Abstract: This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing cellular telecommunications systems that utilize encryption and employ encrypted seed number signals to enable various payment plans for access and payment.

Abstract: A postage metering system comprising: structure for storing first postal information including a fixed portion of a postage indicia, the postage indicia including a variable portion thereof; structure for storing second postal information including a plurality of portions thereof respectively corresponding to a different one of a plurality of postal processing services for a sheet; structure for selectively providing at least one of the plurality of, postal processing services for the sheet; and structure for digitally printing on the sheet the first postal information and the variable portion of the postage indicia and each portion of the second postal information which corresponds to a different selected postal processing service.

Abstract: A monitoring system that determines the amount and type of customers' usage of machines and equipment without having a representative of the manufacturer physically inspect the customers machines and equipment. The monitoring system utilizes a mailpiece to transmit information about the customers' usage of customers machines and equipment.

Abstract: This invention provides a secure environment to allow the customer to purchase postage for counter resettable postage meters. This invention allows the post office or agent to insure the accuracy and integrity of counter resettable meters by validating the counter resettable meter against a data center funding computer. The procedure would be as follows. The agent interfaces with a central computer where the serial number of the counter resettable postage meter is requested and entered, the contents of the ascending and descending registers are requested and entered. The computer checks as to the validity of the ascending and descending registers. The computer also checks the validity of that particular postage meter with respect to the customers physical location and status (lost or stolen, active). The customer requests and pays the postal agent for the amount of postage to be added to the meter. The computer system processes and verifies the added amount and transmits the approval to a postal agent.

Abstract: Wax based invisible inks have been discovered that emit light at various wavelengths in the visible region when they are excited by UV light. This allows lower layer clear text information to be written on an object with a regular, visible ink and an upper layer bar code to be written over the lower layer text information with an ink that is invisible to the naked eye. This allows the lower layer text information and upper layer bar code to contain more information than conventional bar codes. These inks allow printing and decoding invisible bar codes over printed information with visible inks. The detection by fluorescence of these invisible inks provides a high signal to noise ratio and no interference with the visible printed information.

Abstract: An invisible ink has been discovered that utilizes a substituted phthalocyanine dye in combination with selected waxes and resins. The resulting ink is one that has use in thermal printing and is transparent or almost transparent in white light, but is responsive to infra-red light in the range of 720 to 1000 nm. The preferred waxes are polyethylene wax, natural paraffin wax and carnauba wax, and the preferred resin is ethyl vinyl acetate polymer.

Abstract: Aqueous fluorescent inks are disclosed that fulfill United Sites Postal Service requirements for franking and/or automation compatibility, while being able to be used in an ink jet printer. The inks of this invention may be read by current United States Postal Service equipment. The inks are red fluorescent and waterfast, having improved print quality. The formulations are based on water, cosolvent and penetrant solutions of fluorescent toners. The cosolvents are low vapor pressure, polar solvents, and glycol ethers as penetrants.

Abstract: Liquid inks are disclosed that fulfill United States Postal Service requirements for automation compatibility, while being able to be used in an ink jet printer. The inks of this invention may be read by current United States Postal Service equipment. The inks are waterfast, having improved print quality. The formulations are based on water cosolvent solutions of soluble fluorescent or non fluorescent toners to which toning dyes and non ionic surfactants are added.

Abstract: Apparatus for accumulating sheets of material. The apparatus includes: a housing; a continuous web of sheet material supported by the housing; a device to advance the continuous web; a device to sever the continuous web into strips of a desired length; and a device for accumulating a strip or a plurality of strips into a single collation, wherein the plurality includes one or more strips of a given length and only one strip of a variable length equal to or less than the given length.

Abstract: In a stacker apparatus for stacking mail pieces, an offset apparatus is included to cause lateral registration of a vertically oriented mail piece to a preselected side registration wall. The offset apparatus is comprised of a generally conical elastomer roller which is fastened to the shaft of a drive motor. The roller engages the bottom edge of a mail piece in order to urge the mail piece towards a preselected side registration wall.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing mail pieces. The apparatus includes a first printer for printing documents and a second printer for printing envelopes and a mail finishing unit for receiving the printed documents from the first printer and the envelopes printed with corresponding addresses from the second printer and inserting the documents into the envelope to form and frank a mail piece. The apparatus operates under the control of a single stream of job data from a host computer, where the job data includes a job header defining default mail piece attributes and mail piece records which include document data and address data, and which may include specific mail piece attribute data for each corresponding mail piece. The apparatus control mechanism partitions the data stream and controls the first printer to print the documents while controlling the second printer to separately print the envelopes which are moved along a separate path to an insert station where the mail piece is formed.

Abstract: A system for automatically (where possible) converting hard copy paper mail into electronic mail, while allowing those already using computers to communicate with those in the paper domain. The system automates the process of distributing incoming mail within a building and between locations. The apparatus of this invention utilizes paper handling machines, while integrating the paper handling machines with electronic networks.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a mechanical system in response to messages from a host computer system. The apparatus includes a conventional communications link for communicating messages from the host computer system to a motion control processor and interface and driver circuits for converting digital signals generated by the motion control processor in response to messages from the host computer system into control signals having appropriate waveforms and timing for controlling a particular mechanical system. The motion control processor is programmed to perform a number of tasks in accordance with a schedule downloaded from the host computer system. The host computer system downloads profiles which consist of series of segments consisting of data structures which define elements in the mechanical system to be controlled, identify functions to be performed and include necessary data.

Abstract: The apparatus of this invention utilizes a cam-driven mechanism to convert a single rotary input driven by a single motor to two or more output motions each having its distinct cycle and profile of motion. This multiplicity of outputs often times requires a separate motor for each output motion. Each distinct cycle of motion is capable of driving its end effector a complete revolution, a fraction of a revolution, multiple revolutions, or a non-integer number of revolutions. Thus, the apparatus of this invention utilizes, a single motor to provide motion to activate the shutter bar mechanism and at the same time, rotate the printing drum of a postage meter one revolution.

Abstract: A method for maintaining mailpiece integrity in a mailing system when a mechanical module experiences an error. For one category of errors, the mailing system may automatically recover from the error without operator intervention. For the remaining category of errors, the mailing system may recover from the error with minimum operator intervention, that is, the operator may be required to only remove the error producing mailpiece. A motion control processor for an error producing mechanical module will report a fault to its corresponding mailpiece builder task and the error detector task. Movement of at least the error producing mailpiece shall stop. The fault will be reported to the mailpiece builder tasks corresponding to the mechanical modules having no error condition. The mailing system shall suspend further processing of mailpieces upstream from the error producing mailpiece.

Abstract: A table will be generated for tracking each mailpiece in a mailing system having multiple document paths. Attribute data relating to a mailpiece will be stored in a memory while job data relating to a mailing job will also be stored in a memory. A sequence builder process will look at the attribute data and determine the motion profiles that are required to ensure the mailpiece obtains the desired attributes. The sequence builder then commands execution of the motion profiles.

Abstract: An interlock mechanism is provided for a document handler having a pair of drawers for storing documents to prevent the simultaneous extension of more than one of the drawers. The drawer interlock apparatus comprises a frame and a longitudinal rail mounted to a side wall of each drawer. Each rail has a pair of substantially L-shaped stops and a locating notch positioned between the stops. A locking mechanism is pivotally mounted to the frame. The locking mechanism is slideably engaged with the rail of each drawer for preventing the simultaneous extension of the multiple drawers. Each drawer also has link mechanisms for adjusting drawer alignment to meet document registration requirements.

Abstract: The sheet feeder includes a tray having a pusher mechanism mounted at a rear portion and a feeder mechanism mounted at a forward portion. The pusher mechanism is driven through a spring wrap clutch which includes a ratchet which engages a pawl mounted on the feeder mechanism. When the feeder mechanism is in a first position the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet and the clutch is free to rotate and engage the pusher mechanism which advances the stack of sheets against the feeder mechanism, driving the feeder mechanism back to a second position where the pawl engages the ratchet, disengaging the spring wrap clutch and halting the pusher mechanism. As sheets are fed from the stack a spring urges the feeder mechanism back towards the first position, disengaging the ratchet and engaging the clutch and repeating the cycle. A spring maintains a substantially constant normal force between the feeder mechanism and the stack as the feeder mechanism moves between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A plurality of acceleration tables consisting of a sequence of step times defining intervals between steps and thus an acceleration profile to be executed by a stepper motor is stored in a first memory. A step table defining a sequence of excitation patterns for driving a stepper motor is stored in a second table. Identical DMA channels output the step times to a timer and an exitation pattern to a buffer. The timer measures the duration of the step times and when each step time expires generates a trigger signal which initiates the transfer of the next step time and next excitation pattern through the respective DMA channels. The buffer outputs are inverted to form bipolar signals to drive current drivers in accordance with the excitation pattern. The apparatus is initialized by a data processor to select one of the plurality of excitation tables to drive a selected motor.

Abstract: Inks have been discovered that may be used for providing additional security to the printed matter to which the ink has been affixed. A single ink provides the foregoing result by being fluorescent and phosphorescent.