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:
Dec. 17, 1996
Filed:
Nov. 24, 1995
Easton F Bell, Norwalk, CT (US);
Rein Linask, Monroe, CT (US);
Arno Muller, Westport, CT (US);
Easwaran C Nambudiri, Port Chesterl, NY (US);
Peter A Pagliaro, West Haven, CT (US);
Sandra J Peterson, Norwalk, CT (US);
Neeraj Sen, Fairfield, CT (US);
Christopher D Smith, New Milford, CT (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
In postage metering apparatus having printing structure, structure for selecting respective postage values to be printed, structure for requesting printing selected postage values, structure for accounting for each postage value requested to be printed, and structure for controlling operation of the printing structure, an improvement for preventing printing a postage value without accounting therefor, the improvement comprising: the requested postage values including respective zero postage values; the controlling structure including structure for counting each request for printing a zero postage value; and the controlling structure including structure for preventing operation of the printing structure in response to the counting structure counting a predetermined number of the zero postage values.