EP0962893A1 - Frankiermaschine mit veränderbarer Währung - Google Patents

Frankiermaschine mit veränderbarer Währung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0962893A1
EP0962893A1 EP99401278A EP99401278A EP0962893A1 EP 0962893 A1 EP0962893 A1 EP 0962893A1 EP 99401278 A EP99401278 A EP 99401278A EP 99401278 A EP99401278 A EP 99401278A EP 0962893 A1 EP0962893 A1 EP 0962893A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
memory
franking machine
machine according
postal
change
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99401278A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Patrick Blanluet
Pascal Charropin
Claude Tetard
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.)
Quadient Technologies France SA
Original Assignee
Neopost Technologies SA
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 Neopost Technologies SA filed Critical Neopost Technologies SA
Publication of EP0962893A1 publication Critical patent/EP0962893A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • G07B17/00362—Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00258—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
    • G07B2017/00354—Setting of date
    • 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
    • G07B17/00362—Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
    • G07B2017/00387—Currency calculation, e.g. from DEM to EUR
    • 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
    • G07B17/00362—Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
    • G07B2017/00395—Memory organization

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of mail processing and more particularly that of franking machines. It relates to a franking device allowing printing on an article of mail of a postal imprint, the currency of which can be changed.
  • Franking machines are well known to those skilled in the art. They conventionally include means of accounting and printing means for printing a postal imprint on an article of mail delivered by the franking machine. These printing means may be mechanical of the rotary drum or movable platen type, or still electronic of the inkjet or laser type.
  • the imprint postal services traditionally, include an amount postage which consists of a simple number, in principle to two decimal places, devoid of any currency symbol. So the meaning monetary amount of this amount depends mainly on the nationality of the issuing postal administration. In the United States of America, the amount postage stamp postage is therefore assumed to be expressed in US dollars and, in France, this amount is assumed to be expressed in French francs.
  • the object of the present invention is to remedy this drawback by avoiding a systematic call to the after-sales service and allowing the user to make these modifications yourself.
  • An object of the invention is also to prohibit the operation of any postage meter that does not have been modified (brought into conformity) on the official date of change of unit monetary.
  • a postage meter comprising printing means for printing a postal imprint on an article of mail and at least one processing means, preferably at microprocessor, intended to control the printing means and connected to a clock-calendar to receive a current date and means memory, said at least one processing means being programmed for allow the change of the printing currency of this machine on a specified change date when that change date corresponds to the current date delivered by the calendar clock.
  • the memory means comprise a data memory intended for receive the different postal rates necessary for printing the postal imprint on the mail item.
  • this data memory consists of a non-volatile memory allowing block writes, for example a Flash type memory.
  • These memory means comprise at least a first zone memory to receive the contents of the ascending and descending counters and the unique identification code of the franking machine, a second area memory to receive the definition of the postal imprint and a third memory area to receive the official date of unit change currency and the conversion rate to apply.
  • the second memory area for defining the postal imprint is provided with a blank unwritten zone intended for receive, when changing currency, a copy of the data present in the first memory area containing in particular the value up and down counters.
  • the first memory area is constituted by a first low-capacity memory allowing fast writing with a large number of cycles, for example a ferroelectric RAM (or FRAM).
  • the second memory area is constituted by a second large capacity memory allowing fast reading but writing slow while the third memory area can be formed indifferently in a determined area of the first or second memories.
  • the franking machine according to the invention further comprises a man / machine interface to invite the user, as of said date change, to carry out on his machine the changes of data required for postage according to the new unit monetary.
  • Data change operations can be performed either from a memory card reader or by download from a computer server of the manufacturer or machine dealer.
  • Figure 1 shows an architecture of a franking machine 1 to which applies the present invention.
  • This machine is formed traditionally a base 2 and a secure part (called head 4) enclosed in a sealed box and fixed to this base.
  • Head 4 has in particular the means of posting postage (counters ascending and descending) and the printing means of the postal imprint on a mail item 6.
  • the base 2 comprises in particular at least the means of transport of mail items, means for selecting types or postage values by via a human / machine interface accessible by a user 8, and possibly the means for recharging the uprights postage through a link to a server 10 from the manufacturer or the postage meter dealer.
  • This first server can of course itself be connected to a server 12 of the postal administration certifier of franking machines supplied by the manufacturer or the dealer.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a franking system traditional so-called “closed system”
  • the present invention is perfectly applicable to a so-called modular franking system "Open” in which base and head would no longer be associated in a single module.
  • An example of such a modular system in which the invention can be implemented is given by the patent application French N ° 97 11798 of the plaintiff.
  • the postal imprint 14 comprises at least one stamp postage 14A comprising a postage amount, a postage date 14B and a logo or advertising flame 14C.
  • the printing means may consist of a rotary drum equipped with print wheels for printing numbers or predetermined symbols. However, in the context of the present invention, these printing means are chosen of electronic type and advantageously inkjet.
  • the hardware and software architectures of the franking machines are adapted to allow the change of the unit printing money of this machine.
  • Figure 2 illustrates in more detail the different circuits electronics constituting both the base and the head of the to set free. It is important to note that the circuit layout adopted in this figure cannot in any way be limiting (for example at level of distribution of processing resources, in the base or in the head).
  • the base 2 is organized around a first means processing unit 20, advantageously with microprocessor, with which are associated conventionally different interfaces and memory means.
  • a first interface 22 makes it possible to ensure a connection of this means processing with a keyboard 24 and a second interface 26 allows ensuring a connection with a display screen 28, the screen-keyboard assembly constituting the man / machine interface of the franking machine.
  • a third interface 30 can also be provided to provide a link remotely with an external device (for example the manufacturer server 10 in Figure 1) through a modem 32 and a fourth interface 34 for ensure a connection for example with an external weighing scale 36.
  • interfaces with a means printing of statistical reports or with a means of digitization or again with a means of reading a memory device such as a card smart or specific module of the plaintiff known as "CREDIPAC".
  • the memory means comprise a data memory 38 intended to receive the postal rates necessary for the printing of the postal imprint.
  • This memory is advantageously a non-memory volatile allowing block writes, for example a memory of flash type ..
  • the head 4 comprises around a processing means 40, advantageously with a microprocessor, also memory means and a specific interface 42 for controlling the printing means 44 of the postal imprint 14.
  • a calendar clock 46 is also provided for timing the means of treatment of both the head and the base (without this particular provision is only mandatory as has been said previously).
  • the memory means of the head include a memory of program 48 of non-volatile type (NVM), for example a memory ROM or Flash, and at least three data memory areas 50.
  • a first memory area 50A contains the content of the ascending counters and descendant and the unique identification code of the franking machine
  • a second memory area 50B includes the definition of the fingerprint postal
  • a third memory area 50C includes the official date of change of currency unit and the conversion rate to apply.
  • the first memory area is advantageously formed by a first low capacity memory (a few tens of Kbytes) allowing a fast writing with a large number of cycles (around 100,000 cycles of registrations), such as a ferroelectric RAM (or FRAM) of the company American Ramtron International Corporation.
  • the second memory area is advantageously formed by a second large capacity memory allowing fast reading but slow writing, for example a memory Flash type from the American company Atmel Corporation.
  • the third zone memory is advantageously constituted by a determined area of the first memory or even second memory.
  • the second memory area 50B for defining the postal imprint is provided with a blank unwritten zone intended for receive a copy of the data present in the first memory area 50A containing including the value of the ascending and descending counters (of course in the currency unit in effect before the official change). So with this safeguard of the essential values necessary for holding the franking machine postage accounting, the postal administration is still able to verify the consistency of the conversion in the event of non-conforming modification following this change monetary unit and, more generally, in the event of default at the time of charging, such as a power failure.
  • the postage meter Before changing currency, the postage meter is in a normal operating mode allowing it to achieve, entirely conventionally, any type of postage. Its means of treatment are assets and carry out the various operations necessary for the realization of these postages, like the up-counters updates and descending.
  • a first step 100 which can be optional (indeed, it can be considered simply the display of a warning light). These processing means scan the calendar clock 46 while waiting for the appearance of the official date of change of currency unit stored in the third memory area 50C.
  • the user of the machine is invited by a display on the screen 28, in a next step 102, to carry out on his machine the changes of data necessary to enable postage according to the new currency unit with conversion rate to currency unit current was previously stored in the third memory area 50C.
  • This loading can be carried out by means of any data entry device, but preferably from a reader memory cards or by download from the manufacturer's server or from the dealer 10.
  • the loading of the third zone memory 50C (performed of course beforehand) can also be carried out by memory card or by download or more conventionally be pre-programmed in the factory.
  • a next step 104 it is then checked whether the user whether or not it performs the loading operations requested of it. So much that it does not carry out these operations, the franking machine is blocked (step 106), without the possibility of making new postage, in waiting for an operator response to the requests displayed on the screen. At otherwise, if it performs the requested operations (loading new rates and the new postal imprint), it can then be carried out within next steps in the various operations to allow the conversion different postage data. These steps are preceded a step 108 for saving the data of the first memory area 50A in the unwritten area of the second memory area 50B.
  • the amounts are first converted postage posted in advance for a date after official date of change (this advance booking may generally be at most fifteen days) and in a later step 112 to a conversion of the values of the ascending and descending counters. he note here that this conversion results in a replacement (overwrite by overwriting) of old data (which is no longer therefore available) by the news.
  • the franking machine is operational again and ready to make postage but this time based on the new postal rates and of the new postal imprint previously saved.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
EP99401278A 1998-06-05 1999-05-28 Frankiermaschine mit veränderbarer Währung Withdrawn EP0962893A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9807072A FR2779550B1 (fr) 1998-06-05 1998-06-05 Dispositif d'affranchissement a monnaie convertible
FR9807072 1998-06-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0962893A1 true EP0962893A1 (de) 1999-12-08

Family

ID=9527047

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99401278A Withdrawn EP0962893A1 (de) 1998-06-05 1999-05-28 Frankiermaschine mit veränderbarer Währung

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP0962893A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2779550B1 (de)

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4286325A (en) * 1979-08-27 1981-08-25 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for computing domestic and international postage
DE3711211A1 (de) * 1986-04-04 1987-10-08 Pitney Bowes Inc Frankiermaschine mit nicht-waehrungs-zeichen
EP0336589A2 (de) * 1988-04-06 1989-10-11 W & T Avery Limited Frankiermaschine
US4933849A (en) * 1987-07-16 1990-06-12 Pitney Bowes Security system for use with an indicia printing authorization device
EP0491392A2 (de) * 1990-12-19 1992-06-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Eingebaute Benutzerschnittstelle mit der Auswahl mehrerer Sprachen
EP0889443A2 (de) * 1997-07-04 1999-01-07 Pitney Bowes Limited Frankiermaschine für mehrere Währungen
FR2768828A1 (fr) 1997-09-23 1999-03-26 Neopost Ind Systeme de preparation d'articles de courrier
FR2771838A1 (fr) 1997-11-28 1999-06-04 Nec Corp Procede et circuit de commande de panneau d'affichage a plasma

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4286325A (en) * 1979-08-27 1981-08-25 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for computing domestic and international postage
DE3711211A1 (de) * 1986-04-04 1987-10-08 Pitney Bowes Inc Frankiermaschine mit nicht-waehrungs-zeichen
US4933849A (en) * 1987-07-16 1990-06-12 Pitney Bowes Security system for use with an indicia printing authorization device
EP0336589A2 (de) * 1988-04-06 1989-10-11 W & T Avery Limited Frankiermaschine
EP0491392A2 (de) * 1990-12-19 1992-06-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Eingebaute Benutzerschnittstelle mit der Auswahl mehrerer Sprachen
EP0889443A2 (de) * 1997-07-04 1999-01-07 Pitney Bowes Limited Frankiermaschine für mehrere Währungen
FR2768828A1 (fr) 1997-09-23 1999-03-26 Neopost Ind Systeme de preparation d'articles de courrier
FR2771838A1 (fr) 1997-11-28 1999-06-04 Nec Corp Procede et circuit de commande de panneau d'affichage a plasma

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2779550B1 (fr) 2000-09-08
FR2779550A1 (fr) 1999-12-10

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