Postal meter using microcomputer scanning of encoding switches for simultaneous setting of electronic accounting & mechanical printing systems
US4481604A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 1981 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 6, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07B2017/00548
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An entire electronic accounting and controlling system for a franking machine is mounted on two connected printed circuit boards, one along the top of the machine and the other along one side of the machine within the machine casing. The top board carries four rotary encoding switches and press button switches which are scanned by signals from a microcomputer on the side board passing to a binary counter controlling a binary to decimal decoder to send multiplexed signals to the switches enabling the rotary switches to send four pairs of five-bit words along ten scanning lines to the microcomputer which delivers equivalent eight-bit error immune signals to duplicate non-volatile memories. The press button switches send signals along the scanning lines to enable a display module on the top board to display decimal digits according to the information stored in the memories. A printing drum is set mechanically simultaneously with the rotary switches. When a sealed door in the casing is opened a switch is automatically actuated to change over from customer mode to Post Office mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.