Abstract: There is provided a reflective X-ray microscope for examining an object in an object plane. The reflective X-ray microscope includes (a) a first subsystem, having a first mirror and a second mirror, disposed in a beam path from the object plane to the image plane, and (b) a second subsystem, having a third mirror, situated downstream of the first subsystem in the beam path. The object is illuminated with radiation having a wavelength <100 nm, and the reflective X-ray microscope projects the object with magnification into an image plane.

Abstract: In a method and arrangement for protecting a device against operation with unauthorized consumables a code number range for a device is allocated to a customer number in the memory of a data bank remote from the device. The consumable is aggregated with a generated code number which has a predetermined relationship to a reference code number from a group of reference code numbers that are stored in the device and lie in the aforementioned reference code number range. The allocation is stored in the data bank as a dataset with a customer number, a code number and an identification number of the consumable. In a device remote from the data center, a recognition of the need to change the consumable is recognized, whereupon a message is displayed for entering the code number, the validity and authenticity of the consumable in the device is checked on the basis of the entered code number and the reference code number range. The currently stored reference code number is then made unavailable for further use.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for protecting a device against operation with unallowed consumables whose authenticity is checked in a remote data center, at least one code word is generated, an allocation to a specific consumable is stored in the form of a dataset with a reference code word, the consumable is aggregated with the generated code word, which has a predetermined relationship to the reference code word or to a group of reference code words that are stored in the data center. An operation for the replacement of a consumable in a device remote from the data center is detected and a communication connection is set up between the device and the remote data center and the code word aggregated with the consumable is communicated to the data center. The communicated code word is received in the data center and the authenticity of the consumable on the basis of a stored reference code word is checked at the data center, which transmits a message to the device after checking the code.

Abstract: There is provided a reflective X-ray microscope for examining an object in an object plane. The reflective X-ray microscope includes (a) a first subsystem, having a first mirror and a second mirror, disposed in a beam path from the object plane to the image plane, and (b) a second subsystem, having a third mirror, situated downstream of the first subsystem in the beam path. The object is illuminated with radiation having a wavelength <100 nm, and the reflective X-ray microscope projects the object with magnification into an image plane.

Abstract: In a method for automatic installation of a franking device, and a franking device operating according to the method, a self-test is conducted in the franking device in order to determine whether an automatic installation is to be implemented and a loading of a customer-specific data set is to be undertaken into a non-volatile memory or, if an installation has already ensued earlier, whether the installation procedure need not be implemented. In the automatic installation procedure, A mirror data set is produced at a data center, corresponding to the machine data stored in the franking device, and the mirror data set is stored in the data center allocated to a numerical code. Customer data for a sold franking device are communicated to the data center. The customer data are stored in the data center allocated to the numerical code.

Abstract: A franking unit for low mail volume is composed of a computer and with a connected printer. The computer has a memory with a local data bank for postal recipient address datafiles and is connected via a communication path to a data center that comprises a central data bank. The computer is appropriately programmed so that request data are formed and communicated to the data center and requested data that are communicated back and are received and stored.

Abstract: In a method and a usage counter for registering a usage value of a commodity, a measured value of the commodity is generated between an input and an output for the commodity, a rate value for charging for usage of said commodity is non-volatilely stored, and in a security module a monetary charge is calculated from the measured value and the rate value. A communication device communicates the calculated monetary charge to a location remote from the usage counter in a secured communication. The security module generates an electronic reaction to attempts to fraudulently manipulate the calculated monetary charge, such as by breeching the security of the security module, or by unusual deviations in the measured value of the commodity.

Abstract: A mail processing system has a printing machine base station controlled via a personal computer. A printhead for a purely electronic printing is driven by a printing control electronics and, together with a conveyor unit, forms which is adaptable to items of differing thicknesses printing station for mixed mail processing. The components of the personal computer are in communication via a PC system bus and include a security arrangement that is connected to the PC system bus via a parallel input/output interface and is connected to the printing machine base station via at least one fast interface. The fast interface is a specific data transmission unit for fast serial data transmission to the specific interface unit and/or to the printing control electronics of the machine base. The security arrangement contains a user-specific hardware circuit with units for the implementation of accounting and security functions.

Abstract: In a postage meter machine that has a printing unit with a replaceable print head, a print head for such a postage meter machine and a method for the authentication of such a print head, a number of manipulation possibilities are precluded, such as refilling an authorized print head, unauthorized ink usage of a printhead and using an authorized print head in a conventional printer without paying fees for franking. For this purpose a security code is generated by an encryption algorithm from a first identification code attached to the print head and from a second identification code stored in a memory unit allocated to the print head, and is compared to a security code that is likewise stored in the memory unit when the print head is manufactured.

Abstract: In a postage meter machine has a printing unit with a replaceable print head, a print head for such a postage meter machine and a method for the authentication of such a print head, a number of manipulation possibilities are precluded, such as refilling an authorized print head unauthorized ink usage of and an authorized print head in a conventional printer without paying fees for franking. For this purpose a security code is generated by an encryption algorithm from a first identification code attached to the print head and from a second identification code stored in a memory unit allocated to the print head, and is compared to a security code that is likewise stored in the memory unit when the print head is manufactured.

Abstract: In a method for a digitally printing postage meter machine and for generating and checking a security imprint, critical franking information together with a signature are printed on a mail piece in the machine-readable area of the franking format. A print head having a standard printing width can be utilized for the imprint, which is human-readable and also reliably machine-readable, because the machine-readable information set to be printed is reduced by a modified public key method, with the private write key and the algorithm for encryption being stored at the postage meter machine site in a security device. The public read key and its certificate can be taken from a data base at the postal site, allocated to the postage meter machine identifier. The public key method modified for postage meter machines makes use of a simple key generation and encryption of the message at the postage meter machine site and a simple decrypting of the message at the postal site.