Electronic franking machine with operating mode selection

Claim 1

A franking machine comprising a keyboard, display, a calendar clock, a microprocessor, a program memory, a text memory, and a working memory connected to a bus, a first set of messages for normal franking operations and a second set of messages for special operations being stored in the text memory, the program memory containing programs with each program relating to one of the messages in the first and second sets of messages, each message in said first and second sets of messages being split up into at least one screen comprising as many lines of characters as can be displayed on the display, the second set of messages being accessible by means of a Menu key on the keyboard, such that pressing said Menu key causes a beginning-of-menu first message of the second set of messages to appear, said first message including a plurality of options each designated by a different digit corresponding to a different key on the keyboard, wherein: said first message includes an option for changing the operating mode of the machine, said option being designated by a digit corresponding to one of the keys on the keyboard; the second set of messages includes a first selecting message for selecting the machine operating mode, said first selecting message giving the current operation mode of the machine and proposing that the mode be confirmed, and also giving three options for changing mode: a one-off mode option; a burst mode option for an unlimited number of franking operations; and a limited burst mode option for franking operations limited to a number N; with each option being designated by a digit corresponding to one of the keys of the keyboard; and the second set of messages also includes a confirming message for confirming the selected mode and a further selecting message for selecting the number of pieces to which limited burst mode is to be limited.