Abstract: A weighing module comprising a weighing platform incorporating a weighing cell and a motorized drive belt for transporting a mail item from one side to the other of the weighing platform, means for sensing the format of said mail item and processing means for calculating the weight of said mail item within a particular range of weights obtained beforehand from said format.

Abstract: This invention relates to an interrogator device for identifying articles each provided with a transponder, comprising radio-frequency (RF) interrogation means for obtaining identifying information on each of the articles, these RF interrogation means comprising an RF antenna coupled to an electronic module for processing the identifying information issuing from the transponders, and the RF antenna comprises two flat coils each incorporated on two opposite ends of a garment worn by an agent in charge of collecting the articles arranged loose over a storage area, and connected to the electronic module worn by the agent by communication lines incorporated in the garment, the electronic module comprising discrimination means for determining pertinent identifying information from a plurality of identifying information obtained from the transponders through said RF antenna.

Abstract: An optical sensor for sensing items transported along an item transport path, comprising: a transmitter element for transmitting a sensing beam to a detection location, which sensing beam interacts with each item as transported through the detection location; a receiver element for sensing the sensing beam at the detection location and outputting an output signal; and a processor unit for receiving the output signal of the receiver element and performing a determination based upon the same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a selection device for separating one by one, or singulating, the items of a stack of mail items, comprising a support surface, conveying means for driving these mail items over the support surface, a mobile presser plate cooperating with the conveying means in order to drive downstream a part of the mail items issuing from the stack of mail items to be separated and corresponding to a predetermined maximum thickness of mail items, and independent, individually mobile selection means for selecting a mail item from the mail items driven by the conveying means.

Abstract: A system for generating printed mail pieces, starting from a print file, having: a printer for printing; a processing device for processing printed items into mail pieces; a control unit for controlling the printer and the processing device, and memory. The memory contains processing code for controlling the control unit for processing the rough pint file into a processed print file, and representation code for causing the processing instructions of the processing code to be represented in humanly perceptible form. The representation code is editable for changing at least the representations of the processing instructions and convertible into the processing code. Alternatively, the memory can contain a set of processing subroutines with which processing subroutines representation codes can be composed which differ from each other at least as regards processing instructions included therein, and which are each convertible into corresponding processing code.

Abstract: A system for providing remote control access to internal components of a device. The system comprises a housing comprising a cover and a base, at least one device being located within the housing and at least one latching mechanism internal to the housing adapted to secure the cover to the base. A control sender is adapted to communicate with the device and the at least one latching mechanism to command the latching mechanism to unsecure the housing in order to allow access to the internal components of the device when a users identity is verified.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for receiving envelopes, or stacker, for a mail handling machine, comprising a conveyor belt arranged at the exit of the mail handling machine, for receiving these envelopes and conveying them perpendicularly to a direction of advance of these envelopes towards an inclined transfer surface from which these envelopes are then directed by guiding means mounted directly at the exit of the inclined transfer surface towards a first post storage bin of standard dimensions disposed beneath the conveyor belt. There is preferably provided, upstream of the conveyor belt, a motorized sorting flap adapted to be switched depending on the format of the franked mail item and which, in a first position, serves as support for the mail item when it is ejected towards the conveyor belt and, in a second position, forms an obstacle to the mail item which then drops loose directly in a second post storage bin disposed just at the exit of the mail handling machine.

Abstract: A system for authenticating items includes: a processing unit for generating indicia for imprints to be applied to items and authenticating imprints applied to items, each indicium including a cryptographically encoded component; at least one item printing station for printing imprints on items as generated by the processing unit; and at least one item presentation station to which items are presented in authenticating the same. The item presentation station is configured to transmit data relating to the indicium on an item presented thereto to the processing unit, and to receive an authentication message in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid.

Abstract: A system for printing on a print media. The device comprises at least one high energy emitting device and a parameter estimation device. The parameter estimation device is coupled to the high energy emitting device and is adapted to classify the print media and quantify an amount of energy per time to be emitted by the high energy emitting device during printing.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for moistening envelope flaps integrated in a mail item feed module and successively comprising, along a path of travel of these mail items, at least one pair of drive rollers for conveying these mail items, a separator for separating the flap from the body of the envelope, a moistener for moistening this flap once the flap is separated from the body of the envelope, and suction means disposed just in front of the separator and a presser finger acting against spring means in order, in the presence of envelopes with folded down flaps, to apply the envelope in the direction of these suction means and to detach the flap from the body of the envelope and thus allow its passage beneath the separator without jamming nor untimely contacts with the separator.

Abstract: This invention relates to an inkjet printing device of a franking machine intended to print postal indicia on a mail piece to be franked, displaced with respect to this device in a direction of displacement, the postal indicia comprising at least an amount of franking, a date of deposit and an authentication code and the printing device comprising, on the one hand, a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets, disposed in two rows extending transversely to the direction of displacement, these two rows of nozzles being spaced apart from each other by a distance in this direction and, on the other hand, a control means for selectively controlling the ejection of these ink droplets as a function of the postal indicia to be printed, said control means being arranged so that, during printing, each of the critical postal data such as the amount of franking, the date of deposit or the authentication code, is printed from one row of nozzles.

Abstract: This invention relates to a document accumulation device comprising an accumulation receptacle provided with a mobile accumulation guide for receiving a bundle of documents to be folded and drive means constituted by a motor roller driven in rotation by motor means and associated with a free counter-roller adapted to pivot about a pivot pin, in order, on the one hand, to drive and align these documents one after the other against the accumulation guide and, on the other hand, thereafter to eject in one go the bundle of documents thus formed by accumulation in said receptacle, this device further comprising displacement means, constituted by an electro-magnet of which the core having two positions of displacement is connected to a piece supporting said free counter-roller, in order to position these drive means, on the one hand, in a first position in which they are subjected to a rathermore weak drive effort to ensure drive and alignment of the documents and, on the other hand, in a second position in which t

Abstract: According to the process for monitoring the consumptions of a plurality of franking machines through a public communication network, at least one franking machine not being connected to this network, a link is firstly established with a management server, through the public network, by means of at least one supervision terminal independent of the off-line franking machine, in accordance with a determined protocol of communication, and data is then exchanged between the terminal and the server during which the user inputs at the supervision terminal a current invoicing index relative to the off-line franking machine and receives in return a code of authorization to frank in order to validate the subsequent frankings of the off-line franking machine.

Abstract: An item sorting system and method, the system comprising: at least one sender handling unit by which at least one sender applies imprints to items to be delivered to at least one receiver, wherein an imprint as applied to an item includes a sorting identifier; and at least one receiver sorting unit for sorting received items in accordance with a sorting protocol as determined from the sorting identifiers of the respective imprints, wherein each sorting protocol provides for the sorting of each of the received items into one of a plurality of groups such as to allow for different handling of the items of each of the respective groups.

Abstract: An item handling system and method, the system comprising: a remote data center including a database of registered credit payment means, each registered credit payment means having at least one registered delivery address assigned thereto; and an item printing station for at least printing postage indicia for items, the printing station comprising a user interface for enabling user input, a communications unit for providing for remote communication with the data center, and a printing unit for printing at least postage indicia for items; wherein details representative of credit payment means being utilized by a third party in payment for goods to be delivered to a specified address are input via the user interface, the communications unit, in response to such input, is operative to query the data center to allow for confirmation of the specified address as a registered delivery address for the credit payment means, and, where the specified address is a registered delivery address, the printing unit is operati

Abstract: A mail item printing station for printing postage indicia on mail items, which postage indicia embody a normal postage service and an additional service for at least ones of the mail items, the printing station comprising: a printing unit for printing postage indicia on mail items; a control unit for controlling the printing unit and performing accounting functions, wherein the control unit includes a first memory for logging each event of the additional service as applied to the at least ones of the mail items; and a user interface for enabling user control of the printing station.

Abstract: A mail item delivery system and method, the system comprising: at least one mail item printing unit for printing postage indicia for mail items, wherein the postage indicia for at least ones of the mail items contain delivery information utilized in delivering the at least ones of the mail items; and at least one mail item processing unit through which at least ones of the mail items are processed in routing the mail items to respective destination delivery locations, wherein each mail item processing unit includes a mail item handler for reading the delivery information contained in the postage indicia of the at least ones of the mail items as received thereat.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for automatically creating and enriching a data base in a system for sorting mail items linked, through an INTRANET communications network, to computer stations of addressees of these mail items and comprising reading means for recognizing postal data printed on these mail items, processing means in order, in relation with a work data base comprising identification data relative to the addressees of the mail items, to identify the individual addressee of a determined mail item, and sorting means for allocating this mail item to the addressee thus identified, process in which there is firstly automatically sent to the electronic mail address of each addressee, a determined electronic message requesting him to be connected on a WEB page of the sorting system in order to enter personal identification data, and, once entered, these data are then automatically stored in a temporary data base for comparison with the data present in the work data base in order thus to ensure autom

Abstract: A franking apparatus for and a method of franking mail items with postage indicia for one of a plurality of mail carriers, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of carrier print stores, each being assigned to a respective one of the carriers and for storing print information unique to the respective carrier; a common print store for storing print information common to each of the carriers; a printing module including a printer for printing postage indicia for mail items; and a control module for controlling operation of the apparatus to frank mail items with postage indicia for selected ones of the carriers, wherein each postage indicium includes a carrier-specific element derived utilizing print information from the carrier print store for the respective carrier and a common element derived utilizing print information from the common print store.

Abstract: An item processing system for and a method of processing items each having an indicium printed thereon, the system comprising: at least one item printing station for printing indicia on items, wherein the indicia are printed at least one of at one of a plurality of locations, with one of a plurality of footprints and in at least one of a plurality of inks as defined by a configuration signal; and at least one item handling station for handling items having indicia printed thereon by the at least one item printing station, wherein each item handling station is configured to inspect each item for at least one of an indicium in a field of defined location, an indicium of defined footprint and an indicium in at least one defined ink as defined by the configuration signal; wherein the configuration signal is changed at intervals such that at least one of the location, the footprint and the at least one ink of the indicia printed on items is changed at each interval and correspondingly at least one of the field of