Postage meter and external servicing device therefor

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving step further comprises testing to determine whether the address indicated by the address information in the data packet is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, and wherein the loading step is performed only in the event of the test being satisfied.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the preparing step further comprises including within the data packet a check value (68) determined as a function of the address information and the data thereof, and wherein the receiving step further comprises testing to determine whether the check value is in a predetermined relationship with a confirmation value determined as a function of the received address information and the received data of the data packet, and wherein the loading step is performed only in the event of the test being satisfied.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the preparing step further comprises including within the data packet a length number (66) representing the number of bytes of data that are to be loaded into the memory of the processor, wherein the receiving step further comprises testing to determine whether the sum of the length number and the address indicated by the address information in the data packet is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, and wherein the loading step is performed only in the event of the test being satisfied.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the preparing step further comprises including within the data packet a repetition number (65) representing the number of times the data are to be loaded into the memory of the processor, wherein the receiving step further comprises testing to determine whether the product of the number of bytes of data and the repetition number, added to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, and wherein the loading step is performed only in the event of the test being satisfied, the loading step further comprising the steps of establishing a current address initially equal to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, loading the data to the current address, decrementing the number of times the data are to be loaded, adding the number of bytes of data to the current address, the loading, decrementing and adding steps being repeated until the number of times the data are to be loaded reaches zero.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the preparing step further comprises including within the data packet a repetition number (65) representing the number of times the data are to be loaded into the memory of the processor, wherein the receiving step further comprises testing to determine whether the product of the length number and the repetition number, added to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, and wherein the loading step is performed only in the event of the test being satisfied, the loading step further comprising the steps of establishing a current address initially equal to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, loading the data to the current address, decrementing the number of times the data are to be loaded, adding the length number to the current address, the loading, decrementing and adding steps being repeated until the number of times the data are to be loaded reaches zero.

Claim 8

An electronic postage meter comprising : a processor (10), having an address space; a memory (11) in the address space of the processor; a receiver (15) for receiving a data packet (60) from an external servicing device (21), the data packet comprising address information (64) indicative of an address within the address space of the processor and at least one byte of data (67) for loading thereto; and further comprising : receiving means for receiving the data packet into the memory of the postage meter; and loading means for loading the data in the data packet to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet.

Claim 9

An electronic postage meter comprising : a processor (10), having an address space; a memory (11) in the address space of the processor; a receiver (15) for receiving a data packet (60) from an external servicing device (21), the data packet comprising address information (64) indicative of an address within the address space of the processor and at least one byte of data (67) for loading thereto; and further comprising : receiving means for receiving the data packet into the memory of the postage meter; and loading means for loading the data in the data packet to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet.

Claim 10

An electronic meter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the receiving means further comprise means for testing to determine whether the address indicated by the address information in the data packet is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, and wherein the loading means load the data only in the event of the test being satisfied.

Claim 11

An electronic meter as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the data packet further comprises a check value (68) determined as a function of the address information and the corresponding data and wherein the receiving means further comprise means for testing to determine whether the check value is in a predetermined relationship with a confirmation value determined as a function of the received address information and the received data of the data packet, and wherein the loading means load the data only in the event of the test being satisfied.

Claim 12

An electronic meter as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the data packet further comprises a length number (66) representing the number of bytes of data that are to be loaded into the memory of the processor, wherein the receiving means further comprise means for testing to determine whether the sum of the length number and the address indicated by the address information in the data packet is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, and wherein the loading means load the data only in the event of the test being satisfied.

Claim 13

An electronic meter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the data packet further comprises a repetition number (65) representing the number of times the data are to be loaded into the memory of the processor, wherein the receiving means further comprise means for testing to determine whether the product of the number of bytes of data and the repetition number, added to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, wherein the loading means load the data only in the event of the test being satisfied, and wherein the loading means further comprise means for establishing a current address initially equal to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, for loading the data to the current address, for decrementing the number of times the data are to be loaded, for adding the number of bytes of data to the current address, and for repeating the loading, decrementing and adding until the number of times the data are to be loaded reaches zero.

Claim 14

An electronic meter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the data packet further comprises a repetition number (65) representing the number of times the data are to be loaded into the memory of the processor, wherein the receiving means further comprise means for testing to determine whether the product of the length number and the repetition number, added to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, is within a predetermined range of addresses within the address space, wherein the loading means load the data only in the event of the test being satisfied, and wherein the loading means further comprise means for establishing a current address initially equal to the address indicated by the address information in the data packet, for loading the data to the current address, for decrementing the number of times the data are to be loaded, for adding the length number to the current address, and for repeating the loading, decrementing and adding steps until the number of times the data are to be loaded reaches zero.

Claim 15

An external servicing device for use with a postage meter having a processor (10), having an address space and a memory (11) in the address space of the processor, the external device comprising preparing means for preparing a data packet (60) comprising address information indicative of an address within the address space of the processor and at least one byte of data (67) for loading thereto, and means (22) for transmitting the data packet from the external servicing device to the postage meter.

Claim 16

An external servicing device for use with a postage meter having a processor (10), having an address space and a memory (11) in the address space of the processor, the external device comprising preparing means for preparing a data packet (60) comprising address information indicative of an address within the address space of the processor and at least one byte of data (67) for loading thereto, and means (22) for transmitting the data packet from the external servicing device to the postage meter.

Claim 17

An external servicing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the preparing means further com p rises means for including within the data packet a check value (68) determined as a function of the address information and the data thereof.

Claim 18

An external servicing device as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the preparing means further comprise means for including within the data packet a length number (66) representing the number of bytes of data that are to be loaded into the memory of the processor.

Claim 19

An external servicing device as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15, wherein the preparing means further comprise means for including within the data packet a repetition number (65) representing the number of times the data are to be loaded into the memory of the processor.