Hadewe B.v.

Neopost B.v.

Neopost Industrie

Neopost Technologies

Bertus Karel Edens

Gerhard Hidding

René Scheltes

Jelle Wiersma

Jan Jacobus Peter Remijnse

Hendrik Theodorus Van Der Meer

Ren&eacute; Scheltes

For producing mail pieces in a mail production apparatus, starting from physical postal items, a required operating condition of the mail production apparatus is determined. At least one physical property to be realized manually of the required operating condition is determined and at least one current physical property of a current condition of the mail production apparatus is registered. A difference between the at least one current physical property and the at least one physical property to be realized manually of said required operating condition is determined and an associated indication is represented in humanly perceptible form. In response, the at least one current physical property is changed, such that the difference is removed. Next, with the mail production apparatus in the required operating condition, at least one mail piece is assembled from physical postal items. Also described are computer software and an apparatus for use with this method.

Production of mail pieces and preparations therefor

In the printing and finishing of sheet-like objects, printing instructions are outputted to a printer. In accordance therewith, sheet-like objects are printed by the printer and are subsequently delivered by the printer directly to the finishing apparatus and then finished by the finishing apparatus. Output data concerning the printing instructions sent to the printer which are at least indicative of the printer capacity required for the printer to process the printing instructions outputted to the printer are registered. Sheet-like objects displaced by the printer are detected and signaled by the detector. At least periodically, production data in accordance with the signals received from the detector are generated. These data are at least indicative of a production quantity realized by the printer in response to the printing instructions sent to the printer. Depending on the production data, the output of next ones of the printing instructions to the printer is dosed.

Method and set of instructions for the dosed supply of printing instructions to a printer, and system for practicing the method

For composing messages of a particular type, layout instructions identical for each document are provided. In accordance with selection instructions, in each case, for a prescribed position in the documents, data are selected and read from a data source. In accordance with layout instructions, the read data are processed into documents. In accordance with the handling instructions, the read data are processed into message data () other than the document data. The finishing of the documents into messages is done in accordance with the message data. A system and a computer program for practicing the proposed method is also described.

Method, system and computer program for generating messages

For generating and finishing documents, a first data file in a first format, which describes the content of a document, is provided. The first data file is converted into a second data file (--) in a second format, in which image defining instructions and other instructions for finishing the document occur. The second data file (--) is processed into a processed second data file (-) with driving instructions for generating documents and associated driving instructions for finishing documents. Thereafter, in accordance with the driving instructions, a document is generated and finished in accordance with the driving instructions. Also disclosed are a system and a program structure for carrying out the proposed method. A considerable saving on the variety of software required for operating different operating systems and kinds of equipment is feasible, while information concerning the image such as it has been created in composing the document is maintained.

Method and system for generating and finishing documents

For machine-producing a series of mail pieces with the aid of a system for assembling mail pieces, the system registers at least one property of at least one physical, postal item of a particular type, at least one code representing the registered property is generated and compared with at least one reference code, stored in a memory, which represents at least one item-type property. If the code representing the at least one registered property exhibits at least a defined extent of agreement with the reference code or at least one of the reference codes, at least one setting code, associated with the reference code or at least one of the reference codes, which represents a system setting is selected; and the production of a series of mail pieces is carried out in accordance with the selected setting code.

Setting a system for assembling mail pieces

A system for opening or extracting postal items and for franking postal items includes a franking apparatus for franking postal items, an opener or extractor for at least opening postal items, and a transport structure for transporting the postal items. The franking apparatus and the opener or extractor are arranged along the transport structure at least when in an operating condition. A method for opening or extracting postal items and for franking other postal items involves serially transporting the postal items to be opened or extracted along a transport path, opening or extracting each one of the postal items that is passed along the transport path, also transporting each of the other postal items to be franked along the transport path, and applying at least one postage mark on each of the postal items to be franked that is passed along the transport path.

Opening and franking of postal items

Apparatus for removing fasteners ( ) from documents ( ) with a perforator ( ) for perforating documents ( ) in the area of the fastener to be removed, wherein the means for separating from the set of documents ( ) the fastener to be removed ( ) are constructed as a perforator for perforating the set of documents closely along the fastener to be removed. Also disclosed is a method for removing fasteners ( ), wherein the fastener ( ) is separated from the documents ( ) simply and fast in a single operation by perforating the set of documents ( ) closely along the fastener to be removed ( ).

Apparatus and method for removing fasteners from documents

A method for registration of existing, physical documents determining a code through use of a data processor structure, actuating a marking assembly for applying a mark, which represents the code, on each document to be registered, actuating a registration device in response to the application of the mark through use of the data processor structure, and registering accordingly data corresponding with the code, on a protected information carrier. Because it is one and the same data processor structure that carries out the determination of the code, the application of a mark corresponding with the code, and the storage, in a protected memory, of codes that correspond with applied marks, a safeguard regarding the authenticity of stored data regarding documents is obtained in a highly efficient and reliable manner.

System and method for registration of documents by marking and registration of markings

For assembling mail items, a type of envelope is selected from different types. Another station is accordingly set and a flat object is packaged in an envelope of the selected type. Prior to the assembly of a series of mail items, a set of basic finishing instructions applying to the series is activated. This set contains a first and a second set of instructions, each for selecting a first respectively second one of the different types of envelopes and with an instruction for an associated first respectively second setting of the other station, and a selection criterion for selecting, per individual mail item, one of the sets of instructions. Thus, within the framework of a preset set of basic finishing instructions, another one of the available types of envelope can simply be selected per mail item to be assembled individually.

Method and apparatus for assembling mail items with selective envelope selection

In preparing a document, digital document data are generated which contain an information content (IC) and finishing instructions (FI), other than the information content (IC), for finishing the document. The document data is fed to an apparatus for preparing and finishing documents, where the preparation and finishing of the document are carried out in accordance with the document data and whereby the information content (IC) is provided on an information carrier. The document is composed of at least two sections (S -S ), each divided into an information content (IC) and at least one finishing code (FC) which represents at least one finishing setting. Determining the finishing instructions (FI) for preparing the document proceeds in accordance with the finishing codes (FC) associated with the sections (S -S ).

Method for preparing a document involving the use of finishing instructions

For temporarily storing sheets, envelopes and the like, the objects are received one by one in a buffer apparatus and delivered one by one from that apparatus. For each object, a code associated with that object is determined, which code is stored in accordance with the order of receipt of the objects. Each object that is discharged is scanned and the scanning result is compared with a code that on the basis of order information is supposed to be associated with that object. If a particular minimum extent of agreement between the compared data is found, a normal operating status is adhered to. If less than the particular extent of agreement between the compared data is found, an error message status is selected. There is also described a buffer apparatus for temporarily storing the objects. Different objects can indiscriminately be processed in an irregular order and checked for separation.

Method and apparatus for controlling a buffer stock of flat objects

In processing received postal items, of opened envelopes an image of an envelope (4) is recorded by means of a registration assembly (67, 71, 74). The registration assembly (67, 71, 74) is so configured relative to an inverting structure for inverting a front wall or a rear wall (42) of an envelope (4), that the recording of an image of one of the walls of an envelope (4) is carried out each time after the inversion of that wall (42). As a result, images of the front wall and the rear wall of the envelope can be recorded from the same side, independently of the orientation in which the envelope has been supplied. Moreover, images of the front wall and the rear wall can always be recorded from the same side.

Method and apparatus for processing received postal items

For determining a displacement of an object (41) from sheetlike material along an observing position (11, 12), each time the object (41) has been displaced over a particular distance, a pulse is generated. The passing object (41) is scanned, whereby a plurality of samples are generated between two pulses, independently of the displacement of the object (41), and to these samples moreover sequence information (37) is coupled. The number of samples between two pulses (39) and the number of generated pulses (38) are counted. The sequence information (37, 38) coupled to identified samples and the counted number of samples between two pulses (39) are used to determine the displacement of the object with greater accuracy than would be possible with the displacement-dependent pulses alone, without requiring that to this end interpolation pulses be generated and processed which are to be processed separately.

Growing community of inventors

Drachten, Netherlands

Bertus Karel Edens