Abstract: In a method for controlling a print head with a number of printing elements operating according to the thermotransfer principle, an energy quantity is fed to a printing element in a feed step in order to transfer ink from an ink carrier device associated with the print head to a substrate associated with the ink carrier device to generate an image point of a barcode, with the energy quantity being adjusted dependent on the position of the image point in the barcode.

Abstract: In a method and printing device, a deviation from a predetermined desired pitch that occurs between at least two points of at least one print image in a print direction is reduced. In a printing step, the at least one print image is generated on a substrate with at least one print head of the printing device with a relative movement between the at least print head and the substrate. In a determination step preceding the printing step, an initial deviation from a desired pitch between the two points is determined first and correction information to reduce the deviation is determined from the determined initial deviation. In the printing step, control signals for the at least one print head are generated depending on the correction information to generate the at least one print image. A variable delay of at least one of the control signals is predetermined by the correction information.

Abstract: In a method and thermotransfer printing device for setting the speed of a relative movement between the print head and a recording medium during a printing procedure in the thermotransfer printing device, in particular for setting the transport speed of a mail piece in a thermotransfer printing franking machine, the heat energies required for the generation of a predeterminable print image are calculated for the individual heating elements of the print head from start value that has been established for the desired speed. It is subsequently computationally checked whether the respectively calculated heat energy can be emitted at the respective heating element in a first time interval predetermined by the start value of the desired speed and a predeterminable remaining time. If so, a printing procedure follows in which the beginning of the printing procedure ensues using the end value of the desired speed.

Abstract: In a method and arrangement for generation of an imprint with a printing device operating according to a dot matrix principle (in particular an inkjet principle), a dot pattern is provided for the imprint, with which the printing device image points corresponding to the provided dot pattern on a substrate. For at least one first image point a probability with which the image point is generated is provided. Whether this image point is actually generated on the substrate is determined in a decision step using a random generator and the probability. The image point is generated (or not) in a subsequent step dependent on the result of the decision step.

Abstract: A device spray cleans an inkjet print head. The purpose of the device is to avoid the formation of stalagmites during spray cleaning and therefore also to improve the print quality as a result of the fact that the transport device for the print carriers or items of mail is soiled as little as possible. This is achieved by a relative movement of a baffle element in a flat space or in a plane parallel to the nozzle surface of the at least one inkjet print head in conjunction with the spray cleaning.

Abstract: In an arrangement for the power supply for a security domain of a device, a first battery is connected to a first input of a battery switchover device in the security region and a second battery is arranged in a non-security region of the device housing and is connected to a second input of the battery switchover device. The battery switchover device is coupled to a monitoring unit in the security region of the device. The monitoring unit is preferably composed of an analog-to-digital converter and a module processor for the evaluation of the connected battery voltages.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for improving the printing with a thermotransfer print head, an energy value is calculated before the printing process according to different types to be implemented when a dot is to be printed. Energy values also are calculated for the heating elements at the ends of the row of heating elements of the high-resolution thermotransfer print head, so as to activate these heating elements even though in heating phases no dot to be printed at the border external to the barcode image. Additionally, those heating elements that do not lie in the two border regions of the heating element row are also activated for a limited time duration, the aforementioned time duration directly preceding the printing of a barcode image. A microprocessor calculates the energy values and is connected with a pixel energy memory for non-volatile buffering of the data that are transferred into a print data controller and are converted into a print pulse duration.

Abstract: In a method and printing device, a deviation from a predetermined desired pitch that occurs between at least two points of at least one print image in a print direction is reduced. In a printing step, the at least one print image is generated on a substrate with at least one print head of the printing device with a relative movement between the at least print head and the substrate. In a determination step preceding the printing step, an initial deviation from a desired pitch between the two points is determined first and correction information to reduce the deviation is determined from the determined initial deviation. In the printing step, control signals for the at least one print head are generated depending on the correction information to generate the at least one print image. A variable delay of at least one of the control signals is predetermined by the correction information.

Abstract: In a method for free spraying of the nozzles of an inkjet print head, in particular in a franking and/or addressing machine, in which the print media are directed past a stationary inkjet, at least the nozzles that are not participating in the generation of the current information-conveying print image are freely sprayed onto the current print medium in a mode that is irrelevant for the print image evaluation, while retaining the print position for the inkjet print head. The image-irrelevant mode can be free spraying in a region that is irrelevant for the print image evaluation or in a print pattern that cannot be evaluated. The size and/or number of the dots per pixel is thereby significantly smaller than for an evaluatable pixel. It is thereby ensured that each nozzle is activated at least once during the print image generation. Time is saved and the letter travel is optimized by the retention of the print position.

Abstract: In a method for controlling a print head with a number of printing elements operating according to the thermotransfer principle, an energy quantity is fed to a printing element in a feed step in order to transfer ink from an ink carrier device associated with the print head to a substrate associated with the ink carrier device to generate an image point of a barcode, with the energy quantity being adjusted dependent on the position of the image point in the barcode.

Abstract: In a method and thermotransfer printing device for setting the speed of a relative movement between the print head and a recording medium during a printing procedure in the thermotransfer printing device, in particular for setting the transport speed of a mail piece in a thermotransfer printing franking machine, the heat energies required for the generation of a predeterminable print image are calculated for the individual heating elements of the print head from start value that has been established for the desired speed. It is subsequently computationally checked whether the respectively calculated heat energy can be emitted at the respective heating element in a first time interval predetermined by the start value of the desired speed and a predeterminable remaining time. If so, a printing procedure follows in which the beginning of the printing procedure ensues using the end value of the desired speed.

Abstract: In a method and arrangement for generation of an imprint with a printing device operating according to a dot matrix principle (in particular an inkjet principle), a dot pattern is provided for the imprint, with which the printing device image points corresponding to the provided dot pattern on a substrate. For at least one first image point a probability with which the image point is generated is provided. Whether this image point is actually generated on the substrate is determined in a decision step using a random generator and the probability. The image point is generated (or not) in a subsequent step dependent on the result of the decision step.

Abstract: In a method for free spraying of the nozzles of an inkjet print head, in particular in a franking and/or addressing machine, in which the print media are directed past a stationary inkjet, at least the nozzles that are not participating in the generation of the current information-conveying print image are freely sprayed onto the current print medium in a mode that is irrelevant for the print image evaluation, while retaining the print position for the inkjet print head. The image-irrelevant mode can be free spraying in a region that is irrelevant for the print image evaluation or in a print pattern that cannot be evaluated. The size and/or number of the dots per pixel is thereby significantly smaller than for an evaluatable pixel. It is thereby ensured that each nozzle is activated at least once during the print image generation. Time is saved and the letter travel is optimized by the retention of the print position.

Abstract: In a method for free spraying of the nozzles of an inkjet print head, in particular in a franking and/or addressing machine, in which the print media are directed past a stationary inkjet print head, in addition to printing an information-conveying print image, non-information-conveying a print image, serving exclusively for the free spraying, is applied on the print medium in a form that is for the print image evaluation, while retaining the same print position for the inkjet print head. Both print images are combined into a resulting print image. It is thus ensured that each nozzle is activated at least once during the print image generation. By the retention of the print position, time is saved and the letter travel is optimized.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for improving the printing with a thermotransfer print head, an energy value is calculated before the printing process according to different types to be implemented when a dot is to be printed. Energy values also are calculated for the heating elements at the ends of the row of heating elements of the high-resolution thermotransfer print head, so as to activate these heating elements even though in heating phases no dot to be printed at the border external to the barcode image. Additionally, those heating elements that do not lie in the two border regions of the heating element row are also activated for a limited time duration, the aforementioned time duration directly preceding the printing of a barcode image. A microprocessor calculates the energy values and is connected with a pixel energy memory for non-volatile buffering of the data that are transferred into a print data controller and are converted into a print pulse duration.

Abstract: A device spray cleans an inkjet print head. The purpose of the device is to avoid the formation of stalagmites during spray cleaning and therefore also to improve the print quality as a result of the fact that the transport device for the print carriers or items of mail is soiled as little as possible. This is achieved by a relative movement of a baffle element in a flat space or in a plane parallel to the nozzle surface of the at least one inkjet print head in conjunction with the spray cleaning.

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: In an arrangement and method for storing data about usage of a terminal device, a statistical memory is provided for the usage data, which are stored in statistical classes. A processor is connected to the statistical memory and a program memory and is programmed for automatic class formation, and for statistical storage of the usage data and appertaining storage of the count of a counter which is incremented upon each entry or occurrence of an item of the class.

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.