An electronic postal meter has a control unit, an accounting unit and a printing unit, each incorporating a CPU having a separate crystal controlled clock. Communication between the units is serial character asynchronous, bit synchronous, in message form, with the bits of the messages being timed in accordance with a given schedule for synchronous control. The messages themselves, upon receipt by a receiver, are returned bit by bit to the transmitter, for checking, whereupon the transmitter sends a no-error pulse upon successful comparison of the transmitted message and the message received from the receiver. All control and data signals utilize the same pair of conductors in each direction with precisely defined timing for control.
A method and associated apparatus for modifying a firmware variable in an electronic postage meter, comprising the steps of storing a program for operation of the electronic postage meter, a resident memory containing firmware variables, a communication means in the stored program which allows external data to be entered in the program to change the firmware variable in accordance with the external data.
An electronic postal meter has an accounting unit with redundant nonvolatile random access memories controlled by a microprocessor system. The redundant random access memories have separate groups of address and data lines to minimize identical errors in data stored therein. The data transfer may occur at different times to and from the memories, with respect to any given byte of data. The system may incorporate redundant microprocessors, and critical parameters may be checked at periodic intervals in the main program of the accounting microprocessor system.
A system and method for the recharge of postage meters. A request for recharge of a postage meter is transmitted to a remote location as a facsimile image. The information in the request is extracted using OCR or similar techneques and transmitted to a data processing center which verifies the request and, if verified, returns a unique code which will recharge the requesting meter. The code is transmitted to the requesting meter as a second facsimile image.
In a postage meter having structures for entering data, for displaying numerical values and other data, and for printing postage, and having a computer electrically connected to each of the aforesaid structures and programmed for processing data for controlling their operation, wherein the data entering structure includes a keyboard having a plurality of depressable numeric keys, and wherein the computer means includes means for storing data and calculating amounts pertaining to the operation of said postage meter; there is provided apparatus and a method of operation of the postage meter. The method includes the steps of providing the keyboard with a depressable special purpose key, depressing selected numeric keys for causing the display of a predetermined numerical value, depressing the special purpose key when said numerical value on display, and programming the computer for causing a particular operation of the postage meter to be performed in response to the depression of the special purpose key. Preferably, the step of causing the display of a predetermined value includes the step of utilizing a predetermined value which includes at least one numeral and does not include a decimal.
An electronic postage meter system includes a postage meter in a secure housing enclosing only an electronic accounting system having registers and a printer. All control for the postage meter is effected by way of a connector on the housing for connecting a mailing machine or service unit to the postage meter. In operation, a sole input to the meter is by way of a keyboard of the mailing machine and a sole signal output is to the mailing machine, for example, to a display. The postage meter has a program to continuously read out its registers to the connector upon an initial application of power to the connector and a service unit which may be adapted solely to display such signals.
