Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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27260-10
The present invention relates to a process and a ~evice
for franking mail.
Known franking machines are uneconomical for small
amounts of mail. In the same way, manual stamping devices can
only be used economically for rela~ively large volumes of mail.
For this reason, printed postage stamps are most frequently
favoured if small amounts of mail are involved.
Federal Republic of ~ermany OS 27 01 072 which was laid
open to public inspection on July 21, 1977 to Pitney-Bowes Inc.,
describes a compact franking machine that is based on a microcom-
puter, and is of such dimensions that it can be hand-held and
operated, and is totally porta~le. This compact franking machine
is set to a specific credit amount at a central mail-distribution
centre.
The disadvantage of such franking devices lies in the
fact that credit slips or stamps must be obtained from an
authorized outlet, or a credit device must be constantly reset.
It is an object of the present invention to develop
a franking system and a corresponding franking device that permits
the simple issuing of credits and/or postage deductions for a
small amount of mail, that is simple to operate, is suitable for
use in a wide range of households, and which ensures a high level
of mail security both for the customer and for the centre
responsible for computation of postage fees.
According to the invention a franking device is coupled
through a telephone set to a central accounts office. Credit is
authorized and the postage fees are computed either directly with
the telephone-fee meter or with an additional meter for postage
fees. Several existing devices incorporated in the telephone, e.g.,
the dialling system and displays can be utili~ed by the
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franking device.
The invention will be described in greater detail below on the
basis of the drawings appended hereto, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a franklng device that is inte-
grated with a telephGne;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a franking device that is con-
figured as an addition to a telephone.
The franking system is based on a franking device being coupled with
a telephone. In this regard, two different systems for computing the postage
fees that have been expended are provided for, depending on the accounting
method preferred by the postal authorities in each instance.
Thus, in the known manner, the accounts office can issue a credit
over the telephone line, this credit then being stored in the franking device
and the postage sums expended being computed internally by means of registers
and memory.
A further solution provides for the direct computation of postage
e~penditures by the accounts office. In this case, the postage amount will be
sent directly by telephone line from the franking device to a totalling device
in the accounts office each time a piece of mail is franked.
?O The fee-counter system that is assigned to each telephone sub-
scriber is available for both these solutions. This fee-counter system makes
a credit assignment, -for example, in ten billing units of the telephone fee
s-tructure, as well as a registration after each impression made in small fee
units. Overpayments or balances resulting from fluctuating values of the
fee units vis-a-vis postage fees are passed to a memory in the franking device
and then adjusted with the following franking impression that is made.
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The advantage of such a Eranking system lies in the low accounting
costs, conYenient procurement, and posta~e that is available to customers at
all times. In addition, if a special postage meter is used in a telephone ex-
change or a postage depot, postage costs can be included in the telephone
account.
The franking device can either be integrated with a telephone (Fig-
ure 1), or coupled to the telephone through an interface~ as an additional
device. The versions shown in Figures 1 and 2 are only examples. The franking
device can be arranged on one side of, in front of, or benea-th the telephone,
and in the case oE an additional device, the optionally available display -that
is part of the telephone can also be used.
The franking device 10 has a slot 11 into which the letter or card
20, or glued strip that is to be franked is slid. For all practical purposes,
all envelope formats can be franked easily and reliably by an impression that
is made on the upper portion. The franking device 10 also has push-buttons
12 to 15 to control the various functions. A franking button 12 switches the
telephone to the franking mode. When this is done, the telephone is locked as
far as outgoing calls are concerned. Incoming calls can always be accepted.
In addltion to this, switching by the franking button 12 converts the telephone
dialling push-button set 30 or the rotary dial set to input devices for postage
fees. The amount that is input appears in the display window 16. If an in-
correct amount is input, this is corrected by a subsequent corrected entry, an
lnternal logic circuit resetting the display to ~ero, for example, after a
Eourth digit has been input, so that there are no additional buttons to operate.
The franking impression is initiated by means of the command button 13 and in
parallel to this the amount imprinted is registered in the accounting office
or passed to the telephone-~ee meter or calculated internally with the credit-
posting system. When the desired number of frankillg operations have been
completed, the release button 1~1 is operated, a~d this resets the device and
thereby switches the dialling pushbutton set 30 to the telephone dialling mode.
If the franking device has a memory for storing credit amounts, a
credit button 15 is necessary. By operating the franking button 12 and the
credit button 1~ a multiple of the telephone fee unit is in each instance input
to the memory by means of the button set 30, in that the amount that is to be
input is indicated on the display 16 and operation of the button 13 initiates
registration in the accounts office or stepping of the fee meter.
