Method, system and apparatus for teleprinting

Teleprinting system, at a telephone user, comprising an apparatus containing a microprocessor corrected to a telephone line through a modem unit providing to distinguish data transmission messages from standard telephone messages using differences in the ring signal to send the received data to a printer, to a display, or through an interface circuit to an outer computer, and receiving messages from an optical reader or from a keyboard for their transmission through the modem unit to the corresponding apparatus of an agency or individual connected in order to embody the interaction, and is particularly applicable to telebilling or teleinvoicing methods from service agencies to an end user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a system and an apparatus to allow data 
and messages to be printed or written onto a paper support or the like. 
Also is an answer back or interaction. The data and messages serve for the 
delivery of bills or invoices, for interpersonal communications or for 
requesting and supplying information between an agency and an individual 
user or between users. 
At the present time the agencies supplying products or services to the 
public request the payment of said products or services through a network 
formed by one's own bureaucratic organization, based on internal 
personnel, and through external organizations, such as mail delivery 
services and money collecting services like mail and/or bank services. 
Among these agencies, those which are enabled to keep the measurement means 
of the products or services at their premises, in order to obtain data 
from which the bills, to be sent to the users, can be deduced, do not face 
particular difficulties apart from using a great deal of personnel for the 
preparation of said bills and from being compelled to make recourse to 
mail delivery services (such as mail services and delivery services) with 
all the possible drawbacks such as delays and/or miscarriages of mail as 
caused by these services. 
The agencies which, owing to the nature of the services being supplied, 
such as the agencies distributing electricity, gas, tap water etc., are 
compelled to maintain the meter at the user's house, suffer from the 
further drawback of being compelled to use personnel attending to the 
meter reading, in order to periodically read the meters and obtain the 
data from which the bills to be sent to the users are drawn. 
As for budget reasons said agencies have a limited number of employees 
attending to the meter reading, said readings are carried out at rather 
long time intervals, of about four to six months, whereas for financial 
reasons it is convenient and desirable to bill the sums for the services 
rendered every two months, mainly to avoid an excessive financial exposure 
and to keep the amounts of the single bills within reasonable limits. 
However, in order to effect a billing every two months, against a reading 
of the effective consumption every four or six months, invoices are to be 
issued on alleged consumptions which, although well calculated, are based 
both on general statistical data for each category of user and on 
historical consumption data of each user, may give place to a number of 
rather troublesome problems, such as the alternation of bills of too many 
different amounts, the obligation of reimbursements to a user after a 
number of too high amount bills with respect to the effective 
consumptions, misunderstandings owing to the sudden stopping of the 
service supply etc. 
Moreover the jurisprudence of several countries is oriented to consider as 
invalid the bills issued for presumptive consumptions, whereby a number of 
agencies may be exposed to objections about the legal basis of these 
bills. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One object of the present invention is to provide through a teleprinting 
apparatus at a telephone user information coming from public service 
agencies or the like, mainly relating to the amounts of bills which the 
user has to pay for a service supplied by one of said agencies. Another 
object of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus, to be 
installed at a phone set, to obtain thereat a printing of billing data 
both on a simple paper support and on forms suitable for carrying out 
payment of bills at money payment services, such as post offices or bank 
offices. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, to be 
installed at a telephone set, provided with displaying optical means in 
order reproduce in a nonpermanent manner information and messages for the 
user, coming from an agency or another user. Another object of the present 
invention is to provide an apparatus, to be installed at a telephone set, 
provided with transmission means for a printed message, such as an 
alpha-numeric key board, permitting the user to send messages to an agency 
or to another user. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, to be 
installed at a telephone set, provided with an optical-electronic reading 
means, adapted to read messages written on special forms to permit 
communication with other users or with agencies for sending instructions 
or for asking for information. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus to be installed 
at a telephone user, provided with interface and connection means with an 
outer computer (personal computer) owned by the user, in order to permit 
communication between said personal computer and one of said agencies 
(especially with the computer machine of said agency) as well as between 
personal computers of different users. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to be 
installed at an user, provided with reading and interfacing means for 
meters of products or services, installed at the user, in order to permit 
a telereading of said meters by the agencies supplying the product or 
services. 
To these ends, the invention consists in a method of periodically 
transmitting billing data to a user of a meter for measuring service and 
for allowing the user to control and pay the bill to a supplier of the 
service, and the steps comprise collecting service data referred to a 
service utilized by a user from a user meter to a central processor 
installed at a supplier location and storing the service data in a memory 
of the central processor; processing the service data and a corresponding 
service rate for the service data stored in the memory of the central 
processor to obtain a service charge related to a given period of time, 
including additional charges and taxes; assembling the service data, 
service rate and service charge with all other data related to the user 
and stored in the memory of the central processor and intended to be shown 
in a bill; periodically sending the assembled data related to the user 
from the central process to a remote processor installed at the user 
location and storing the data in a memory of the remote processor, the 
assembled data being sent through a communication line; sending a command 
from the central processor to the remote processor through the 
communication line for printing the data stored in said remote processor 
on a blank bill form available to the user at the supplier location; and 
printing the blank bill form supplied by the user to a printing machine, 
the resulting bill form being the document allowing the user to control 
the billed data and carry out payment for the service received. 
The inventive method additionally includes performing operations of 
collecting and storing the service data in the central processor through 
the communication line connecting the central processor with said remote 
processor in which are stored the service data coming from the meter user. 
The operations of collecting and storing the service data in the central 
processor are periodically carried out. 
Messages are also sent from the central processor to the remote processor, 
through the communication line, for signalling inaccuracies of the payment 
to the user and advices for remedies. Messages are also sent from the 
remote processor to the central processor, through the communication line, 
for requesting information, explanations and corrections of at least part 
of the assembled data. 
Briefly stated, the present invention is also concerned with an apparatus 
for carrying out the method and essentially comprising a microprocessor 
(12) and a modulating-demodulating system (14) commonly known as a "modem" 
connecting a telephone line (16) to said microprocessor (12) or to a 
standard telephone set (18) according to the type of ring signal received 
by said "modem" (14), wherein the microprocessor (12) is enabled to 
distinguish a ring signal for conversations from a ring signal for a data 
transmission on the basis of some distinguishing parameters, such as for 
example the time duration of the first ring signal, by connecting the 
telephone line to the telephone set (18) or to the microprocessor (12), 
said microprocessor (12) attending to the acknowledgement of the received 
data, distinguishing between valid or legal data for which an action is 
carried out and non valid or illegal data for which no action is carried 
out apart from warming about their illegality. 
Specifically, when said microprocessor (12) receives a first valid or legal 
data, they are recorded on, thereafter a second, a third, a fourth data or 
waited for etc. and finally upon the arrival of a signal of end of 
transmission, the microprocessor checks whether the data are transmitted 
with a redundant code mechanism, suitable to avoid loss of information, 
sending an answer of non accepted data if said code is not present and an 
answer of accepted data if it is present, carrying out the commands 
subsequently, considered legals, and transmitted with redundant code and 
lastly maintaining the procedure until a release signal arrives which 
through "modem" (14) disconnects the microprocessor (12) from the 
telephone line (16). 
More specifically, said microprocessor (12) according to legal data 
received, provides a drive for one of the peripheral units, connected 
thereto, such as a printer (22) or a display (38). 
Alternatively, said microprocessor (12) according to legal data received, 
provides to connect the line (16) with the interface (30) of a personal 
computer at the user station. 
According to another preferred embodiment, the microprocessor (12) 
controlls the "modem" (14) to permit a transmission of an answer or 
interaction from the user to an agency or another user. 
More specifically said answer can be provided by a key board peripheral 
unit (42) for composing and sending messages. 
Alternatively, said answer may be provided by a peripheral unit provided 
with optical reader (34) for reading messages written onto proper forms 
(180;200) provided with a pre-market zone (184;204) for providing speed 
data for said forms in order to generate signals for the synchronization 
of characters written in aligned boxes according to suitable lines 
(186;192-206;210). 
Alternatively, said pre-market zone (184;204), providing reading date, can 
be replaced with wheels pulled by the sheets of said forms (180;200) and 
driving generators of synchronization signals. 
According to a further alternative, said optical reader (34) can be used 
for sending messages of personal communication to other users or a request 
of information from agencies and for providing an answer to a request from 
an agency. 
A method of utilization of the present invention which can be used to 
provide for invoicing and payments of services which can be metered by a 
meter according to which an agency (120) provides for the transmission of 
reading data of meters relating the measurement of products or services 
supplied to each single user to an accounting computer of the agency, 
(126) sends through a telephone line (152) a billing message to each user 
having an apparatus according to the present invention, said apparatus 
comprising a receiving "modem" (154) and a computing and printing unit 
(156) to print the billing data onto a form (157) useful to carry out a 
payment of bills using one of the standard means for said payment. 
According to a preferred embodiment, the payment means is a post office 
account payment carried out by using the form (157) with the data issued 
by the computing and printing unit (156). 
According to another embodiment, said payment means is a remittance at a 
bank service using the same form (157) with the data issued by the 
computing and printing unit (156) in a manner useful for a bank 
remittance. Alternatively, the data written by the computing and printing 
unit (156) at the user may be used to send through whatever means of data 
transmission, directions (160) to a bank agency (140) which takes care of 
bill payment. 
More particularly, the directions (160) can be composed by means of a key 
board and display assembly (162) and sent to said bank agency (140) 
through a telephone line using said computing and printing unit (156) and 
said "modem" (154). 
Alternatively, the directions (160) can be written onto a communication 
form (180) to be read by an opticall reader (34) connected to the 
apparatus at the user. 
The present method in order to permit the billing and payment of product 
and services which can be metered by a meter uses meters (122) present at 
said agency (120) which supply to said accounting computer (126) the data 
for the composition of billing messages to be sent to the computing and 
printing unit (156) at the user for the printing of bills and/or forms to 
be used for the payment of billed amounts. 
Moreover the accounting computer (126) at the agency (120) may send to said 
user special directions (144a) such as limiting commands or suspending 
services owing to particular situations, such as non-payment of bills. 
Alternatively the meters, (170) can be present at the user and an 
accounting computer (126) at the supply agency (120a) may send to the user 
periodical directions (128b) to read said meters (170) and transmitt the 
reading data to said agency (120a), said accounting computer taking then 
care of sending billing data suitable for the printing of bills and/or 
payment forms by means of the computing and printing unit (156) at the 
user. 
According to another alternative, the meters (170) at the user can be read 
directly by the accounting computer (126) of the same agency (120a) 
through optical readers present in said meters and periodically actuated 
by said accounting computer (126) through an interface (172) between said 
meters (170) and said computing and printing unit (156) at the user. In 
addition the computer (126) at the agency (120a) may send to said user 
special directions (144a) such as commands of limitation or suspension of 
service owing to particular situations such as omitted payments of bills.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1, it is seen that an apparatus embodying the system 
according to the invention consists of a microprocessor 12 connected by a 
multiple line 13 to a modulating and demodulating device 14 hereinafter 
called "modem" which provides the interface between a telephone line 16 
and said microprocessor 12 as well as with a telephone set 18. 
Said microprocessor 12 is also connected through a line 19 and a control 
apparatus 20 to a printer 22 which, for example, carries out the printing 
onto a paper strip 24 which is unrolled from a roll or suitable cartridge 
26. Said paper strip 24 can be a continuous strip of white paper or a 
series of pre-printed forms, connected to each other by weakened regions 
to permit their subsequent detatchment, of the type of forms to be used 
for mail or office account payments. 
Said microprocessor 12 is also connected through a multiple line 28 to an 
interface circuit 30 for the further connection through the line 32 to an 
outer computer such as a personal computer (not shown). 
To said microprocessor 12 it is also possible to connect an optical reader 
34, through a line 36, a display 38 through a line 40, and a keyboard 42 
through a line 44. 
A buffer battery 46, mantained charged by a power supply 48 connected to a 
main line 50, supplies through a reserved line 52, the microprocessor 12 
and the "modem" 14 to retain data and prevent an interruption of a 
possible connection in case of lack of main power. 
For microprocessor 12 a number of commercially available microprocessors 
can be used. 
However it is particularly preferred in the present embodiment to use as a 
microprocessor Toshiba TMP 84C 015 which has the advantage of integrating 
on the same "chip" also some peripheral components such as four timers, 
two adaptors for synchronous or asynchronous serial interface, two 
adaptors for 8 bit parallel interface and a so called watch dog timer. Of 
course, to the microprocessor are connected and commonly supplied all the 
electronic components necessary for the operation thereof, such as for 
example electrically programmable read only memories (EPROM), random 
access memories (RAM), quartz oscillators, decoding circuits, etc. 
As a printer 22, one of a number of presently commercially available 
printers can be used, with the only limitation imposed by the size and by 
the possibility of interface and by power requirements of the printing 
member, possibly requiring supplementary drivers or buffers. 
More specifically in the present embodiment a printer EPSON 3740 has been 
used, provided with its own control circuit which facilitates the task of 
the microprocessor 12 in carrying out prints. 
However said control circuit can be eliminated by having its function 
carried out by the microprocessor 12 itself, using supplementary drivers 
or buffers. Also the "modem" 14 can be selected among several available 
"modem" types, the only limitation being that said "modem" must be 
controlled from one of the serial adpators (gates) of the microprocessor 
12. 
Said "modem" is expected to acknowledge a ring signal or "ring" with 
features different from the normal ring coming from telephone calls among 
normal users of the telephone service. 
For example this ring can be of a different time duration with respect to 
the first ring or ring signal coming from a usual commutator and the 
system is then arranged for filtering the first ring preventing the ring 
signal for the apparatus from actuating the telephone ringing bell, from 
which the user would be disturbed with calls directed not to telephone 
communication but to communication with the apparatus of the present 
invention which consequently are of interest only for the "modem". 
For example and to understand the operation of said "modem" reference is 
made to the flow chart depicted in the FIGS. 2A and 2B. 
Said flow chart permits the "modem" to be connected to the telephone line 
when a ring signal or ring of the type indicating a call for data 
transmission and not for telephone conversation, for receiving data, for 
carrying out valid command and for releasing the line at the end of the 
transmission, is received. 
Among the commands accepted by the system of the present invention the 
following, for example, can be present: 
(a) diagnostics, such as: indication of paper reserve in the container or 
cartridge 26, printing property, bills taken out by the client, etc. 
(b) memory initialization: 
(c) data reception for printing postal account forms; 
(d) data reception for messages or bills; 
(e) printing commands; 
(f) line release. 
The carrying out of the tasks of the "modem" is illustrated in a detailed 
manner in the flow chart of the FIGS. 2A and 2B and particularly: the 
swtiching on of the apparatus resets all the resettable circuits, as 
illustrated in the starting block 60, causes the starting of the circuit 
of all the peripheral units and resets the "modem" 14 and the printer 22 
bringing the head thereof in the normal starting position, as illustrated 
in the action blocks 62 and 64 respectively. 
The arrival of a ring signal causes the length thereof to be evaulated by 
deciding through the decision block 66 whether it is the call for data 
transmission, or digital ring, or a normal call for telephone 
communication. 
If the decision is that it is not a digital ring, the program comes back, 
immediately after to the block 64, otherwise it shifts to the action block 
68 which causes the line to be engaged, namely the telephone line 16 is 
connected to the "modem" 14 and thus to the block 70 by which a local 
carrier signal is switched on permitting data transmission. 
The next decision block 72 makes the decision whether the local carrier is 
received. If it is not received, a second decision block 74 checks whether 
a waiting time is not lapsed. Until said waiting time is not lapsed a 
return to the block 72 takes place to possibly permit the operation in the 
case of carrier reception. 
When said time is lapsed, an action block 76 switches off the local carrier 
signal and a next block 78 releases the line by disconnecting it from the 
"modem" and making it available for the normal telephone calls. In the 
case in which the local carrier is received (affirmative answer to the 
decision block 72) the action of the block 80 is adopted namely to wait 
for an input character. A next decision block 82 evaluates whether said 
inlet character is a character of transmission starting. 
If it is not the case, a return takes place to the waiting block 80, 
whereas if it is a transmission starting character a waiting block 84 is 
enabled for a second input character. 
A decision block 86 indicates if the arrived command is a valid or not 
valid command, if it is not valid, said non valid or illegal command is 
placed in status byte in the block 88 and then discharged. If it is a 
valid command, it is recorded in the block 90. 
Whichever is the destiny of the previous command, the "modem" is shifted to 
wait for a next inlet character as indicated by the action block 92. After 
this action in the decision block 94 it is assessed whether the time is 
lapsed. 
If the time is lapsed, a return takes place to the block 80 to wait for a 
next inlet character; if it is not lapsed, in the decision block 96 it is 
checked whether the transmission is ended. If it is not ended, the data 
are saved in an auxiliary memory or "receiving buffer" within the block 98 
and a return takes place to the block 92 to wait for another inlet 
character. 
If it is ended a string is awaited for carrying a redundant transmission 
code in the action block 100. By means of the decision block 102 it is 
checked whether the redunant code is valid. If it is not valid, an answer 
is sent with the non-accepted character, according to the block 104 and 
the system returns to wait for an input character to the block 80. If it 
is valid, an answer is started with the accepted character according to 
the block 106 and the command is carried out, if legal, according to the 
block 108. At that point a decision block 110 thus verifies whether the 
command is that of releasing the telephone line. If it is not so, the 
procedure comes back to the block 80 for waiting for an input character 
and the procedure is repeated from that point. If it is so, in the block 
112 the switching off of the local carrier and the releasing of the 
telephone line 16 from the "modem" 14 are carried out and the procedure is 
placed in waiting list to evaluate through the decision block 66 whether 
the next ring signal is a digital ring or a normal call for telephone 
conversation. 
Reference is now made to the FIGS. 3 to 6 to understand how the system and 
the apparatus according to the present invention may operate in their 
essential version. 
The example is considered as an actual reading and billing system of a 
service such as the telephone service. In this connection within the 
organization of an agency 120 for instance paying the telephone service, a 
plurality 122 of unit counters is present which are connected by an 
interface system 124 with a central computer 126 of the agency by which 
there are periodically calculated bills 128 to be sent through a mail 
delivery service 130 to each user 132, said bills 128 usually comprising a 
sheet bearing the billing data joined to a payment form by means, for 
example, of a post office account. 
The user 132 takes the portion 134 of the postal account form, contained in 
the bill 128, and takes care of the payment through a postal office 136, 
which postal office 136 informs a collecting center 138 of the agency 120 
about the payment which took place whereby the central computer 126 may 
have notice of the paid bills. Alternatively, the user 132 may give 
instructions 134a to a bank service 140 to accept bills 128a coming from 
the agency 120 and taking care of payment at the collecting center 138 of 
the agency itself. 
On the basis of the information coming from the the collecting center 138, 
the computer 126 takes further decisions such as reminders, injunctions, 
orders of service suspensions and like in the case of omitted payments, 
said decisions being transmitted to a public relations center 142 in the 
form of messages 144 to be sent to the users 132 through the mail delivery 
service 130 or as interventions 146 on the same user. 
With the system and apparatus according to the present invention the same 
agency 120 can be reorganized in the following manner indicated in FIG. 4. 
The unit counters 122 through the interface system 124 provide data to the 
central computer 126 by means of which billing messages 128a are 
periodically issued and sent through a proper "modem" 150 to a telephone 
line 152 connected to a receiving "modem" 154 at a user which controls a 
computing and printing unit 156, according to the present invention, by 
emitting messages 157 on a proper form or paper strip. 
To the said receiving "modem" 154 a normal telephone set 158 is also 
connected, which is useful both for the normal telephone traffic and for 
the exchange of information between the user and the agency or other 
organizations, such as the aforesaid bank service 140. 
The message 157 relating to the service billings can be controlled by the 
user which through any suitable means may send timed instructions 160 to 
the bank service 140, said means possibly consisting of oral messages 
through the said telephone service 158, written messages composed by means 
of the keyboard and display assembly 162, or by means of a command for 
billing data forwarding, which are temporarily recorded in the computing 
unit 156 by means of a proper key on said keyboard. 
As the obvious alternative, in order to take care of the aforesaid 
payments, the user can make use of the postal account form, issued from 
the printer 22, at any postal office according to the standard practice. 
The computer 126, in the case of omitted payments, may inform the public 
relations center 142, which may send reminders or injunctions messages 
144a, or also commands of limitation or suspension of the service which 
may influence the operation of the apparatus at the user, up to the 
complete switching off of the same. 
A substantially like procedure can be used for other services supplied by 
an agency dealing with the public, such as agencies supplying electric 
power, gas, water, etc. 
According to a first and simplest embodiment of a system and apparatus 
according to the present invention, illustrated in the FIG. 5, which can 
be adopted by an agency 120a, supplying electric power or gas, said agency 
120a is also provided with a central computer 126 issuing billing messages 
128a to a transmission "modem" 150 which through the telephone line 152, 
transmits them to a receiving "modem" 154 which is present together with a 
computing and printing unit 156 as well as a normal telephone set 158 at 
one user, at which a meter 170 is also present for the measurement of the 
supplied product or service. 
The procedure for the user of the system with the apparatus according to 
the present invention in the simplified embodiment of FIG. 5 can be the 
following one. 
A periodic time intervals the central computer 126 of the agency 120a 
releases messages 128b requesting the reading of a meter 170 at the same 
user. 
The user, upon receiving a message 157 requesting a reading, which 
obviously comes through the telephone line 152, the receiving "modem" 154 
and the computing and printing unit 156, then reads the meter 170 and or 
sends the reading data to the agency 120a using the telephone set 158 or, 
alternatively, the keyboard and display assembly 162, or by means of an 
optical reader or analizer for a message written on proper forms, more 
completely described hereinafter. The agency 120a, upon the reading data 
being received, takes care of the emission of a billing message 128a 
following the route and procedure like those illustrated in the embodiment 
of FIG. 4, including the payment procedures and/or the action to be taken 
in the case of an omitted payment. According to a more sophisticated 
version, shown in FIG. 6, the meter 120 at the user is provided with an 
optical-electronic reader which, through a connection 172, forwards the 
reading to the computing unit 156 which in turn send them upon request to 
the central computer 126 of the agency 120a automatically providing it 
with the reading data. 
Upon said reading data being acquired, billing and payment procedure fully 
similar to those illustrated in FIG. 4 can be followed. 
An additional version of the apparatus according to the present invention 
may include an optical reader of message written on proper forms, such as 
the reader 34 indicated in FIG. 1, said optical reader being one of many 
of optical readers consisting of a linear assembly of photo diodes in a 
charge coupling device, (CCD) comprising suitable electronic computing and 
coding circuits for the signal, so widespread diffused and known in the 
field of the opto-electronics. 
The forms for the use of said optical reader 34 can be for example of the 
two types respectively depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
The form 180, depicted in FIG. 7, can be used for the writing of a simple 
communicating message both from an user to service agency 120 or 120a or 
to bank institutes 140 and between users provided with same apparatus 
according to the present invention. 
Said form 180 is made to slide, for example in the direction of the harrow 
182, under said optical reader 34. A pre-marked hatched zone 184 provides 
to the reader 34 information relating the sliding rate of the sheet and 
consequently the reading of the characters written in small boxes or 
casters, with rows 186-192, printed onto said sheet 180. 
Alternatively, instead of the pre-market zone 184 a system of small wheels 
can be used, driven by the paper of the form 180, and actuating pulse 
generators by which further information on the paper displacing speed is 
supplied. 
As already stated, onto said form communication to the agency, such as data 
of meter readings, observations and/or message or authorization and 
payment instruction to bank institute, can be written. 
Another form, such as the form 200 depicted in FIG. 8, can be particularly 
suitable for the request of information to a central agency such as a 
telephone service or a bank institute. Said form 200 always readeable by 
means of an optical-electronic reader 34, is compelled to slide in the 
direction of the arrow 202 under the said reader 34. A pre-marked hatched 
zone 204 provides to the reader information on the sliding speed on the 
sheet and thus the of character reading written in the small boxes of the 
raws 206-210. 
As particularly depicted in FIG. 8, this form can be especially suitable to 
get information from telephone directories or the like, for instance by 
writing in the first row of small boxes 206 the name and surname or 
corporation name of a subscriber, in the second row 208 the residing place 
and in the first row the address street and number, said data being more 
or less complete, it being meant that in the case of incomplete data the 
information service would provide, instead the information relating to 
only one subscriber a list of information of all subscribers having in 
common the data indicated in the request. 
The above described embodiments are only preferable embodiments as an 
example of the present invention and all the solutions obviously 
equivalent which may be found by a skilled in the art, upon reading the 
aforesaid specification are covered.