Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
E-367
SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE USER
INPUT STATIONS AND MULTIPLE MAIL PREPARATION
APPARATUS 'FOR PREPARING AND 'Fi~ANKING A MAIL PIECE
Backcrround Of The Invention
The subject invention relates to a system for producing and franking a mail
piece. More particularly, it relates to a system for producing mail pieces
which system is suitable for multiple users of microcomputers and standard
word processing software in an office environment.
Many systems for directly producing mail pieces directly from the
printed output of a data processing system have been proposed in the past.
For example, US Patent Number 5,283,752, to Gombault et al., issued
February 1 st, 1994 discloses a mail preparation system wherein a data
processing system controls a linear mail preparation apparatus. The data
processing system controls a printer to print documents which, after printing,
pass, under the control of the data processing system, through a succession
of stations such as a burster, an insert feed station, an address printer, a
postage meter and the like.
Similarly, US Patent Number 4,800,505, to Axelrod et al., issued
January 24, 1989, discloses a system wherein a data processing system
prints documents and marks them with an identification code, and
simultaneously downloads parameters for controlling the operation of a mail
preparation line to a database. As the documents are fed into the mail
preparation line, the identification code is scanned and used to access the
database to determine the parameters for each mail piece to be produced
from the corresponding documents.
Other systems for inserting documents into windowed envelopes so
that an address printed on the document is visible, or systems for printing
self-mailer forms which are then folded and sealed to form mail pieces are
also known.
2~'~'~~ 4'~
A system where an envelope form is printed in sequence with
documents and later accumulated with the documents, then wrapped around
the documents and sealed to form the mail piece is described in US Patent
Number 5,067,305, issued November 26, 1991, to Baker et al.
US Patent Number 4;797,830, to Baggarly et al., describes an inserter
system which has a capability to compute postage for a mail piece based
upon predetermined weights for inserts included in the mail piece.
While such systems are perhaps suitable for their intended purpose
heretofore no system has been available to users who wish to produce a
number of mailings of moderate size and who wish to produce high quality
mail runs. Systems such as that taught by Gombault et al., Baggarly et al.
and Axelrod et al. are intended for large scale mailings produced by main
frame computers and high capacity inserter systems, while windowed
envelopes and self-mailers have an unfortunate "junk mail" aspect.
Accordingly, it is an object of he subject invention to provide a system
for producing and franking moderately sized mail runs of a high quality, and
which is suitable for use in an office environment with standard
microcomputers and word processing programs.
Brief Summary Of The Invention
The above object is achieved and the disadvantages of the prior art
are overcome in accordance with the subject invention by means of a system
including a plurality of apparatus for producing a mail piece, wherein the
apparatus each include a first printer for printing a document and a mail
finishing unit for receiving the document from the first printer and combining
the document with an envelope to form a mail piec$. The mail finishing unit
includes a mechanism for franking the mail piece. The apparatus also
includes a controller which is responsive to mail piece data; the mail piece
data including first data for defining the document and second data for
defining the address to be printed on the document and postal data defining a
postage value for the mail piece. The controller controls the first printer to
2
2 ~ ~'~ ~ 4'~
print documents in accordance with the document data and controls the
franking mechanism to frank the mail piece with the postage value.
The system also includes a mail center controller for receiving mail
piece data, selecting one of the apparatus in accordance with the mail piece
data and outputting a digital signal representative Qf the mail piece data to
the selected apparatus.
The mail center controller includes a data base of postage rates and
is responsive to the mail piece data to calculate a postage value for the mail
piece and to append the value to the digital signal prior to outputting the
signal.
Preferably, the mail center controller also includes a capability to
access a second data base of per item weights (or other characteristic upon
which postal rates may be based) to calculate a weight for the mail piece if
the weight is not included in the mail piece data.
In accordance with one aspect of the subject invention the mail center
controller determines costs and charges the costs to an account selected in
accordance with the mail piece data.
The system of the subject invention also includes data processing
apparatus for:
generating document data descriptive of a document in the mail
piece;
appending attribute data to the document data to form mail
piece data descriptive of the mail piece; and,
transmitting a digital signal representative of the mail piece data
to the apparatus.
In accordance with one aspect of the subject invention the document
data includes graphic data representative of an image of the document.
In accordance with another aspect of the subject invention the
apparatus includes a second printer which both prints an address on the mail
piece envelope and prints a franking indicia on the envelope.
3
CA 02177447 2006-04-24
In accordance with another aspect of the subject invention the
apparatus communicates with a class 2 postage meter which returns at least
a variable portion of the indicia to be printed by the second printer.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the subject invention the mail
piece is printed with a scannable representation of the postage amount . (By
scannable representation herein is meant a representation such as a bar
code which can easily be automatically scanned so that postage amounts can
be determined off-line.)
In accordance with still another aspect of the subject invention the
franking mechanism includes a substantially conventional postage meter.
In another embodiment of the subject invention the mail production
apparatus has a capability to determine postage values directly from the mail
piece data. In this embodiment the apparatus returns costs, including
postage costs to the mail center controller for allocation to a selected
account.
In summary of the foregoing, the present invention may be considered
as providing a system for producing mail pieces of selected types, the system
comprising: a) a plurality of simultaneously operational apparatus, at least
some of the apparatus having a variable capacity to produce particular types
of mail pieces each of the apparatus comprising: a1 ) a first printer for
printing
a document; a2) mail finishing means for receiving the document from the
printer and combining the document with an envelope to form the mail piece,
the mail finishing means including means for franking the mail piece; a3)
control means responsive to a signal representative of mail piece data for
controlling the apparatus to produce the mail piece in accordance with the
mail piece data, the mail piece data including document data defining the
document; wherein the control means is further configured for controlling the
franking means, and b) a mail center controller for receiving the mail piece
data, selecting one of the apparatus having a capability to produce a
particular type of mail piece defined by the mail piece data and outputting
the
signal to the selected apparatus.
4
CA 02177447 2006-04-24
Other advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent to
those skilled in the art from consideration of the attached drawings and of
the
detailed description set forth below.
Brief Description Of The Drawings
Various preferred embodiments of the subject invention are shown in
the attached drawings, wherein similar elements are numbered the same.
Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system in accordance with
the subject invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of job data defining a mailing
job.
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the data flow in a host
computer and a mail center controller in producing the job data and modified
job data of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of the flow of mail production
apparatus used in one embodiment of the system of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the flow of control data in the
apparatus Figure 4
4a
Figures 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d are a flow diagram of the operation of the
mail center controller of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a more detailed flow diagram of the operation of the mail
center controller in determining postage.
Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of the flow of mail production
apparatus used in another embodiment of the system of Figure 1.
Figure 9 is a schematic representation of the flow of control data in the
apparatus Figure 8.
Detailed Description Of Preferred Embodiments Of The Invention
Figure 1 shows a system in accordance with the subject invention
which includes a plurality of user input stations 2 which communicate with
mail center controller 4. Stations 2 typically include a conventional
microcomputer running a substantially conventional word processing
application, as will be further described below. Mail center controller 4
receives job data 10 from stations 2 and, in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the subject invention, modifies the data to include postage
values for mail pieces to be prepared by the system. Data store 6 stores
postal rate information and per item weights for materials used in the mail
pieces for use determining postage values for mail pieces. Job data 10 is
then output to an available one of mail preparation apparatus 8 for
production and franking of corresponding mail pieces.
In another embodiment of the subject invention, postage values for the
mail pieces are determined by mail preparation'apparatus as described
below.
In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, mail center
controller 4 allocates mailing costs, including postage costs, to designated
accounts.
In another preferred embodiment, mail center controller 4 communicates
with a data center such as a data center operated under the service mark
"Postage - by - Phone" by the assignee of the present application, to recharge
postage meters used with mail preparation apparatus 8.
5
2I7~~~
In Figure 2, a schematic representation of job data 10 for controlling an
apparatus in accordance with the subject invention to produce a mailing job,
i.e. a sequence of mail pieces, is shown. Job data 10 includes job header 12
and a sequence of mail piece records 14, each of records 14 including mail
piece data corresponding to a mail piece to be produced in the job. Job
header 12 includes mail piece data defining default attributes for each mail
piece in the job; including the number of document sheets to be accumulated
for each mail piece, whether or not a pre-printed insert is to be added to the
document sheets, the manner in which the accumulated sheets are to be
folded, whether or not a BRE (i.e. business return envelope) is to be inserted
into the envelope with the folded accumulation, and whether or not the mail
piece is to be moistened and sealed.
Preferably job header 12 also defines a job type: whether or not
envelope data is present (i.e. if a window envelope is to be used), whether
all
mail pieces include a uniform number of document sheets, and whether or not
inserts vary among the mail pieces; as well as an optional job name to be
displayed while the job runs. Job type data allows the system to anticipate
simpler jobs (e.g. there is no need to execute code associated with envelope
printing if the job type defines a window envelope) and confirms that the
absence of unneeded attribute data is not an error. Preferably the job type
also defines whether or not the mail piece is to be franked, and whether
postage values are to be calculated or have been determined a priori.
Each of records 14 corresponds to one mail piece to be produced, and
includes mail piece header 18, document data held 20, and envelope data
field 22. Mail piece header 18 includes the same (or a subset of the) mail
piece data elements included in job header 12 to define the mail piece
attributes specific to the corresponding mail piece.
Document data 20 is mail piece data defining a sequence of document
pages to be printed by the document printer as will be described below. It is
a particular advantage of the subject invention that document data 20 can be
completely compatible with standard laser printers and the output of standard
word processing programs and described in a conventional page description
6
CA 02177447 2006-10-25
language such as the Hewlett Packard PCL5 language, or equivalent. Envelope
data field 22 includes an address to be printed on the envelope. Preferably
this
address will be extracted from document data by the host computer in any
convenient manner such as the identification of address fields in the document
data, as will be described further below.
Fields 18, 20 and 22 are separated by unique separators 26-1, 26-2,
26-3 and 26-4 and data 10 also includes an End of Job marker 28 to identify
the
end of the job.
Figure 3 shows the data flow in input station 2 and mail center controller
4 in creating job data 10. Input station 2 is preferably a microcomputer of
the
type commonly used in an office environment. A commercial word processing
application 30, such as that sold under the trade name "Word" by the Microsoft
Corporation, executes a conventional merge application to merge variable data
32, which includes name, address and other variables to be printed on the
documents with a previously input form 36 to create document data. The
document data is input to driver 37 and driver 37 creates the job data by
extracting an address from the document data and accessing data store 38 to
define the mail piece attributes, previously defined by the system operator.
Driver 37 extracts the address from the document data in any
convenient conventional manner, such as by the use of a predetermined field
within the document data, or the use of an algorithm based upon the detection
of alphanumeric combinations typical of zip codes, state names, city names,
etc., as is also known. Driver 37 also accesses data store 38 to obtain the
attribute information which includes processing attributes 40, such as feeder
selection, fold type, sealing mode etc., which control operation of apparatus
8 to
produce the mail piece in the desired form, as will be described further
below.
Data store 38 also includes postal attributes for the mail piece; such as the
class of postal service to be used, any applicable discounts, or any special
services (e.g. special delivery) required.
Postal attributes also include a field for a postage value for each mail
piece. If postage values are known this field can be determined a priori;
7
CA 02177447 2006-10-25
however, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention,
postage values are determined by mail center controller 4, as will be
described
below.
Data store 38 can also include the mail piece weight if it is known.
Preferably driver 37 also gets job type data 42 from data store 38 for
inclusion in job header 12. Driver 37 then adds separators 26-1 through 26-4
to
create header 12 and records 14, as described above. It is well within the
skill
of a person of ordinary skill in the programming arts to modify a word
processing application or produce a special application which would enable a
system to provide such varying attribute data for mail piece headers 18, and
details of such applications need not be described for an understanding of the
subject invention.
Job data 10 is then transmitted to mail center controller 4. If the mail
pieces are to be franked and the postage values have not been determined a
priori, mail center controller 4 accesses postal rate data base 44 and
material
data base 45 to determine the postage and materials costs as a function of the
materials used. Note that materials data base 45 also includes the present
status of materials in each unit of apparatus 8: 8-1, 8-2 , . . . 8-m, 8-n, to
enable
controller 4 to properly assign jobs. Mail center controller 4 then appends
postage values for each mail piece in the appropriate field in header 18 and
outputs job data 10 to a selected unit of apparatus 8, as will be described
further below.
Turning to Figure 4, apparatus 8 is connected to mail center controller 4
to receive job data 10, which preferably is modified to include postage values
for each mail piece, as an electronic digital signal which is generated as
described above. Apparatus 8 includes document printer 56, which is
preferably a laser printer including printer controller 58 and a conventional
document printer engine 60, which is preferably a Canon model LBP-NX, and a
mail finishing unit 64 which receives the printed documents from printer
engine
60 and inserts them into envelopes to form mail pieces in accordance with the
mail piece data, as will be described below.
8
CA 02177447 2006-10-25
Printer controller 58 receives job data 10 from mail center controller 4
and parses the data; sending the attribute data from either job header 12 or
mail piece header 18 to mail finishing unit controller 100, and sending
document
data 20 to document printer engine 60, as will be described further below.
Mail
finishing unit controller 100 stores mail piece attributes 40 from job header
12
for default control of the production of each mail piece and downloads common
elements of the address to be printed on the envelopes to envelope printer 66.
Preferably envelope printer 66 includes an integral controller which will
render
the text characters received from mail finishing unit controller 100 into
appropriate control signals to render an image of the address in accordance
with the address data, the font, the layout etc.
Envelope printer 66 also stores the fixed portion of postal indicia to be
printed on the envelope when the mail piece is to be franked in data store 67.
In one embodiment of the subject invention, where apparatus 8 has a
capability to independently determine postage values for mail pieces, when a
mail piece is to be franked finishing unit controller 100 accesses per item
weight
data base 117 and postal rate data base 119 (shown in Figure 5) in data store
101 to determine the weight of the mail piece and determine the appropriate
postage value for the mail piece in a manner described more fully below.
Apparatus 8 then returns postage costs (and, optionally, material usage) to
mail
center controller 8 for allocation of costs to user accounts.
In another embodiment of the subject invention, when the mail piece is
to be franked and the postage value has not been determined a priori, mail
center controller 4 calculates postage and material costs in accordance with
the
mail piece data and appends a postage value to mail piece header 18.
Once the postage value is determined, controller 100 then requests a
postal indicia corresponding to that value from a class 2 meter (not shown)
which, assuming the request is granted, returns the variable portion of the
indicia to controller 100. (The meter, of course, accounts for the postage
expended in a conventional manner.) Controller 100 downloads this variable
data to printer 66 together with address and other information to be printed
9
on the envelope. Printer 66 then renders the full image to be printed on the
envelope, combining the fixed portion of the indicia stored in data store 67
with the variable portion received from controller 100 to frank the mail
piece.
(Class 2 meters are postage meters which dispense and account for
pre-paid postage as do traditional postage meters but which use non-secure
printers such as ink jet printers to print indicia. Where traditional, class
1,
meters use rotary or flatbed print heads to print indicia which include
complex, arbitrary images and special inks to protect against counterfeiting
of indicia, class 2 meters incorporate encrypted information in the indicia to
protect against counterfeiting while allowing use of non-secure printers, such
as printer 66. Such meters are known in the art and a further description of
their operation is not necessary for an understanding of the subject
invention.
Pre - storage of fixed portions of indicia, as in the preferred embodiment
described above, is described, for eacample, in published European patent
application number 0,578,042 A2, to Stephen Gunther, filed June 21, 1993.)
Alternatively the postage amount may be down loaded to printer 66 for
printing as a scannable representation such as a bar code so that the mail
piece can later be scanned and franked off line.
Envelope printer 66 is also preferably an ink jet printer and the printed
envelopes are output from printer 66 to a drying buffer station 68 which
extends the transport time of a succession of envelopes as they are output by
envelope printer 66 to allow the printed address time to dry. Since a number
of envelopes, preferably up to 6, are stored in buffer 68 printer controller
58
does not forward documents for printing to printer engine 60 until buffer 68
is
loaded. That is, until drying buffer 68 is either filled to capacity or until
an
End of Job (EOJ) code is detected and the system knows that the last
envelope is in buffer 68.
After the printed address has dried on the envelope the envelope
proceeds to flap opener station 72 where the envelope flap is opened prior to
insertion of the documents and possibly other items.
When drying buffer 68 is loaded printer controller 58 outputs a page of
document data to document printer engine 60 which prints that page in a
conventional manner. As the page is printed it is received by accelerator
station 76, and as printer engine 60 releases the printed page accelerator
station 76 accelerates the page to the faster speed at which mail finishing
unit 64 operates.
Accelerator station 76 then transfers the printed page to accumulator
station 78 and, if a plurality of pages are to be included in the mail piece
the
above described operations are repeated until all the document pages are in
accumulator station 78. If the mail piece attributes specified for the mail
piece include a preprinted insert such a preprinted insert may be fed from
insert feeder ~ to accumulator station 78 since the higher operating speed of
a mail finishing unit 64 will allow time for this without slowing the
operation of
document printer engine 60.
Once completed the accumulation of printed document pages and any
preprinted inserts are transferred from accumulator station 78 to folder
station
80 where the accumulation is folded into either a "C" or "Z" fold as specified
in the mail piece attributes. Once the folded accumulation is present at
folder
station 80 the envelope, with its flap open, is fed (or has been fed) to
inserter
station 82 and the folded accumulation is transferred from folder station 80
to
inserter station 82 for insertion into the envelope. If specified by the mail
piece attributes a BRE is fed from BRE feeder 98 and also inserted into the
envelope.
The mail piece (i.e. the envelope with all printed documents and any
preprinted inserts and BRE's inserted) is fed from inserter station 82 to
moistener station 84 where the envelope flap is moistened if the mail piece is
to be sealed. The mail piece then proceeds to flap closer station 86, sealer
90 and output starker 94 where the completed mail piece, including all
preprinted inserts and BRE's, with an address and possible return address
printed on a conventional envelope, and which has been sealed if so
specified, is output for delivery to the postal service.
The various stations described in mail finishing unit 64 perform
functions which are well known in the mail preparation art and implementation
11
of such stations would be well within the skill of those of ordinary skill in
the
mail preparation arts.
In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, drying buffer 68 is
formed as an arrangement of four helical screws arranged to support an
envelope and transport the envelope as the screws rotate, as described in
commonly assigned US Patent Number 5,429,349.
Turning to Figure 5, the operation of apparatus 8 is controlled in
accordance with job data 10 by the execution of various software modules
resident in printer controller 58, mail finishing unit controller 100, and
motion
controllers 104-1, 104-2 and 104-3. It should be noted that the partitioning
of
these modules among the various controllers forms no part of the subject
invention as claimed and that, in principle, all the functions of apparatus 8
could be controlled by a single controller of sufficient capacity.
Job data 10 is input from mail center controller 4 to host interface 110,
which is resident in printer controller 58. Interface 110 is preferably a
standard interface for managing a serial protocol such as the RS 232
protocol, or a standard parallel or network protocol. Job data 10 is then
transferred to parser 112 which outputs document data from field 20 to page
description language (PDL) interpreter 114 and envelope data from field 22 to
envelope data buffer 118 in mail finishing unit controller 100. Parser 112
also
outputs mail finishing unit control data, which is default attribute data from
job
header 12 or specific mail piece attribute data from mail piece header 18, and
the EOJ to mail piece attribute generator 116.
Mail piece attribute generator 116 receives the mail finishing unit
control data which is expressed as codes descriptive of a mail piece; (e.g.
codes which would describe a mail piece having 1 printed page, a preprinted
insert, no BRE, which is to be sealed) and converts these descriptive codes
into commands for the operation of the various stations and printers in mail
finishing unit 64. Default commands are stored permanently for the duration
of a job while commands found in mail piece header 18 are stored only for the
production of a corresponding mail piece. Preferably common information for
printing the envelopes is transferred to the integral controller of envelope
12
c
printer 66. Mail piece attribute generator 116 also responds to the EOJ code
to identify the last mail piece to assure that the mailing job is properly
terminated and the last mail piece completed.
Returning to interpreter 114, the document data, which is expressed in
a conventional page description language such as PCLS is interpreted at 114
in a conventional manner into an appropriate set of printer commands to drive
the print engine used. As each page is translated it is stored in page buffer
122. Such interpretation and buffering of document pages is conventional in
the laser printing art and need not be described further here for an
understanding of the subject invention except to note that buffer 122 is
substantially larger than is normally found in a commercial laser printer for
office use since it is desirable that pages be stored until a mail piece is
output
from apparatus 8 to facilitate recovery from jam conditions.
Once the first envelope is available data is transferred from page
buffer 122 to print engine driver 124 which renders the print commands into
appropriate control signals to generate an image of the page at document
printer engine 60.
Also as each page is interpreted, interpreter 114 transmits a page
token to mail piece production monitor/controller 120 which is resident in
mail
finishing unit controller 100. Monitor/controller 120 updates these tokens as
pages move through mail finishing unit 64 to track the pages and to facilitate
recovery from jam conditions.
When monitor/controller 120 detects the presence of envelope data in
buffer 118, it transfers the envelope data to envelope print driver 119 which
controls envelope printer 66 to print the envelope data on the envelope in
accordance with the previously determined attribute data defining the
common elements of the envelope address and, for mail pieces to be franked,
the variable portions of the indicia which have been determined by attribute
generator 116 as will be described more fully below. It should be noted that,
since envelope printer 66 includes an integral controller, driver 119 is
substantially simpler than driver 124. And, as with print engine driver 124,
the control of envelope printer 66, which is preferably an ink jet printer, is
13
2I774~'~
conventional and need not be described further here for an understanding of
the subject invention except to note that buffer 118 is also somewhat larger
than normal so that envelope data may also be recovered in the case of a
jam.
Mail piece production monitor/controller 120 will then continue to print
envelope data from buffer 118 as it is available until drying buffer 68 is
loaded; that is until buffer 68 is completely full or an EOJ code is detected
and monitorlcontroller 120 recognizes that the last envelope is in drying
buffer 68. Then, when drying buffer 68 is loaded monitor/controller 120
signals page buffer 122 to release the next page to engine driver 124, and
when document printer engine 60 is ready signals driver 124 to print the
page. If multiple pages of documents are to be included in a mail piece, as
defined by the mail piece attributes generated at 116, monitor/controller 120
continues to release pages from buffer 122 until all pages for a mail piece
are
printed.
Once monitor/controller 120 has released the last page for a mail
piece it determines if the EOJ code has been detected and the last envelope
is in drying buffer 68. If not the next envelope data in buffer 118 is printed
and drying buffer 68 is advanced and pages for the next document are
released from buffer 122, as described above. Once the EOJ code is
detected and monitorlcontroller 120 recognizes that the last envelope has
been printed and is in drying buffer 68 monitor controller 120 will cease
printing envelopes but will continue to release pages from page buffer 122
until the last envelope is fed from drying buffer 68 to inserter station 82 so
that the last mail piece in a mailing job is properly processed through mail
finishing unit 64.
As pages are released from document printer engine 60 they are
processed through mail finishing unit 64 as described above.
Monitor/controller 120 accesses the mail piece attributes generated at 116
and issues appropriate commands to motion controllers 104-1, 104-2 and
104-3 to control the various stations appropriately to produce mail pieces
having the desired attribute. These commands are received by motion
14
CA 02177447 2006-10-25
control software 130-1, 130-2 and 130-3, which are resident in corresponding
motion controllers while 104-1, 104-2 and 104-3 and which generate
appropriate control signals for various motors and actuators in mail finishing
unit
64 and which monitor various sensors in unit 64 to produce a mail pieces
having
the desired attributes. Detailed design of the motion controllers and
associated
software will depend in general on the detailed design of the various stations
of
mail finishing unit 64 but is well within the skill of a person of ordinary
skill in the
digital control arts as they are applied to the mail processing art.
In the preferred embodiment shown, motion control software 130-1
controls accumulator station 78, folder station 80, inserter station 82,
drying
buffer 68 and flap opener 72; motion control software 130-2 controls
accelerator
76, insert feeder 96 and BRE feeder 98; and motion control software 130-3
controls moistener 84, flap closer 86, sealer station 90 and stacker 94. In
general this partitioning of control functions is chosen to simplify wiring of
mail
finishing unit 64 and to minimize the need for time critical transfers of
information between controllers, and forms no part of the subject invention as
claimed.
As has been noted, if a mail piece is to be franked, the postage value to
be used can be determined in three ways: a priori definition, as for multiple
runs
of identical jobs where the postage values are known; calculation by a mail
processing apparatus where the apparatus has a capability to directly
determine
postage values, and modification of job data 10 by mail center controller 4.
Figures 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d show a flow diagram of the operation of mail center
controller 4 in receiving job data, modifying the data as necessary to include
postage values, allocating costs, and assigning a job to a mail processing
apparatus.
At 150, mail center controller 4 receives job data 10 from one of input
stations 2. At 152, controller 4 determines the material requirements for the
job,
and at 154 tests to determine if a capable mail processing apparatus is on-
line.
That is, for example, if the job requires non-standard size materials
controller 4
determines if at least one mail processing apparatus 8 capable of processing
such material is on-line. If no capable apparatus is found controller 4 goes
to an
error routine.
CA 02177447 2006-10-25
If a capable unit is found then at 156 controller 4 calculates costs (as will
be further described below) and preferably determines an account to be
charged from job header 12. At 160 controller 4 tests the selected account to
determine if it is a valid account with sufficient funds to cover the costs.
If not
controller 4 goes to an error routine.
If funds are available, then at 162 controller 4 identifies the next capable
one of mail processing apparatus 8 which will be available and at 164 tests to
determine if any capable unit will be available. If not controller 4 goes to
an
error routine. (Because of the test at 154 at least one capable unit must be
on-line.)
Then, if a capable unit of apparatus 8 will be available, at 168 controller
4 tests to determine if the postage meter (not shown) associated with the next
available apparatus 8 has sufficient funds for postage for the job. Assuming
the
meter has sufficient funds, then at 170 controller 4 tests to determine if the
correct materials have been loaded into the selected unit of apparatus 8.
Assuming that the materials are correctly loaded, the at 172 controller 4
waits
until the selected unit is ready; i.e. until any previous job is completed and
all
necessary materials are loaded.
Turning to Figure 6b, once the selected unit of apparatus 8 is ready,
controller 4 downloads job data 10 at 176 and loops until acknowledgment that
the job is done is received at 178.
(In embodiments where postage values are calculated by the selected
unit of apparatus 8 the unit preferably returns the value of postage expended
with the job done acknowledgment.)
When acknowledgement is received at 178, the at 180, mail center
controller 4 confirms that the job has been successfully completed. If not
controller 4 goes to an error routine. When the job is successfully completed
then at 184 controller 4 charges the selected account and exits.
Returning to 168 in Figure 6a, if the meter lacks sufficient funds
controller 4 goes to B in Figure 6c. There at 190 controller 4 requests a
meter
recharge to provide the necessary funds. As noted above, preferably
controller 4 directly contacts a data center but recharge of the meter may be
requested in any convenient manner, as by a prompt to an operator. A system
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for automatic recharging of postage meters is described in U.S. Patent. No.
5,224,046; to: Kim et al., issued: June 29, 1993.
Then at 192 controller 4 tests to determine if the meter recharge has
been completed. If so controller 4 returns to D at 170 in Figure 6a. If not
then
at 194 controller 4 prompts the operator to determine if the job is to be
cancelled, and at 196 returns to E at 162 in Figure 6a to test the next
available
unit of apparatus 8 if the job is not cancelled and otherwise exits to an
appropriate cancellation routine.
Returning to 170 in Figure 6a, if the necessary materials are not loaded
in the next available unit of apparatus 8, controller 4 goes to C in Figure
6d.
There at 200 the operator is prompted to load the correct and 202 tests to
determine if the prompt has been acknowledged. (Note that actual loading of
the materials may have to wait until a previous job has finished.) If the
prompt
is acknowledged controller 4 goes to F at 172 in Figure 6a. If not, at 204
controller 4 tests to determine if the job is to be cancelled and at 204
returns to
E at 162 in Figure 6a to test the next available unit of apparatus 8 if the
job is
not cancelled, and otherwise exits to an appropriate cancellation routine.
Figure 7 shows a more detailed flow diagram of the operation of mail
center controller 4 in calculating mail piece costs. At 210 controller 4
determines if mail pieces in the job are to be franked. If they are, then at
212
controller 4 determines if postage values are known a priori. If postage
values
are not known, then at 214 mail piece data for the next mail piece is accessed
and, at 216 the items of material required and material costs are determined.
At 220 controller 4 determines if the weight of the mail piece has been
determined a priori. If the weight has been previously defined as part of the
mail piece attributes, then controller 4 goes to 224 to determine the class of
service defined in the attributes and calculate postage for the mail piece.
If no weight is defined for the mail piece, at 222 controller 4 determines
the number of sheets in the document and other items of material included in
the mail piece from the attribute data, accesses data store 6 to get per item
weights from data base 45 and totals the per item weights for all items in the
mail piece to calculate the weight, and goes to 224.
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At 224 controller 4 determines the class of service defined in the mail
piece attributes and accesses data base 44 in data store 6 to get postage rate
data and calculate postage for the mail piece. Then at 228 controller 4 tests
the
attribute data to determine if there are any special fees applicable to the
mail
piece (e.g. certified mail). If there are no special fees controller 4 goes to
232.
If special fees apply the at 230 the fees are determined from data base
44 and added to the postage.
Calculation of postage from the weight and class of service and the any
special services applicable is well known and need not be described further
here for an understanding of the subject invention.
In other embodiments of the subject invention other characteristics such
as size or width (hereinafter "rating characteristics") can be the basis for
postal
rates and can be used in place of, or selected as alternatives to, weight.
Implementation of such alternatives would be routine for a person skilled
in the art and need not be described further here for an understanding of the
subject invention.
At 232, controller 4 returns the postage value to be used to frank the
mail piece and material costs for the mail piece. Then at 236 controller 4
determines if this is the last mail piece. If not, mail piece data for the
next mail
piece is accessed at 214 or, if costs have been calculated for the last mail
piece, controller 4 exits to 156 in Figure 6a.
Returning to 212, if postage values are known, then controller 4 goes to
240 to access mail piece data for the next mail piece and, at 242, determines
the items of material required and the material costs for the mail piece and,
at
246 returns the material costs for the mail piece. Then, at 250, controller 4
exits
to 156 in Figure 6a if the last mail piece has been processed. If not, mail
piece
data for the next mail piece is accessed at 240.
Returning to 210, if postage values are known then at 260 the postage
values are set to zero and controller 4 goes to 240 to determine material
costs.
Turning to Figures 8 and 9, another embodiment of the subject invention
is shown. In this embodiment, mail pieces are produced essentially in the same
manner as described above except that mail pieces are franked by substantially
conventional postage meter 96 which is incorporated in mail finishing unit 64
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between sealer 90 and stacker 94. As a mail piece to be franked is processed
through sealer 90 motion controller 104-3 sets meter 96 in a conventional
manner to print a postal indicia of the proper value. In Figure 8, attribute
generator 116 determines the postage value in the same manner as described
with regard to Figure 6, as will be described below. However, instead of
requesting the variable portion of an indicia from a class 2 meter for
printing by
envelope printer 66, the postage value is transferred to monitor/controller
120.
When motion control 130-3 signals that the corresponding mail piece is being
processed by sealer 90 controller 120 down loads the appropriate postage
value to be set into meter 96 by motion controller 104-3. Meter 96 then
imprints
the mail piece with a conventional letterpress indicia and outputs the mail
piece
to stacker 94.
Attribute generator 116 calculates a postage value for a mail piece in
substantially the same manner as shown in Figure 7.
The above description of preferred embodiments of the subject invention
has been given by way of illustration only, and numerous other embodiments of
the subject invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from
consideration of the above description and the attached drawings.
Particularly,
other forms of mail finishing apparatus such as that described in above
referenced U.S. Patent No. 5,067,305 are within the contemplation of the
subject invention. Accordingly limitations on the scope of the subject
invention
are to found only in the claims set forth below.
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