User programmable postal rate calculator

Claim 1

An improved ZIP to zone converter for a postal scale or the like comprising, first memory means containing a representation of a map of a geographic area, said area being divided into an irregular grid quad pattern, with grid quads generally corresponding to the geographic areas represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, each grid quad having X, Y digital coordinates, said first memory means for storing the X, Y digital coordinates of said grid quads, second memory means for storing the most significant digits of an originating ZIP code and for storing ranges of distance related values corresonding to each postal zone, third memory means for storing control information, data entry means for entering the most significant digits of a destination ZIP code, microprocessor means connected to a data bus, said first, second and third memory means and said data entry means connected to the microprocessor means via the data bus for converting the most significant digits of both the originating and destination ZIP codes into X, Y coordinates, computing a value for a distance function of the X, Y coordinates which identifies one of said ranges of distance related values and identifying the postal zone corresponding to said value.

Claim 8

An apparatus for determining postage for an item comprising, a data bus, first memory means connected to the data bus for storing digits from a binary coded postal zone map of a geographic area having an irregular grid pattern, with grid quads generally corresponding to the geographic area represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, each grid quad being specified by X, Y digital coordinates forming said stored digits, second memory means connected to the data bus for storing the most significant digits of an originating ZIP code and storing postal rate function break points which are endpoints of line segments forming a postage rate line for each zone, said rate line defining postal rates as a function of weight for continuously increasing weights up to a limit, and for storing ranges of distance related values corresponding to each postal zone, third memory means connected to the data bus for storing control information, fourth memory means connected to the data bus for storing computed results, data entry means connected to the data bus for entering a destination ZIP code, microprocessor means having as an electrical input an item weight signal and connected to the data bus for computing a distance related value between an X, Y digital coordinate corresponding to a destination ZIP code and an X, Y digital coordinate corresponding to an originating ZIP code, said distance within one of said ranges of distance related values, and identifying the postal zone corresponding to said range, then computing postage based on a rate line for the identified zone and said weight signal, and storing computed results in said fourth memory means, and output means connected to the data bus for converting the postage computation to an electrical signal suitable for external use.

Claim 9

An apparatus for determining postage for an item comprising, a data bus, first memory means connected to the data bus for storing digits from a binary coded postal zone map of a geographic area having an irregular grid pattern, with grid quads generally corresponding to the geographic area represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, each grid quad being specified by X, Y digital coordinates forming said stored digits, second memory means connected to the data bus for storing the most significant digits of an originating ZIP code and storing postal rate function break points which are endpoints of line segments forming a postage rate line for each zone, said rate line defining postal rates as a function of weight for continuously increasing weights up to a limit, and for storing ranges of distance related values corresponding to each postal zone, third memory means connected to the data bus for storing control information, fourth memory means connected to the data bus for storing computed results, data entry means connected to the data bus for entering a destination ZIP code, microprocessor means having as an electrical input an item weight signal and connected to the data bus for computing a distance related value between an X, Y digital coordinate corresponding to a destination ZIP code and an X, Y digital coordinate corresponding to an originating ZIP code, said distance within one of said ranges of distance related values, and identifying the postal zone corresponding to said range, then computing postage based on a rate line for the identified zone and said weight signal, and storing computed results in said fourth memory means, and output means connected to the data bus for converting the postage computation to an electrical signal suitable for external use.

Claim 14

A method for converting ZIP to zone for a postal rate determination comprising, assigning X, Y coordinates to each quad of a grid pattern forming a map of a geographic area, the quads generally corresponding to the geographic areas represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, storing in a memory unit X, Y coordinates of two quads corresponding to the most significant digits of destination and originating ZIP codes, storing in the memory unit ranges of distance related values corresponding to each postal zone, computing a distance between the X, Y coordinates of said two quads, and identifying the postal zone corresponding to said distance.

Claim 15

A method for converting ZIP to zone for a postal rate determination comprising, assigning X, Y coordinates to each quad of a grid pattern forming a map of a geographic area, the quads generally corresponding to the geographic areas represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, storing in a memory unit X, Y coordinates of two quads corresponding to the most significant digits of destination and originating ZIP codes, storing in the memory unit ranges of distance related values corresponding to each postal zone, computing a distance between the X, Y coordinates of said two quads, and identifying the postal zone corresponding to said distance.

Claim 17

A method of determining postage for an item comprising, assigning X, Y coordinates to each quad of a grid pattern forming a map of a geographic area, the quads generally corresponding to the geographic areas represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, storing in a memory unit X, Y coordinates of two quads corresponding to the most significant digits of destination and originating ZIP codes, storing in the memory unit ranges of distance related values corresponding to each postal zone, computing a distance between the X, Y coordinates of said two quads, identifying the postal zone corresponding to said distance, storing in a memory unit postal rate function break points which are endpoints of line segments forming a postage rate line for each zone, said rate line defining postal rates as a function of weight for continuously increasing weights up to a limit, weighing an item needing postage and deriving an electrical signal representing the item weight, using said electrical signal representing weight, together with the identified postal zone for selecting a corresponding postage rate line, and electrically converting the weight signal to postage using said rate line.

Claim 18

A method of determining postage for an item comprising, assigning X, Y coordinates to each quad of a grid pattern forming a map of a geographic area, the quads generally corresponding to the geographic areas represented by the most significant digits of ZIP codes, storing in a memory unit X, Y coordinates of two quads corresponding to the most significant digits of destination and originating ZIP codes, storing in the memory unit ranges of distance related values corresponding to each postal zone, computing a distance between the X, Y coordinates of said two quads, identifying the postal zone corresponding to said distance, storing in a memory unit postal rate function break points which are endpoints of line segments forming a postage rate line for each zone, said rate line defining postal rates as a function of weight for continuously increasing weights up to a limit, weighing an item needing postage and deriving an electrical signal representing the item weight, using said electrical signal representing weight, together with the identified postal zone for selecting a corresponding postage rate line, and electrically converting the weight signal to postage using said rate line.