Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh

Francotvp-Postalia Gmbh

Friedrich-Viktor Miehe

Stephan Gunther

Wolfgang Thiel

Klaus Dietrich

Norbert Knoth

A method for shipping electronically stored letter contents or communications and/or data on flat information carriers, particularly chip cards, requiring postal franking or prepaid postage, includes storing shipping data in at least one of a plurality of memory regions of the information carrier. The shipping data is read out with a read-write module. The shipping data is linked to a postage table being stored in memory, for calculating a postage value appropriate for shipment of the information carrier. An accounting or debit is made for the calculated postage value for the information carrier with a postage meter device. A postage imprint is printed on an item to be shipped. In an apparatus for carrying out the invention, the read-write module and the postage meter device are integrated into a unit.

Method and apparatus for shipping electronically stored communications

A method for sending electrically stored data on flat information carriers requiring postal franking includes transmitting communication data from a personal computer into a memory of an information carrier with a read-write module. Associated shipping data are transmitted from the personal computer to a postage meter device synchronously with the transmission of the communication data. Postal charges for sending the information carrier are accounted for with the postage meter device on the basis of the shipping data. Control data are transmitted from the postage meter device to a printer for printing a postage imprint on each item intended for sending the information carrier. In an apparatus for performing the method, the read-write module may be integrated into the personal computer; the postage meter device may be integrated into the personal computer; the read-write module and the postage meter device may form a structural unit; and the read-write module, the postage meter device and an enveloping station may form a structural unit.

Method for shipping chip cards

A disposable postage meter assembly for printing charges and captions on envelopes and/or postage strips includes a base unit and a non-rechargeable disposable module. The base unit and the disposable module have devices for setting variable information.

Disposable postage meter assembly

In order to distinguish originals from copies, a method adds substances to printing medium that produces markings, which are not visible to the naked eye and are only recognizable by using special scanners.

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Berlin, Germany

Friedrich-Viktor Miehe