11-25
EP0833280A2 (en) 1998-04-01

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed