EP0085567A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stamp detection in a mail processing apparatus
Assignee: NEC Corp
•
Filing: 1983-01-31
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2003-01-31
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for processing mail articles, for example postcards and letters, includes means for transporting a mail article via a path (2) which includes a stamp detecting device (3) having means (16,16b) for irradiating a stamp (15) on an article (14) and means (18a, 18b) for detecting radiations from each side of the stamp (15) to derive respective signals therefrom, means (22a, 22b) (22) for comparing the levels of the respective signals and means (20a, 20b) for determining the stamp detection according to the outputs of the comparing means (22a, 22b) (22).
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshihiro Matsuda
- 👤 Hiroshi Kimishima
- 👤 Yoshikazu Kado
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:13
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C1/00; B07C1/20; B07C3/00; B07C3/10; B07C3/14; B65; B65H; B65H7/00; B65H7/02; B65H7/14; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S209/00; Y10S209/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A mail processing apparatus comprising means (1) for feeding a mail article one at a time to a transport path (2), and means (3) disposed along said transport path (2) for detecting a stamp put on said mail article, characterised in that said stamp detecting means (3) includes: a source (16a, 16b) for radiating both sides of said mail article in said transport path (2); means( 18a, 18b) for converting the luminescences derived from each side of said mail article excited by said radiation source into two signal levels, respectively; means(22a, 22b) for comparing said two signal levels; means (19a, 19b) for alternatively gating said two signal levels in response to the output of said comparing means (22a, 22b); and means for determining stamp detection (20a, 20b) by comparing said gated signal level derived from said gate means (19a, 19b) with a predetermined threshold level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A mail processing apparatus comprising means (1) for feeding a mail article one at a time to a transport path (2), and means (3) disposed along said transport path (2) for detecting a stamp put on said mail article, characterised in that said stamp detecting means (3) includes: a source (16a, 16b) for radiating both sides of said mail article in said transport path (2); means( 18a, 18b) for converting the luminescences derived from each side of said mail article excited by said radiation source into two signal levels, respectively; means(22a, 22b) for comparing said two signal levels; means (19a, 19b) for alternatively gating said two signal levels in response to the output of said comparing means (22a, 22b); and means for determining stamp detection (20a, 20b) by comparing said gated signal level derived from said gate means (19a, 19b) with a predetermined threshold level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A mail processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said converting means(18a, 18b) receives luminescence derived from a corresponding position on each surface of said mail article.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
133 words
A mail processing apparatus comprising means (1) for feeding a mail article one at a time to a transport path (2), and means (3) disposed along said transport path (2) for detecting a stamp put on said mail article, characterised in that said stamp detecting means (3) includes: a source (16a, 16b) for radiating each side of a mail article (14) being transported along said transport path (2); means (18a, 18b) for converting the luminescence derived from each side of said mail article (14) excited by radiation from said source (16a, 16b) into two signal levels, respectively; means (22) for comparing said two signal levels and deriving an output indicating which one is greater; and means (21) responsive to said two signal levels and the compared output for producing a stamp detection signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
133 words
A mail processing apparatus comprising means (1) for feeding a mail article one at a time to a transport path (2), and means (3) disposed along said transport path (2) for detecting a stamp put on said mail article, characterised in that said stamp detecting means (3) includes: a source (16a, 16b) for radiating each side of a mail article (14) being transported along said transport path (2); means (18a, 18b) for converting the luminescence derived from each side of said mail article (14) excited by radiation from said source (16a, 16b) into two signal levels, respectively; means (22) for comparing said two signal levels and deriving an output indicating which one is greater; and means (21) responsive to said two signal levels and the compared output for producing a stamp detection signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
136 words
A mail processing apparatus comprising means (1) for feeding a mail article one at a time to a transport path (2), and means (3) disposed along said transport path (2) for detecting a stamp put on said mail article, characterised in that said stamp detecting means (3) includes: a source (16a, 16b) for irradiating each side of said mail article in said transport path (2); means (18a, 18b) for converting the luminescences derived from each side of said mail article excited by said radiation source into two signal levels, respectively; means (22a, 22b) (22) for comparing said two signal levels; means (20a, 20b) for determining stamp detection and control means (21) for producing a stamp detection signal according to the outputs of the comparator means (22a,22b) (22) and the means (20a, 20b) for determining stamp detection.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
136 words
A mail processing apparatus comprising means (1) for feeding a mail article one at a time to a transport path (2), and means (3) disposed along said transport path (2) for detecting a stamp put on said mail article, characterised in that said stamp detecting means (3) includes: a source (16a, 16b) for irradiating each side of said mail article in said transport path (2); means (18a, 18b) for converting the luminescences derived from each side of said mail article excited by said radiation source into two signal levels, respectively; means (22a, 22b) (22) for comparing said two signal levels; means (20a, 20b) for determining stamp detection and control means (21) for producing a stamp detection signal according to the outputs of the comparator means (22a,22b) (22) and the means (20a, 20b) for determining stamp detection.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.