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

US6199752A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Francotyp-Postalia GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Ludger Bornemann · Berlin, DE
• Stephan Guenther · Staufen im Breisgau, DE
• Wilfried Kopanski · Berlin, DE
• Olav A. Zarges · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 1998
• Grant date: Mar 13, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 15, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/00177
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit has a controller allows an initialization of a number of chip cards by the user in order, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, to simplify the function input and the administration of cost center data to be handled. A chip card number is stored in the chip card. For deriving chip cards that set a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced upon employment of the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine in that the pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified. At least one of the number of application functions is allocated to the chip card number in the table. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards derived from the first chip card and for successor cards, particularly specific function application cards.