Abstract: In a method for data processing in a mail processing system, the most beneficial carrier, among a number of available carriers, for shipping a particular item is determined by initializing the franking system with pre-selection of a group of carriers from which the desired carrier can be subsequently selected, processing inputs with respect to service demands made of the carrier and automatic selection of those carriers from the aforementioned group of carriers that meet the service demands that have been made, calculating the postage fee on the basis of current fee schedules for selected services, comparing the postage fee for cost optimization in the narrower automatic selection of the most beneficial carrier and debiting the calculated postage fee in a fee memory for the selected carrier.

Abstract: A method for checking a security imprint in a postage meter machine having a microprocessor includes the steps of encoding data for a security mark pixel image and inserts the encoded data into the remaining, fixed and variable pixel image data during printing. The method includes steps for forming a mark symbol sequence from an encoded combination number which is composed of at least a first number (sum of all postage values since the last reloading date), an optional second number added to said first number, a third number (postage value) and a fourth number (of the serial number), and for enabling a check of the security imprint by a postal authority. Manipulations can be recognized using further data stored and/or calculated in a remote data center. An arrangement conducting a for check includes a mark reader composed of a CCD line camera, a D/A converter, a comparator and an encoder which are connected via an input/output unit to an input unit.

Abstract: A method for checking a security imprint in a postage meter machine having a microprocessor includes the steps of encoding data for a security mark pixel image and inserts the encoded data into the remaining, fixed and variable pixel image data during printing. The method includes steps for forming a mark symbol sequence from an encoded combination number which is composed of at least a first number (sum of all postage values since the last reloading date), an optional second number added to said first number, a third number (postage value) and a fourth number (of the serial number), and for enabling a check of the security imprint by a postal authority. Manipulatons can be recognized using further data stored and/or calculated in a remote data center. An arrangement conducting a for check includes a mark reader composed of a CCD line camera, a D/A converter, a comparator and an encoder which are connected via an input/output unit to an input unit.

Abstract: A method for checking a security imprint in a postage meter machine having a microprocessor includes the steps of encoding data for a security mark pixel image and inserts the encoded data into the remaining, fixed and variable pixel image data during printing. The method includes steps for forming a mark symbol sequence from an encoded combination number which is composed of at least a first number (sum of all postage values since the last reloading date), an optional second number added to said first number, a third number (postage value) and a fourth number (of the serial number), and for enabling a check of the security imprint by a postal authority. Manipulations can be recognized using further data stored and/or calculated in a remote data center. An arrangement conducting a for check includes a mark reader composed of a CCD line camera, a D/A converter, a comparator and an encoder which are connected via an input/output unit to an input unit.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer has a thermal print head with a number of thermal print elements which are operated by power electronics and controlled by a control unit to print an imprint on a medium by thermally transferring ink from an inking ribbon to the medium by energization of selected print elements by the control unit, with the inking ribbon and the medium being movably disposed between the print head and a counter-roller with the inking ribbon being unwound from a supply reel and wound onto a take-up reel. In a method and apparatus for preventing usage of an unauthorized inking ribbon, an authorization marking is produced on the inking ribbon which embodies an authorization code. The same authorization code is stored in a memory accessible by the control unit. The authorization code is read from the inking ribbon prior to using the inking ribbon to produce an imprint, and a corresponding signal is generated.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for producing an ink jet printer head composed of a number of stacked modules, a piezoactuator plate is formed by metallizing opposite major faces of a plate of piezoelectric material, while leaving an unmetallized stripe on one of said major faces, thereby separating the metallization on that major face into two regions. A side face of the piezoelectric plate is also metallized, the side face extending substantially parallel to the unmetallized stripe, thereby electrically connecting one of the metallized regions on one major face to the metallized layer on the opposite major face. The metallized piezoelectric plate is then structured so as to produce a number of side-by-side piezoactuators therein, each piezoactuator having first and second electrodes formed by the respective metallization on the opposite sides of the plate. Respective electrical leads for the two electrodes of each piezoactuator can be electrically contacted to the same side of the plate, i.e.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer head is composed of individual, stacked ink-jet printer modules operating according to the edge-shooter principle and equipped with plate-shaped piezoelectric actuators whose electrodes are contacted to leads of a ribbon conductor. The ink-jet printer head has a simplified structure and improved service properties and is composed of individual, identical ink-jet printer modules whose nozzle rows are arranged offset relative to one another and can be easily interchanged, because the carrier layer of the ribbon conductors enveloping the leads is reinforced and shaped in the region between neighboring ink-jet printer modules, so that the required spacing between the piezoactuators and between the nozzle rows of the ink-jet printer modules as well as an exact fixing thereof relative to one another are achieved. In this way, the ribbon conductors serve as a contact element, a spacer and an adjustment member for neighboring ink-jet printer modules.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer head is composed of stacked ink printer modules operating according to the edge-shooter principle and each equipped with plate-shaped piezoelectric actuators. The ink-jet printer head is for use in small, fast printers, suitable for use in a franking machine wherein a large number of nozzles are required. Plate-shaped spacer parts between the ink printer modules are structured such that they serve both for assuring the required spacing between neighboring modules as well as for setting an offset of the nozzle apertures of the neighboring ink printer modules relative to one another. To that end, the spacer parts are provided with registration elements at both sides that engage into allocated recesses of the ink printer modules. Each ink printer module also has electrical interconnects for connection to a driver circuit.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head that, based on the face shooter principle, contains a nozzle row arranged in the z-direction in the surface of a plate, allowing an ink jet to be ejected in the y-direction, a membrane plate arranged on a first chamber plate carrying the ink chambers, and paths for delivering and actuators for expelling ink from each chamber. The ink jet printing head also has a second chamber plate in a different level from the first chamber plate. The chambers of the second chamber plate are arranged offset in the x- and z-directions relative to the chambers of the first chamber plate. The overlap of chambers of neighboring levels becomes minimal as a result. After a pre-treatment of the plate material of which the printing head is constructed, a masking and etching of the plates ensues in a parallel plate processing for all individual parts. Separated, finished discrete parts are joined and contacted to form a module.

Abstract: An ink jet print head has a middle part or plate sandwiched between two outer plates, with the middle plate being the only structured or profiled plate. The middle plate has different structures on its two opposite surfaces respectively facing the outer plates. Each of the different structures has recesses forming a group of non-concentric ink chambers. The ink chambers of each of these different structures are respectively spaced from one another in the x, y and z directions. Nozzle channels leading to a single nozzle row are fashioned on one of the two surfaces of the middle part. The ink chambers of one of the groups are directly connected to the nozzles by respective nozzle channels while the ink chambers of the other group are connected to the nozzles by respective nozzle channels and by respective channels extending through the middle part.

Abstract: An edge-shooter ink-jet print head has a row of nozzles extending in the z-direction on the edge of a head module. The print head includes members into which chambers are formed which, in turn, are equipped with devices for ejecting ink from each chamber to respectively assigned ink nozzles. The ink jets are expelled in the x-direction. The print head comprises a plurality of plates stacked in the y-direction. The ink paths are of equal length at least within each module. In a preferred embodiment, the row of nozzles is formed in an additional part which is also a chamber carrying part. After the production of various module plates by parallel processing of a glass plate, including the formation of cavities of a defined depth by etching and fine grinding, the parts are separated and then joined to form a module. Conductor tracks and PZT elements are provided.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer has a thermal print head with a number of thermal printing elements, operated by power electronics and controlled by a control unit to print an imprint on a medium by thermally transferring ink from an inking ribbon to the medium by energization of selected printing elements by the control unit. The inking ribbon and the medium are movably disposed between the print head and a counter roller with the inking ribbon being unwound from a supply reel and wound onto a take-up reel. In a method and apparatus for monitoring usage of the inking ribbon, the approaching end of the ribbon is identified, either by optically reading a mark on the inking ribbon or by monitoring the amount of ribbon on the supply reel or the take-up reel, and the contents of a memory, which may be a mechanical memory or an electronic memory, are altered to indicate the completion of one pass of the inking ribbon. The inking ribbon is then rewound from the take-up reel to the supply reel for re-use.

Abstract: An edge-shooter type ink jet print head and a method of its manufacture are disclosed. The print head includes members into which chambers are formed which, in turn, are equipped with devices for ejecting ink from each chamber to respectively assigned ink nozzles. A group of chambers is formed in each chamber-carrying member, on a side facing a center member. A single row of ink nozzles includes k nozzle groups which are respectively assigned to k ink chamber groups and which are formed along an edge face of a first chamber-carrying member. The first nozzle group of the k nozzle groups communicates with the chamber group formed in the first chamber-carrying member. The other k-1 nozzle groups are assigned to respective ones of the other (k-1) chamber groups. The chamber groups are supplied with ink from suction chambers and lie in further chamber-carrying members which are vertically offset relative to one another.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for producing an ink jet printer head composed of a number of stacked modules, a piezoactuator plate is formed by metallizing opposite major faces of a plate of piezoelectric material, while leaving an unmetallized stripe on one of said major faces, thereby separating the metallization on that major face into two regions. A side face of the piezoelectric plate is also metallized, the side face extending substantially parallel to the unmetallized stripe, thereby electrically connecting one of the metallized regions on one major face to the metallized layer on the opposite major face. The metallized piezoelectric plate is then structured so as to produce a number of side-by-side piezoactuators therein, each piezoactuator having first and second electrodes formed by the respective metallization on the opposite sides of the plate. Respective electrical leads for the two electrodes of each piezoactuator can be electrically contacted to the same side of the plate, i.e.

Abstract: A postage meter module has a printing unit, a control unit connected to the printing unit, input/output devices connected to the control unit, and memory devices connected to the control unit. A configuration for an internal cost center printout includes a pixel memory having a field and at least one memory area for accounting data into which data are loaded and converted and/or from which data are read out and converted. The conversion is a blockwise orthogonal rotation of the pixel memory field. A device for orthogonal rotation of the pixel memory field permits a block of a print image with accounting data having been electronically rotated by 90.degree. or by 270.degree. in a direction of printing to be temporarily stored in or read out from the at least one memory area of the pixel memory. A print control unit reads out print image data corresponding to the accounting data by blocks from the pixel memory.

Abstract: In a method for enhancing the security of critical register data against manipulation, a number or a pointer that is allocated to a code word is loaded into a first non-volatile memory, and a code word is loaded into second non-volatile memories containing the critical data, whereby the code word is allocated to the last operating condition of the system, i.e. the code word has been selected on the basis of a pseudo-random sequence or as an outcome of the manufacture or a reloading of the system or before turn-off or before a voltage outage or before a standby before program interruption. A validity check of the code word is made at least at the time the system is turned on, and the old code word is replaced with a predetermined, new code word when the processor, after the validity check, recognizes the validity of the old code word with reference to the code word selected from a list with stored code words in its internal processor memory.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an ink jet printing head that, based on the face shooter principle, contains a nozzle row arranged in the z-direction in the surface of a plate, allowing an ink jet to be ejected in the y-direction, a membrane plate arranged on a first chamber plate carrying the ink chambers, and paths for delivering and actuators for expelling ink from each chamber. The ink jet printing head also has a second chamber plate in a different level from the first chamber plate. The chambers of the second chamber plate are arranged offset in the x- and z-directions relative to the chambers of the first chamber plate. The overlap of chambers of neighboring levels becomes minimal as a result. After a pre-treatment of the plate material of which the printing head is constructed, a masking and etching of the plates ensues in a parallel plate processing for all individual parts. Separated, finished discrete parts are joined and contacted to form a module.

Abstract: A method for checking a security imprint in a postage meter machine having a microprocessor includes the steps of encoding data for a security mark pixel image and inserts the encoded data into the remaining, fixed and variable pixel image data during printing. The method includes steps for forming a mark symbol sequence from an encoded combination number which is composed of at least a first number (sum of all postage values since the last reloading date), an optional second number added to said first number, a third number (postage value) and a fourth number (of the serial number), and for enabling a check of the security imprint by a postal authority. Manipulations can be recognized using further data stored and/or calculated in a remote data center. An arrangement conducting a for check includes a mark reader composed of a CCD line camera, a D/A converter, a comparator and an encoder which are connected via an input/output unit to an input unit.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for producing an ink jet printer head composed of a number of stacked modules, a piezoactuator plate is formed by metallizing opposite major faces of a plate of piezoelectric material, while leaving an unmetallized stripe on one of said major faces, thereby separating the metallization on that major face into two regions. A side face of the piezoelectric plate is also metallized, the side face extending substantially parallel to the unmetallized stripe, thereby electrically connecting one of the metallized regions on one major face to the metallized layer on the opposite major face. The metallized piezoelectric plate is then structured so as to produce a number of side-by-side piezoactuators therein, each piezoactuator having first and second electrodes formed by the respective metallization on the opposite sides of the plate. Respective electrical leads for the two electrodes of each piezoactuator can be electrically contacted to the same side of the plate, i.e.

Abstract: An edge-shooter ink-jet print head has a row of nozzles extending in the z-direction on the edge of a head module. The print head includes members into which chambers are formed which, in turn, are equipped with devices for ejecting ink from each chamber to respectively assigned ink nozzles. The ink jets are expelled in the x-direction. The print head comprises a plurality of plates stacked in the y-direction. The ink paths are of equal length at least within each module. In a prefered embodiment, the row of nozzles is formed in an additional part which is also a chamber carrying part. After the production of various module plates by parallel processing of a glass plate, including the formation of cavities of a defined depth by etching and fine grinding, the parts are separated and then joined to form a module. Conductor tracks and PZT elements are provided. The modules can be interconnected with an adhesive layer as part of an assembly process.