Patents by Inventor Howell A. Jones, Jr.

Howell A. Jones, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4447890
    Abstract: A postage meter for use in a remote meter resetting system has data entered by a user of a selected, variable amount of postage in preparation for funding the postage meter with that amount. A unique combination is generated by the meter which varies as they function of signals generated within the postage meter and of the selected, variable postage amount entered into the postage meter. The meter also generates a unique user accessible authorization code which is employed by the user when communications are established with a remotely located data center. The unique authorization code is dependent upon the number of times the meter has been reset and on the other conditions within the meter. The data center computes and provides to the user a combination to be entered into the meter. The externally generated combination received from the data center is entered by a user into the postage meter. The meter generated combination and externally generated combinations are compared within the meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Edward C. Duwel, Howell A. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4280179
    Abstract: An electronic postage meter has a keyboard with numeric keys for entering postage values, a display, a set key and an arithmetic key. Circuitry within the postage meter is responsive to the depression of the arithmetic key for modifying a displayed amount in accordance with the next value entered on the keyboard, and is responsive to depression of the set key for enabling the printing of postage in accordance with the displayed value. The arithmetic function key may effect the simple addition of the old value in the display and the newly keyed-in function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1981
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Howell A. Jones, Jr., Robert B. McFiggans
  • Patent number: 4097923
    Abstract: A remote postage meter charging system using a third generation electronic postage meter. Like one of its predecessors, the present postage meter of this inventive system is built around a microcomputer set. This advanced computerized meter comprises a working memory which contains seed numbers for generating postage funding combinations. The remote postage meter charging system has the capability of adding variable amounts of postage into the postage meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1978
    Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Alton B. Eckert, Jr., Howell A. Jones, Jr., Frank T. Check, Jr.
  • Patent number: 3938095
    Abstract: A high volume mailing installation is disclosed in which the output of a programmable high speed electronic digital computer provides destination and postage amount information, a high speed chain printer driven by the computer prints the destination information on address labels, and an authorized postage printing meter is mounted piggy-back fashion on the chain printer and responds to the same computer for automatic printing of authorized postage impressions of the calculated amount on the same mailing labels. The meter includes a fast, rugged solenoid-actuated segmented flat bed postage printer unit and fixed-program electronic digital postal accounting circuitry, with appropriate security features to prevent or detect postal fraud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1973
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank T. Check, Jr., Alton B. Eckert, Jr., Bruce E. Hinman, Howell A. Jones, Jr., Raymond R. Lupkas, Robert B. McFiggans
  • Patent number: RE31875
    Abstract: A high volume mailing installation is disclosed in which the output of a programmable high speed electronic digital computer provides destination and postage amount information, a high speed chain printer driven by the computer prints the destination information on address labels, and an authorized postage printing meter is mounted piggy-back fashion on the chain printer and responds to the same computer for automatic printing of authorized postage impressions of the calculated amount on the same mailing labels. The meter includes a fast, rugged solenoid-actuated segmented flat bed postage printer unit and fixed-program electronic digital postal accounting circuitry, with appropriate security features to prevent or detect postal fraud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Frank T. Check, Jr., Alton B. Eckert, Jr., Bruce E. Hinman, Howell A. Jones, Jr., Raymond R. Lupkas, Robert B. McFiggans