Abstract: A system and method for adjusting the intensity of light provided to an analog needle are disclosed herein. The system and method adjust the intensity of light provided to the analog needle based on an operating state of an engine of a vehicle.

Abstract: Bleached, Kraft chemical pulp having increased hemicellulose content compared to conventional Kraft chemical pulps. In one embodiment, the pulp has a hemicellulose content greater than about 17 weight percent as measured by the 18% caustic solubility test. In another aspect, a method for making wood cellulose pulp having increased hemicellulose content compared to conventional Kraft chemical pulps. In the method, a lignocellulosic material is pulped in caustic sulfide to provide a first brownstock, which is treated with oxygen to provide a second brownstock, which is then bleached to provide the pulp product.

Abstract: Bleached, Kraft chemical pulp having increased hemicellulose content compared to conventional Kraft chemical pulps. In one embodiment, the pulp has a hemicellulose content greater than about 17 weight percent as measured by the 18% caustic solubility test. In another aspect, a method for making wood cellulose pulp having increased hemicellulose content compared to conventional Kraft chemical pulps. In the method, a lignocellulosic material is pulped in caustic sulfide to provide a first brownstock, which is treated with oxygen to provide a second brownstock, which is then bleached to provide the pulp product.

Abstract: A database system for maintaining accounting records in relation to usage of postage meters is disclosed. The database system is provided with two computers, both of which provide access to the system from remote postage meters via a telephone network, and each computer maintains a separate database. One computer acts as primary and handles all transactions, received either direct or via the other secondary computer, and maintains a primary database. For each transaction, the primary computer creates an archived record in a buffer and periodically when the buffer is full sends an archive record to the secondary computer for use by the secondary computer to update the secondary database. In addition for critical transactions such as a postage meter recredit transaction, the primary computer also creates a transaction log and sends it to the secondary computer for storing in a FILO buffer. The primary computer lastly authorises credit to the postage meter.

Abstract: A system for remote resetting of franking meters is disclosed in which the meters communicate with a central resetting terminal. A transaction identification number (IDN) is generated at the resetting terminal and also at the meter. Initially the IDN's match. The IDN at the terminal is incremented when the terminal sends a recredit signal to the meter and accounts for the recredit amount. The IDN at the meter is incremented when the descending register of the meter is recredited. In response to a recredit request which includes the meter IDN the terminal compares the IDN from the meter with that stored at the terminal. If the IDN's match the terminal recredits the meter with the requested amount. If the comparison indicates that the IDN from the meter was not incremented in the preceding recredit routine, indicating that the meter was not recredited in the preceding routine, the terminal recredits the meter with the amount of the preceding request.

Abstract: Credit in a credit register of a franking meter is reset by telephone communication with a resetting terminal. A request for a selected credit amount is transmitted from the meter apparatus to the terminal and in response the terminal interrogates the meter to establish identity of the meter. The terminal locks the meter to prevent operation of the meter for franking while the resetting takes place. The terminal checks the validity of the reset request with customer records stored in the terminal and if valid transmits a reset signal which includes the credit reset amount and a pseudo-random number (TID) to enable the meter to reset its credit register. Upon completion of the resetting the meter sends a request including a random number for unlocking of the meter. The terminal requests the register values from the meter, each request including a random number. The meter transmits the register values together with the random number to the terminal.

Abstract: An entire electronic accounting and controlling system for a franking machine is mounted on two connected printed circuit boards, one along the top of the machine and the other along one side of the machine within the machine casing. The top board carries four rotary encoding switches and press button switches which are scanned by signals from a microcomputer on the side board passing to a binary counter controlling a binary to decimal decoder to send multiplexed signals to the switches enabling the rotary switches to send four pairs of five-bit words along ten scanning lines to the microcomputer which delivers equivalent eight-bit error immune signals to duplicate non-volatile memories. The press button switches send signals along the scanning lines to enable a display module on the top board to display decimal digits according to the information stored in the memories. A printing drum is set mechanically simultaneously with the rotary switches.

Abstract: Where switches are used for encoding decimal digits into binary words for use in processing devices in, for example, postal franking machines where security is essential, failure modes that produce normal codes not corresponding to the input decimal digits have to be detected. The switch described reduces the number of failure modes which the processor cannot recognize as errors in that it produces two 1-out-of-5 coded words for each decimal digit to enable a processing device to test whether each word in fact contains only one "1" (or "0") and then to combine the two words to produce a 2-out-of-5 word corresponding to the selected decimal digit. The switch comprises five contact elements A to E each comprising inner and outer arcuate portions 10, 11 concentric with common rings 13, 14.