Pitney Bowes Inc.

Fran E Blackman

Ronald P Sansone

Daniel F Dlugos

Jeffrey D Pierce

Denis J Stemmle, Sr

Leon A Pintsov

Denis J Stemmle

David W Beckstrom

Edilberto I Salazar

David W Hubbard

James A Salomon

Kevin D Hunter

John C Hamma

Richard A Bernard

Terrence M Doeberl

Steven M Kaye

Ronald Reichman

Michael D O'Hare

Jacqueline Collins

John T Balga, Jr

Karin A Russo

John L Campo

Scott Korowotny

Francis X Hines, Jr

John N Moody

Wendy F Jai

Tracy S Wilson

Patrick J Donahue

A method that enables the post to deliver letters, flats, post cards and packages (mail) addressed to a recipient's virtual post office box and then to be delivered directly to the recipient. The process enables individuals or entities to rent a virtual post office (VPO) box i.e., a box that does not physically exist, from the post office ('post'). Mail addressed to the virtual post office box would be captured by the post during the post's sortation process and rerouted to the specified address of the renter of the virtual post office box.

Virtual post office box

A method of producing a mailpiece including the following steps: (i) printing a postal indicium and a first inspection image on a first label segment; and (ii) printing a recipient address and a second inspection image on a second label segment; (iii) applying the first label segment and the second label segment to the mailpiece. The first inspection image and the second inspection image have a human visible relationship indicating that the first label segment and the second label segment correspond to each other.

Postage printing system having graphical relationship between postal indicium label and address label segments

A carrier for holding a conventional envelope in a predetermined position to enable printing near an edge of the envelope with a conventional printer is disclosed. The carrier includes a sheet-like substrate having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a closure flap receiving slot between the leading and trailing edges, and means for holding at least a portion of a bottom edge of the envelope to the substrate. A method according to the present invention includes the steps of providing an envelope, providing a carrier for holding the envelope in a predetermined position, and providing a conventional printer. A closure flap of the envelope is inserted through a closure flap receiving slot in the carrier. Next, a bottom edge of the envelope is held against the carrier. Then, the carrier and the envelope are passed through the conventional printer, which prints on the envelope.

Device and method for enabling a conventional printer to print on an

The status of deposits or withdrawals of items in a receptacle is indicated to one or more users having access to the receptacle. A receptacle is accessible by at least one user and is capable of containing an item. A deposit/withdrawal sensor for sensing a deposit or withdrawal of an item in the receptacle is also provided. A user identifier for identifying a user having access to the receptacle during the deposit or withdrawal of the item sensed by the deposit/withdrawal sensor is employed by the system. One or more indicators that are responsive to the deposit/withdrawal sensor and the user identifier are provided to indicate a deposit or withdrawal of the item in the receptacle by the identified user. The indicators may be placed on the receptacle or may be located remote from the receptacle.

Status indicating system for indicating the deposit and withdrawal of

A postal finishing kiosk in which a user is provided with a mail piece, such as a postcard. The user supplies the name and address to which the mail piece is to be sent and the kiosk dispenses a finished mail piece to the user with the address printer thereon. A feature of the kiosk is that it stores the mail piece forms on a roll, but delivers a linear mail piece to the user. In an alternative to the invention, the kiosk dispenses a ticket to the user that can be used in activities of the environment in which the kiosk is found.

Postal finishing kiosk

A postage meter mailing machine includes an improved embedded user interface. The user interface is suitable for providing a user interface to the mailing machine and also a direct user interface to an external device in bus communication with the mailing machine. The mailing machine includes a programmable microcontroller for performing hard and soft system functions. The microcontroller includes non-volatile memories for storing data information and executable routine. The microcontroller is also in bus communication with a visual display and a plurality of soft keys. Stored in the non-volatile memory is a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display. Each of the screens has a menu field and a prompt field and contains descriptors for a plurality of screen fields. Also, stored in the non-volatile memory are a plurality of text strings, a plurality of graphic display run routines, a plurality of routines for enabling the soft keys and for identifying subsequent screens as a result of operator activation of one of the soft keys. The user interface is programmed to identify a first screen and a screen select routine to (i) get the screen identified from said screen region of said memory and display on said display, (ii) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptor of said identified screen from said text region and display said text string in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft key to said respective menu area, (iii) display dynamic information in the display window of said display window and execute graphic routine, (iv) await activation of a soft key and repeat for next screen till end. The microcontroller having polls the system to determine whether any external devices are interfaced to the mailing machine, if so, the screen is designated for control of said respective external devices are enabled.

Embedded user interface accessible by an external device

Growing community of inventors

Weston, CT, United States of America

Fran E Blackman