Pitney Bowes Inc.

Pitney Bowes Inc.world Headquarters

Sung S Chang

Gary S Jacobson

Wesley A Kirschner

James L Harman

Eric L Zuidema

Paul C Kroll

Hans C Mol

Michael J Ramadei

Steven A Supron

Joseph H Marzullo

Andrei Obrea

Steven J Pauly

Seymour Feinland

Walter J Baker

Robert W Sisson

Robert G Arsenault

Michael D Ballard

George T Monroe

Micheal J Ramadei

Mark A Gilbertie

An apparatus for controlling a mechanical system in response to messages from a host computer system. The apparatus includes a conventional communications link for communicating messages from the host computer system to a motion control processor and interface and driver circuits for converting digital signals generated by the motion control processor in response to messages from the host computer system into control signals having appropriate waveforms and timing for controlling a particular mechanical system. The motion control processor is programmed to perform a number of tasks in accordance with a schedule downloaded from the host computer system. The host computer system downloads profiles which consist of series of segments consisting of data structures which define elements in the mechanical system to be controlled, identify functions to be performed and include necessary data. Tasks performed by the motion control processor include a communications interface task for handling messages from the host data system, a profile handler task for executing profiles, a motion control task for controlling motors in the mechanical system, and a read sensors task for reading sensor in the mechanical system. Other conventional, non-critical tasks may be performed by the motion control processor on a less frequently scheduled basis or in a background mode of operation. New profiles, schedules, and tick period duration may be down loaded from the host computer system dynamically, during operation of the mechanical system to provide highly flexible, adaptive control of the mechanical system.

Programmable controller for mechanical systems

A method for maintaining mailpiece integrity in a mailing system when a mechanical module experiences an error. For one category of errors, the mailing system may automatically recover from the error without operator intervention. For the remaining category of errors, the mailing system may recover from the error with minimum operator intervention, that is, the operator may be required to only remove the error producing mailpiece. A motion control processor for an error producing mechanical module will report a fault to its corresponding mailpiece builder task and the error detector task. Movement of at least the error producing mailpiece shall stop. The fault will be reported to the mailpiece builder tasks corresponding to the mechanical modules having no error condition. The mailing system shall suspend further processing of mailpieces upstream from the error producing mailpiece. For one category of errors, the mailing system will purge the error producing mailpiece from the error producing module without operator intervention. For the remaining category of errors, the operator will be required to remove at least the error producing mailpiece. State machines are then selected to perform system wide job recovery.

Method for maintaining mailpiece integrity

A table will be generated for tracking each mailpiece in a mailing system having multiple document paths. Attribute data relating to a mailpiece will be stored in a memory while job data relating to a mailing job will also be stored in a memory. A sequence builder process will look at the attribute data and determine the motion profiles that are required to ensure the mailpiece obtains the desired attributes. The sequence builder then commands execution of the motion profiles.

Method and apparatus for generating a mailpiece

An apparatus for properly positioning envelopes in an envelope inserting machine for receiving insert material is disclosed in which the envelope positioning apparatus feeds a first envelope along a prescribed feed path to a predetermined location which is beyond the normal location at which the throat of the envelope can be opened so that the envelope can receive a package of insert material, and then feeds the envelope in a reverse direction until a throat opening device is effective to open the throat of the first envelope. A microprocessor, which controls the feeding of the envelope, is preset to feed the envelope to the first mentioned predetermined location, and has the capability to adjust the preset amount by which the envelope is fed by the amount that it is fed in the reverse direction so that all succeeding envelopes having the same shape and throat characteristics as the first envelope are fed direction to the location at which the throat of the first envelope is opened to receive the insert material.

Envelope positioning apparatus for inserting machine

A method and apparatus for detecting double fed sheets. A sheet passes beneath a roller which is mounted on a lever so that the opposite end of the lever is deflected by an amount proportional to the thickness of the sheet. A magnet is attached to the opposite end of the lever approximate to a Hall Effect sensor fixed to the frame of the apparatus so that the hall sensor produces a signal proportional to the thickness of the sheet. The output of the hall sensor is sampled by an A/D convertor and the signals are input to a computer for processing to detect double fed sheets. Average thicknesses for subsequences of samples distributed over the sheet are computed and compared to reference levels. The length of the sheet is also compared to a reference length. If, for any of these comparisons the measured values are greater than the references a doubled detect signal is generated. In one embodiment leading and trailing edges of the sheet may be detected by detecting transitions in the sequence of signals which are greater than the design minimum sheet thickness. In another embodiment of the subject invention the reference levels are established by first measuring a selected, assured single, initial sheet. In another embodiment of the subject invention the references are updated after each sheet by combining a portion of the previous reference value, preferably 7/8th's, with a portion, preferably 1/8th, of the measure value multiplied by an appropriate scale factor.

Method and apparatus for detecting double fed sheets

The mailing machine includes a print drum and shutter bar assemblies and a transport system for receiving seriately and assuming displacement control over envelopes from a feed means. The mailing machine drive control system is a microcomputer in control of a first stepper motor which is a driving communication with the transport system, a second motor in driving communication with the print drum assembly and a third motor in driving communication with the shutter bar assembly. A speed sensing means inform the microcomputer of the incoming velocity of an envelope and a trigger sensing means informs the microcomputer of the relative position of the envelope with respect to the transport system and printing station. The microcomputer is programmed to determine the peak drum speed relative to the speed of an incoming envelope and a preselected pitch distance between successive envelopes. Subsequent to the transport system assuming control over the envelope, the microcomputer causes the transport system to speed adjust to a speed equivalent to the peak drum speed and, further, subsequent to indicia printing by the postage meter print drum, causes the transport system to speed adjust to the previously determined IN-SPEED. The microcomputer causes the print drum and shutter bar to displace in a defined manner pursuant to a defined velocity profile under controlled accelerations such that the envelopes displacement relative to the printing station is synchronous with the peak drum speed for indicia printing by the print drum at the printing station.

Drive control system for imprinting apparatus

A postage meter which imprints non-dollar amount indicia representative of postage value determining information. The meter receives postage value determining information, such as mail piece weight, associated with particular mail pieces; computes the corresponding postage; imprints the particular envelope with the postage value determining information; and accounts for the postage thus expended. Because the range of postage value determining information is small compared the possible range of postage setting information the meter to print is quicker and easier. In one embodiment the meter also prints a validating indicia which assures that the rates used to compute the postage value are valid. In another embodiment the postage value determining information includes information which characterizes a batch of mail, for example as being entitled to a pre-sort discount.

Postage meter with non-dollar amount indicia

A system for the nonvolatile storage of data, such as a postage meter system, employs a microcomputer coupled to two nonvolatile memories. The first nonvolatile memory requires data be applied to the nonvolatile data terminals for more than a predetermined time for data to be written into said nonvolatile memory while the second nonvolatile memory is of a type wherein data applied to the second nonvolatile memory data terminals for less than the predetrermined time is sufficient for data to be written into the second nonvolatile memory. The microcomputer operates under control of a program store to apply data to the first nonvolatile memory data terminals for at least a predetermined time under particular operating conditions and under other operating conditions to applying data to the nonvolatile memory data terminals and during the predetermined time to the second nonvolatile memory terminals.

Electonic postage meter system having arrangement for rapid storage of

A postage meter system includes a nonvolatile memory and program store coupled to a microcomputer. Postage meter transactional accounting data records are stored in the nonvolatile memory. Each transactional accounting data record includes a header portion having piece count related data and a piece count data field. The most current stored transactional accounting record header includes piece count related data which differs from the piece count data in the piece count field. Other stored transactional accounting records have headers with piece count related data which are the same as the piece count data stored in the piece count field. In this way, the most current record can be rapidly identified. A ring buffer organization of nonvolatile memory locations are utilized for storing postage value setting prior to the commencement of a postage dispensing transaction. By utilizing the ring buffer postage setting data and the most current postage transactional accounting record, a postage meter transaction can be reconstructed and written into a new postage transactional accounting record should a fault occur during a transaction which would preclude the writing of valid data. A program store causes the microcomputer to write a full set of critical postage accounting data into a random access memory, a second full set of critical accounting data and a set of abbreviated critical accounting data into the nonvolatile memory. The program store further causes the microcomputer, when an error is detected in at least one of the nonvolatile memory records, upon a comparison of data, where data in the random access memory is used as the accurate reference data, to rewrite data into both the full record and the abbreviated data record stored in the nonvolatile memory.

Electronic postage meter operating system

A system for the nonvolatile storage of data, such as a postage meter system, includes a microcomputer coupled to an MNOS type nonvolatile memory and also coupled to an EEPROM type nonvolatile memory, each memory having address lines and data lines. The address lines and data lines of the two nonvolatile memories are coupled to microcomputer ports such that the MNOS memory data lines are always at a high value whenever the EEPROM memory is addressed for the purpose of either writing or reading. The EEPROM nonvolatile memory control terminals and the MNOS nonvolatile memory control terminals are coupled to different ports of the microcomputer. Access to the MNOS nonvolatile memory is achieved by input/output mapping techniques. Access to the EEPROM nonvolatile memory is achieved by memory mapping techniques. In this way, protection is provided against inadvertently accessing the wrong memory or wrong address while executing read/write instructions to a selected memory.

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Stamford, CT, United States of America

Sung S Chang