The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 02, 1981
Filed:
Feb. 21, 1979
Daniel F Dlugos, Huntington, CT (US);
Donald D Harenberg, Placentia, CA (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Rockwell Intl. Corp., El Segundo, CA (US);
Abstract
A multiprocessor parcel postage metering system includes a system processor to which a scale subsystem processor, a postage printing subsystem processor, and a peripherals subsystem processor may be connected. The processors share a common data bus over which data is transferred serially. The system processor accepts weight and status data transmitted from the scale subsystem processor over the serial data bus. The system processor operates on this data and keyboard entry data to calculate required postage as a function of parcel origin, parcel destination, class of service and selected special fees. Printer setting data is transferred to the postage printing subsystem processor over the serial data bus. Peripheral devices, such as a document printer or a parcel identification number counter, are controlled by data sent to the peripherals subsystem processor over the serial data bus. Each transmission is verified by returning the complemented form of a transmitted word to the sending processor. The sending processor compares the transmitted word with the returned word and sends out the next word only if a match is found.