Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for verifying whether documents have been separated from an opened envelope

US5655668A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
10References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 4, 1996
Grant dateAug 12, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 4, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S209/90
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A method and apparatus for checking whether documents have been separated from an opened envelope includes conveying an envelope past an input transducer which measures a characteristic, based on light shown through the envelope, of each individual envelope along a measuring path parallel to the direction of movement of the envelope. From the measured characteristic, a value profile is determined, from which a reference value for each envelope is determined. The value profile is used then to calculate an extreme limit value for each envelope. An envelope-suspect signal is generated if the value profile lies beyond the limit value over a specified minimum substantially continuous measuring distance. The system calculates the values for each envelope, and accordingly, envelopes of greatly diverse characteristics may be reliably checked in random order.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.