EP1293936A1 - Modulares und universelles System zur Postbehandlung - Google Patents

Modulares und universelles System zur Postbehandlung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1293936A1
EP1293936A1 EP02292128A EP02292128A EP1293936A1 EP 1293936 A1 EP1293936 A1 EP 1293936A1 EP 02292128 A EP02292128 A EP 02292128A EP 02292128 A EP02292128 A EP 02292128A EP 1293936 A1 EP1293936 A1 EP 1293936A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
printing
mail
processing system
control
computer terminal
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
EP02292128A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1293936B1 (de
Inventor
Patrick Blanluet
Thierry Le Jaoudour
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 EP1293936A1 publication Critical patent/EP1293936A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1293936B1 publication Critical patent/EP1293936B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime 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
    • G07B17/00459—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
    • G07B17/00016—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
    • G07B2017/00112—Wireless
    • 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
    • G07B2017/0054—Thermal printhead
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00612—Attaching item on mailpiece
    • G07B2017/0062—Label

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the exclusive field of mail processing and it relates to a processing system of particularly modular mail.
  • Conventional franking machines intended for the postage of mail items are well known. Besides, their ability to postage standard mail items, they usually include a reel-in-tape label feeder (the tape, or ribbon, bearing the labels is a consumable) allowing printing on a label instead of printing direct on the mail item.
  • the course of the label strip is most often controlled, through a kinematics with gables, pulleys and belts for example, by the engine of the machine to overcome. This label printing thus allows postage packages, parcels and other rolls or large envelopes which because of their size, could not pass through a conventional franking machine.
  • the present invention therefore relates to such a modular system of mail processing, each module being of simple design and easily integrated into the entire system.
  • An object of the invention is also to offer a postage stamped distributor part of this modular mail processing system.
  • the remote control of the dispenser makes it possible to have a more user-friendly and expanded user interface allowing for more features including commands from other devices postage.
  • This system may further comprise a franking machine for the printing of postal impressions on standard mail items, the control of the printing being carried out remotely from the computer control terminal and an electronic scale to determine beforehand the weight of mail items in front of then be printed, the order of this balance being made also remotely from the control computer terminal.
  • a franking machine for the printing of postal impressions on standard mail items, the control of the printing being carried out remotely from the computer control terminal and an electronic scale to determine beforehand the weight of mail items in front of then be printed, the order of this balance being made also remotely from the control computer terminal.
  • it also comprises a standard printer for the printing of receipts or receipts, the order for the printing being carried out remotely from the computer terminal of ordered.
  • the remote control from the computer terminal is carried out by short radio link distance, preferably bluetooth type or the like.
  • it then preferably comprises a radio station module of basis connected to a telecommunications network to implement communication the control terminal with a computer server remote through this telecommunications network.
  • the franking machine and the dispenser postage-paid labels include means of accounting for presenting in the form of a standardized removable module that can be disposed indifferently in one or the other franking device, this standardized accounting module that can integrate the said short distance radio interface.
  • Figure 1 shows a mail processing system for be implemented in a mail room 10 of a company or a administration and qualified as "universal" because of its particular modularity.
  • This system is organized around independent modules each fulfilling a unique specific function and, therefore, can each benefit from a very simple design. It has everything first a postage meter 12 reduced to the single function franking of standard mail items to the exclusion of any other function of printing labels or weighing these items of mail usually presents in a traditional machine.
  • This particularly simple franking machine thus comprises only means of supplying mail items, means of transportation of these mail items and means of printing a postage stamp on these mail items. It is therefore devoid of any label dispenser and any weighing module. It does not have not an advanced user interface (keyboard plus screen for example), the control of its functions being carried out externally as it will be explained further.
  • This universal system then comprises an electronic scale 14 intended to cooperate with the franking machine 12 by determining the weight of each of the standard mail items to be franked by this machine. But, this scale is also intended to cooperate with a stamped label dispenser 16 which issues labels stamped for non-mail items standards (packages, parcels, rolls, thick envelopes).
  • This distributor is also of particularly simple structure with means supply of tape labels, means of training this tape and means of printing a postage stamp on a part debited from the band. It is therefore devoid of a weighing module while as an advanced user interface. Like the franking machine previous, the control of its functions is carried out so external.
  • this universal system comprises in in addition to a control computer terminal 18, external to the modules precedents, and from which all weighing operations and are managed.
  • This terminal presents an architecture particularly simple hardware with a central processing unit 20 associated with a screen 22 and a keyboard 24.
  • the keyboard may advantageously be folded against the screen and all is transportable by an integrated handle 26.
  • the central processing unit is reduced to a few interconnected standard components: a microprocessor 200, a RAM memory 210, a flash memory 220, a screen interface 230, a keyboard interface 240 and a radio interface 250.
  • Flash memory contains the operating system necessary for the management of the terminal, including its user interface which ensures the times the weighing control by the electronic scale 14, printing by the postage meter 12 or the label dispenser franked 16, and its communication links with these three modules.
  • the various data useful for these commands and communications are temporarily stored in RAM.
  • the radio interface is advantageously an interface for managing short-haul radio links of the Bluetooth type, or the like (by IEEE802-11b compliant example), issued or received by a antenna mounted on the central unit (another material provision, the along the screen, for example, is equally conceivable).
  • a similar radio interface 120, 140, 160 also provided with a transmission / reception antenna.
  • the modular system universal mail processing according to the invention can be formed only the control terminal 18 and the label dispenser stamped 16, the labels provided by such a distributor may well be heard also serve to frank standard envelopes.
  • a standard printer 30, provided with means 300 of radio link with the other modules for printing including receipts or receipts corresponding to the different weighings or franking done, as well as a basic module 32 comprising radio means 320 allowing a short-distance radio link with each of the modules, including including the computer control terminal 18, and connected to a network of external telecommunications 34 type RTC, ISDN or cable to ensure a communication link with a remote computer server 36, Postal Server or Dealer Server Processing System mail.
  • This link allows in particular the feedback of statistics relating to the printing of postal impressions to the server or reloading of the means of accounting of the franking machine or the franked label dispenser.
  • these means of accounting 38 are removable, standardized and common to the franking machine 12 and the franked label dispenser 16 and can be indiscriminately arranged in one or the other of these two modules (eg in the stamped label dispenser, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the dotted area 38A corresponding to the location of receipt of these means of accounting in the postage meter which is then deprived of it). So the user well that having two means of printing postal imprints is not only one account, which makes it particularly easy for him to manage of the system.
  • the standardization of these means of accounting allows their use in any other device postage from the user's business (or a business external services, for example), since these means are no longer linked to a given machine but to a given user.
  • this standardized accounting module directly integrates the interface short distance radio and its transmitting / receiving antenna.
  • Figures 3 and 4 show respectively in external perspective and schematically in longitudinal section a label dispenser stamped 16 intended to integrate the universal processing system of aforementioned mail.
  • This dispenser comprises a mad mounted roller 40 on which is wound a continuous strip 42 of cutting labels (or precut), at least one drive roller 44 to debit this tape along a transport path from this distributor since that roll up to an output of stamped labels 48, a module thermal printing type 50 to print a postal imprint on a debit part of this band, and possibly a module of cut 52 (in the case of cutting labels) placed on this path of transport, advantageously at the output of the printing module 50.
  • the capstan-type drive roller 44 which assures the unwinding the label tape, acting on the module against a spring 54, is actuated by a micromotor control 56 through a kinematic 58 with toothed wheels.
  • the print module and the capstan control micromotor which is operated in synchronism with the print (and possibly the module cut if present) are fed from average 60 drive, power and control of the heating elements of the thermal module managed from processing means 62 (advantageously microprocessor).
  • These means of treatment classically incorporate means of accounting to keep the accounting (up and down counting) in particular) postage effected. However, as explained previously, these accounting means can be removable and standardized (reference 38 in Figure 1) so that it can be arranged indifferently in this dispenser or in any other device postage.
  • the means of treatment also include means of remote communication with the computer terminal of command 18 to receive print orders of fingerprints post.
  • This remote communication with the computer terminal control is preferably performed by short radio link remote, bluetooth or similar, via a radio interface provided transmission / reception antenna 64.
  • any other type of wireless connection for example infrared or wired, optical for example, is of course also conceivable insofar as the others equipment, and in particular the control computer terminal, would be provided with the corresponding interfaces.
  • an end of band detector 66 is provided to allow a precise control of the unwinding of the continuous band and avoid printing partial of the last postage stamp.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
EP02292128.2A 2001-08-31 2002-08-29 Modulares und universelles System zur Postbehandlung Expired - Lifetime EP1293936B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0111301 2001-08-31
FR0111301A FR2829269B1 (fr) 2001-08-31 2001-08-31 Systeme modulaire universel de traitement de courrier

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1293936A1 true EP1293936A1 (de) 2003-03-19
EP1293936B1 EP1293936B1 (de) 2014-05-21

Family

ID=8866856

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02292128.2A Expired - Lifetime EP1293936B1 (de) 2001-08-31 2002-08-29 Modulares und universelles System zur Postbehandlung

Country Status (3)

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US (1) US7809654B2 (de)
EP (1) EP1293936B1 (de)
FR (1) FR2829269B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE50305372D1 (de) † 2003-10-21 2006-11-23 Mettler Toledo Gmbh Verfahren zum Betätigen einer Waage und Waage
FR2865830B1 (fr) * 2004-01-30 2006-05-19 Neopost Ind Systeme d'affranchissement de courrier a mode d'impression externe securise
FR2890217B1 (fr) * 2005-08-31 2007-11-09 Neopost Ind Sa Systeme d'affranchissement en reseau a maintenance facilitee
JP6120070B2 (ja) * 2013-06-24 2017-04-26 ブラザー工業株式会社 印刷装置
EP3193310B1 (de) * 2016-01-15 2019-11-20 Neopost Technologies Frankiermaschine mit integrierter waage

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4752950A (en) * 1985-07-02 1988-06-21 Smh Alcatel Remote control system for franking machines
EP0376574A2 (de) * 1988-12-30 1990-07-04 Alcatel Business Systems Limited Frankiersystem
EP0721173A2 (de) * 1995-01-04 1996-07-10 Neopost Limited Frankiermaschinensystem
US6035291A (en) * 1996-05-02 2000-03-07 Francotyp Postalia Gmbh Method and arrangement for data processing in a shipping system with a postage meter machine, including automatic selection of the most beneficial carrier
EP0984399A1 (de) * 1998-09-01 2000-03-08 Neopost Industrie Verfahren zum Thermodrucken

Family Cites Families (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1179285A (en) * 1967-08-17 1970-01-28 Roneo Ltd Improved Postal Franking Machine.
US4802218A (en) * 1986-11-26 1989-01-31 Wright Technologies, L.P. Automated transaction system
US4774500A (en) * 1987-10-21 1988-09-27 Wright Technologies Data compaction method for microprocessor cards
GB8919917D0 (en) * 1989-09-04 1989-10-18 Alcatel Business Systems Franking machine
FR2727547A1 (fr) * 1994-11-30 1996-05-31 Neopost Ind Dispositif pour detecter le mauvais fonctionnement d'une tete d'impression a jets d'encre d'une machine d'affranchissement
US5850442A (en) * 1996-03-26 1998-12-15 Entegrity Solutions Corporation Secure world wide electronic commerce over an open network
US5731980A (en) * 1996-08-23 1998-03-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Electronic postage meter system having internal accounting system and removable external accounting system
US5809485A (en) * 1996-12-11 1998-09-15 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Method and apparatus for automatically disabling a removable, portable vault of a postage metering
US6424954B1 (en) * 1998-02-17 2002-07-23 Neopost Inc. Postage metering system
US20030078893A1 (en) * 1998-01-22 2003-04-24 Chandrakant Shah Method and apparatus for remotely printing postage indicia
JP2002541035A (ja) * 1999-02-08 2002-12-03 ユナイテッド パーセル サービス オブ アメリカ インコーポレイテッド インターネット小包出荷システムおよび方法
US20010042055A1 (en) * 2000-02-07 2001-11-15 Jan Didriksen Parcel self-servicing machine
US6649849B2 (en) * 2001-06-04 2003-11-18 Pitney Bowes Inc. Handheld mailing system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4752950A (en) * 1985-07-02 1988-06-21 Smh Alcatel Remote control system for franking machines
EP0376574A2 (de) * 1988-12-30 1990-07-04 Alcatel Business Systems Limited Frankiersystem
EP0721173A2 (de) * 1995-01-04 1996-07-10 Neopost Limited Frankiermaschinensystem
US6035291A (en) * 1996-05-02 2000-03-07 Francotyp Postalia Gmbh Method and arrangement for data processing in a shipping system with a postage meter machine, including automatic selection of the most beneficial carrier
EP0984399A1 (de) * 1998-09-01 2000-03-08 Neopost Industrie Verfahren zum Thermodrucken

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
HAARTSEN J: "BLUETOOTH - THE UNIVERSAL RADIO INTERFACE FOR AD HOC, WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY", ON - ERICSSON REVIEW, ERICSSON. STOCKHOLM, SE, no. 3, 1998, pages 110 - 117, XP000783249, ISSN: 0014-0171 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US7809654B2 (en) 2010-10-05
FR2829269A1 (fr) 2003-03-07
US20030061177A1 (en) 2003-03-27
EP1293936B1 (de) 2014-05-21
FR2829269B1 (fr) 2004-10-15

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