DE9017998U1 - Franking strip dispenser system - Google Patents

Description

Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
Emmentaler Str. 132-150
1000 Berlin 51 28 May 1993

2368-EN

Franking label dispenser system

Description

The invention relates to a franking label dispenser system with credit card billing that prints a date, a postage value and an advertising slogan on a franking label.

Postage fee accounting systems based on credit card billing are well known. For example, DE 39 03 718 A1 describes a system in which an electronic franking machine is enabled for postage prints via a read/write unit for an IC card and a control unit. Data on the amount of money used and the number of prints are stored on the IC card. This means that different people with their own IC cards and/or companies can use a franking machine together in order to reduce the purchase and maintenance costs for the individual user.

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Security of the fee billing is guaranteed by the complex billing system integrated into the franking machine.

This shared use is relatively time-consuming if, for example, the franking machine is occupied by one user and is only available to the next user after a long wait or if access to the franking machine involves travel time.

The invention was based on the task of creating a franking system with credit card billing that is more economical to purchase and maintain than a franking machine with credit card control and can therefore be used by smaller companies, can also be made available to a large number of other users, and which ensures secure fee billing for the users and the postal administration.

This object is achieved by the invention as set out in the characterizing part of the first patent claim.

The subclaims describe further advantageous embodiments.

The invention is explained in more detail below using a drawing. The drawing shows the basic structure of the franking strip dispenser. A printer, a processor system, a reading/writing device for credit cards, an operating device and a refillable strip storage container are housed in a common housing 1 of the franking strip dispenser. Two openings for inserting a special postage credit card 2 and for issuing the strips 3 and an opening 6 for refilling the strip storage container are the only external accesses to the franking strip dispenser. These accesses are secured.

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technically shielded from the processor system and the printing unit.

In another embodiment, a further opening 7 is provided for the accommodation of energy sources, for example batteries or rechargeable accumulators for mains-independent operation.

The postage credit card is loaded by an authorized institution, e.g. the manufacturer of the system or a postal authority. This institution is equipped with a corresponding read/write unit for the postage credit cards and carries out the settlement of the default amount to be loaded onto the postage credit card between the cardholder and the postal service.

The processor system is the link between the printing unit and the reading/writing device and is connected to them via information and signal services.

The digitized data for identification, fee calculation and the data of the individual advertising cliché stored on the postage credit card are exchanged between the processor system and the read-write device. The control data for printing the individual advertising cliché, data on the postage fee value to be printed and the date are sent from the processor system to the printer via the information lines. The signal lines between the devices are used to transmit control and security data.

The printers used are those that work without printing types and are therefore able to print the different advertising fields stored on the postage credit cards. These are preferably matrix flatbed or thermal transfer printers.

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The operating device consists of a keyboard 4 for entering the postage value to be printed and a display, e.g. a display 5. It is linked to the processor system in such a way that the setting of the postage value to be printed is only possible incrementally or decrementally in the minimum increments of the value jumps in the applicable postage fee table, starting from a standard franking value or from the most recently entered franking value. The desired franking value is set by repeatedly pressing the increment or decrement key 4. If the amount displayed finally matches the desired franking value, it is validated by pressing the "SET" key.

The postage credit card that is inserted into the franking strip dispenser is electrically connected to the read/write device, which makes it possible to read and write data from or into the card's memory. To activate data transmission, a separate identification and/or secret code can be used in the usual way, which the user must enter via the operating device.

In a preferred embodiment, the postage credit card contains a processor system consisting of a processor, a program memory, a volatile data memory and a non-volatile data memory, as well as a serial input/output interface.

The non-volatile data memory is divided into a first and a second memory area. The first memory area contains the information about the current postage credit value. This memory area has been loaded with a postage credit value, from which the corresponding franking amount is subtracted with each franking process until the postage credit is used up and reloading is required. The second memory area

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area contains the data for printing the advertising cliché. The storage areas can be controlled separately so that the advertising cliché may not be printed. In addition, the storage area for advertising clichés must not be changed when the postage credit storage area is reloaded. The storage area for the advertising cliché can only be controlled specifically via a device that is independent of the postage credit issuing device if the cliché is to be created, changed or deleted.

In another variant of the invention, the non-volatile memory of the postage credit card stores, instead of the current remaining value of the previously loaded postage credit, the total amount of frankings made up to that point, which is offset in a certain cycle between the user's account and the postal service account, with the latter resetting the memory area of the postage credit card to zero.

A further variant of the invention registers, in addition to the franking values, the associated daily data, which are stored in another area of the non-volatile memory.

These statistical data of the franking processes carried out can be used to print out a daily journal, for example. To do this, the postage credit card must be inserted into a corresponding reading device, which in turn is connected to a personal computer. Special software implemented on the PC reads the corresponding memory content of the postage credit card and creates a journal printout.

Portable data carriers such as IC cards, chip cards or similar rechargeable systems are used as postage credit cards.

Claims (1)

2368-EN - 7 - Expectations 1. Franking strip dispenser system that prints a date, a postage value and an advertising slogan on a franking strip, that a printing unit, a processor system, a reading/writing device and an operating device are arranged in a common housing, that the reading/writing device serves to accommodate postage credit cards and is connected to the processor system via information lines for the exchange of digitized data for identifying the fee calculation, characterized in that a strip storage container is arranged and an individual advertising slogan stored on the postage credit card is present and the associated data is loaded into the processor system once via a serial input/output interface, and that the digitized data of the advertising slogan are transmitted to the printing unit as well as control and security data via information and signal lines between the processor system and the printing unit. 2. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 1, characterized in that the postage credit card contains a processor system consisting of a processor, a program memory, a volatile and a non-volatile data memory, one part of which stores the current billing data, while another part stores graphic data of an individual advertising slogan of the user. 2368-EN - 8 - Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that during the reloading of the postage credit or the resetting of the fee register in one part of the non-volatile memory, the other part, which contains the advertising slogan, is write-protected against any alteration of the data. 4. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 3, characterized in that the non-volatile memory area for the advertising slogan can only be written to via a device that is independent of the postage credit issuing device. 5. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the operating device is coupled to the processor system in such a way that postage fee values can only be set incrementally or decrementally in the minimum increments of the value jumps of the applicable postage fee table. 6. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 5, characterized in that the starting value for the increments is a standard franking value. 7. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 5, characterized in that the starting value for the increments is the last franking value set. 2368-EN - 9 - 8. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the postage credit card stores, in addition to the current postage credit value, the number of prints made with the associated value and the date, which can be printed out as a journal by means of a reading device via a personal computer. 9. Franking strip dispenser system according to claim 1, characterized in that the system can be operated independently of the mains by means of batteries or rechargeable accumulators.