Patent ID: 6318856
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: B41J,G07B

Abstract:
A postage meter that produces a postal indicia, said postal indicia comprises:a text region that indicates postage that has been paid;a graphic region that has at least one graphic containing a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels form a code that indicates the amount of postage that has been paid, wherein the pixels that comprise the graphic are arranged in columns and rows, and the amount of postage paid is coded by the pixels in the columns, whereina portion of one of the columns is coded by the pixels to indicate tens of dollars of postage paid;a portion of one of the columns is coded by the pixels to indicate dollars of postage paid;a portion of one of the columns is coded by the pixels to indicate tens of cents of postage paid;a portion of one of the columns is coded by the pixels to indicate the number of cents of postage paid; anda portion of one of the columns is coded by the pixels to indicate tenths of cents of postage paid, wherein the meter includes a printer that produces one or more pulses for each pixel printed, wherein the meter includes a counter that respectively counts:the number of pulses produced to form the coded tens of dollars of postage;the number of pulses produced to form the coded dollars of postage;the number of pulses produced to form the coded tens of cents of postage;the number of pulses produced to form the coded cents of postage; andthe number of pulses produced to form the coded tenths of cents of postage.