Pitney Bowes Inc.

Arno Muller

Sungwon R Moh

Young W Lee

Easwaran C Nambudiri

Kevin D Hunter

Richard A Malin

Hyung-Kun P Kim

Peter A Pagliaro

Eswaran C N Nambudiri

George B Edelmann

Alton B Eckert, Jr

Wallace Kirschner

Robert B McFiggans

Alfred C Schmidt

Mark A Scribe

Christopher D Smith

Richard S Holodnak

Sandra J Peterson

Gilbert N Riley

Eswaran C Nambudiri

Easton F Bell

Rein Linask

Neeraj Sen

Thomas F Barraza

C Edward Duwel

Russ R Pantino

An apparatus and method for monitoring operation of an ink jet printhead. An ink jet printer is controlled to eject a periodic sequence of ink jet curtains through an illuminated gap. Variations in the intensity of the illumination caused by the ink jet curtains are detected to generate a signal representative of the opaqueness of the curtains. The signal is compared to a reference and if insufficient opaqueness is detected a poor print quality signal is generated. In one embodiment a feedback loop is established during a calibration mode to adjust the nominal level of illumination.

Optical ink drop detection apparatus and method for monitoring operation of an ink jet printhead

A postage printing system, comprising an ink jet printer including a print head for printing a postal indicia on a mailpiece and a control system. The control system is in operative communication with the print head and performs the following: monitoring an initial temperature of the print head; causing the print head to print a test print; monitoring a subsequent temperature of the print head after completion of the test print; comparing an actual temperature change, from the initial temperature to the subsequent temperature, within an expected temperature change; and continuing normal operation of the postage printing system if the actual temperature change is with an acceptable range of the expected temperature change.

Mailing machine including ink jet printing having print head malfunction detection

A mail handling system includes a printhead for printing a postage indicium on a mailpiece; a transport mechanism that moves the mailpiece past the printhead during printing of the postage indicium; a postage meter including means for accounting for a value of postage associated with the postage indicium; an image generator in operative communication with the postage meter, the image generator producing a synchronous image data stream for use by the printhead in printing the postage indicium; a buffer which receives and stores the synchronous image data stream from the image generator; apparatus for switching the image generator between an ON status whereby the image generator produces the synchronous image data stream and an OFF status whereby the image generator does not produce the synchronous image data stream based upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; structure for transferring the stored synchronous image data stream to the printhead in an asynchronous manner; and wherein the switching apparatus regulates within a predetermined range an amount of the synchronous image data stream stored in the buffer by switching the image generator between the ON status and the OFF status thereby effectively permitting the printhead to use the synchronous image data stream in an asynchronous manner.

Apparatus and method for ensuring good print quality in a mail handling

An electronic postage meter control system having a printer for printing mixed graphic and alphanumeric information. The control system includes a programmable microprocessor in bus communication with the printer for controlling the printer and with a plurality of memory units for accounting for postage printed by the printer. The memory units include at least a first memory unit having a write access time shorter than the write access time of a second one of said memory unit, a program memory in bus communication with the programmable microprocessor having an operating program stored therein. The programmable microprocessor is able to access the operating program, an integrated circuit, the program memory, and said first and second units. The integrated circuit has an address decoding module for generating one of a plurality control signals in a unique combination in response to a respective request by the programmable microprocessor. Respective ones of the control signals are the memory write enable signals for write enabling the first or second units where write enable signals are directed to the respective memory unit. The control system further maintains the respective write enable control signals active for at least the write access time of the first memory unit in response to generation of a respective one of the write enable control signals by the address decoder. The control system further maintains the respective write enable control signal active for an additional second period such that sum period of the first period of time in combination with the second period of time is at generally equal to the write access time required by the second memory unit.

Address decoder with memory wait state circuit

A postage metering system is provided with a countdown time. The countdown timer issues a priority interrupt when the timer has timed out which interrupts the control system of the meter in such a manner as to hold the meter in reset preventing operation of the postage meter. The timer is reset to a fixed period upon each funds recharge after the meter has been placed in recharge mode but prior to exposure of the secure accounting memory to recharge information.

Metering system with automatic resettable time lockout

The memory access limiting circuit detects when two or more of memory units associated with a microprocessor control system have been accessed enabled concurrently representing an error condition. The memory access limiting circuit is part of an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit also includes an address decoding for receiving the unique address signal and causing a write enable signal to be generated for the memory units and one of a plurality chip select signals to be generated for a respective one of the memory units. The monitoring circuit monitors the pin levels of the integrated circuit assigned for enabling the respective memory unit. The monitoring circuit generates a first output signal when a respective one of the memory unit chip select signals has been enabled and a second output signal when a plurality of chip select signals have been enabled. The second output signal is directed to the microprocessor for corrective action.

Multi-memory access limiting circuit for a multi-memory device

The memory security circuit detects when a memory unit has been accessed independently of an address instruction of a programmable microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmed to provide a unique address signal for write enabling a discrete memory unit. The memory unit has a write enable pin and chip select pin which when enabled in combination permits writing into the memory unit. The address decoder receives the unique address instruction and causes a write enable signal and a chip select signal to be generated for that memory unit. The write enable signal and chip select signal are to be received, respectively, by the write enable pin and the chip select pin of the memory unit. The memory security circuit monitors the write enable pin and the chip select pin of the memory unit and generates a first output signal when the memory unit has been properly addressed. A second output signal is generated when the memory unit has not been addressed by the address decoder and the write enable and the chip select signals are present at the memory unit.

Memory monitoring circuit for detecting unauthorized memory access

The printer control module is programmed to output control signals to the printer driver characterized by the data written in the control registers. The control system for a printing apparatus includes a printer unit responsive to a printer driver unit. The printer driver unit is responsive to the control system. The control system has a programmable printer control module in communication with the printer driver unit and a programmable microcomputer in bus communication with the printer control module. The microcomputer has a non-volatile memory unit for storing the data. The printer driver unit is responsive to control signals from the printer control module for driving the printer unit. The printer control module includes a buffer for holding printer data and the registers of the control module, including a control register, a shift register and a strobe width register. A strobe signal module generates a strobe signal for the printer driver unit having one of a plurality of strobe widths selected in response to the data written in the strobe width register. The control module also selectively causes one of a plurality of clock signals for the printer driver unit in response to data written in the control register. A shift module causes printer data to be delivered to the printer driver unit in one of a plurality of frame sizes in response to data written in the shift register. The programmable microcomputer is programmed to writing data into the control registers.

Control system for an electronic postage meter having a programmable

A micro control system includes a programmable microcontroller which is in bus communication with memory units and a operating power supply for providing operating power to said microcontroller. A communication module is part of the micro control system and is in communication with the data bus of the micro control system for receiving and transmitting data messages to an external device, and for encoding said transmitted data messages to conform to a serial communication protocol and decoding said received data messages. The microcontroller is programmed to generated a first control signal or a second control signal. An input-output interface is included as part of the micro control system and includes a number of switching units responsive to the first control signal of the microcontroller to place the respective switching units in a first mode of operation for providing communication between said communication module and a connector. The switching units also respond to said second control signal from the microcontroller to place said switching units in a second mode of operation for providing communication between said data bus of the micro control system and said connector to which connector the external device is attached.

Digital communication I/O port

The data encryption system includes a first stage and a second stage data encryption engine in combination with a micro control system. The data encryption system is responsive to control signals from the micro control system. The first stage is comprised of an 8-bit bus input and output from the first stage to the second stage data encryption engine of 64-bits. The input bus of the first stage is gated to a plurality of 8-bit registers through a plurality of AND gates having a respective one of the AND gate inputs in communication with the 8-bit bus and output from the respective AND gate directed to a respective input of the respective 8-bit registers for selectively gating data from the 8-bit bus to respective ones of the 8-bit registers. A demultiplexer includes a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, a respective output of the demultiplexer being in communication with the input of a respective one of the AND gates for selectively enabling a respective one of the AND gate in response to the state of the control signals.

Data encryption control system

The control system controls the operation of a charge coupled device. The operation of the charge coupled device is responsive to a shift clock signal of a given frequency and a shift enable signal. The control system includes a timer for generating one of a number of shift clock signals. Each of the shift clock signals has a different frequency. A programmable register stores a plurality of control bits which may be programmed into the program memory of the control system. A multiplex switching is used for selecting one of the shift clock signals in response to the state of the control bits and directing the selected shift clock signal to the charge coupled device. An address decoder in response to addressing by the microprocessor, generates the shift enable signal which signal is directed to the charge coupled device concurrently with the presence of the selected shift clock signal.

Charge coupled device control module

The method for preventing monitoring of postage indicia data which is sent from a postage metering vault to a remotely located digital printer over a communication link between the meter vault and the digital printer. The meter is provided with an encryption engine for encrypting postage indicia data utilizing a encryption key. The digital printer includes a decryption engine for decrypting postage data received from said meter utilizing the same encryption key and then prints a postage indicia pursuant to the decrypted postage indicia data. The postage meter also includes a key manager for generating new encryption key pursuant to a token which is either randomly generated or generated pursuant to an algorithm by a similar encryption key manager located in the digital printer which token is also used to generate the decryption key for the decryption engine. As a result, the encryption keys are the same. Upon power-up of the system or at such other preselected times, the print controller module of the digital printer sends out an encrypted message to the meter. The message consist of a random number. The encryption/decryption engine of the vault decrypts the message. The vault then returns an encrypted new message to the print controller which includes an encoded representation of the relationship of the two messages. Upon receiving the new message from the vault, the print controller decrypts the new message and verifies the relationship. The print controller is then enabled to print a postage indicia.

Method for identifying a metering accounting vault to digital printer

In postage metering apparatus having printing structure, structure for selecting respective postage values to be printed, structure for requesting printing selected postage values, structure for accounting for each postage value requested to be printed, and structure for controlling operation of the printing structure, an improvement for preventing printing a postage value without accounting therefor, the improvement comprising: the requested postage values including respective zero postage values; the controlling structure including structure for counting each request for printing a zero postage value; and the controlling structure including structure for preventing operation of the printing structure in response to the counting structure counting a predetermined number of the zero postage values.

Postage metering apparatus including means for guarding against printing

The electronic postage meter includes a printing unit which is responsive to a plurality of motors for printing of a postage indicia in response to a control circuit. The control circuit is comprised of a programmable microprocessor in bus communication with an accounting medium having memory units for accounting for the postage printed by the printing unit responsive to the programming of the microprocessor. An integrated circuit includes an address decoding module for generating a unique combination of ASIC control signals in response to a respective address placed on the bus by the microprocessor. A timer register is responsive to ones of the control signals from the address decoding module to enable writing of the timer data into the timer registers by the microprocessor. The timer unit is responsive to the timer data for generating one of a plurality of timing signals in accordance with timer data. Also included are a plurality of non-volatile memory units. The non-volatile memory unit responsive to other ones of the control signals from the address decoding module to enable the non-volatile memory units for writing data into the non-volatile memory unit by the microprocessor. The integrated circuit further includes a non-volatile memory access timer unit for causing the control signal from the address decoding module enabling the non-volatile memory units to stay active for a predetermined time of the non-volatile memory access timer.

Control system for an electronic pastage meter having a programmable

In an electronic postage meter which has a thermal printer and a control system for causing the thermal printer to print a postage indicia, the thermal printer includes a linear array of thermal elements. The electronic postage meter control system is comprised of a print control circuit for producing lengthwise and serially, during a first mode of operation, a composite image having alphanumeric characters and graphic data. The image is divided into a plurality of widthwise sections. A first widthwise section has highly critical alphanumeric character information and graphic information. A second widthwise section of the image having less critical alphanumeric character information. The control system has a second mode of operation for producing serial test data coupled to the thermal elements such that the thermal print elements are selectively responsive to the serial test data for developing for each of the thermal elements an associated test signal during each second mode of operation. A comparison of each test signal for each of the thermal elements against an associated predetermined reference signal is performed in order to automatically generate an associated failure signal when a defective thermal element is detected during a second mode of operation. If, the failure is associated with first widthwise section and no failure are associated with the second widthwise section, than the image is shifted to avoid the failure, otherwise print is stopped. If the failure is associated with the second widthwise section and the failures are less that a predetermined number than the thermal printer continues to print, otherwise printing stop.

Growing community of inventors

Westport, CT, United States of America

Arno Muller