[0001] The subject invention relates to a system for producing a mail piece. More particularly,
it relates to a system for producing mail pieces which system is suitable for multiple
users of microcomputers and standard word processing software in an office environment.
[0002] Many systems for directly producing mail pieces directly from the printed output
of a data processing system have been proposed in the past. For example, US Patent
Number 5,283,752, to Gombault et al., issued February 1st, 1994 discloses a mail preparation
system wherein a data processing system controls a linear mail preparation apparatus.
The data processing system controls a printer to print documents which, after printing,
pass, under the control of the data processing system, through a succession of stations
such as a burster, an insert feed station, an address printer, a postage meter and
the like.
[0003] Similarly, US Patent Number 4,800,505, to Axelrod et al., issued January 24, 1989,
discloses a system wherein a data processing system prints documents and marks them
with an identification code, and simultaneously downloads parameters for controlling
the operation of a mail preparation line to a database. As the documents are fed into
the mail preparation line, the identification code is scanned and used to access the
database to determine the parameters for each mail piece to be produced from the corresponding
documents.
[0004] Other systems for inserting documents into windowed envelopes so that an address
printed on the document is visible, or systems for printing self-mailer forms which
are then folded and sealed to form mail pieces are also known.
[0005] A system where an envelope form is printed in sequence with documents and later accumulated
with the documents, then wrapped around the documents and sealed to form the mail
piece is described in US Patent Number 5,067,305, issued November 26, 1991, to Baker
et al.
[0006] US Patent Number 4,797,830, to Baggarly et al., describes an inserter system which
has a capability to compute postage for a mail piece based upon predetermined weights
for inserts included in the mail piece.
[0007] While such systems are perhaps suitable for their intended purpose heretofore no
system has been available to users who wish to produce a number of mailings of moderate
size and who wish to produce high quality mail runs. Systems such as that taught by
Gombault et al., Baggarly et al. and Axelrod et al. are intended for large scale mailings
produced by main frame computers and high capacity inserter systems, while windowed
envelopes and self-mailers have an unfortunate "junk mail" aspect.
[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a system for producing
and optionally franking moderately sized mail runs of a high quality, and which is
suitable for use in an office environment with standard microcomputers and word processing
programs.
[0009] The above object is achieved and the disadvantages of the prior art are overcome
in accordance with the subject invention by means of a system including a plurality
of apparatus for producing a mail piece, wherein the apparatus each include a first
printer for printing a document and a mail finishing unit for receiving the document
from the first printer and combining the document with an envelope to form a mail
piece. The mail finishing unit may include a mechanism for franking the mail piece.
The apparatus may also include a controller which is responsive to mail piece data;
the mail piece data including first data for defining the document and second data
for defining the address to be printed on the document and postal data defining a
postage value for the mail piece. The controller can be arranged to control the first
printer to print documents in accordance with the document data and control the franking
mechanism to frank the mail piece with the postage value.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the system also includes a mail center controller for
receiving mail piece data, selecting one of the apparatus in accordance with the mail
piece data and outputting a digital signal representative of the mail piece data to
the selected apparatus.
[0011] The mail center controller may include a data base of postage rates and is responsive
to the mail piece data to calculate a postage value for the mail piece and to append
the value to the digital signal prior to outputting the signal.
[0012] Preferably, the mail center controller also includes a capability to access a second
data base of per item weights (or other characteristic upon which postal rates may
be based) to calculate a weight for the mail piece if the weight is not included in
the mail piece data.
[0013] In accordance with one aspect of the subject invention the mail center controller
determines costs and charges the costs to an account selected in accordance with the
mail piece data.
[0014] The system of the subject invention may also include data processing
apparatus for: generating document data descriptive of a document in the mail piece;
appending attribute data to the document data to form mail piece data descriptive
of the mail piece; and,
transmitting a digital signal representative of the mail piece data to the apparatus.
[0015] In accordance with one aspect of the subject invention the document data includes
graphic data representative of an image of the document.
[0016] In accordance with another aspect of the subject invention the apparatus includes
a second printer which both prints an address on the mail piece envelope and prints
a franking indicia on the envelope.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the subject invention the apparatus communicates
with a class 2 postage meter which returns at least a variable portion of the indicia
to be printed by the second printer.
[0018] In accordance with yet another aspect of the subject invention the mail piece is
printed with a scannable representation of the postage amount. (By scannable representation
herein is meant a representation such as a bar code which can easily be automatically
scanned so that postage amounts can be determined off-line.)
[0019] In accordance with still another aspect of the subject invention the franking mechanism
includes a substantially conventional postage meter.
[0020] In another embodiment of the subject invention the mail production apparatus has
a capability to determine postage values directly from the mail piece data. In this
embodiment the apparatus returns costs, including postage costs to the mail center
controller for allocation to a selected account.
[0021] The invention will be better understood by referring, by way of example, to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system in accordance with the subject invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of job data defining a mailing job.
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the data flow in a host computer and a mail
center controller in producing the job data and modified job data of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of the flow of mail production apparatus used
in one embodiment of the system of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the flow of control data in the apparatus
Figure 4.
Figures 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d are a flow diagram of the operation of the mail center
controller of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a more detailed flow diagram of the operation of the mail center controller
in determining postage.
Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of the flow of mail production apparatus used
in another embodiment of the system of Figure 1.
Figure 9 is a schematic representation of the flow of control data in the apparatus
Figure 8.
[0022] Figure 1 shows a system in accordance with the subject invention which includes a
plurality of user input stations 2 which communicate with mail center controller 4.
Stations 2 typically include a conventional microcomputer running a substantially
conventional word processing application, as will be further described below. Mail
center controller 4 receives job data 10 from stations 2 and, in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the subject invention, modifies the data to include postage
values for mail pieces to be prepared by the system. Data store 6 stores postal rate
information and per item weights for materials used in the mail pieces for use determining
postage values for mail pieces. Job data 10 is then output to an available one of
mail preparation apparatus 8 for production and franking of corresponding mail pieces.
[0023] In another embodiment of the subject invention, postage values for the mail pieces
are determined by mail preparation apparatus as described below.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, mail center controller 4 allocates
mailing costs, including postage costs, to designated accounts.
[0025] In another preferred embodiment, mail center controller 4 communicates with a data
center such as a data center operated under the service mark "Postage - by - Phone"
by the assignee of the present application, to recharge postage meters used with mail
preparation apparatus 8.
[0026] In Figure 2, a schematic representation of job data 10 for controlling an apparatus
in accordance with the subject invention to produce a mailing job, i.e. a sequence
of mail pieces, is shown. Job data 10 includes job header 12 and a sequence of mail
piece records 14, each of records 14 including mail piece data corresponding to a
mail piece to be produced in the job. Job header 12 includes mail piece data defining
default attributes for each mail piece in the job; including the number of document
sheets to be accumulated for each mail piece, whether or not a pre-printed insert
is to be added to the document sheets, the manner in which the accumulated sheets
are to be folded, whether or not a BRE (i.e. business return envelope) is to be inserted
into the envelope with the folded accumulation, and whether or not the mail piece
is to be moistened and sealed.
[0027] Preferably job header 12 also defines a job type: whether or not envelope data is
present (i.e. if a window envelope is to be used), whether all mail pieces include
a uniform number of document sheets, and whether or not inserts vary among the mail
pieces; as well as an optional job name to be displayed while the job runs. Job type
data allows the system to anticipate simpler jobs (e.g. there is no need to execute
code associated with envelope printing if the job type defines a window envelope)
and confirms that the absence of unneeded attribute data is not an error. Preferably
the job type also defines whether or not the mail piece is to be franked, and whether
postage values are to be calculated or have been determined a priori.
[0028] Each of records 14 corresponds to one mail piece to be produced, and includes mail
piece header 18, document data field 20, and envelope data field 22. Mail piece header
18 includes the same (or a subset of the) mail piece data elements included in job
header 12 to define the mail piece attributes specific to the corresponding mail piece.
[0029] Document data 20 is mail piece data defining a sequence of document pages to be printed
by the document printer as will be described below. It is a particular advantage of
the subject invention that document data 20 can be completely compatible with standard
laser printers and the output of standard word processing programs and described in
a conventional page description language such as the Hewlett Packard PCL5 language,
or equivalent. Envelope data field 22 includes an address to be printed on the envelope.
Preferably this address will be extracted from document data by the host computer
in any convenient manner such as the identification of address fields in the document
data, as will be described further below.
[0030] Fields 18, 20 and 22 are separated by unique separators 26-1, 26-2, 26-3 and 26-4
and data 10 also includes an End of Job marker 28 to identify the end of the job.
[0031] Figure 3 shows the data flow in input station 2 and mail center controller 6 in creating
job data 10. Input station 2 is preferably a microcomputer of the type commonly used
in an office environment, A commercial word processing program, such as that sold
under the trade name "Word" by the Microsoft Corporation, executes a conventional
merge application to merge variable data 32, which includes name, address and other
variables to be printed on the documents with a previously input form 36 to create
document data. The document data is input to driver 37 and driver 37 creates the job
data by extracting an address from the document data and accessing data store 38 to
define the mail piece attributes, previously defined by the system operator.
[0032] Driver 37 extracts the address from the document data in any convenient conventional
manner, such as by the use of a predetermined field within the document data, or the
use of an algorithm based upon the detection of alphanumeric combinations typical
of zip codes, state names, city names, etc., as is also known. Driver 37 also accesses
data store 38 to obtain the attribute information which includes processing attributes
40, such as feeder selection, fold type, sealing mode etc., which control operation
of apparatus 8 to produce the mail piece in the desired form, as will be described
further below. Data store 38 also includes postal attributes for the mail piece; such
as the class of postal service to be used, any applicable discounts, or any special
services (e. g. special delivery) required.
[0033] Postal attributes also include a field for a postage value for each mail piece. If
postage values are known this field can be determined a priori; however, in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, postage values are determined
by mail center controller 4, as will be described below.
[0034] Data store 38 can also include the mail piece weight if it is known.
[0035] Preferably driver 37 also gets job type data 42 from data store 38 for inclusion
in job header 12. Driver 37 then adds separators 26-1 through 26-4 to create header
12 and records 14, as described above. It is well within the skill of a person of
ordinary skill in the programming arts to modify a word processing application or
produce a special application which would enable a system to provide such varying
attribute data for mail piece headers 18, and details of such applications need not
be described for an understanding of the subject invention.
[0036] Job data 10 is then transmitted to mail center controller 6. If the mail pieces are
to be franked and the postage values have not been determined a priori, mail center
controller 6 accesses postal rate data base 44 and material data base 45 to determine
the postage and materials costs as a function of the materials used. Note that materials
data base 45 also includes the present status of materials in each unit of apparatus
8: 8-1, 8-2,...8-m, 8-n, to enable controller 6 to properly assign jobs. Mail center
controller 6 then appends postage values for each mail piece in the appropriate field
in header 18 and outputs job data 10 to a selected unit of apparatus 8, as will be
described further below.
[0037] Turning to Figure 4, apparatus 8 is connected to mail center controller 6 to receive
job data 10, which preferably is modified to include postage values for each mail
piece, as an electronic digital signal which is generated as described above. Apparatus
8 includes document printer 56, which is preferably a laser printer including printer
controller 58 and a conventional document printer engine 60, which is preferably a
Canon model LBP-NX, and a mail finishing unit 64 which receives the printed documents
from printer engine 60 and inserts them into envelopes to form mail pieces in accordance
with the mail piece data, as will be described below.
[0038] Printer controller 58 receives job data 10 from mail center controller 4 and parses
the data; sending the attribute data from either job header 12 or mail piece header
18 to mail finishing unit controller 100, and sending document data 20 to document
printer engine 60, as will be described further below. Mail finishing unit controller
100 stores mail piece attributes 40 from job header 12 for default control of the
production of each mail piece and downloads common elements of the address to be printed
on the envelopes to envelope printer 66. Preferably envelope printer 66 includes an
integral controller which will render the text characters received from mail finishing
unit controller 100 into appropriate control signals to render an image of the address
in accordance with the address data, the font, the layout etc.
[0039] Envelope printer 66 also stores the fixed portion of postal indicia to be printed
on the envelope when the mail piece is to be franked in data store 67.
[0040] In one embodiment of the subject invention, where apparatus 8 have a capability to
independently determine postage values for mail pieces, when a mail piece is to be
franked finishing unit controller 100 accesses per item weight data base 117 and postal
rate data base 119 (shown in Figure 5) in data store 101 to determine the weight of
the mail piece and determine the appropriate postage value for the mail piece in a
manner described more fully below. Apparatus 8 then returns postage costs ( and, optionally,
material usage) to mail center controller 4 for allocation of costs to user accounts.
[0041] In another embodiment of the subject invention, when the mail piece is to be franked
and the postage value has not been determined a priori, mail center controller 4 calculates
postage and material costs in accordance with the mail piece data and appends a postage
value to mail piece header 18.
[0042] Once the postage value is determined, controller 100 then requests a postal indicia
corresponding to that value from a class 2 meter (not shown) which, assuming the request
is granted, returns the variable portion of the indicia to controller 100. ( The meter,
of course, accounts for the postage expended in a conventional manner.) Controller
100 downloads this variable data to printer 66 together with address and other information
to be printed on the envelope. Printer 66 then renders the full image to be printed
on the envelope, combining the fixed portion of the indicia stored in data store 67
with the variable portion received from controller 100 to frank the mail piece.
[0043] (Class 2 meters are postage meters which dispense and account for pre-paid postage
as do traditional postage meters but which use non-secure printers such as ink jet
printers to print indicia. Where traditional, class 1, meters use rotary or flatbed
print heads to print indicia which include complex, arbitrary images and special inks
to protect against counterfeiting of indicia, class 2 meters incorporate encrypted
information in the indicia to protect against counterfeiting while allowing use of
non-secure printers, such as printer 66. Such meters are known in the art and a further
description of their operation is not necessary for an understanding of the subject
invention. Pre - storage of fixed portions of indicia, as in the preferred embodiment
described above, is described, for example, in published European patent application
number 0,578,042 A2, to Stephen Gunther, filed June 21, 1993.)
[0044] Alternatively the postage amount may be down loaded to printer 66 for printing as
a scannable representation such as a bar code so that the mail piece can later be
scanned and franked off line.
[0045] Envelope printer 66 is also preferably an ink jet printer and the printed envelopes
are output from printer 66 to a drying buffer station 68 which extends the transport
time of a succession of envelopes as they are output by envelope printer 66 to allow
the printed address time to dry. Since a number of envelopes, preferably up to 6,
are stored in buffer 68 printer controller 58 does not forward documents for printing
to printer engine 60 until buffer 68 is loaded. That is, until drying buffer 68 is
either filled to capacity or until an End of Job (EOJ) code is detected and the system
knows that the last envelope is in buffer 68.
[0046] After the printed address has dried on the envelope the envelope proceeds to flap
opener station 72 where the envelope flap is opened prior to insertion of the documents
and possibly other items.
[0047] When drying buffer 68 is loaded printer controller 58 outputs a page of document
data to document printer engine 60 which prints that page in a conventional manner.
As the page is printed it is received by accelerator station 76, and as printer engine
60 releases the printed page accelerator station 76 accelerates the page to the faster
speed at which mail finishing unit 64 operates.
[0048] Accelerator station 76 then transfers the printed page to accumulator station 78
and, if a plurality of pages are to be included in the mail piece the above described
operations are repeated until all the document pages are in accumulator station 78.
If the mail piece attributes specified for the mail piece include a preprinted insert
such a preprinted insert may be fed from insert feeder 96 to accumulator station 78
since the higher operating speed of a mail finishing unit 64 will allow time for this
without slowing the operation of document printer engine 60.
[0049] Once completed the accumulation of printed document pages and any preprinted inserts
are transferred from accumulator station 78 to folder station 80 where the accumulation
is folded into either a "C" or "Z" fold as specified in the mail piece attributes.
Once the folded accumulation is present at folder station 80 the envelope, with its
flap open, is fed (or has been fed) to inserter station 82 and the folded accumulation
is transferred from folder station 80 to inserter station 82 for insertion into the
envelope. If specified by the mail piece attributes a BRE is fed from BRE feeder 98
and also inserted into the envelope.
[0050] The mail piece (i.e. the envelope with all printed documents and any preprinted inserts
and BRE's inserted) is fed from inserter station 82 to moistener station 84 where
the envelope flap is moistened if the mail piece is to be sealed. The mail piece then
proceeds to flap closer station 86, sealer 90 and output stacker 94 where the completed
mail piece, including all preprinted inserts and BRE's, with an address and possible
return address printed on a conventional envelope, and which has been sealed if so
specified, is output for delivery to the postal service.
[0051] The various stations described in mail finishing unit 64 perform functions which
are well known in the mail preparation art and implementation of such stations would
be well within the skill of those of ordinary skill in the mail preparation arts.
[0052] In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, drying buffer 68 is formed as
an arrangement of four helical screws arranged to support an envelope and transport
the envelope as the screws rotate, as described in commonly assigned US Patent Number
5,429,349.
[0053] Turning to Figure 5, the operation of apparatus 8 is controlled in accordance with
job data 10 by the execution of various software modules resident in printer controller
58, mail finishing unit controller 100, and motion controllers 104-1, 104-2 and 104-3.
It should be noted that the partitioning of these modules among the various controllers
forms no part of the subject invention as claimed and that, in principle, all the
functions of apparatus 8 could be controlled by a single controller of sufficient
capacity.
[0054] Job data 10 is input from mail center controller 4 to host interface 110, which is
resident in printer controller 58. Interface 110 is preferably a standard interface
for managing a serial protocol such as the RS 232 protocol, or a standard parallel
or network protocol. Job data 10 is then transferred to parser 112 which outputs document
data from field 20 to page description language (PDL) interpreter 114 and envelope
data from field 22 to envelope data buffer 118 in mail finishing unit controller 100.
Parser 112 also outputs mail finishing unit control data, which is default attribute
data from job header 12 or specific mail piece attribute data from mail piece header
18, and the EOJ to mail piece attribute generator 116.
[0055] Mail piece attribute generator 116 receives the mail finishing unit control data
which is expressed as codes descriptive of a mail piece; (e.g. codes which would describe
a mail piece having 1 printed page, a preprinted insert, no BRE, which is to be sealed)
and converts these descriptive codes into commands for the operation of the various
stations and printers in mail finishing unit 64. Default commands are stored permanently
for the duration of a job while commands found in mail piece header 18 are stored
only for the production of a corresponding mail piece. Preferably common information
for printing the envelopes is transferred to the integral controller of envelope printer
66. Mail piece attribute generator 116 also responds to the EOJ code to identify the
last mail piece to assure that the mailing job is properly terminated and the last
mail piece completed.
[0056] Returning to interpreter 114, the document data, which is expressed in a conventional
page description language such as PCL5 is interpreted at 114 in a conventional manner
into an appropriate set of printer commands to drive the print engine used. As each
page is translated it is stored in page buffer 122. Such interpretation and buffering
of document pages is conventional in the laser printing art and need not be described
further here for an understanding of the subject invention except to note that buffer
122 is substantially larger than is normally found in a commercial laser printer for
office use since it is desirable that pages be stored until a mail piece is output
from apparatus 8 to facilitate recovery from jam conditions.
[0057] Once the first envelope is available data is transferred from page buffer 122 to
print engine driver 124 which renders the print commands into appropriate control
signals to generate an image of the page at document printer engine 60.
[0058] Also as each page is interpreted, interpreter 114 transmits a page token to mail
piece production monitor/controller 120 which is resident in mail finishing unit controller
100. Monitor/controller 120 updates these tokens as pages move through mail finishing
unit 64 to track the pages and to facilitate recovery from jam conditions.
[0059] When monitor/controller 120 detects the presence of envelope data in buffer 118,
it transfers the envelope data to envelope print driver 119 which controls envelope
printer 66 to print the envelope data on the envelope in accordance with the previously
determined attribute data defining the common elements of the envelope address and,
for mail pieces to be franked, the variable portions of the indicia which have been
determined by attribute generator 116 as will be described more fully below. It should
be noted that, since envelope printer 66 includes an integral controller, driver 119
is substantially simpler than driver 124. And, as with print engine driver 124, the
control of envelope printer 66, which is preferably an ink jet printer, is conventional
and need not be described further here for an understanding of the subject invention
except to note that buffer 118 is also somewhat larger than normal so that envelope
data may also be recovered in the case of a jam.
[0060] Mail piece production monitor/controller 120 will then continue to print envelope
data from buffer 118 as it is available until drying buffer 68 is loaded; that is
until buffer 68 is completely full or an EOJ code is detected and monitor/controller
120 recognizes that the last envelope is in drying buffer 68. Then, when drying buffer
68 is loaded monitor/controller 120 signals page buffer 122 to release the next page
to engine driver 124, and when document printer engine 60 is ready signals driver
124 to print the page. If multiple pages of documents are to be included in a mail
piece, as defined by the mail piece attributes generated at 116, monitor/controller
120 continues to release pages from buffer 122 until all pages for a mail piece are
printed.
[0061] Once monitor/controller 120 has released the last page for a mail piece it determines
if the EOJ code has been detected and the last envelope is in drying buffer 68. If
not the next envelope data in buffer 118 is printed and drying buffer 68 is advanced
and pages for the next document are released from buffer 122, as described above.
Once the EOJ code is detected and monitor/controller 120 recognizes that the last
envelope has been printed and is in drying buffer 68 monitor controller 120 will cease
printing envelopes but will continue to release pages from page buffer 122 until the
last envelope is fed from drying buffer 68 to inserter station 82 so that the last
mail piece in a mailing job is properly processed through mail finishing unit 64.
[0062] As pages are released from document printer engine 60 they are processed through
mail finishing unit 64 as described above. Monitor/controller 120 accesses the mail
piece attributes generated at 116 and issues appropriate commands to motion controllers
104-1, 104-2 and 104-3 to control the various stations appropriately to produce mail
pieces having the desired attribute. These commands are received by motion control
software 130-1, 130-2 and 130-3, which are resident in corresponding motion controllers
while 104-1, 104-2 and 104-3 and which generate appropriate control signals for various
motors and actuators in mail finishing unit 64 and which monitor various sensors in
unit 64 to produce a mail pieces having the desired attributes. Detailed design of
the motion controllers and associated software will depend in general on the detailed
design of the various stations of mail finishing unit 64 but is well within the skill
of a person of ordinary skill in the digital control arts as they are applied to the
mail processing art.
[0063] In the preferred embodiment shown, motion control software 130-1 controls accumulator
station 78, folder station 80, inserter station 82, drying buffer 68 and flap opener
72; motion control software 130-2 controls accelerator 76, insert feeder 96 and BRE
feeder 98; and motion control software 130-3 controls moistener 84, flap closer 86,
sealer station 90 and stacker 94. In general this partitioning of control functions
is chosen to simplify wiring of mail finishing unit 64 and to minimize the need for
time critical transfers of information between controllers, and forms no part of the
subject invention as claimed.
[0064] As has been noted, if a mail piece is to be franked, the postage value to be used
can be determined in three ways: a priori definition, as for multiple runs of identical
jobs where the postage values are known; calculation by a mail processing apparatus
where the apparatus has a capability to directly determine postage values and modification
of job data 10 by mail center controller 6. Figures 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d show a flow
diagram of the operation of mail center controller 6 in receiving job data, modifying
the data as necessary to include postage values, allocating costs, and assigning a
job to a mail processing apparatus.
[0065] At 150, mail center controller 6 receives job data 10 from one of input stations
2. At 152 controller 6 determines the material requirements for the job, and at 154
tests to determine if a capable mail processing apparatus is on - line. That is, for
example, if the job requires non- standard size materials controller 6 determines
if at least one mail processing apparatus 8 capable of processing such material is
on - line. If no capable apparatus is found controller 6 goes to an error routine.
[0066] If a capable unit is found then at 156 controller 6 calculates costs (as will be
further described below) and preferably determines an account to be charged from job
header 12. At 160 controller 6 tests the selected account to determine if it is a
valid account with sufficient funds to cover the costs. If not controller 6 goes to
an error routine.
[0067] At 162 controller 6 identifies the next capable one of mail processing apparatus
8 which will be available and at 164 tests to determine if any capable unit will be
available. If not controller 6 goes to an error routine. (Because of the test at 154
at least one capable unit must be on - line.)
[0068] Then, if a capable unit of apparatus 8 will be available, at 168 controller 6 tests
to determine if the postage meter (not shown) associated with the next available apparatus
8 has sufficient funds for postage for the job. Assuming the meter has sufficient
funds, then at 170 controller 6 tests to determine if the correct materials have been
loaded into the selected unit of apparatus 8. Assuming that the materials are correctly
loaded, the at 172 controller 6 waits until the selected unit is ready; i.e. until
any previous job is completed and all necessary materials are loaded.
[0069] Turning to Figure 6b, once the selected unit of apparatus 8 is ready, controller
6 downloads job data 10 at 176 and waits for acknowledgment that the job is done at
178.
[0070] (In embodiments where postage values are calculated by the selected unit of apparatus
8 the unit preferably returns the value of postage expended with the job done acknowledgment.)
[0071] At 180, mail center controller 6 confirms that the job has been successfully completed.
If not controller 6 goes to an error routine. When the job is successfully completed
then at 184 controller 6 charges the selected account and exits.
[0072] Returning to 168 in Figure 6a, if the meter lacks sufficient funds controller 6 goes
to B in Figure 6c. There at 190 controller 6 requests a meter recharge to provide
the necessary funds. As noted above, preferably controller 6 directly contacts a data
center but recharge of the meter may be requested in any convenient manner, as by
a prompt to an operator. A system for automatic recharging of postage meters is described
in U.S. Patent Number 5,224,046, to Kim et al., issued June 29, 1993.
[0073] Then at 192 controller 6 tests to determine if the meter recharge has been completed.
If so controller 6 returns to D at 170 in Figure 6a. If not then at 194 controller
6 prompts the operator to determine if the job is to be canceled, and at 192 returns
to E at 162 in Figure 6a to test the next available unit of apparatus 8 if the job
is not canceled and otherwise exits to an appropriate cancellation routine.
[0074] Returning to 170 in Figure 6a, if the necessary materials are not loaded in the next
available unit of apparatus 8, controller 8 goes to C in Figure 6d. There at 200 the
operator is prompted to load the correct materials and 202 tests to determine if the
prompt has been acknowledged. (Note that actual loading of the materials may have
to wait until a previous job has s finished.) If the prompt is acknowledged controller
6 goes to F at 172 in Figure 6a. If not, at 204 controller 6 tests to determine if
the job is to be canceled and at 204 returns to E at 162 in Figure 6a to test the
next available unit of apparatus 8 if the job is not canceled, and otherwise exits
to an appropriate cancellation routine.
[0075] Figure 7 shows a more detailed flow diagram of the operation of mail center controller
6 in calculating mail piece costs. At 210 controller 6 determines if mail pieces in
the job are to be franked. If they are, then at 212 controller 6 determines if postage
values are known a priori. If postage values are not known, then at 214 mail piece
data for the next mail piece is accessed and, at 216 the items of material required
and material costs are determined.
[0076] At 220 controller 6 determines if the weight of the mail piece has been determined
a priori. If the weight has been previously defined as part of the mail piece attributes,
then controller 6 goes to 224 to determine the class of service defined in the attributes
and calculate postage for the mail piece.
[0077] If no weight is defined for the mail piece, at 222 controller 6 determines the number
of sheets in the document and other items of material included in the mail piece from
the attribute data, accesses data store 6 to get per item weights from data base 45
and totals the per item weights for all items in the mail piece to calculate the weight,
and goes to 224.
[0078] At 224 controller 6 determines the class of service defined in the mail piece attributes
and accesses data base 44 in data store 6 to get postage rate data and calculate postage
for the mail piece. Then at 228 controller 6 tests the attribute data to determine
if there are any special fees applicable to the mail piece . (e.g. certified mail)
If there are no special fees controller 6 goes to 232.
[0079] If special fees apply the at 230 the fees are determined from data base 44 and added
to the postage.
[0080] Calculation of postage from the weight and class of service and the any special services
applicable is well known and need not be described further here for an understanding
of the subject invention.
[0081] In other embodiments of the subject invention other characteristics such as size
or width (hereinafter "rating characteristics") can be the basis for postal rates
and can be used in place of, or selected as alternatives to weight.
[0082] Implementation of such alternatives would be routine for a person skilled in the
art and need not be described further here for an understanding of the subject invention.
[0083] At 232, controller 6 returns the postage value to be used to frank the mail piece
and material costs for the mail piece. Then at 235, controller 6 determines if this
is the last mail piece. If not, mail piece data for the next mail piece is accessed
at 214 or, if costs have been calculated for the last mail piece, controller 6 exits
to 156 in Figure 6a.
[0084] Returning to 212, if postage values are known, then controller 6 goes to 240 to access
mail piece data for the next mail piece and, at 242, determines the items of material
required and the material costs for the mail piece and, at 246 returns the material
costs for the mail piece. If not, mail piece data for the next mail piece is accessed
at 214 or, if costs have been calculated for the last mail piece, controller 6 exits
to 156 in Figure 6a.
[0085] Returning to 210, if postage values are known then at 260 the postage values are
set to zero and controller 6 goes to 240 to determine material costs.
[0086] Turning to Figures 8 and 9, another embodiment of the subject invention is shown.
In this embodiment, mail pieces are produced essentially in the same manner as described
above except that mail pieces are franked by substantially conventional postage meter
96 which is incorporated in mail finishing unit 4 between sealer 90 and stacker 94.
As a mail piece to be franked in processed through sealer 90 motion controller 104-3
sets meter 96 in a conventional manner to print a postal indicia of the proper value.
In Figure 8, attribute generator 116 determines the postage value in the same manner
as described with regard to Figure 6, as will be described below. However, instead
of requesting the variable portion of an indicia from a class 2 meter for printing
by envelope printer 66, the postage value is transferred to monitor/controller 120.
When motion control 130-3 signals that the corresponding mail piece is being processed
by sealer 90 controller 120 down loads the appropriate postage value to be set into
meter 96 by motion controller 104-3. Meter 96 then imprints the mail piece with a
conventional letterpress indicia and outputs the mail piece to stacker 94.
[0087] Attribute generator 116 calculates a postage value for a mail piece in substantially
the manner shown in Figure 7.
[0088] It is to be noted that other forms of mail finishing apparatus such as that described
in above referenced US Patent Number 5,067,305 may be substituted.
1. An apparatus for producing a mail piece, said apparatus comprising:
a) a first printer (56) for printing a document;
b) mail finishing means (64) for receiving said document from said printer and combining
said document with an envelope to form said mail piece, said mail finishing means
being provided with means (66) for franking said mail piece; and
c) control means (100) responsive to a digital signal representative of mail piece
data (14) for controlling (i) said apparatus to produce said mail piece in accordance
with said mail piece data (14), said mail piece data including document data (20)
defining said document, and (ii) said franking means to frank said mail piece with
a postage amount.
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mail finishing means (64) includes
a second printer (66) for printing an address on an envelope.
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said apparatus is arranged to communicate
with a class 2 postage meter, said meter being arranged to return at least a variable
portion of a postage indicia to be printed on said envelope by said second printer
(66) and to account for postage expended by said apparatus.
4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said franking means (66) is arranged to
print said postage amount on said envelope as a scannable representation.
5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further characterized by:
a) data processing means (4, 30, 37) for:
a1) generating document data descriptive of a document in said mail piece;
a2) appending attribute data to said document data to form mail piece data descriptive
of a said mail piece; and,
a3) transmitting said digital signal to said control means (100) in accordance with
said mail piece data.
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further characterized by a mail center controller
(4) for receiving said mail piece data, selecting said printer (56) and said mail
finishing means (64) in accordance with said mail piece data and outputting said digital
signal to said control means (100).
7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further characterized in that said mail center
controller (4) includes a data store for storing:
a) a first data base (45) of per item rating characteristic for sheets and other materials
to be used to form said mail piece; and
b) a second data base (44) of postage rates; and wherein further,
c) said mail center controller (4) is responsive to said mail piece data to determine
the number of sheets in said document and the number of other items of materials in
said mail piece and then to calculate a weight for said mail piece as a function of
said per item rating characteristic and to calculate a postage amount for said mail
piece as a function of said weight and said postage rates, and to append said postage
amount to said mail piece data prior to outputting said digital signal.
8. A system as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said mail center controller (4) further
comprises means for allocating costs including said postage amount to an account selected
in accordance with said mail piece data.
9. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further characterized in that said
control means (100) includes:
a) a first data base of per item rating characteristics for materials to be used to
form said mail piece; and
b) a second data base of postage rates; and wherein said controller in responsive
to said digital signal to calculate a rating characteristic for said mail piece as
a function of said per item rating characteristic and to calculate a postage amount
for said mail piece as a function of said rating characteristic and said postage rates.
10. A system for producing a mail piece, comprising a plurality of input means (2) each
for producing job data for at least one mail piece, at least one mail production apparatus
for printing a document and finishing said document to form a franked mail piece in
accordance with said job data, and a mail centre controller connected between said
input means (2) and said at least one mail production apparatus for controlling the
operation of the latter in dependence on said job data.
11. A method of producing a mail piece comprising the steps of producing, at an input
station, job data for at least one mail piece, and effecting a combined printing and
finishing operation on said document to form a franked mail piece, in dependence on
said job data.