Method and system for optimizing refill amount for automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter
US6823321B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 14, 2001 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 12, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07B2017/00064
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and system for dynamically optimizing the amount of an automatic refill of a shared virtual postage meter is disclosed. A desired time between refills is predetermined based on the capacity of the system to perform refills, the time required to process a refill, and the impact of performing a refill on the overall performance of the system. A refill amount candidate is then determined based on the predetermined desired time between refills, the elapsed time since the last refill and the amount of the last refill. The determined refill amount candidate is then further validated to insure that it falls within a range of a predetermined minimum and maximum refill amounts. Once validated, the refill amount candidate is the optimal refill amount, and the shared virtual postage meter is refilled accordingly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.