Pitney Bowes Inc.

Lun Chan

John P Miller

Anthony E Yap

Easwaran C Nambudiri

James A Salomon

Paul R Sette

Peter T Collings

David J Eaton

William H Brewster, Jr

William A Brosseau

Systems and methods for providing evidence of printing in metering systems even in the event of a print head failure are provided. Along with generating a primary image for an indicium that evidences payment, a secondary image for the indicium, identical to a corresponding portion of the primary image but at a lower density, with physical boundaries that are within the boundaries of the primary image, is also generated. The primary image is printed by a first nozzle array, and the secondary image is printed by a second nozzle array. Because the primary image completely overlaps the secondary image, the secondary image is undetectable if the primary image is properly printed. The secondary image provides evidence of printing of the indicium that can be used to obtain a refund for the indicium in the event that the primary image was not printed due to failure of the first nozzle array.

Method and system for providing evidence of printing in event of print head failure

An image of a moving object, such as a postage indicium barcode on a mail piece, is captured with the object in motion (e.g., while being transported through a mailing machine). An array of CMOS picture elements is held in a reset condition. A signal asserted on control pin ends the reset condition and places the picture elements in an image capture condition. With the picture elements in a picture capture condition, a strobe light is actuated at a time when the barcode is predicted to be present at the picture element array. After the strobe light has been actuated, the signal on the control pin is de-asserted to initiate a read-out of the image data from the picture elements.

Method and system for capturing images moving at high speed

A dynamic registration device for a mailing system that reduces the problems of dust generation, ink smearing, and print head contact is provided. The biasing force normally applied to the back panel of a mail piece, such that the front panel maintains contact with a registration plate, is controlled by an actuator such that the force can be removed when the printing module is not performing the actual printing process. Thus, the biasing force can be applied only when the print head is actually printing and the biasing force can be removed once printing has been completed. In other embodiments utilizing multiple printing modules, when one of the printing modules is inactivated, the biasing force can be removed, and the mail pieces pass through the inactive printing module without being registered against the top registration plate.

Dynamic registration device for mailing system

A printing system that dynamically adjusts the resolution at which printing will occur based on the lightness or darkness of the medium upon which the image will be printed is provided. The reflectivity of the medium upon which an image is to be printed is determined, and hence the relative lightness or darkness of the medium. The resolution at which the image will be printed is adjusted based on the determined reflectivity of the medium. For lighter colored mediums, sufficient contrast between the printed image and the medium upon which the image is printed can be maintained utilizing a lower resolution, while a higher resolution must be utilized to maintain sufficient contrast for darker colored mediums. Since it is not necessary to utilize the higher resolution for all mediums to ensure sufficient contrast is always provided, the amount of ink used by the printing system is reduced.

Method and system for reducing ink consumption required for printing

Apparatus for drying ink on a sheet fed downstream therebeneath in a predetermined path of travel, the apparatus comprising; framework, structure for blowing air downwardly toward the path of travel of a sheet, the air blowing structure including an electrically operable axial fan connected to the framework, an elongate member connected to the framework for location thereof beneath the fan, the member including an elongate upper wall and elongate oppositely disposed side walls depending from the upper wall, the upper wall having a light reflecting inner surface, structure for providing infrared light, the light providing structure including an elongate electrically-operable infrared lamp connected to the framework for location thereof within the member, and the upper wall of the member including a plurality of elongate parallel-spaced louvers formed therefrom and extending transversely of the longitudinal length thereof, each of the louvers including an aperture and vane associated with each other, each of the apertures having a generally rectangularly-shaped perimeter edge, each of the vanes being generally rectangularly-shaped and laterally-extending downwardly and downstream relative to the path of travel from the associated perimeter edge, whereby air from the fan is directed by each vane at an angle extending in the direction of the path of travel.

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New Fairfield, CT, United States of America

Lun Chan