Postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit and method for operating same

US6111951A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Francotyp-Postalia GmbH · DE

Inventor

• Stephan Guenther · Staufen im Breisgau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 1998
• Grant date: Aug 29, 2000
• Expiry date: Dec 15, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/00935
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A postage meter machine has a chip card write/read unit and a controller which, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, allows the function input and the administration of cost center data to be handled in a simplified manner. For deriving chip cards that set a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced using the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine, so that the pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified by the user. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards and further successor cards derived from the first chip card, particularly specific function application cards that allow access to the table with their chip card number internally stored in the chip card. The allocation of a chip card number to function applications with limit data can be arbitrarily selectably stored in non-volatile memory areas A, B, C by the authorized user.