Abstract: A system of paying for a service that is delivered to a user by a provider of said service, the system including print means for printing out a docket issued by the service provider and bearing the amount to be paid for the requested service, and franking means for printing a postage amount equal to said amount to be paid on said docket or on a label affixed next to said docket.

Abstract: A mail handling machine including a print module for printing a postal imprint on a mail item, said print module being stationary and disposed transversely relative to the direction D of movement of the mail items and parallel to the longitudinal edges of each mail item. Preferably, said print module has a single row of ink ejection nozzles.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for authentication of postage accounting reports. Postage accounting report data is authenticated by first assembling authentication mark data from the postage accounting report data and encrypting the resultant information to form an authentication mark. A physical representation of that authentication mark is then affixed to a postage accounting report generated by a postage accounting report system. The postage accounting report may subsequently be authenticated by communicating the authentication mark to a responsible party (for example, a postal authority or manufacturer) for purposes of decrypting the authentication mark and authenticating the postage accounting report data using the decrypted information.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for authentication of postage accounting reports. Postage accounting report data is authenticated by first assembling authentication mark data from the postage accounting report data and encrypting the resultant information to form an authentication mark. A physical representation of that authentication mark is then affixed to a postage accounting report generated by a postage accounting report system. The postage accounting report may subsequently be authenticated by communicating the authentication mark to a responsible party (for example, a postal authority or manufacturer) for purposes of decrypting the authentication mark and authenticating the postage accounting report data using the decrypted information.

Abstract: A machine for printing a postage stamp for application to a mail item includes a a thermal printer to print the stamp on a tape of thermally sensitive paper. The speed of feeding of the tape is controlled to be uniform to synchronize with the operation of the printer. The printer is non-secure and accounting for the value of postage charge printed on the stamps is accomplished by machine reading of the stamps by the Postal Authority. The stamp printing machine generates an accumulated value of postage charge for a series of stamps printed and then prints, on the same tape, a label including an indication of user account and accumulated value, the value preferably being in encoded form.

Abstract: A franking machine system is disclosed in which a master controller is provided to communicate with a postal authority resetting center and with a plurality of franking machines. The controller includes registers for storing the value of credit available for distribution to the franking machines and registers for storing data relating to usage of the individual franking machines. Credit is obtained from the resetting center by the controller and is distributed to the franking machines as required by each machine.

Abstract: A method of forming a franking impression on a mail item and apparatus for forming the franking impression is disclosed. Material which is switchable from one stable state to another stable state by exposure to light of predetermined wavelength is deposited on the mail item while in one state and a selected region of the deposited material is exposed to light of the predetermined wavelength to effect switching of the selected region to the other state and thereby to represent franking or other secure information.

Abstract: A mail processing system includes user terminals which communicate via the telephone network with a postal authority computer. When a batch of mail is to be processed, the postage charge for the batch of mail is transmitted to the computer which checks the credit status of the user and if satisfactory returns a transaction identification signal which enables the user terminal to print postage permits on the mail items and batch data on a batch label in machine readable form. For security the permit and batch label include a random number contained in the transaction identification signal. At a postal receiving location, the permits on the mail items and the batch label are machine read and compared with data relating to the batch held in the computer. If these items of data are consistent, the mail is accepted for delivery by the postal authority.

Abstract: A franking machine is disclosed which comprises an electronic accounting and control device with registers for storing accounting data such as credit available and a printer connected to and controlled by the accounting and control device. The machine has an input/output connection for receipt of franking and addressing data from a computer to control the franking machine to print a franking impression and destination address on a mail item.

Abstract: A franking machine is disclosed which has a microprocessor for carrying out accounting and control functions and in which printing of a franking impression is effected by ejecting droplets of ink from ink filled nozzles by means of selectively heatable elements which vaporize the ink or a constituent thereof to the rear of the nozzles and thereby eject the ink droplets. The nozzles may be stationary and be supplied with ink through a common pipe connected to a reservoir or the nozzles may be constituted by pores in a belt which is driven through an ink reservoir and then past the heatable elements.

Abstract: A franking machine module is provided with one or more selectively operated mail item feed modules to feed items such as envelopes or labels from hoppers in the feed modules to the franking module. The modules are constructed with common interfaces whereby a number of feed modules may be arranged side by side such that mechanical and electrical drive is transmitted from one module to its adjacent module and feed paths of the modules are co-planar to permit items to be fed into and along a common feed path.

Abstract: A postage stamp dispenser receives a cassette of postage tape which has marks along its length representing postage value. When a stamp is to be dispensed, the dispenser feeds a length of tape corresponding to the required postage value and prints information such as the postage value and date on the tape. The dispenser may mark the tape with a fuorescent stripe to assist cancellation equipment to locate the stamp. The tape is provided in lengths of known value and the dispenser may provide an indication of thhe value of tape remaining unused in the cassette.

Abstract: A franking machine is disclosed in which the accounting and control circuits of the meter are housed in a secure housing and a printing device for printing a franking impression is located exterior to the secure housing and is connected to the accounting and control circuits. Strings of print data sent to the printing device are returned in a succeeding print cycle to a check circuit in the housing to check integrity of the print data received by the printing device. If desired the print data strings may include a security code. In order to detect if the printing device has been disconnected from the meter, the meter includes a circuit to send a pulse train to the printing device via the connection for print data and to receive a pulse train from the printing device. The circuit compares the pulse trains and if the comparison is unsuccessful inhibits further franking operations.

Abstract: A stamp printing machine has print drum carrying print wheels which are settable by push buttons to print a selected value of postage charge. The drum is driven by a mechanical device such as tensator spring motor. The motor is manually primed and a trip lever operated by insertion of mail item releases the print drum to rotate through one revolution to print the stamp on the mail item. The stamp machine may include a calculator on which the postage value may be manually entered. Electrical contacts operated by the rotation of the drum are connected across the M+ button of the calculator to add the postage amount to its memory.

Abstract: A construction of thermal print head is disclosed in which a common support includes a plurality of substrates on which selectively heatable print elements of a plurality of print heads are carried. The substrates are arranged in spaced parallel relation such as to permit deposition of conductors and insulation layers on a face of the substrates. Print element selection and drive circuits may be mounted on the substrates and a printed circuit multi-conductor ribbon cable provides connections to the print heads. The print heads print serially on an item and may be operated to print different portions of a print impression in the same color with one print ribbon or may print differently colored portions with different colored ribbons. The thermal print head may be used for printing a franking impression in a postage franking meter.

Abstract: A method of franking mail items is disclosed in which the franking impression includes a machine readable portion and a visually readable portion. The machine readable portion comprises a data block including at least a postage charge and a pseudo-random number and the data block is encrypted prior to printing. During printing of the franking impression, at least a part of the machine readable portion is read and compared with the data block intended to be printed. If the comparison is satisfactory the printing operation is continued to print the visually readable portion. The pseudo-random number is changed for each franking transaction which may be each item or batch of items. The machine readable portion is read at a mail handling centre to provide an input to a postage charging and accounting function.

Abstract: A franking machine is disclosed which has a thermal printer for printing variable and non-variable information at a single print station. The non-variable information is printed by thermal print elements having a form corresponding to the information pattern and the variable information is printed by arrays of selectable print elements. The elements are preferably heated by passing electric current through the elements. Alternatively, the elements for non-variable information may be heated from a heated substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for checking the operation of a thermal dot printer during a printing cycle. When a pattern is to be printed a count of the number of printing elements intended to be operated in the cycle is stored. A signal indicative of the total current drawn from a supply by the operated printing elements is compared with the stored count. If the comparison indicates that all or a sufficient number of elements have been operated to effect printing, operation of the printing elements in further printing cycles is permitted otherwise further printing is inhibited. In an alternative method the printing elements are operated to print data in machine readable form and the data is read to produce a signal which is compared with data intended to be printed. The printing elements may print the data in a form for visual inspection and in machine readable form. The printer may form part of a franking machine in which the printed data is a franking of a mail item.

Abstract: To enable a single motor in a franking machine to set the printing wheels in a printing drum in addition to rotating the drum and feeding items of mail through the machine, four carriages, each carrying a rocker and solenoids are mounted on two pairs of continuously rotating lead screws. Each carriage is connected by a ring shoe to a printing wheel via a selecting bar in the drum arbor. Solenoid moves rocker to engage screw to drive the carriage in one direction. Movement in the opposite direction is by screw controlled by solenoid. Each carriage sets an encoding switch to enable a microcomputer to know the state of the printing wheels. Each new value is fed, for example, by a keyboard, to the microcomputer which determines the movement, if any, of each carriage to set the new value on the printing wheels.

Abstract: An information transport system for conveying information between a franking meter machine and a post office equipment includes a unit having a non-volatile read/write memory which may consist of an EEPROM which can be transported between the meter and the equipment. When the unit is inserted in the franking machine a transaction code is verified by comparison with a registered code and information transfer is effected. The machine then generates a new code and stores it in a register. Upon return of the unit to the post office, the equipment responds to the transaction code stored in the unit to generate a new code corresponding to the new code generated and stored in the meter machine.