Claims
- 1. A method for controlling an apparatus which prepares items to be mailed, the apparatus comprising a plurality of successive stations that include at least one sheet feeding station for feeding a sheet, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, and a data channel for connecting said central data processor and the data processors each associated with a station, at least some of the data processors each associated with a station being connected to a connection that is associated with a position of the station in the apparatus, the method comprising communicating the data processors associated with stations and at least the central data processor by way of said data channel, selectively activating said data processors each associated with a station in response to given control signals, the position of said at least one sheet feeding station with which a data processor is associated determining in response to which of the given control signals said data processor is activated to control the feeding of a sheet by said at least one sheet feeding station.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, for distinguishing a first one of the connections from a next one of the connections, corresponding points of the respective connection are connected or are not connected to a common point for all connections, and including storing a unique control code in each of the data processors connected to said connections, each unique control code corresponding with the points of the respective connection connected to the common point, said step of selectively activating said data processors each associated with a station including activating a selected data processor by transmitting a control signal via said data channel which corresponds with the unique control code stored in said data processor.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein each connection is connected to the central data processor via a separate selection line, said step of selectively activating a data processor connected to a selected connection for communication via the data channel including transmitting the control signal via the selection line associated with said selected connection.
- 4. A method according to claim 3, including, at start-up of the apparatus, successively activating each data processor connected to one of said connections for communication via the data channel while the central data processor transmits a message comprising a unique control code via the data channel, storing the message comprising a unique control code in the activated data processor, and thereafter transmitting a unique control signal via the data channel to activate the data processor in operation, the unique control signal transmitted via the data channel corresponding to the unique control code stored in said data processor.
- 5. A method according to claim 3, including, at start-up of the apparatus, successively activating each data processor connected to one of said connections for communication via the data channel, and the activated data processor transmitting a message via the data channel, the transmitted message comprising a unique control code which is stored in the central data processor in relation to the connection to which the activated data processor is connected, thereafter activating said data processor in operation by transmitting a unique control signal corresponding to said control code via the data channel.
- 6. A method according to claim 4, wherein a selection line connecting a connection to the central data processor is also connected to a sensor for detecting the presence of a sheet at the station connected to the selection line, said sensor, after the control codes for activating the data processors each associated with a station have been stored, transmitting a signal via the selection line to the central processor which is dependent upon the presence of a sheet in front of the sensor.
- 7. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of transmitting the control signals for selectively activating the data processors connected to connections for communication via the data channel includes transmitting said control signals exclusively via said selection lines.
- 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said connections includes a comparator in which a given control code associated with said connection is stored, the method including comparing each control signal with the stored control code through operation of the comparator and, upon agreement between the control signal and said control code, activating the data processor connected to said connection by said connection.
- 9. An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a transport path for transporting sheets a plurality of successive stations along said transport path including at least one sheet feeding station and a folding station, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, a unit extending along said transport path and carrying a plurality of connections, each of said connections being located at a position of a station along said unit, to which connections a respective data processor associated with a station in the respective position along the unit is connected and the connections determining in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated.
- 10. An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a plurality of successive stations, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, a plurality of position-bound connections to which a respective data processor associated with a station is connected and which determine in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated, the plurality of position-bound connections including a first connection and a next connection, each comprising at least one connecting point, the connecting point of the first connection being connected to a common point for all connections and the connecting point of the next connection not being connected to the common point, the respective data processors connected to the first and the next connection being equipped with a memory for storing a unique control code depending on whether or not said corresponding connecting point is connected to said common point, as well as with a comparator for comparing a control signal received via the data channel with the control code stored in said memory.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the maximum number of connections is sixteen and each connection comprises at least four connecting points which, for each connection, are connected or are not connected to said common point according to a unique configuration.
- 12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the connections are connected to the central data processor via individual separate selection lines.
- 13. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the unit extending along the stations is a transport unit having a plurality of mounting positions for stations, which mounting positions are each equipped with one of said connections, at least a part of said dam channel being incorporated into the transport unit.
- 14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the unit extending along the stations is a transport unit having a plurality of mounting positions for stations, which mounting positions are each equipped with one of said connections, at least a part of said dam channel being incorporated into the transport unit, the transport unit being provided at each connection with a sensor for detecting passing items transported by the transport unit, said sensor being connected to the selection line associated with the corresponding connecting point.
- 15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the central data processor is incorporated into the transport unit and is connected to a main processor.
- 16. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the unit extending along the stations is a connection unit.
- 17. An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a plurality of successive stations, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, and a plurality of position-bound connections to which a respective data processor associated with a station is connected and which determine in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated, the position-bound connections being arranged along a connection unit which extends along the connected stations, the connection unit comprising an extensible bellows, the maximum length of the bellows between two connections corresponding to the maximum possible distance between two connections of successive stations and the minimum length of the bellows between two connections corresponding to the minimum possible distance between two connections of successive stations.
- 18. A transport unit for use in an apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a dam channel, mounting positions for a plurality of stations, a transport track extending along said mounting positions for transporting sheets along a plurality of said mounting positions, each respective mounting position being provided with a data processor connection for coupling a data processor associated with a station mounted at the respective mounting position to the data channel, and with means for assigning selected control signals transmitted via the data channel to a data processor connected to said data processor connection at the respective mounting position.
- 19. An apparatus for preparing items to be mailed, comprising a plurality of successive stations, a central data processor, a plurality of data processors each associated with a station, a data channel by means of which said data processors each associated with a station are connected for communication with at least the central data processor so that said data processors each associated with a station are activatable for communication via the data channel by a control signal, a plurality of position-bound connections to which a respective data processor associated with a station is connected and which determine in response to which control signals the respective data processors connected to those connections are to be activated, and a transport unit having a plurality of mounting positions for stations, each mounting position being provided with one of said connections, at least a part of the data channels being incorporated into the transport unit.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
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9102198 |
Dec 1991 |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/998,590, filed Dec. 30, 1992 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
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0471846 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
998590 |
Dec 1992 |
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