FRANKING SYSTEM WITH FUNCTIONS FOR REFUND AND RE-PRINT

Abstract

In a franking system and method for franking of individual items of correspondence by a sender, a weighing device determines the weight of an item of correspondence and determines a postage amount associated with the item of correspondence. A printing device prints a value imprint corresponding to the postage amount and prints a code associated with the item of correspondence that represents a unique identity number onto the item of correspondence. A control computer creates a data set associated with the item of correspondence. A memory is associated with the control computer, in which the data set is stored in a file associated with the sender. The data set includes the identity number of the item of correspondence and the postage amount that is to be debited on the part of the delivery service from the sender using the data set. A registration unit is associated with the control computer, which registers the possibility of the presence of a misprint and, given the presence of a possible misprint, writes to a first data field of the data set with information about the presence of the possible misprint.

Claims

1. A franking system for franking of individual items of correspondence by a sender, said system comprising: a weighing device that determines a weight of an item of correspondence and that determines a postage amount associated with the item of correspondence; a printing device that prints a value imprint corresponding to the postage amount and that prints a code associated with the item of correspondence that represents a unique identity number onto the item of correspondence; a control computer configured to generate a data set associated with the item of correspondence, said data set including the identity number of the item of correspondence and the postage amount that is to be debited on by a delivery service from the sender using the data set; a memory, associated with the control computer, in which said computer is configured to store the data set in a file associated with the sender; a registration unit associated with the control unit, said registration unit being configured to register a possibility of a presence of a misprint and, given the presence of a possible misprint, to write to a first data field of the data set with information about the presence of the possible misprint.

2. A franking system according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit is configured to establish at least one of a type and a cause of the misprint and to write to a second data field in the data set with information about at least one of the type and the cause.

3. A franking system according to claim 2, wherein the control computer is configured to access a functionality to retroactively modify the first and second data field of each data set of the file associated with the sender.

4. A franking system according to claim 3, wherein said access functionality comprises an input interface that enables a user input into said control computer.

5. A franking system according to claim 4, wherein the access functionality is configured to enable a selection and writing of all data sets stored in the file associated with the sender, with the individual data sets being respectively identified by the identity number.

6. A franking system according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit is configured to register, as a misprint, an imprint that was accomplished not or not completely accomplished by the printing device.

7. A franking system according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit is configured to register a termination of the franking process that occurred after generation of the data set, and to note said termination as a misprint in a data field of the data set.

8. A method for mechanical franking of individual items of correspondence by a sender, comprising: determining a postage amount associated with the item of correspondence; printing a value imprint associated with the determined postage amount and printing a code onto the item of correspondence, the code including an identity number that individualizes the items of correspondence; generating a data set associated with the item of correspondence and storing the data set in a file associated with the sender, with the identity number and the postage amount being written into the data set; providing the data set to the delivery service in order to enable the delivery service to bill the postage amount to the sender; and registering a presence of a possible incorrect imprint, and writing information about the presence of such a misprint onto a first data field in said data set.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprising registering at least one of a type and a cause of the misprint is registered, and writing information about at least one of the type and cause of the misprint onto a second data field of the data set.

10. A method according to any of the claims 8 and 9, comprising selecting a single data set via an access functionality, from the data sets stored in the file associated with the sender, and modifying at least one of the first and second data fields of the data set, and again storing the modified data set in the file.

11. A method according to claim 8, comprising transmitting the file associated with the sender to the delivery service and, at the delivery service, comparing the delivered items of correspondence with the items of correspondence to be delivered.

12. A method according to claim 9, comprising transmitting the file associated with the sender to the delivery service via a service provider via the Internet.

13. A method according to claim 8, comprising, at the delivery service, using the file associated with the sender as a basis for reimbursements for incorrectly debited amounts, and checking the reimbursements by comparing the items of correspondence delivered by the delivery service with the items of correspondence to be delivered that result from the file associated with the sender.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] An embodiment of the method workflow according to the invention is shown in the flowchart depicted in the FIGURE.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The method for mechanical franking of individual items of correspondence includes the determination of a postage amount associated with the item of correspondence, and the printing of a value imprint associated with the determined postage amount and of a code (in particular a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional barcode) onto the item of correspondence. The code includes an identity number individualizing the items of correspondence. Physical characteristics—such as weight and/or size of the item of correspondence, but also selected additional services and product properties—are taken into account to determine the postage amount. A data set associated with the item of correspondence is then created in the form of an imprint data set (ADS) and stored in a file (record) associated with the sender, wherein at least the identity number and the postage amount are written into the data set. The data set is ultimately provided to the delivery service in order to enable the delivery service to bill the postage amount to the sender. According to the invention, the presence of a possible incorrect imprint is registered. A first data field is thereby provided in the data set, which first data field is written to with an information about the presence of such a misprint.

[0022] The method is realized in a franking system that has a weighing device to determine the weight of an item of correspondence and to determine a postage amount associated with said item of correspondence. In addition, a printing device is present to print the value imprint corresponding to the postage amount and to print the code associated with the item of correspondence. A data set associated with the item of correspondence—in particular the ADS—is created with a control computer.

[0023] Furthermore, the franking system has a memory associated with the control computer to store the data set in a file (“record”) associated with the sender, wherein each data set includes the identity number of the item of correspondence and the postage amount that is to be debited from the sender by the delivery service using the data set. During processing, the data sets are first written into NVRAM and are stored in the record after the end of a stack processing.

[0024] According to the invention, a registration unit is associated with the control computer, which registration unit registers the presence of a misprint candidate and—given the presence of such a misprint candidate—writes to a first data field of the data set with information about the presence of said misprint candidate. The registration unit is additionally set up to establish the type and/or the cause of the misprint and to write to a second data field in the data set with information about the type and/or cause.

[0025] In the FIGURE, the procedure according to the invention is depicted as a chronological letter flow 1. The shown letter flow begins after the franking of an item of correspondence, thus after the determination and the printing of the value imprint and of the individual code. At the beginning, an imprint data set associated with the item of correspondence is created in step 2.

[0026] The debiting in a corresponding debiting module and the storage of the imprint data set subsequently take place in step 3. In addition to the conventional data fields 4, the structure of the imprint data set includes a first data field 5 according to the invention and a second data field 6 according to the invention. The data sets of the items of correspondence are stored in a record 7 associated with the sender.

[0027] In step 8, the presence of an incorrect imprint is registered. In the event that the misprint has been registered, which type of misprint is present is analyzed in steps 9, 10 and 11. In the event that no misprint has been registered, the process begins from the start and the next item of correspondence is franked (loop 12).

[0028] In step 9 it is determined whether it has been printed at all, or whether the “misprint 1” (debiting without printing) case is present. That may occur in the case of a letter jam or a power failure. The system may detect the misprint by means of a sensor or a plausibility check (double gap). In this instance, the first data field 5 of the ADS is accordingly written to with the “misprint 1” information in step 13 (arrow A). The item of correspondence is sorted out in step 14. The error may be remedied. In the decision diamond 15, a decision is made as to whether the next item of correspondence may be franked. If the answer to this is negative, additional steps may be introduced in step 16. In the error case 1, the user may desire a reprint or a reimbursement.

[0029] In step 10 it is determined whether the imprint is legible, or whether the “misprint 2” case (illegible imprint) exists. Possible causes of error are a clogged printer cartridge, unexpected consumption of ink, or a functionally incapable refill printer cartridge. In this case, the user is enabled to input the error cause in step 17. Using the letter flow of the previous items of correspondence, in the decision diamond 18 it may be established whether a recurring error (“batch error”) is present. In the event that this is the case (“no”), in step 19 the first data field of the ADS is in turn written to accordingly with the “misprint 2” information. In addition, the possibility exists to specify the cause of error, which is then noted in the second data field of the ADS. The item of correspondence is sorted out in step 20, and in the decision diamond 15 a decision is made again as to whether the next item of correspondence may be franked.

[0030] In the event that a batch error was detected in step 18, in step 21 the user receives the possibility to input the numbers N of the last illegible imprints. In that event, in step 22 the first data field (arrow A) and the second data field (arrow B) of the current ADS are written to with “misprint 2” and the cause. In addition, the ADS of the corresponding items of correspondence are searched from the record 7, corresponding to the specified numbers N, and are subsequently written to its respective first and second data field (arrow C). The N items of correspondence are sorted out in step 23. In the decision diamond 15, a decision is made as to whether the next item of correspondence may be franked. In the error case 2 as well, the user may desire a reprint or a reimbursement.

[0031] In step 11 it is determined whether the letter flow has been interrupted and the “misprint 3” (termination by the operator) is present. The user may have detected a mis-franking and stopped the system. The system detects the error case at the intervention of the user. If the mis-franking has occurred in a stack processing, a batch error is detected in step 24. If no batch error is present, in step 25 the first data field of the ADS is marked accordingly (arrow A). In addition, the possibility exists to note the error cause in the second data field of the ADS. The item of correspondence is sorted out in step 26. In the decision diamond 15, a decision is made as to whether the next item of correspondence may be franked.

[0032] In the event of a batch error, in step 27 an algorithm determines the number N of previous possible misprints. In step 28, the first data field (arrow A) of the current ADS are [sic] with the “misprint 3”. In addition to this, the ADS of the corresponding items of correspondences are searched from the record 7, corresponding to the specified numbers N, and are subsequently written to their respective first data field (arrow C). The item of correspondence is sorted out in step 29. In the decision diamond 15, a decision is made as to whether the next item of correspondence may be franked. In the error case 3 as well, the user may desire a reimbursement for the mis-franking(s).

[0033] In the error cases 2 or 3, the differentiation is thus made as to whether the mis-franking occurred during a stack processing. In the error case 2, the user determines the number of the last illegible frankings that are then likewise marked as an error case 3 in the ADS of the respective item of correspondence. In the error case 3, the last N ADS are likewise marked as error case 3 according to an algorithm.

[0034] After the end of the franking, the user is informed of the occurred error cases. He then has the possibility to trigger a follow-up action for every occurred instance of error. Among these follow-up actions are simply ignoring them, reprinting given error cases 1 or 2, and/or reimbursement in all three error cases.

[0035] If a reprint is desired, the data of the ADS are taken as a basis and reused. If a reimbursement is desired, this takes place electronically on the basis of the ADS. The ADS with the additional error data serves as evidence that one of the error cases 1 or 2 or 3 existed. The ADS is communicated by the franking system to the manufacturer data center and communicated further from there to the postal service, with the electronic request for reimbursement. The sending of a paper evidence is therefore superfluous.

[0036] Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the Applicant to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of the Applicant's contribution to the art.