EP0285956B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Postage meter with administration of periodic cycles
Assignee: Alcatel Satman SA
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Filing: 1988-03-28
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Granted: 1992-10-14
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Expires: 2008-03-28
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Bernard Vermesse
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 12:53
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00362; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/04; G05B19/042; G05B19/0428; G06; G06Q; G06Q99/00; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/20; G05B2219/24; G05B2219/24055; G07B17/00193; G07B2017/00266; G07B2017/00274; G07B2017/00395; G07B2017/00411; G07B2017/00427
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
393 words
A franking machine providing a historical trail, the machine comprising a microprocessor (5), and connected to said microprocessor: a stamp print head (1); a keyboard (2); a calendar clock (4); a control memory (6, 7); a working memory (8); at least one first non-volatile memory (9A) referred to as the machine state memory for recording the state of the machine meters corresponding to the last franking operation performed; and a second non-volatile memory (10) referred to as the trail memory (10), having at least a first memory space (10C, 10D) organized as a plurality of identical compartments (C0-C61, D0-D11) which are individually addressable by first updating control means (6) for loading said first memory space, said updating means being triggered at time intervals specific to said first memory space for recording data relating to the machine state at the instants concerned in the various compartments thereof, said machine being characterized in that it further includes second control means (10BC, 10BD, 6, 7) for consulting each first memory space, said second control means controlling the addressing of the compartments thereof in order to read the trail in that one of the addressed compartments referred to as consulted compartment (NCC); in that said second control means include a text memory (7) belonging to said control memory and containing firstly a first message (MPO) which is accessible by means of a menu key (M) on said keyboard and which defines a sequence of special operations for the machine, said operations being split into a sequence of first screens capable of being displayed on at least one line comprising a plurality of alphanumeric characters on an alphanumeric display (3) connected to the microprocessor, with at least one of said first screens dedicated to a machine state trail consultation operation which may be selected by means of a digit key of said keyboard for designating said operation, and also containing, for use by a sequence of second screens (E1-E7) successively displayable on the display when the consultation operation has been selected, with some of said second screens (E1-E3) displaying the trail (TC1-TC3) recorded in the consulted compartment (NCC), and with other screens (E4-E6) defining proposals (TC4-TC6) for changing the compartment being consulted (NCC), with each of said proposals being selectable by means of a corresponding key (1-4) designated together with the proposal concerned when the proposal is displayed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A franking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that second control means further include a program memory (6) belonging to said control memory and containing a program for consulting the trails recorded in said trail memory (10), which program can be triggered by a digit key (5) attributed to selecting said operation, said program comprising stages (41-44, 71-74) for designating the compartment to be consulted (NCC), initially on the basis of the last compartment written to (NCE), and subsequently on the basis of selected proposals (TC4-TC6), and for read addressing the consulted compartment (NCC) in order to read the recorded trail therein and to build those of the second screens (E1-E3) which display said trail.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
227 words
A franking machine according to claim 1, further including at least one second memory space (9B, 9C) associated with each machine state memory (9A) and together constituting an immediate machine state trail memory for recording the most recent franking operation and as many of the immediately preceding franking operations as there are second memory spaces, and third control means (6) for updating said immediate trail memory, the machine being characterized in that it further includes fourth control means (6, 7) for consulting said immediate trail memory, and in that said fourth control means include said text memory (7) which further contains, within said first message (MP0) accessible by means of the menu key (M) and defining said sequence of special machine operations, at least one further one of said first screens attributed to an operation of consulting the immediate machine state trail, said operation being selectable by depressing a designated digit key, and also containing a third message (MP2) constituted by a sequence of third screens (EI1-EI7) displayable in succession on the display when the operation of consulting the immediate machine state trail has been selected, with said third screens successively displaying a rank (a) within the immediate trail, the date and the corresponding state of the machine, and a proposal to select and display the, or each, earlier state recorded in said second memory space (9B-9C).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
A franking machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that it further includes, in association with said trail memory (10), at least one third memory space (10B) for recording the identification, referred to as the number, of the last compartment written to (NCE) in each first memory space (10C, 10D), the date of the last write operation (A/MM/JJ), and the number of the consulted compartment (NCC).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
101 words
A franking machine according to claim 4, characterized in that second control means further include means (58, 61) for comparing firstly the number of the consulted compartment (NCC) with the number of the last written compartment (NCE), and secondly the number of the compartment preceding the consulted compartment (NCP) with the number of the last written compartment (NCE), said means being contained in the consultation program and serving respectively to inhibit a proposal to increment the consulted compartment or to inhibit a proposal to decrement the consulted compartment, said proposals being defined in at least one of said second screens (E4-E5).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
103 words
A franking machine according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said first control means include said program memory (6) and further contain a record trail update program having stages (32, 33, 34) for designating the next first space compartment following the last written compartment (NCE) in a sequence of said compartments or the first compartment (C0) of the sequence when the last written compartment is the last compartment (C61) in the sequence, and phases (36, 37) for causing the machine state and the calendar clock state to be recorded in the compartment which is then designated and addressed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A franking machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said first intervals are defined for a first memory space (10C) of said trail memory (10) as being constituted by the first occasion each day on which the machine is switched on.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A franking machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the first intervals for another first memory space (10b) of said trail memory (10) are defined as being a fixed date in each month.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A franking machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the said first intervals are defined for a first memory space (10C) of said trail memory as being each occasion on which new credit is loaded into the machine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A franking machine according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that said fourth means further include a program in the program memory (6) for the operation of consulting the immediate machine state trail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A franking machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the immediate machine state trail memory (9) has its second memory spaces (9B, 9C) and its machine state memory (9A) organized as a continuous and looped sequence.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A franking machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the immediate machine state memory (9) has its second memory spaces (9B, 9C) organized as a continuous looped sequence.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
A franking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said second control means include a specific function key (T) on said keyboard for directly putting the machine into trail memory (10) consultation mode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A franking machine according to claims 1 to 4 and 13, characterized in that it further includes an alphanumeric printer (15) coupled to the microprocessor, and in that said keyboard includes a second special key (I) for putting said machine into print mode to print out at least a portion of the contents of said trail memory (10).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
85 words
A franking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it further includes an alphanumeric printer (15) coupled to said microprocessor (5), and in that one (E6) of said second screens (E1-E7) includes a print proposal selectable by depressing a digit key associated with said print operation and designated in conjunction therewith, thereby putting the machine into print mode to print out the trail recorded in said consulted compartment of the trail memory (10) when said print proposal is selected.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
A franking machine according to claim 15, characterized in that it includes programmed print control means for printing the trails recorded in the compartments (C0-C61) of said trail memory (10C) starting from the consulted compartment (NCC) and continuing to the last written compartment (NCE) in order to automatically print out a sheet.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A franking machine according to claim 16, characterized in that it includes means coupled to said printer for encoding the trails already printed out and causing them to be printed in an encoded form for the purpose of subsequent automatic acquisition thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
A franking machine according to claims 16 or 17, characterized in that it further includes a fourth memory space (10A) associated with said trail memory and serving for recording fixed parameters (PF) related to the machine and to its user, said parameters being read while said printer is in use in order to cause them to be printed on said sheet, thereby automatically establishing a monthly filing sheet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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