Abstract: A system and method for determining the location of a mail piece using a code identifier of the mail piece that is read as the mail piece is placed within a mail tray. Determination of the location of the mail tray is thus determination of the location of each mail piece therein. Code identifiers on mail trays are read as mail trays are placed in vehicles. Determination of the location of the vehicle is thus determination of the location of each mail tray placed therein and coded mail pieces within the tray. A database is maintained with this hierarchical location information so as to provide a readily available means for determining the location of any mail piece.

Abstract: A method and system for folding a sheet having a certain length into a folded piece of a fold type having a first edge and a second edge, wherein the sheet length and the fold type are simultaneously selectable. The sheet can be folded once or twice into the folded piece. After the sheet is folded into the folded piece, the folded piece moves in a direction with a first edge leading the second edge. The method and system further include a step and a mechanism to control the moving direction of the folded piece such that the folded piece can be caused to move with the first edge trailing the second edge or allowed to continue to move with the first edge leading the second edge when the folded piece exits the system.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking manually repaired mailpieces and the like. Control documents are produced by a data processing system and transported to an inserter system. The inserter system inputs the control documents and assembles mailpieces in accordance with mailpiece records identified by coded information on the documents. If a damaged mailpiece is manually repaired an operator scans the coded information from the damaged mailpiece. A data processing system accesses the mailpiece record in accordance with the scanned information and updates the corresponding mailpiece record to reflect manual repair of the document.

Abstract: The present invention provides a postage metering system that includes a plurality of closed and open meter printer modules operatively connected as part of a metering network. A single postal security device (PSD) is coupled to the network, either directly, through a personal computer or through one of the printer modules. The PSD includes unique identification and the ability to store postal value and generate digital signatures. The printer modules function as a postage metering network wherein a printer module requests evidence of postage payment from the PSD for concluding a postage metering transaction. The printer module initiates the postage metering transaction in the PSD by sending a request for evidence of postage payment to the PSD. The PSD receives the request and sends the evidence of payment to the printer module for subsequent printing.

Abstract: This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an accurate moistening system which provides for less fluid waste and better wetting. This in turn causes better sealing of the envelope flap. The present invention is directed to, in a general aspect, a non-contact envelope flap moistening system which can be installed in a mailing machine apparatus. The flap moistening system comprises an array of inkjet print heads and a document scanner for sensing the envelope flap. Envelope flaps can be moistened by the flap moistening system by performing a method comprising the following steps: sensing the envelope flap; profile and/or the glue area of an envelope flap; building a firing sequence for the print head nozzles; and actuating the nozzles to precisely fire discreet fluid droplets onto the glue area of the envelope flap. The system provides precise fluid amounts for envelope sealing.

Abstract: The invention is a method and system for printing a mail list in presort order, on a plurality of printers. The method begins with the preparation of a mail list within an addressing system. The mail list is presorted in accordance with postal service requirements. The presorted mail list is then divided into batches by container type. Container type is determined by selecting from among container types generally available to a mailer and which are in conformance with postal service regulations for containing presorted mail. The maximum mailpiece capacity of the container defines the point at where the presorted mail list is divided. After division into batches, the mail list is then directed to the printers for printing to envelopes. Each of the printers is selected based upon the batches that are to be printed and are configured to print based upon a container type corresponding to the batch. The batch size equals the corresponding container's capacity.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding sheets from a sheet stack, having a feed deck for supporting the sheet stack and a pair of spaced apart parallel guide rails on the feed deck for receiving the sheet stack between the guide rails. A sheet feeding assembly is mounted in proximity to a sheet feeding end of the feed deck and is operative to feed individual lowermost sheets from the sheet stack, the sheet feeding assembly including a continuously rotating feed drum having an inner and outer circumference and a plurality of suction openings and a vacuum assembly received in the inner circumference of the feed drum and having at least one rotating cylinder coupled to a vacuum source and movable between an actuated position for drawing air downward through the portion of the feed drum extending above the planar surface of the feed deck and a default position preventing the drawing of air through the feed drum when a vacuum is applied to the at least one rotating cylinder.

Abstract: A method is provided for establishing mutual authentication and secure communications between an microprocessor-based transaction evidencing device and a microprocessor-based server coupled thereto. A session key KS is generated at the transaction evidencing device and encrypted with a first key K1 to form a first message. The first message is sent to the server and decrypted using a second key K2. In response to the first message a second message is generated at the server and encrypted using the session key KS. The encrypted second message is sent to the transaction evidencing device and decrypted using the session key KS. A response to the second message is generated at the transaction evidencing device and is signed using a third key K3. The signed response is encrypted with the session key KS and transmitted to the server. The encrypted signed response is decrypted using the session key KS and the signature is verified using a fourth key k4.

Abstract: A permit mail metering system that preprints the non-variable portion of an indicia. The pre-printed portions may be printed with a fluorescent and phosphorescent ink, while other pre-printed portions may be printed using standard colored or black inks. Some variable printed portions may be printed with a fluorescent and phosphorescent ink, while other variable portions may be printed using standard colored or black non-luminescent inks.

Abstract: A postage metering system includes a printer and a postage meter. The postage meter includes a micro controller for generating token data for use in printing a postal indicia where the token data includes an indicator of a token currency type. The printer is in communication with the postage meter and includes a micro controller, a memory and a print mechanism for printing the postal indicia on a mailpiece. The printer memory has stored therein indicia graphic data including an indicator of an indicia graphic currency type. The printer micro controller receives the token data from the postage meter and compares the token data indicator of the token currency type with the indicia graphic data indicator of the indicia graphic currency type prior to printing the postal indicia.

Abstract: A postage metering system includes a postage meter and a user interface in communication with the postage meter. The user interface includes a micro controller and a memory. The memory has stored therein a plurality of image data files corresponding to different currencies. The postage meter includes a micro controller and a memory having stored therein an indicator of meter currency type. The user interface uses the indicator of meter currency type from the postage meter to select a particular one of the plurality of image data files for use in printing a postal indicia.

Abstract: A method for generating evidencing information for a document includes generating an error correction code and generating a digital token employing the error correction code. A method for verifying authentication and integrity information printed on a mail piece includes obtaining an error correction code printed on the document and employing the obtained error correction code to verify the validity of the evidencing information. A method for verifying the evidencing information printed on a mail piece includes obtaining an error correction code printed on a mail piece and determining that the obtained error correction code is inaccurate. The information employed to generate the inaccurate error correction code is obtained and an error correction code is generated from the obtained information. The generated error correction code is employed to verify the validity of the evidencing information.

Abstract: A postage metering system includes a host processor having a printer coupled thereto. A postal security device (PSD) is coupled to the host processor. The PSD includes first unique identification, first postal value storage and first digital signature generator. The host processor can request and obtain from the PSD first evidence of postage payment to be printed by the printer. The host processor can also request and obtain from a remote data center second evidence of postage payment to be printed by the printer. For each metering transaction to be printed by the printer, the host processor initiates the request for one of the first and second evidences of postage payment. In one embodiment the host processor is a general purpose computer.

Abstract: A production mail system for producing a mailpiece including an inserter system for feeding a document in a path of travel and into an envelope. The document includes a control code printed thereon. The inserter includes a scanner located adjacent the path of travel for reading the control code on the document and a printer for printing a selected message on the envelope corresponding to the control code.

Abstract: A secure and reliable method for verifying in the host system that the expected PSD is coupled to the host system includes generating a random number in the host system and encrypting the random number with a PSD state identification number. The encrypted random number is then sent to the PSD. The PSD decrypts the encrypted random number received using the PSD state identification number and sends the decrypted random number to the host system. The host system compares the decrypted random number received from the PSD to the random number generated in the host system. If they are the same, the host system has verified the expected PSD and has also verified that the PSD has not completed any transactions apart from the host system. A method for verifying that the expected host is coupled to the PSD mirrors the method for verifying the expected PSD.

Abstract: The invention is a method and system of assigning and updating rates within an electronic scale, wherein the rates are based upon class service and discount level. A set of classes of service available for a particular carrier is established. Each one of the classes comprises one or more discount levels. The classes are embedded into the memory of an electronic scale and a set of data comprising the classes is made available to the system. Updating of the data in the embedded set of classes, is accomplished by defining the update data and the one or more discount levels which are available in each class. A system user limits the classes for which they want access and the carrier and/or service choices are encoded; the encoding determining a unique number that is indicative of the parameters selected by a system user for a particular system. The unique number comprises: a carrier token; a class token; and a set of discount level bytes representative of the available discount within the class.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for receiving at least one sheet from a first upstream direction and feeding the at least one sheet in either a second mainstream direction or a third disposal direction. Conventionally, this invention may be used to reorient a sheet, or an accumulation of sheets, from landscape to portrait or vice versa, and to dispose of an incorrect accumulation of sheets into an out-sort station.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for opening an envelope for document insertion in a document inserting system. The apparatus includes: an air chamber having a first end and an opposing second end and an inlet in the first end; a piston movably located in the air chamber for dividing the air chamber into a first chamber near the first end and a second chamber near the second end; a suction cup operatively connect to the air inlet to pick up the throat of an envelope; a spring operatively connect with the piston; and a cam operable at a first position to compress the spring and to keep the piston near the first end, and at the second position to release the spring which urges the piston to move away from the first end and expand the first chamber, thereby creating a suction force for the suction cup.

Abstract: A mixed mail stacking method and apparatus using a nip to ingest incoming mailpieces, a set of rollers to move the ingested mailpieces toward a registration wall, and a sensor upstream from the nip to detect the mailpieces. When the sensor detects the trailing edge of an ingested mailpiece, it causes the moving devices to pause, leaving a section of the ingested mailpiece sticking out of the nip. When the sensor detects the leading edge of the following mailpiece, it sets the moving devices in motion again so that the ingested mailpiece and the following mailpiece partially overlap when the following mailpiece is ingested by the nip. As such, the ingested mailpieces are shingled before they are moved toward the registration wall for stacking, preventing leading to trailing edge collisions. With the sensor to control the moving devices, the stacker is capable of stacking a wide variety of mail with a wide range of sizes without adjustment.

Abstract: A collating device that collates one or more sheets of paper into a sheet collation that includes an input end that receives individual sheets and an output end through which passes the sheet collation. A plurality of sheet paths are provided each providing a sheet path between the input end and the output end. Each sheet path includes a switching mechanism located in proximity to the input end that is operative to selectively direct a sheet received in the input end to the associated sheet path and a drive mechanism operative to vary the speed at which a sheet is conveying in the sheet path associated with the drive mechanism to effectuate a common collation with other sheets being conveyed through other sheet paths.