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US5154246A
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Sensor processor for high-speed mail-handling machine
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1991-03-08
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Granted: 1992-10-13
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Expires: 2011-03-08
Abstract
Abstract A sensor processor for cooperating with a drive controller in a high-speed mail-handling machine. The sensor processor access periodically a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the machine, and then writes the sensor data to an NVM-RAM shared with the drive controller. Time-critical sensors are accessed more frequently than non-time-critical sensors.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter C. DiGiulio
- 👤 Williams J. Linkowski
- 👤 Francis E. McDermott
- 👤 Edilberto I. Salazar
- 👤 Robert J. Tolmie, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:07
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61K; A61K31/00; A61K31/16; A61K31/185; A61K31/19; A61K31/195; A61K31/196; A61K31/197; A61K31/198; A61K31/21; A61K31/215; A61K31/216; B; B07; B07C; B07C1/00; G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00314; G07B17/00459; G07B17/00661; G07B2017/00338; G07B2017/00669; G07B2017/00677; G07B2017/00685; G07B2017/00693
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
In a high speed mail-handling machine capable of processing mixed mail of varying thickness and size, said processing including at least the steps of transporting each mailpiece to a weighing station and weighing each mailpiece and then printing indicia on the weighed mailpiece, said processing being activated and controlled by a drive controller in accordance with a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the machine, the improvement comprising providing a sensor processor dedicated to the task of accessing the sensors to determine their state and communicate the sensor's states to the drive controller, and causing the sensor processor to access the sensors and communicate their state to the drive controller wherein the sensor processor being caused to activate the sensors before collecting their status, and wherein some of the sensors are optical sensors, and the activation step includes measuring the background radiation before collecting their status.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
In a high speed mail-handling machine capable of processing mixed mail of varying thickness and size, said processing including at least the steps of transporting each mailpiece to a weighing station and weighing each mailpiece and then printing indicia on the weighed mailpiece, said processing being activated and controlled by a drive controller in accordance with a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the machine, the improvement comprising providing a sensor processor dedicated to the task of accessing the sensors to determine their state and communicate the sensor's states to the drive controller, and causing the sensor processor to access the sensors and communicate their state to the drive controller wherein the sensor processor being caused to activate the sensors before collecting their status, and wherein some of the sensors are optical sensors, and the activation step includes measuring the background radiation before collecting their status.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The mail-handling machine processing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication step is carried out by writing the sensor data to a RAM which the drive controller can also access.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-10-13 | 1996-04-13 | 1996-10-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-10-13 | 2000-04-13 | 2000-10-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-10-13 | 2004-04-13 | 2004-10-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |