Abstract:
A processor based postage metering system includes structure for entering user input data including a fold configuration selected from a plurality of fold configurations; apparatus for accounting for postage dispensed by the processor based postage metering system; a document program running on the processor based postage metering system, the document program operable for controlling creation of a document based on the user input data; structure for automatically determining based on the fold configuration a designated location within the document for printing evidence of postage; and structure for printing the document and the evidence of postage such that the evidence of postage is printed in the designated location of the documentd. A method incorporates the functions of the apparatus.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to value printing systems and, more particularly, to postage metering systems which dynamically determine the printing location of postage indicia on a document. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Since the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 1,530,852 to Arthur H. Pitney, the postage meter has evolved from completely mechanical postage meters to meters that incorporate extensive use of electronic components. Although postage meters have performed satisfactorily in the past, and continue to perform satisfactorily, with the advancement in computer controlled digital printing technology the United States Postal Service (USPS) and other Posts are considering requirements for new technology metering devices. 
     The USPS is presently considering requirements for two metering device types: closed systems and open systems. In a closed system, the system functionality is solely dedicated to metering activity. Examples of closed system metering devices, also referred to as postage evidencing devices (PEDs), include conventional digital and analog postage meters wherein a dedicated printer is securely coupled to a metering or accounting function. In a closed system, since the printer is securely coupled and dedicated to the meter, printing cannot take place without accounting. Recently, Pitney Bowes Inc. has introduced the PostPerfect® and Personal Post Office™ meters which are new closed system metering devices that include a dedicated digital printer securely coupled to a secure accounting module. 
     In an open system, the printer is not dedicated to the metering activity thereby freeing system functionality for multiple and diverse uses in addition to the metering activity. Examples of open system metering devices include personal computer (PC) based devices with single/multi-tasking operating systems, multi-user applications and digital printers. An open system metering device is a PED with a non-dedicated printer that is not securely coupled to a secure accounting module. Examples of PC based open metering systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,781,438 and 5,801,944 which are each incorporated herein by reference. 
     When a PED prints a postage indicia on a mailpiece, the accounting register within the PED must always reflect that the printing has occurred. Postal authorities generally require the accounting information to be stored within the postage meter in a secure manner with security features that prevent unauthorized and unaccounted for postage printing or changes in the amounts of postal funds stored in the meter. In a closed system, the meter and printer are integral units, i.e., interlocked in such a manner as to ensure that the printing of a postage indicia cannot occur without accounting. 
     Since an open system PED utilizes a printer that is not used exclusively for printing proof of postage payment, additional security measures are required to prevent unauthorized printing evidence of postage payment. Such security measures include cryptographic evidencing of postage payment by PEDs in the open and closed metering systems. The postage value for a mailpiece may be encrypted together with other data to generate a digital token. A digital token is encrypted information that authenticates the information imprinted on a mail piece including postage values. Alternatively, the United States Postal Service has proposed utilizing public key cryptography to print a bar coded encrypted message on the mailpiece which message can be verified by the postal authority to establish the authenticity of the mailpiece. The combination of the printed postal indicia together with the encrypted information (whether a digital token or a bar coded encrypted message) is referred to as a postal revenue block. 
     Digital tokens and bar code encrypted messages may be utilized in both open and closed metering systems. However, for open metering systems, the non-dedicated printer may be used to print other information in addition to the postal revenue block and may be used in activity other than postage evidencing. In an open system PED, addressee information is included in the postal data which is used in the generation of the digital tokens. Such use of the addressee information creates a secure link between the mailpiece and the postal revenue block and allows unambiguous authentication of the mail piece. 
     The previously mentioned publication, U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,944, describes a PC based open metering system that provides the capability of merging an accounted for postal revenue block into another document (such as a letter on 8.5 by 11 inch paper) so that the letter is printed with the postal revenue block thereon in the upper right hand corner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,944 describes that the document with postal revenue block can then be folded in a manner such that the postal revenue block can be viewed through a window of a windowed envelope upon the insertion of the document into the envelope. This feature provides the advantage that in high speed mailing systems the separate step of printing a postal revenue block on the envelope after the document has been inserted therein is no longer required. Moreover, if the destination address is printed on the document in relation to the postal revenue block such that after folding of the document the destination address can be seen through another window of the envelope, the further step of matching an addressed envelope to its corresponding document is also eliminated. 
     Despite the advantages of the technology set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,944, the only described embodiment therein assumes that the postal revenue block will be printed at the top right hand corner of the document and then the document is folded appropriately so that the postal revenue block is visible through the envelope window. Thus, the location of the postal revenue block mandates that only a limited number of type folds can be used in order ensure that the postal revenue block is visible upon its insertion in the envelope. In today&#39;s environment, however, there are various ways that documents can be folded including Z-folds, C-folds, and half-folds. Moreover, within each of the fold types set forth above, there are different ways in which the particular type fold is created that will directly impact exactly at what location on the printed side of the document that the printed indicia or postal revenue block must be printed in order to be used within a windowed envelope or as a self-mailed product. Accordingly, the prior art devices are limited in that they do not dynamically account for the type of fold the document will be subjected to as an input in determining the printing location of the postage indicia or postage revenue block within the document. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the invention to provide a system and method for dynamically determining a location within a document where an indicia or postal revenue block is to be printed based on the type of fold the document will be subjected to and for printing such indicia or postal revenue block in the determined location. 
     This object is met by providing a processor based postage metering system including structure for entering user input data including a fold configuration selected from a plurality of fold configurations; apparatus for accounting for postage dispensed by the processor based postage metering system; a document program running on the processor based postage metering system, the document program operable for controlling creation of a document based on the user input data; structure for automatically determining based on the fold configuration a designated location within the document for printing evidence of postage; and apparatus for printing the document and the evidence of postage such that the evidence of postage is printed in the designated location of the document. A method incorporates the functions of the apparatus. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows the inventive postage metering system; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a portion of the postage metering system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows a postal revenue block; 
     FIG. 4 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a first type C Fold; 
     FIG. 5 shows the document of FIG. 4 in the first type C Fold configuration; 
     FIG. 6 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a second type C Fold; 
     FIG. 7 shows the document of FIG. 6 in the second type C Fold configuration; 
     FIG. 8 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a third type C Fold; 
     FIG. 9 shows the document of FIG. 8 in the third type C Fold configuration; 
     FIG. 10 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a first type half fold configuration; 
     FIG. 11 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a second type half fold configuration; 
     FIG. 12 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a first type Z fold configuration; 
     FIG. 13 shows the document of FIG. 12 in the first type Z Fold configuration; 
     FIG. 14 shows a document with a postal revenue block which is set up to be subjected to a second type Z fold configuration; 
     FIG. 15 shows the document of FIG. 14 in the second type Z Fold configuration; and 
     FIG. 16 is a flow chart of the process for determining a printing location within a document for a postal revenue block based on a selected fold type. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a PC metering system  10  in which the instant invention is implemented is shown. PC metering system  10  includes a conventional personal computer  12 , a display  14 , a keyboard  16 , and a non-secure general purpose digital printer  18  which is preferably a laser or ink jet printer. PC metering system  10  further includes a removable electronic vault  20  (such as a Smart Card or PMCIA card) in which postage funds are stored and accounted for as postage is dispensed by PC metering system  10 . In operation, an operator, via keyboard  16 , initiates the printing of a desired amount of postage by the postage metering system  10 . PC  12  sends the request for the printing of postage to vault  20  via its vault controller  21  and a vault controller interface  22  of vault  20 . Vault  20 , via its own processor  23  and programs stored in memory  24 , then determines in a conventional manner if sufficient postage is available within conventional accounting circuitry  25  to accommodate the postage request. If sufficient postage is available, vault  20  reconciles the accounting within accounting circuitry  25  to account for the requested postage amount to be dispensed and provides a message to personal computer  12  authorizing the printing of the postage and providing digital tokens (or an encrypted message) uniquely associated with the instant postage transaction. Personal computer  12  then utilizes the digital token data received from the vault  20  to build an electronic image of a postal revenue block  26  having digital tokens  26   a  (see FIG.  3 ). Further details of the specific components of the vault and personal computer in generating the postal revenue block, except for those set forth below, are not considered necessary for an understanding of the claimed invention and are therefore not presented herein. However, these components are further described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,438 and in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/575,112 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the personal computer  12  is controlled via a central processing unit  30 . A memory  32  contains application programs such as word processing programs or other document producing programs which an operator can access via keyboard  16 . The application programs  32  are used to create a document, such as a letter, in a conventional manner. However, in the instant invention, the application program  32  can be modified so that upon creation of a document and prior to printing, the operator can select the option of having an authenticated and accounted for postage revenue block  26  printed thereon. 
     Upon the selection of the postage option, a postage request message  33  is sent to an application interface module  34  together with the image data  35  for the created document. The application interface module  34  relays the postage request message  33  to an indicia image generation module  36  which requests, via vault controller  21 , approval of the postage transaction and receipt of digital tokens from the vault  20  Once vault  20  has authorized the postage transaction, it sends a postage authorization signal to the indicia image generation module  36  together with the uniquely generated tokens for that transaction. The indicia image generation module  36  creates and sends bit map image data  37  of the postal revenue block  26  to application interface module  34 . Application interface module  34  then sends the postage request message  33 , the bit map image data  37 , and the document image data  35  to a document image manipulation module  38 . Document image manipulation module  38  receives the above-mentioned data together with secondary data  39  such as envelope dimensions with indicia window position, document fold type, document page orientation, fold orientation, and page size. This information is used to calculate the exact position within the document that the postal revenue block  26  is to be printed. Naturally, if the folded document is to be a self mailed product, information concerning the envelope is not required. 
     The secondary data  39  can be entered by a user via keyboard  16  in response to a prompt on display  14  or some of the data such as page size and page orientation can come directly from the application program that created the document together with the document image data  35 . Once the location of the postal revenue block  26  within the document has been calculated, the document data image manipulation module  38  analyzes the document image data stream  35  and integrates the postal revenue block bit map image data  37  within the document image data stream  35 . The integration of the postal revenue block bit map image data  37  and the document image data  35  is done in a manner so that a resulting bit map image of the document includes a postal revenue block  26  which is positioned within the document at a location that is dependent upon the secondary data. The integrated image data stream  41  is then sent to the drivers  43  of printer  18  which use the data stream  41  to print the document including the postal revenue block  26 . Accordingly, for any number of mailpieces, the type of fold that the mailpieces will be subjected to can be specified and the postage metering system  10  will automatically, in real time, determine the proper location within the mailpiece that the postage revenue block  26  should be printed. 
     In order to more fully understand the invention described herein, reference is made to FIGS. 4 through 15. In FIG. 4, a document  40  is created using for example, a word processing program stored within application programs memory  32 . The document  40  is an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper but could be any other size. Document  40  includes written information  42  which in the embodiment of FIG. 4 is in the form of a letter having a date, address, body of the letter, and a signature block. Dashed lines  44 ,  46  represent horizontal fold lines where document  40  is folded to create a “C Fold” document as shown in FIG.  5 . The fold lines  44 ,  46  also define top, middle, and bottom panels of the document  40  respectively designated  48 ,  50 , and  52 . It is to be noted that in the C Fold of FIG. 5, the top panel  48  is positioned on top of the folded document  40 . Thus, when document  40  is to be subsequently placed in a conventional windowed envelope having a window in its upper right hand corner, the postage revenue block  26  must be printed in the upper right hand corner of top panel  48  in order to be seen through the window of the envelope. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 differ from FIGS. 4 and 5 in that the postage revenue block  26  needs to be printed in the upper right hand corner of bottom panel  52 . This is because, as shown in FIG. 7, while a C Fold is still being used, the panels  48 ,  50 , and  52  are folded such that the bottom panel  52  is now positioned on the top of the folded document  40 . Therefore in order for the postal revenue block  26  to appear through the envelope window, the postal revenue block must be printed in the upper right hand corner of the bottom panel  52 . 
     FIG. 8 shows another document  40  having a postal revenue block  26  printed in the upper right hand corner of the middle panel  50  to accommodate the type of C Fold shown in FIG. 9 in which the middle panel  50  ends up positioned on the top of the folded document  40 . 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 both show a document  40  having a single horizontal fold line  60  which divides the document into top and bottom panels  62  and  64 , respectively. Both of these documents are folded along their respective fold line to create a one half fold document. In FIG. 10 the bottom panel  64  is folded upward behind the top panel  62  such that the postal revenue block  26  is required to be printed in the upper right hand corner of top panel  62 . In contrast, in FIG. 11 the top panel  62  is folded down behind the bottom panel  64  such that the postal revenue block  26  must be printed in the upper right hand corner of the bottom panel  64 . 
     FIG. 12 shows a document  40  having a postal revenue block  26  printed in the upper right hand corner of top panel  48 . FIG. 13, shows the document  40  of FIG. 12 in a Z fold which requires the top panel  48  to be positioned on the top of the folded document  40 . Conversely, FIG. 14 shows a document  40  having a postal revenue block  26  printed in the upper right hand corner of bottom panel  52  and FIG. 1 shows the document  40  of FIG. 3 in a Z Fold so that the bottom panel  52  ends up on top of the folded document. 
     FIGS. 4 through 15 show that the printing of the postal revenue block  26  on any document  40  will be dependent upon the type of fold that the document  40  will be subjected to after printing. While the above examples assume that the postal revenue block  26  should appear in the upper right hand corner of the folded document  40 , one possessing ordinary skill in the art will recognize that deviations from this standard are possible depending upon specific postal regulations and the type of windowed envelope product or self mailed product being used. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 16 and as previously discussed, a user can enter information concerning the type of fold the document  40  will be subjected to via keyboard  16 . This information is provided to document data image manipulation module  38  (step S 1 ) which determines if a Z Fold has been requested (step S 3 ). If the answer is YES, the program proceeds to step S 5  where an inquiry is made as to whether the top panel  48  will be on top of the folded document  40 . If the answer is NO, it is assumed that the bottom panel  52  is on top of the folded document  40  (step S 7 ) and the determination is made that the postal revenue block  26  is to be printed in the upper right hand corner of the bottom panel  52  of document  40  (step S 9 ). Returning to step S 5  however, if the answer is YES, a determination is made that the postal revenue block  26  is to be printed in the upper right hand corner of the top panel  48  of document  40  (step S 11 ). 
     In the event however that at step S 3  the answer is NO, the program at step S 13  queries as to whether a C Fold will be applied to the document  40 . If the answer is YES, the program moves to step S 15  and queries if the top panel  48  will be on top of the folded document  40 . If the answer is YES, the determination is made at step S 11  to print the postal revenue block  26  in the upper right hand corner of top panel  48  of document  40 . Returning to step S 15 , if the answer is NO, an inquiry is made at step S 17  to determine if the bottom panel  52  will be on top of folded document  40 . If the answer is YES, the program proceeds to step S 9  where it is determined that the postal revenue block  26  is to be printed in the upper right hand corner of bottom panel  48 . 
     On the other hand, if the answer to the inquiry at step S 17  is NO, it is determined that the middle panel  50  is on top of the folded document  40  (step S 19 ) and the program proceeds to step S 21  where it is determined that the postal revenue block should be printed in the upper right hand corner of the middle panel  50  of document  40 . 
     At step S 13  if the answer is NO the program assumes that a half fold will be applied to document  40  (step S 23 ) and proceeds to step S 25  to determine if the top panel  62  will be on top of the folded document  40 . If the answer is YES at step S 27  it is determined that the postal revenue block  26  should be printed in the upper right hand corner of the top panel  62 . On the other hand, if the answer to the inquiry is NO, at step S 29  it is assumed that the bottom panel  64  will appear at the top of the document  40  and at step S 31  a decision is made to print the postal revenue block  26  in the upper right hand corner of the bottom panel  26 . 
     Once the general position of the postal revenue block  26  has been determined by the document data image manipulation module  38 , the secondary data  39  is used to identify the exact position within the document data image stream  35  where the postal revenue bit map image data  37  is to be integrated. One skilled in the art can readily program the document image manipulation module  38  to perform such integration based on the document image stream  35 . That is, for example, if the document image data stream  35  is the result of a word processing program, the secondary data  39  can be utilized to precisely position the postal revenue block image data within the document image data stream  35 . 
     Once the integrated image data stream  41  is completed, it is sent to the printhead drivers  43  which drive the printhead  18  to print the document  40  together with a properly positioned postal revenue block  26 . Subsequent to printing, the document  40  can be manually folded in the selected fold configuration and placed in a windowed envelope so that the postal revenue block is visible through the envelope window. Alternatively, the document  40  can be fed in a conventional manner from the printing mechanism  18  to a conventional folder  45  which can be set up to perform the selected fold automatically. The folded document would be transported in a conventional manner to a known inserter  47  where it is inserted into the windowed envelope. The automatic folding  45  and inserter  47  mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,249 which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     As previously mentioned, the folded document does not have to be placed in a windowed envelope but can be sent directly into the mailstream as a self mailed mailpiece. In this scenario, the printed document is folded and then the folded document is secured in place such as by stapling or the application of a tab. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative devices, shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims Moreover, the term “evidence of postage” is meant to cover both a postage indicia and a postal revenue block.