INTRODUCTION
This disclosure relates generally to postage franking, and more particularly to purchasing and using postage in a franking device.
In the past, applying postage to an envelope in an office environment typically meant either moving from one's desk to a postage franking device in a central mail room or work area, or applying preprinted stamps at one's own desk. In either the office environment or a home environment, applying preprinted stamps typically requires guessing at the amount of postage required for a particular sealed envelope. Unfortunately, guessing at the correct postage often resulted in applying excess postage and wasting money, or not applying enough stamps and then posting the envelope with postage due to be paid by the recipient. Even the use of a small desktop scale upon which an envelope was placed to determine the envelope's weight required a user to keep a supply of stamps on hand, and often the correct denomination was unavailable for incremental weights above the minimum (e.g., above one ounce in the United States for first class mail), again resulting in overpayment. Alternatively, for those without a desktop scale or not in an office environment with a central mail room, a visit to the post office during normal business hours was required to have the envelope weighed to determine the correct amount of postage, which typically was then applied by the postal clerk.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a postage franking device in which a single printer moves across the print zone.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the postage franking device of FIG. 1, shown with an envelope being inserted into the device.
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the postage franking device of FIG. 1, shown when postage is applied to the envelope.
FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of the postage franking device of FIG. 1 prior to franking, with an alternate position for easy envelope insertion shown in dashed lines.
FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the postage franking device of FIG. 1, shown during the franking process.
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a postage franking device in which the printer is driven across the print zone.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a postage franking method.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a token based method of purchasing and using postage in a franking device, according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates a system for implementing the method of FIG. 8, according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an on-line based method of purchasing and using postage in a franking device, according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 illustrates a system for implementing the method of FIG. 10 in which the franking device is linked directly to the postage vendor, according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 illustrates a system for implementing the method of FIG. 10 in which the franking device is linked to the postage vendor through an intermediary computer, according to one embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate a postage franking device 10. Referring to FIGS. 1-5, postage franking device 10 includes a head 12 and a body 14 coupled together by a neck 16. The head 12 includes an onboard power source, such as a replaceable battery or batteries 18, and a scale 20, selected to weigh a variety of different weights of envelopes in accordance with a user's desired implementation. In the illustrated embodiment, the neck 16 includes an upper portion 22 coupled to a weighing arm of scale 20. A variety of different weighing devices may be used, with the illustrated scale 20 operating in the same fashion as a vegetable scale in a grocery store, or a fishing scale having a weighing arm from which anglers hang their fish to determine the weight of their catch. Preferably, scale 20 will provide an electronic signal indicative of an envelope's weight. The neck 16 also includes a lower portion 24 extending from the body 14. The upper neck portion 22 is coupled to the lower neck portion 24 by a pivot pin or post 26, which allows the body 14 to pivot into an insertion position for ease of use, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4.
The body 14 includes an envelope holder 27, here illustrated as opposing jaws 28 and 30, which may also be referred to as a lower jaw 28 and an upper jaw 30 when rotated into the insertion position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4. The jaws 28 and 30 define a slot 32 and each jaw has opposing envelope gripping features, such as teeth or nibs 34 and 36 projecting from jaw 28 that meet with nibs 38 and 40, respectively, projecting from jaw 30 to narrow the width of slot 32 at these locations. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the opposing pairs of nibs 34, 38 and 36, 40 cooperate to grip an envelope 42 to secure the envelope in position for the franking process.
FIG. 2 shows the envelope 42 being inserted into the holder 27, with the final location for franking shown in FIGS. 3 through 5. Preferably, the body 14 is equipped with a sensor 44 that senses the presence of envelope 42 when it is in the correct position for franking, here, being fully inserted in slot 32. For instance, the sensor 44 may be an optical sensor unit having optical communication which is blocked by the presence of envelope 42, with an envelope engagement or insertion signal being generated when the envelope 42 is properly positioned for weighing and franking. To indicate to a user that the envelope 42 is fully inserted within holder 27 and ready for franking, an indicator light 48 may be provided on either the head 12 or the body 14, for instance, with the light 48 changing from red to green upon proper insertion.
The postage franking device 10 includes an imaging member, represented in this embodiment as a printer 50 carried by a sliding carriage 52. While printer 50 represents generally any suitable imaging member, a replaceable printing cartridge using inkjet imaging technology, such as thermal or piezoelectric inkjet printheads or other commercially available inkjet printhead technology is preferred because it is small, available commercially and easily adapted for use in a small postage franking device. For instance, one replaceable inkjet print cartridge sold by the Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif., is the “hp 34” black inkjet print cartridge, product number C6634AN, although other inkjet cartridges may be more suitable in other implementations, such as those employing semi-permanent printheads where only the ink supply is normally replaced, known in the industry as a “snapper” cartridge. Of course, while the “hp 34” cartridge is supplied with black ink, the technology employed in producing this cartridge may be used to dispense other colors of ink should they be desired or required. Indeed, using current inkjet printhead technology, printheads having nozzles expanding a length which extends the entire postage printing width may be constructed to carry permanently attached ink reservoirs or to receive replaceable ink reservoirs.
The carriage 52 is supported in holder 27 by a pair of opposing carriage support arms 54, 56 which slide in slots 58, shown in FIG. 1, in upper jaw 30. If positional feedback as to the location of carriage 52 and printer 50 along the guide slots 58 is desired, an optical, magnetic or other suitable encoder strip 60 and a corresponding encoder strip reader 62, shown in FIG. 5, may be located along one of the arm guide slots 58 to read the position of carriage 52 and printer 50 along slots 58. Optical carriage position feedback mechanisms are typically employed in the inkjet printing arts, and may take on a variety of different configurations, for example, with the encoder strips being either of a clear plastic bearing various markings, or a metallic encoder strip having various windows cut therethrough. Indeed, the encoder strip markings may be embedded within one of the carriage arm guide slots 58, and formed as an integral part thereof or as a separate component attached thereto.
Printer 50 travels across a print zone opening 64 in holder 27 to apply a postage image 65 to envelope 42. Print zone 64 is configured as necessary to expose to printer 50 that portion of envelope 42 on which the desired postage 65 is printed. In most applications, therefore, print zone 64 will be configured to expose the upper right hand corner of envelope 42, as shown in FIG. 3. The print zone 64 may be characterized by an upper border 66 and a lower border 68, with the carriage 52 being located adjacent to the upper border 66 in FIG. 2, and closer to the lower border 68 in FIG. 3.
A single printer 50 that travels back and forth across print zone 64 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. In some implementations, however, it may be desirable to employ two or more stationary printers or a single stationary printer with multiple print heads to cover print zone 64.
The embodiment of franking device 10 shown in FIGS. 1-5 includes a printhead service station 70. The components of service station 70 are shown in FIGS. 2-5. The service station 70 includes an elastomeric wiper 72 and a capping unit 74. The wiper 72 may be constructed of a resilient, non-abrasive, elastomeric material, such as nitrile rubber, ethylene polypropylene diene monomer (EPDM), or other comparable materials known in the art which are compatible with the ink dispensed by the printer 50. A variety of different printhead wiper designs are known in the inkjet arts, and for clarity, the wiper 72 is shown as a rectangular elastomeric blade projecting upwardly from the lower jaw 28.
The capping unit 74 includes a movable sled 76 which is supported by four sled support posts 78, with each post 78 riding within an associated slot 80 defined by the upper jaw 30. Each of the slots 80 are at an angle with respect to a plane of carriage travel defined by the carriage arm guide slots 58. The sled 76 carries an elastomeric sealing lip 82 sized to surround a group of ink ejecting nozzles defined by a printhead portion 84 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the inkjet cartridge 50. The sealing lip 82 may be constructed of the same material used to construct wiper 72, as described above. A variety of different styles of caps, sleds, and cap venting systems are known in the inkjet arts, and may be suitably employed or modified in constructing the capping unit 74. Indeed, some of the more sophisticated inkjet printhead servicing units, such as that used in the Hewlett-Packard Company's HP 2000C Professional Series Color Inkjet Printer, employ separate motors, cams and other mechanisms to move servicing components, such as caps and wipers into engagement with inkjet printheads for servicing.
To move the sled 76 between a rest position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and an active capping or sealing position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the capping unit 74 includes an activation arm 85 which extends outwardly from the sled 76. From the rest position of FIGS. 3 and 5, the printer carriage 52 upon returning to the service station 70, contacts the activation arm 85 and pushes the sled 76 to travel in an upward direction along slots 80 toward the printhead 84, until the cap lip 82 is tightly sealed to surround the ink ejecting nozzles in the sealing position of FIGS. 2 and 4. In the sealing position of FIG. 2, the activation arm 85 has been pushed adjacent to the window upper border 66, while in the rest position of FIG. 3, the sled 76 has traveled downwardly, under the force of gravity, in slots 80 to define a gap between arm 85 and border 66. This downward travel of the sled 76 away from the cartridge 50 disengages cap 82 from the printhead 84 in an uncapping action, due to the slanted orientation of slots 80 with respect to a path of carriage travel defined by the arm guide slots 58. Similar ramped capping action has been used in the inkjet arts for years to seal inkjet printheads during periods of inactivity, with a carriage being used to position the cap sled between an active capping position and a resting uncapped position. Indeed, other capping systems may also be used to seal printhead 84 including more complicated motorized mechanisms and the like, with the illustrated capping system being preferred for its light weight, simplicity, and reliability.
The arrangement of the illustrated service station 70 allows the printhead 84 following uncapping to be cleaned by wiper 72 prior to entering the print zone 64, so the ink ejecting nozzles are cleaned prior to printing. Furthermore, following printing, the wiper 72 cleans the printhead 84 prior to being capped for storage. Moreover, while a single wiper blade 72 is illustrated, in some implementations multiple wiper blades may prove useful, as well as wiper blades having non-rectangular contours. More advanced service station designs may include other printhead servicing features, such as printhead primers, ink solvent applicators, and scrapers for removing ink residue from the wiper blade 72. Again, while more elaborate and complicated service station designs may be employed in the postage franking device 10, the illustrated service station 70 is preferred for its simplicity, reliability and economic value.
Due to the pivotal attachment of the head 12 to the body 14 by pivot pin 26, holder 27 may be rotated with respect to the head 12 to facilitate easier insertion of envelope 42 into slot 32, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4. Allowing this rotation of holder 27 may be particularly useful when the franking device 10 is suspended from a wall, file cabinet, divider or other vertical surface. Following this rotation to insert envelope 42, the holder 27 should be rotated downward into the hanging position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 4 to assure accurate weighing by scale 20. To determine when the holder 27 has been rotated back into the weighing position, the postage franking device 10 includes a position sensor 86. Sensor 86 generates a signal indicative of whether the holder 27 is in an insertion position (dashed lines in FIG. 4) or oriented in a weighing position (solid lines in FIG. 4).
The postage franking device 10 includes a programmable controller 90 housed within the head 12. Controller 90 will typically include a processor and associated memory. Random access memory (RAM) or other suitable operational memory contains job data along with programming and other data currently being executed or used by the processor. Read only memory (ROM) or other suitable operational/storage memory contains the device firmware that provides programming instructions to control the operation of franking device 10. Controller 90 executes firmware programming instructions according to input and feedback signals from scale 20 and printer 50. Controller 90 is configured to receive input signals from scale 20 and to generate output signals for printer 50 in response to the input signals. One set of output signals generated by controller 90, for example, are firing signals for selectively firing each of the printhead nozzles in printer 50 to eject ink in a selected pattern, such as the postage franking pattern 65 shown printed on the envelope 42 in FIG. 3 within the print zone 64. Controller 90 may be programmed to compute the required postage based on the weight of envelope 42 (and its contents). Alternatively, postage can be entered manually or through a link to an external source. The controller 90 might also be programmed to track postage use.
An optional electrical conductor 92 may be coupled to the head 12 and electrically coupled to controller 90. In one embodiment, electrical conductor 92 may be coupled to a computer to transport electrical control signals between controller 90 and the computer (e.g., see FIG. 9). In another embodiment, the electrical conductor 92 may be used to supply power to the postage franking device 10, thereby eliminating the need for a battery unit 18, or relegating the battery unit for portable or backup power use.
The conductor 92 may be coupled to a communication device or linked to the Internet. The conductor 92 also schematically represents other intermediate electrical coupling devices which link the controller 90 to a user's computer, such as a docking station. The head 12 may be equipped with one or more receptacles, such as slot 94, configured to receive a memory card 95, or other machine readable storage device, for instance a flash memory card, a magnetic diskette, or an optical memory device such as a writable compact disk (CD). Memory card 95 will typically be configured as a read/write device, and may carry various information concerning weights vs. postal rates for use by controller 90 to allow the postage franking device 10 to be easily updated for changes in postal rates. The memory card 95 may also be used as a token to store pre-paid postage, and may be sold by the postal service or other vendors, with the controller 90 deducting postage used when franking an envelope.
Franking device 10 may include a user interface and input for entering postage, selecting postal rates and otherwise communicating with controller 90. For instance, one of the faces of either the head 12 or body 14 may include a display, such as a liquid crystal display screen 96 and input keypad 97, shown in FIG. 1. The illustrated keypad 97 has a scroll up button, a scroll down button and a enter/select button, allowing a user to enter information or browse through various selections displayed on screen 96 and then select the desired postage rate, for example, “First Class” postage.
Memory card 95 may be used to store pre-paid postage, which may be periodically deducted from a user's account, for instance, by inserting the card into a reader on a user's computer which is coupled through the Internet to a user's postage account maintained by a postage vendor or tracking service (e.g., FIG. 12). In another embodiment, the memory card 95 may be eliminated, and such postage credit or debit information may be communicated from the postage franking device 10 via conductor 92 to a user's computer and then through the Internet or other communications path to a postage account tracking system. In another embodiment, the user's computer may be eliminated, and controller 90 may be directly linked to the account tracking system (e.g., FIG. 11).
Instead of using either conductor 92 or the memory card 95 to communicate postage information, the head 12 may be connected with a wireless communication port, such as an infrared communication port 98, or other communications port such as one using microwaves or radio waves, one such system being currently known in the art as “Blue Tooth” technology, which does not require physical linking of the franking device 10 with a user's computer. In such embodiments, placing the infrared communication port 98 within range of a computer's wireless communication port is adequate to communicate postage information between the franking device 10 and the postage account tracking system.
FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of a franking device 100 in which the printer 50 is automatically driven across the print zone 64 with a motor. Several of the components shown in FIG. 6 may be constructed as described above with respect to franking device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, and are thus numbered accordingly. Referring to FIG. 6, franking device 100 includes a head 102 and a body 104 which may be coupled together by a neck 16 as described above, including a sensor 86 to signal controller 90 when the holder 27 is in a free hanging position with the envelope 42 ready for weighing. As mentioned previously, rather than using a pivoting neck 16, a solid neck portion may be used instead to couple the body 104 to the weighing arm of scale 20. Franking device 100 includes a head 102 with a convenient handle 106 which allows a user to grip the head 102 with the fingers, and activate a start button 108 supported along the top surface of the head 102. Of course, prior to activating the start button 108, the indicator light 48 should first indicate that the envelope 42 has been properly inserted within holder 27 in response to a correct insertion signal from sensor 44.
The postage franking device 100 includes a motor 110, which operates upon activation of the start button 108. The motor 110 drives a lead screw 112 located along the print zone 64. The lead screw 112 is threaded into and drives printer carriage 52 through an internally threaded receptacle 114. At the end of print zone 64, the lead screw 112 terminates at a stop 116 to end travel of the carriage 52. In this embodiment, the carriage support arm 56 moves in guide slot 58 as described above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 5 to keep the carriage 52 properly aligned while traveling across the print zone 64.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a postage franking method 122. Referring to FIG. 7, an envelope 42 is suspended from scale 20 by inserting the envelope into holder 27 (step 124). If a position sensor 44 is used, then a determination is made as to whether the envelope 42 is inserted fully to the proper position (step 126). If the envelope 42 is not inserted fully, as indicated by a NO signal 128 from sensor 44, the user is signaled to reinsert the envelope 42 (step 130), for instance, by leaving the indicator light 48 emitting red light. If the envelope 42 is inserted fully, as indicated by a YES signal 132 from sensor 44, which preferably causes the indicator light 48 to emit a different color, such as green light, the envelope 42 is weighed (step 134). The desired postage is determined based on the weight of the envelope (step 136). While it is expected that the controller 90 will usually compute postage based on a signal from scale 20 corresponding to the weight of envelope 42, if an external link, such as conductor 92, is used, postage information may be obtained via conductor 92 from a computer remote from the postage franking device 10.
After the correct postage has been determined in step 136, a print postage/franking step 138 may be performed. In the motor driven or automatic embodiment of franking device 100 in FIG. 6, controller 90 issues a drive signal to motor 110 and printhead firing signals to the inkjet printer 50, which then operate in a coordinated fashion using inkjet technology to print the postage on envelope 42, forming an image 65 in print zone 64 with the correct postage for the weight of the particular envelope being franked. In the manual embodiment of franking device 10 in FIGS. 1 through 5, the print postage step 138 involves having a user grip the printer 50 or more preferably the carriage 52, and scan the printer 50 across print zone 64. In some implementations, the carriage 52 may be equipped with a handle which extends over the printer 50, so the carriage is moved rather than risking having the operator unseat printer 50 during scanning. During manual scanning, the controller 90 receives positional feedback from the encoder reader 62 mounted on carriage support arm 56 (FIG. 5) as the reader monitors the encoder strip 60. The controller 90 then coordinates firing of the ink ejecting nozzles of the printhead 84 to print the postage 65 on envelope 42, as shown in FIG. 3. For the automated franking device 100 of FIG. 6, the position of carriage 52 can be determined by counting the number of turns of motor 110 or the lead screw 112, with the number of turns being correlated with carriage position at the factory and stored within controller 90. Following the franking step 138, the controller 90 updates the postage account in step 140.
Following the franking step 138, in a returning step 142, the printer 50 is returned to service station 70, either manually by an operator when using franking device 10, or automatically using motor 110 when using franking device 100. On returning to the service station 70, the printhead orifice plate 84 is cleaned by wiper 72, and carriage 52 contacts activation arm 85 to elevate the cap sled 76 to the sealing position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Following the returning step 142, an operator removes the envelope from jaws 28 and 30 in step 144. In some manual implementations it may be desirable to have the carriage 52 be spring biased toward the service station 70, such that upon completion of the franking step 138, the carriage automatically returns to the service station, rather than relying on a user remembering to push the carriage back. Such an automatic carriage return feature would prevent a user from accidentally leaving the printhead uncapped during periods of printing inactivity and thus avoid letting the printhead dry out.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a token based method 200 of purchasing and tracking postage for a postage franking device 10 or 100. (For convenience, only franking device 10 is referenced throughout the remainder of the description of FIGS. 8-12.) Referring to FIG. 8, the user purchases pre-paid postage on a token 95 from a postage token vendor, such as the Post Office, a postage vending machine, or any private commercial vendor authorized to dispense pre-paid postage (step 202). Token 95 may take different forms, including, for example, a flash memory card, a computer diskette, a writable compact disk (CD) or other types of read/write devices. Purchase step 202 may be performed by purchasing a new token or by purchasing additional postage on a re-usable token.
The user places token 95 in communication with franking device 10 by, for example, inserting a memory card token 95 into receptacle 94 on franking device 10 (step 204). In another example illustrated in FIG. 9, communication is established between token 95 and franking device 10 through a computer 205 linked to franking device 10. In the example of FIG. 9, token 95 is a compact disk (CD) read by CD player 207 on computer 205. Once token 95 is placed in communication with franking device 10, the user requests use of franking device 10 based on the weight of envelope 42 and the corresponding postage (step 206). In the postage token embodiment of FIG. 8, it is expected that this use request will typically be implemented automatically when franking device 10 is directed to print the required postage. Franking device 10 or computer 205 linked to franking device 10 determines whether the postage available on token 95 is sufficient (step 210). If the required postage is not available on token 95 (“No” signal 210), franking is denied (step 212). If the required postage is available on token 95 (“Yes” signal 214), franking device 10 or the computer linked to franking device 10 updates the token value by deducting the required postage (step 216), approves franking (step 218) and franking device 10 prints the postage (step 220) on envelope 42 (see steps 140 and 138 in FIG. 7).
While FIG. 8 shows the updating step 216 prior to the approving step 218, the updating step 216 may occur after the approval step 218, or after the postage is printed in step 220. “User” and “operator” are used interchangeably in this document. The purchasing step 202, the communicating step 204, the requesting step 206, and the using step 220 may be performed by the same user or by different users.
Re-usable tokens 95 may include a security feature which prevents tampering so only an authorized vendor can increase the token value. For a token 95 implemented as a read/write device, additional token value could be purchased via a purchase link to the Internet, with the token writing device (e.g. franking device 10 or computer 205) requiring authorization from the postage vendor prior to increasing the token value. Indeed, the user's computer may be the purchasing agent writing to the token to increase value.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an on-line based method 250 for purchasing and tracking postage for franking device 10. FIGS. 11 and 12 are block diagrams illustrating two systems that may be used to implement the method 250 of FIG. 10. In FIG. 11, franking device 10 communicates directly with a postage vendor 251 through a communications link 253. In FIG. 12, franking device 10 communicates with postage vendor 251 through an intermediary computer 255 linked to vendor 251 through a communications link 257. Communication links 253 and 257 represent generally any suitable means for carrying information between franking device 10, computer 253 and vendor 251, including wire and wireless communications.
Referring now to FIG. 10, the user purchases postage for franking device 10 from postage vendor 251 (step 252). In the system of FIG. 11, postage is purchased directly through franking device 10. In the system of FIG. 12, postage is purchased through computer 255. Postage may be purchased as pre-paid postage tracked locally at franking device 10 or computer 255 in much the same way conventional postage meters track pre-paid postage. Alternatively, postage may be purchased as needed for each use, when franking device 10 is asked to print postage for example, and deducted from a pre-paid account tracked by postage vendor 251 or applied to a credit card or debit card.
In either case, the user requests use of franking device 10 based on the weight of envelope 42 and the corresponding postage (step 254). Franking device 10 or computer 255 linked to franking device 10 then determines in step 256 whether there is sufficient postage available, either as a pre-paid postage tracked by franking device 10 or computer 255, in a pre-paid account tracked by vendor 251, or by purchasing the necessary postage through vendor 251. If the required postage is not available (or cannot be purchased) (“No” signal 258), franking is denied (step 260). If the required postage is available (“Yes” signal 262), the postage account is updated by deducting the required postage (step 264), if applicable, franking is approved (step 266) and franking device 10 prints the postage (step 268) on envelope 42 (see steps 140 and 138 in FIG. 7).
The present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that other forms, details, and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims.
Patent Grant
7376630
