Patents by Inventor William V. Pickering, Jr.

William V. Pickering, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9919443
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for sheet registration in a tractorless sheet processing device using existing sheet features are disclosed herein. In some aspects, the systems can include a tractorless sheet processing device having a cutter for cutting individual sheets from continuous form material and a cutter feeder for feeding the continuous form material to the cutter. The systems can also include a camera disposed relative to the cutter feeder and configured to capture an image of a position of at least one existing sheet feature on at least one or more of the individual sheets of the continuous form material in order to synchronously register each of the individual sheets with the cutter, and a controller including at least one hardware processor and memory, the controller being configured to interface with the camera and the tractorless sheet processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Bell and Howell, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Zuech, Mark Burgess, William V. Pickering, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160046033
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for sheet registration in a tractorless sheet processing device using existing sheet features are disclosed herein. In some aspects, the systems can include a tractorless sheet processing device having a cutter for cutting individual sheets from continuous form material and a cutter feeder for feeding the continuous form material to the cutter. The systems can also include a camera disposed relative to the cutter feeder and configured to capture an image of a position of at least one existing sheet feature on at least one or more of the individual sheets of the continuous form material in order to synchronously register each of the individual sheets with the cutter, and a controller including at least one hardware processor and memory, the controller being configured to interface with the camera and the tractorless sheet processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Joseph ZUECH, Mark BURGESS, William V. PICKERING, JR.
  • Patent number: 6557755
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking and controlling mailpiece processing utilize one or more postal service mailpiece codes. The postal service mailpiece codes can include a United States Postal Service POSTNET code and a PLANET code. Using the same code or codes for mailpiece processing that the postal service uses to track mailpieces in a mail stream simplifies reader design and decreases the number of codes required to be printed on a mailpiece. In addition, the number of different types of readers for reading the codes is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
    Inventors: William V. Pickering, Jr., Edward J. Kapturowski, Mark G. Paul, Steven John Krejcik
  • Patent number: 5202914
    Abstract: A system for automatically remotely recharging a postage meter. The system includes an integrated circuit microcontroller which establishes communication with existing electronic postage meters to obtain information necessary for automatic recharging using existing remote data processing system for the automatic recharging of postage meters, compiles that information with other information already contained within the system to form a message, transmits that message to the remote data processing system and receives in response a recharging code. The system then transmits the recharging code to the electronic postage meter which in turns test the code and, if the code is found valid, increments the meter descending register to effect the recharge. In one embodiment the system includes a communications unit and a base unit where the base unit is permanently connected to the meter and the communications unit may be separated from the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung-Kun (Paul) Kim, William V. Pickering, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5196083
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing items in selected configurations and a system, and method for controlling the same. More particularly, an apparatus for producing mail pieces and a system and method for controlling it to produce mail pieces in a variety of configurations are disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser printer and folding sealing apparatus controlled by a data processor. The folder sealer apparatus combines sheets printed by the laser printer with pre-printed sheets and envelope forms, which also may be printed by the laser printer or may be windowed envelopes, folds the sheets as necessary and folds and seals the envelope form about the folded sheets to produce a mail piece. A user inputs a configuration for the mail piece which is translated by the data processor into a data structure and transmitted to the controller of the folder sealer apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Walter J. Baker, Michael A. Brown, David W. Hubbard, Samuel W. Martin, Carl A. Miller, William V. Pickering, Jr., Christopher S. Riello, Arthur Rubinstein, Morton Silverberg, Steven A. Supron
  • Patent number: 5054757
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing items in selected configurations and a system and method for controlling the same. More particularly, an apparatus for producing mail pieces and a system and method for controlling it to produce mail pieces in a variety of configurations are disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser printer and folding sealing apparatus controlled by a data processor. The folder sealer apparatus combines sheets printed by the laser printer with pre-printed sheets and envelope forms, which also may be printed by the laser printer or may be windowed envelopes, folds the sheets as necessary and folds and seals the envelope form about the folded sheets to produce a mail piece. A user inputs a configuration for the mail piece which is translated by the data processor into a data structure and transmitted to the controller of the folder sealer apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Inventors: Samuel W. Martin, Carl A. Miller, William V. Pickering, Jr., Steven A. Supron, David Murcko, deceased, by Linda Murcko, administrator