Francotyp-postalia Ag & Co.

Stephan Guenther

Ralf Kubatzki

Olav A Zarges

Wolfgang Pekruhn

Wilfried Kopanski

Ludger Bornemann

A postal apparatus, particularly a postage meter machine, has a chip card write/read unit for reloading fee schedule change data by chip card. In combination. with a first-time insertion of the chip card, an appertaining controller of the postage meter machine allows a first reloading and&mdash;as a result thereof&mdash;a writing of data into the chip card. The use data in the chip card are thereby modified in a predetermined way, so that, given a repeated data loading, the chip card supplies usable data only in the same postage meter machine. The use data are stored in a first memory area of the chip card and include the remaining use data and variable data, or a crypto code following the initial use. A protective code, formed after the. initial use for the authorization of the use data is stored in a second memory area of the chip card.

Method and postal apparatus with a chip card write/read unit for reloading change data by chip card

A postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit has a controller which, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, allows the function input and the administration of cost center to be handled to be simplified. For deriving chip cards that individually allow only a limited function to be implemented, i.e. the cards are of a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced using the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine, so that a pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified by the user. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards and further successor cards derived from the specific application function cards that allow access to the table with their chip card number internally stored in the chip card. The function allocation applications to the chip card number can be arbitrarily selectably stored in non-volatile memory areas by the authorized user

Postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit and method for operating same

In an arrangement and a method for data exchange between a postage meter machine and chip cards, a postage meter machine is equipped with a chip card write/read unit and appertaining control system wherein first, corresponding to a succession number a specific insertion sequence for valid chip cards is required in order to reload (update) data, and second, an authorized user is allowed to define a specific sequence for the insertion of lower-ranking, suitably initialized chip cards in order to simplify the function and data entered into the postage meter machine. These latter chip cards set a limited function scope within the postage meter. For their initialization, a table with a specific hierarchic (tree) structure is produced by the user by modifying a pre-stored structure in the postage meter machine. The further chip cards allow access to the table with their chip card number in order to call function applications with limit data that are stored in non-volatile memory areas allocated to the chip card number.

Arrangement and method for data exchange between a postage meter machine and clip cards

A postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit has a controller allows an initialization of a number of chip cards by the user in order, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, to simplify the function input and the administration of cost center data to be handled. A chip card number is stored in the chip card. For deriving chip cards that set a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced upon employment of the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine in that the pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified. At least one of the number of application functions is allocated to the chip card number in the table. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards derived from the first chip card and for successor cards, particularly specific function application cards.

A postage meter machine has a chip card write/read unit and a controller which, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, allows the function input and the administration of cost center data to be handled in a simplified manner. For deriving chip cards that set a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced using the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine, so that the pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified by the user. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards and further successor cards derived from the first chip card, particularly specific function application cards that allow access to the table with their chip card number internally stored in the chip card. The allocation of a chip card number to function applications with limit data can be arbitrarily selectably stored in non-volatile memory areas A, B, C by the authorized user.

Postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit and method for

An apparatus for transporting and for printing print media has an inclined guide plate and a transport mechanism orthogonal to this guide plate and an auxiliary device. An ink jet print head controlled by a control unit is rigidly arranged in a recess of the guide plate during printing. The recess is fashioned such that the print medium has a printed region lying free downstream. The print medium transported with the transport mechanism lies without any mechanical clamping against the auxiliary device, that has an ascending guide and allows a defined slippage perpendicular to the transport mechanism surface. Independently of the slope of the floor area of the machine, a non-contacting printing with the ink print head ensues with high print quality for print media transported standing or lying. A placement device precedes the guide plate for the adaptation of the inclination angle .alpha..

Apparatus for transporting and printing print media

In a method and to an arrangement for entering data into a postage meter machine, after calling stored setting data, a routine is triggered that includes a manual input routine. The arrangement includes specific actuation elements for data input for positioning, within the overall image, sub-images (image portions or constituents of the overall image). After interrogation of the actuated inputs, request data are formed if a non-available data set is needed. The formation likewise ensues when a microprocessor in the machine finds data of the clock/date module that were called but were modified due to the passage of time. A communication is then implemented, whereby the data central communicates sub-image data files and, if necessary, further data files to the postage meter machine on the basis of the communicated request data. As a result of the actuation of selected actuation elements, a corresponding sub-image positioning routine is triggered, whereby allowable change data are identified and lead to the modification of a control data file. The modification is displayed on the basis of another sub-routine as a cleartext presentation of the print image.

Method and arrangement for entering data into a postage meter machine

An arrangement for monitoring the functioning of an ink print head, an enhancement of the functional dependability by enhancing the monitoring precision given reduced outlay is obtained with a constant monitoring and evaluation of the print format, with the brightness of the recording medium having no influence on the monitoring precision. A sensor head with at least two wiper electrodes is placed on the recording medium following the ink print head and is connected to an evaluation circuit that in turn has an output side connected to the drive circuit for the ink print head. Changes in the electrical properties of the recording medium between the wiper electrodes are acquired in the evaluation circuit, these changes arising due to the presence of just-printed ink thereon. The arrangement is suitable for ink print heads operating according to the bubble jet principle as well as for ink print heads with piezo actuators.

Arrangement for monitoring functioning of an ink print head

In a method for the operation of a postage meter machine jointly by a plurality of users, at least one message is allocated to each user and has at least one identifier that identifies the respective user to which the message is allocated. A control unit in the machine is supplied by a current user with information about that user's identifier when put into use. The control unit compares the information to the identifier and automatically uses the message allocated to the current user when imprinting postal matter for that user.

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Berlin, Germany

Stephan Guenther