EP0848354A2 - Postage meter and postage indicia printed thereby - Google Patents
Postage meter and postage indicia printed thereby Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0848354A2 EP0848354A2 EP97309141A EP97309141A EP0848354A2 EP 0848354 A2 EP0848354 A2 EP 0848354A2 EP 97309141 A EP97309141 A EP 97309141A EP 97309141 A EP97309141 A EP 97309141A EP 0848354 A2 EP0848354 A2 EP 0848354A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- data
- postage
- digits
- digit
- represented
- 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.)
- Ceased
Links
Images
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
- G07B17/00733—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
- G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
- G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
- G07B2017/00572—Details of printed item
- G07B2017/0058—Printing of code
-
- 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
- G07B2017/00943—Compression techniques
Abstract
Description
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |
31 |
Digit | Value range (US $) |
1 | 0.01 to 0.19 |
2 | 0.20 |
3 | 0.21 to 0.31 |
4 | 0.32 |
5 | 0.33 to 1.00 |
6 | 1.01 to 2.00 |
7 | 2.01 to 8.00 |
8 | 8.01 to 16.00 |
9 | 16.01 to 32.00 |
0 | 32.01 to 99.99 |
Claims (16)
- Apparatus for metering postage value and printing postage indicia on mail items including electronic means (10, 11, 14, 15, 16) operable to operate printing means (19) to print postage indicia on mail items characterised in that the electronic means (10, 11, 14, 15, 16) is operative to represent multi-digit data by a number of digits less than said multi-digit and to operate the printing means (19) to print an indicium including said data represented by said number of digits.
- Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic means (10, 11, 14, 15, 16) includes data conversion means operative in response to input of a data item represented by a multi digit data comprising n digits to represent said data item by data comprising y digits where y is less than n and the electronic means is operative to operate the printing means (19) to print said data item represented by said data comprising y digits.
- Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic means (10, 11, 14, 15, 16 ) includes data conversion means operative in response to input of a data item represented by a multi digit data comprising n digits to represent said data item by data comprising a single digit and the electronic means is operative to, operate the printing means (19) to print said data item represented by said data comprising the single digit.
- Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein said data conversion means comprises a look-up table (15, 16) including a plurality of storage locations storing data items each represented by a single digit or y digits respectively, said storage locations being addressed by data items represented by n digits.
- Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the electronic means (10, 11, 14, 15, 16) is operative to represent numbered days of a calendar month by a repeating series of single digits and to operate the printing means (19) to print the indicium including a day of a calendar month represented by a corresponding single digit of the repeating series of single digits.
- Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the electronic means (10, 11, 14, 15, 16) is operative to represent each of a plurality of ranges of postage charges by single digits respectively and to operate the printing means to print the indicium including a selected range of postage charges represented by a single digit corresponding to said selected range of postage charges.
- Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the electronic means (10, 1, 14, 15, 16) includes encryption means operative to generate encrypted information based on the data contained in a data item and to print said encrypted information on the mail item.
- Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the electronic means 910, 11, 14, 15, 16) includes encryption means operative to generate encrypted information based on part less than the whole of the data contained in a data item and to print said encrypted information on the mail item.
- A method of printing a postage indicium characterised by the steps of representing multi-digit data by a number of digits less than said multi-digit and printing the postage indicium including said data represented by said number of digits.
- A method as claimed in claim 9 including the steps of responding to input of a data item represented by n digits by generating a representation of said data item comprising y digits where y is less than n and operating printing means to print the postage indicium including said item represented as y digits.
- A method as claimed in claim 9 including the steps of responding to input of a data item represented by n digits by generating a representation of said data item comprising a single digit and operating printing means to print the postage indicium including said item represented as the single digit.
- A method as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11 including the step of representing numbered days of a calendar month by corresponding single digits of a repeating series of single digits and the step of printing the indicium including a single digit representing a predetermined numbered day of the calendar month.
- A method as claimed in claim 9, 10, 11 or 12 including the steps of selecting a required postage charge; representing a range of postage charges including said required postage charge by a single digit; and printing the indicium including the single digit representing the range of postage charges.
- A mail item bearing a postage indicium including multi-digit data represented by a number of digits less than said multi-digit, the representation of said multi-digit data being such that at least a range of value of said data can be distinguished from values of said data outside said range.
- A mail item as claimed in claim 14 wherein the multi-digit data includes date data comprising a numbered day of a calendar month wherein the numbered day of a month is represented by a single digit from a repeating series of single digit representations.
- A mail item as claimed in claim 14 or 15 wherein the multi-digit data includes a range of postage charge data represented by a single digit.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9623936A GB2319217B (en) | 1996-11-18 | 1996-11-18 | Postage meter and postage indicia printed thereby |
GB9623936 | 1996-11-18 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0848354A2 true EP0848354A2 (en) | 1998-06-17 |
EP0848354A3 EP0848354A3 (en) | 2000-05-03 |
Family
ID=10803092
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP97309141A Ceased EP0848354A3 (en) | 1996-11-18 | 1997-11-13 | Postage meter and postage indicia printed thereby |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0848354A3 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2319217B (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7226494B1 (en) * | 1997-04-23 | 2007-06-05 | Neopost Technologies | Secure postage payment system and method |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2097330A (en) * | 1981-04-27 | 1982-11-03 | Pitney Bowes Ltd | A franking machine for domestic and office use and system for using same |
GB2188592A (en) * | 1986-04-04 | 1987-10-07 | Pitney Bowes Inc | Postage meter apparatus |
US4725718A (en) * | 1985-08-06 | 1988-02-16 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Postage and mailing information applying system |
EP0647925A2 (en) * | 1993-10-08 | 1995-04-12 | Pitney Bowes, Inc. | Postal rating system with verifiable integrity |
EP0647924A2 (en) * | 1993-10-08 | 1995-04-12 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Encryption key control system for mail processing system having data center verification |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CA1206619A (en) * | 1982-01-29 | 1986-06-24 | Frank T. Check, Jr. | Electronic postage meter having redundant memory |
US4649266A (en) * | 1984-03-12 | 1987-03-10 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Method and apparatus for verifying postage |
US4743747A (en) * | 1985-08-06 | 1988-05-10 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Postage and mailing information applying system |
CA1278379C (en) * | 1985-12-25 | 1990-12-27 | Guy L. Fougere | Verification for a mail processing system |
US5729461A (en) * | 1995-11-06 | 1998-03-17 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Postage metering system including means for controlling the resolution of printing a portion of a postage indicia |
-
1996
- 1996-11-18 GB GB9623936A patent/GB2319217B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1997
- 1997-11-13 EP EP97309141A patent/EP0848354A3/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2097330A (en) * | 1981-04-27 | 1982-11-03 | Pitney Bowes Ltd | A franking machine for domestic and office use and system for using same |
US4725718A (en) * | 1985-08-06 | 1988-02-16 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Postage and mailing information applying system |
GB2188592A (en) * | 1986-04-04 | 1987-10-07 | Pitney Bowes Inc | Postage meter apparatus |
EP0647925A2 (en) * | 1993-10-08 | 1995-04-12 | Pitney Bowes, Inc. | Postal rating system with verifiable integrity |
EP0647924A2 (en) * | 1993-10-08 | 1995-04-12 | Pitney Bowes Inc. | Encryption key control system for mail processing system having data center verification |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2319217B (en) | 2001-07-25 |
GB2319217A (en) | 1998-05-20 |
GB9623936D0 (en) | 1997-01-08 |
EP0848354A3 (en) | 2000-05-03 |
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