Patent · US Expired

Internal postage meter machine interface circuit

US5710721A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
7References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 6, 1995
Grant dateJan 20, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 6, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07B2017/00532
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An internal postage meter machine interface circuit is equipped with transmission and reception registers for storing data transmitted parallel and with a shift register for serial-to-parallel or parallel-to-serial conversion of transmitted data within an actuator/sensor control. Data are communicated serially between the meter and a register unit in the base. Sensors and actuators of the base are connected to the register unit. Sensor signals are shifted into the shift register of the actuator/sensor controller and are present therein so as to be fetchable in parallel. A sensor status register group for parallel data of the sensor signals of at least one sensor is provided as a reception register. At least one sensor status register and at least one interrupt control register are connected to a watchdog circuit in order to monitor the received bits of the sensor signals for status change in order to trigger an interrupt to the control unit, as warranted.

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