Patent US5313404A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5313404A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Automatic postal teller machine
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1990-06-11
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Granted: 1994-05-17
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Expires: 2010-06-11
Abstract
Abstract An automatic postal teller machine capable of automatically performing the postal operation in an unmanned condition, the operation procedure thereof including auto-conveying, auto-weighing, auto-postage calculation, auto-fast postal stamp adjusting, auto-money identification, auto-money receiving, auto-money coin changing, auto-stamping, auto-mail classification, auto-ZIP code printing and auto-data recording, wherein by means of commands of a microcomputer, whole mail-processing operation of each mail can be completed in about several seconds.
Inventors
- 👤 Sheng J. Wu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 20:21
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C1/00; G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00193; G07B17/00362; G07B17/00459; G07B17/00467; G07B17/00661; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/26; G07B17/00016; G07B17/00024; G07B2017/00072; G07B2017/00209; G07B2017/00225; G07B2017/00233; G07B2017/00266; G07B2017/00274; G07B2017/0037; G07B2017/00475; G07B2017/00491; G07B17/00508; G07B2017/00572; G07B2017/00596; G07B2017/00612; G07B2017/0062; G07B2017/00669; G07B2017/00685; G07B2017/00701
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
198 words
An automatic postal teller machine comprising: a housing having a front face, a mail drop, mail returning opening, coin slot and coin returning opening; a microprocessor for controlling said teller machine disposed inside said housing; a keyboard system operatively connected to said microprocessor for inputting operation commands to said microprocessor; a display disposed on said front face of said housing and operatively connected to said microprocessor for communicating with the mailer; an automatic weighing device operatively connected to said microprocessor for receiving the mail dropped from the mail drop and conveying the mail to a weighing area for weighing, said automatic weighing device including an automatic conveying means, a weighing scale and a movable and vertically displaceable stand for supporting the mail, the mail being completely separated from said conveying means when the mail is weighed by said weighing scale, wherein said microprocessor calculates postage due according to said operation commands and the weight of the mail; an automatic postal stamp device adjacent to said automatic weighing device, having postage stamp numeral wheel means and date stamp numeral wheel means; and a money receiving means disposed behind said coin slot for receiving the postage paid by the mailer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
198 words
An automatic postal teller machine comprising: a housing having a front face, a mail drop, mail returning opening, coin slot and coin returning opening; a microprocessor for controlling said teller machine disposed inside said housing; a keyboard system operatively connected to said microprocessor for inputting operation commands to said microprocessor; a display disposed on said front face of said housing and operatively connected to said microprocessor for communicating with the mailer; an automatic weighing device operatively connected to said microprocessor for receiving the mail dropped from the mail drop and conveying the mail to a weighing area for weighing, said automatic weighing device including an automatic conveying means, a weighing scale and a movable and vertically displaceable stand for supporting the mail, the mail being completely separated from said conveying means when the mail is weighed by said weighing scale, wherein said microprocessor calculates postage due according to said operation commands and the weight of the mail; an automatic postal stamp device adjacent to said automatic weighing device, having postage stamp numeral wheel means and date stamp numeral wheel means; and a money receiving means disposed behind said coin slot for receiving the postage paid by the mailer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor includes a display interface circuit, a weighing device interface circuit, a money identifying device interface circuit, a coin changing device interface circuit, a key-in system interface circuit, an automatic conveying device interface circuit, and a postal stamp device interface circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mail classifying device disposed behind said postal stamp device and a mail classifying device interface circuit disposed in said microprocessor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a printer used to print out postage receipt and release the same after the mailer completes the mailing operation, said printer also being used to print out operation state of said teller machine according to commands, a printer interface circuit being added to said microprocessor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said money receiving device includes a money identifying device and coin changing device, and a money identifying device interface circuit and coin changing device I/F circuit are disposed in said microprocessor so that the mailer can directly use coins to pay the postage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said money receiving device includes a card reader/writer, and an asynchronous interface circuit is added to said microprocessor so that the mailer can use magnetic money card to pay the postage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a modem and remote host, and a host interface circuit is added to said microprocessor so that a monitor center of general post office can control the working state of said teller machine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said keyboard system includes a set of mail classifying keys, a set of district keys, a mail returning key, a coin returning key, a changing key, a money card key and a hold-on key.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said postage stamp device is on line connected to said microprocessor via a parallel bus interface circuit and postage stamp device interface circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automatic weighing device is on line communicated with said microprocessor through a weighing device interface circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein said automatic weighing device further includes an automatic conveying device on line connected to said microprocessor via a parallel bus interface circuit and an automatic conveying device interface circuit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a mail length sensing means is added to said automatic conveying device so as to sense too long or too short mails and return the same so that mails with irregular length can be excluded.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said postage stamp device includes a postage stamp device control switch, postage stemp device control unit, sensor, sensor circuit thereof, sensor interface circuit thereof, driver, driver circuit thereof and driver interface circuit thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automatic conveying device includes an automatic conveying device control switch, automatic conveying device control unit, sensor, sensor circuit thereof, sensor interface circuit thereof, driver, driver circuit thereof, and driver interface circuit thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
80 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automatic weighing device includes an automatic conveying device and a weighing means wherein said conveying device includes a driving means, a first conveying means, a corresponding first idle wheel, a second conveying means, a corresponding second idle wheel, a fixed stand, a movable stand under which said weighing means is located, a first sensor located before said first conveying means and a second sensor located after said second conveying means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said movable stand includes a supporting stand with a rectangular opening in a middle portion thereof, at both ends of said opening, there being disposed said first and second idle wheels which are in cooperative relationship with said first and second conveying means respectively to convey a mail to be weighed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
174 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein a pair of front and rear rocking arms are further provided under said movable stand, each of said rocking arms including a movable end pivotally connected to each end of said movable stand, and the other end of each rocking arm is pivoted on a pivot whereby a pair of electromagnetic actuators are connected to a middle portion of said front rocking arm so that when said electromagnetic actuator is activated, said movable end of each said rocking arm is pulled down with said pivot as a fulcrum, and since said movable stand is attached to said movable ends of both said rocking arms, said movable stand descends together therewith to a lower level, permitting a mail placed thereon to be weighed by said weighing means without contacting any other portion, and after weighing, said rocking arms return to their home positions, permitting the mail to be conveyed by said first and second conveying means into a postage stamping area of said postage stamp device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said supporting stand of said conveying device receives commands from said microprocessor to descend and separate from said conveying device, permitting a mail to be placed on said movable stand and weighed by said weighing means without contacting any other portion, and after weighing, said supporting stand returns to its home position automatically.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
90 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automatic postal stamp device includes: a main shaft capable of rotating within a certain angle; a main shaft driving means disposed on a first end of said main shaft; a main shaft driving means sensor means used to locate said main shaft; a printing head means disposed on a second end of said main shaft, including plural numeral wheels; a numeral wheel driving means used to drive said numeral wheels; and a sensor means used to locate said numeral wheels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
212 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said head means of said automatic postal stamp device includes: a main shaft on which a plurality of axial grooves are formed, said main shaft being disposed in a direction perpendicular to conveying direction of a mail; a main shaft driving means including a driving motor, a transmitting means and an encoder means wherein said driving motor is engaged with a first end of said main shaft via said transmitting means; a printing head disposed on a second end of said main shaft whereby when relevant date of a mail are input via said key board system, said microprocessor commands driving gear of a set of second rocks slidably disposed on said grooves of said main shaft to control travels of said second racks and consequently control rotation angles of said numeral wheel to set numeral wheels into required positions whereby when a mail enters a printing area of said postage stamp device, said main shaft driving means is commanded to rotate said main shaft one turn to imprint set postage, date or relevant marks of said numeral wheels on the mail, the mail being further sent to a subsequent processing device thereafter and said numeral wheels being zeroed for next printing cycle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
80 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said printing head includes at least one settable numeral wheel means, and said numeral wheel means includes at least two independent numeral wheels, and each said numeral wheel has a synchronic gear driven by a corresponding first rack disposed outside said main shaft, said first rack being formed with a hooking arm at its lower end, said hooking arm being capable of engaging with a first end of said second rack.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said printing head further includes a separate encoder disposed near a second end of said second rack for controlling travel of said second rack, the travel of said second rack being completely controlled by programs of said microprocessor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein a small diameter portion is formed on said main shaft in alignment with said driving gear of said second rack, just coming flush with dented base of said second rack so that when said printing head together with said main shaft are rotated, said relatively smaller diameter portion can slip through said driving gear.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bar code reader is added to read ZIP code which is shown on the mail envelope and then a bar code printer is to print zip code on the mail envelope.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
116 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said automatic weighing device includes an automatic conveying device and a weighing means, said automatic conveying device further including a driving means, a first conveying means, a corresponding first idle wheel, a second conveying means and a corresponding second idle wheel, said weighing emans further including an electronic weighing scale with a weighing unit, a movable stand disposed on a main shaft of said idle wheels, a drive wheel driving said movable stand, a cam, a support, a guide rod, a journal, a first location sensing means, disposed in front of said first conveying means, and a second location sensing means disposed behind said second conveying means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
85 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 25, wherein two ends of said movable stand are fixedly mounted on said main shaft of said two idle wheels to that said movable stand can vertically move together with said main shaft, an opening being formed on central portion of said movable stand so that when said movable stand descends, a fixed stand mounted on said weighing scale can go through said opening, permitting said movable stand to move to a position lower than said fixed stand.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
190 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 25, wherein two ends of said main shaft of said idle wheels are respectively fixed to two side boards, and two screw rods are disposed in parallel with inner faces of said side boards, one of said two screw rods having one end extended through said main shaft with its other end fixed to a vertically telescopic guide rod, said guide rod being further mounted on a journal, the other screw rod having one end extended through said main shaft with its other end fixedly mounted on a vertically movable support, a cam shaft being transversely disposed through said drive wheel and a scale support with its two ends respectively fixed on said cam and guide rod, whereby said drive wheel can rotarily drive said cam shaft and cam, making said support disposed above said cam and a guide rod mounted on other end of said main shaft descend or ascend together to achieve balance of two ends, said idle wheels and movable stand vertically moving together, two springs being respectively disposed on said screw rods for holding said main shaft in place.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
58 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 25, wherein two follower wheels are disposed respectively above and below said cam, and two shafts of said follower wheels are fixed to two ends of said support, whereby when said cam rotates, said follower wheels will consequently move up and down to therefore vertically drive said support up and down.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
A teller machine as claimed in claim 25, wherein when said movable stand descends, the mail placed on said fixed stand will separate from said conveying device without touching any part thereof, whereupon the mail is placed on said weighing scale and accurately weighed.
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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) | 1997-05-16 | 1997-11-15 | 1998-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-05-16 | 2001-11-15 | 2002-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-05-16 | 2005-11-15 | 2006-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |