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:
Apr. 07, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2003
Frederick W. Ryan, Jr., Oxford, CT (US);
Douglas A. Clark, Wallingford, CT (US);
Michael J. Ramadei, Trumbull, CT (US);
G. Thomas Athens, Derby, CT (US);
David G. Collings, Shelton, CT (US);
Frederick W. Ryan, Jr., Oxford, CT (US);
Douglas A. Clark, Wallingford, CT (US);
Michael J. Ramadei, Trumbull, CT (US);
G. Thomas Athens, Derby, CT (US);
David G. Collings, Shelton, CT (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A method and system that increases the throughput of a mailing machine by continuously computing indicia prior to and during mail processing is provided. The indicia generation process is divided into two distinct parts, cryptographic calculation and funds committal/printing. Indicium data are continuously computed, asynchronously with the printing of the indicia, and stored in a buffer until needed. This enables several indicium data to be computed and stored prior to processing of a mail piece by the mailing machine. Prior to printing an indicium on a mail piece, the funds for the indicium are accounted for by updating the registers of the mailing machine. Since a number of indicium data may be pre-computed prior to the start of processing the mail through the mailing machine, the throughput of the mailing machine can be increased.