Patent Abstract:
A device in a postage meter that uses dot or drop printing to enhance security. Security is achieved by counting the number of signal pulses that are used to produce ink drops or ink dots that are required to produce the entire document or specific regions of the document. The aforementioned may be accomplished by adding a smart module to digital print head modules. The smart module would capture driver pulses from the print head module and interpret the pulses associated with regions of the image. Thus, the smart module would take data from the printer controller that is used to cut off printing when the ink is consumed and relate “set” values to the drops produced during the production of the document or portions of the document, thereby linking the document to the actual volume of ink produced.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Reference is made to commonly assigned copending patent application Ser. No. 09/458,231 filed herewith entitled “A System That Meters the Firings Of a Printer to Audit the Dots or Drops or Pulses Produced by a Digital Printer” in the name of Ronald P. Sansone, and Ser. No. 09/458,237 filed herewith entitled “A System for Metering and Auditing the Dots or Drops or Pulses Produced by a Digital Printer in Printing an Arbitrary Graphic” in the names of Ronald P. Sansone and Judith A. Martin. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to digital printing and more particularly to the metering and auditing of the dots or drops produced by a digital printer. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Printers that print characters in the form of dots have been utilized in postage meters and other devices. The aforementioned printers form characters and/or graphics from a matrix of dots. Unlike the fully formed character printing methods, the printing elements are organized in rows or columns which print dots. A character in a dot printer is formed sequentially by printing at one time all the selected dots, respectively, in a column or a row. Graphics are made possible by precisely positioning dots on a page. 
     Printers that print characters and graphics by depositing drops of ink on a medium have been utilized in postage meters and other devices. The aforementioned printers form characters and graphics by selectively firing droplets of ink onto a surface. The ink dries upon its absorption into the substance. 
     Laser printers print characters and graphics by utilizing a focused laser beam and a rotating mirror to draw an image of the desired page on a photosensitive drum. The laser is pulsed periodically or fired periodically to produce small discharged areas on the photosensitive drum that represent the image. The charged image attracts and holds toner. A piece of paper is rolled against the drum while a charged plate behind the paper attracts the toner away from the drum and onto the paper. Heat and/or pressure is then applied to fuse the toner to the paper. 
     Dot matrix printers print characters. A dot matrix printer may have a 9 or 24 pin head. The pins impact the paper through a ribbon, creating patterns of dots in the shape of letters and numbers in multiple fonts and type sizes. 
     Thermal matrix printers have an array of 100-200 pins which are placed in contact with thermally sensitive paper. The pins are pulsed or fired with electrical current heating the pins. The heat produced darkens selective areas of the moving paper. 
     Printers that print by using dots and drops are commercially available as desk top printers and are often utilized as output devices of personal computers. The wide use of the above printers has made it easier to forge documents. Thus, additional security is needed to determine the authenticity of the printed document. One method that has been proposed for providing security is to print encrypted information in the document and decrypting the information at a later time to authenticate the document. One of the disadvantages of the foregoing is that it may be necessary to use a large amount of space on the document to prevent the encrypted information from being decrypted. 
     Another method that has been proposed for providing security to documents is to print authenticating text in invisible ink on the document to authenticate the document. A luminescent ink may also be used for similar security purposes. One of the disadvantages of the foregoing is that it may be necessary to use special chemicals or an ultraviolet light source to read the authenticating text. 
     Another method utilized by the prior art for providing security to documents involved the hiding of some information in the document or the modification of some information in the document. The hidden or modified information may be placed in graphics contained in the document. The hidden or modified information was accurately placed so as not to disturb the information. One of the disadvantages of the above is that it is difficult to read the hidden or modified information. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system that makes it more difficult to print fraudulent documents. The apparatus of this invention provides a device for verifiable security in a postage meter or other devices using dot or drop printing. Security is achieved by counting the number of signal pulses that are used to produce ink drops or ink dots that are required to produce the entire document or specific regions of the document. The aforementioned may be accomplished by adding a smart module to digital print head modules. The smart module would capture driver pulses from the print head module and interpret the pulses associated with regions of the image. Thus, the smart module would take data from the printer controller that is used to cut off printing when the ink is consumed and relate “set” values to the drops produced during the production of the document or portions of the document, thereby linking the document to the actual volume of ink produced. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a drawing of a postal indicia affixed to a mail piece; 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing in greater detail of region  17  of indicia  11  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a block drawing showing meter controller  52  connected to printer  25  and information capture module  26 ; 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing meter and printer controller  52  functioning as a meter controller; 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing how region  17  is formed; 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the program contained in controller  33 ; and also of a portion of the program contained in controller  52 ; 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B is a flow chart of a portion of the program contained in controller  52  and of the program contained in data center  62 ; and 
     FIG. 8 is a drawing of an Information Based Indicia affixed to a mail piece. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the reference character  10  represents a mail piece that has a postal indicia  11  affixed thereto. Indicia  11  has a graphics region  12  and a fixed and variable text region  13 . Region  12  includes a region  17  that is printed with 480 pixels. 
     Region  13  contains a postal meter serial number  14 , the date  15 , the place the mail piece was mailed from  16 , a dollar amount  18 , and a security code  19 . Indicia  11  may be printed with an ink jet printer, laser printer or thermal printer (not shown). Indicia  11  may be produced by an electronic postage meter. 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing in greater detail of portion  17  of indicia  11  of FIG.  1 . Region  17  contains 480 pixels or individual identifiable picture elements  20 . Pixels  20  are located at specific spatial coordinates. Upper case coordinates are located along the top edge of region  17  to indicate columns and lower case coordinates are located along a side edge of region  17  to indicate rows. Pixel  21  is located at coordinates (C, f). An ink jet printer may deposit a drop of ink in one or more pixels  20  to produce a picture. One ink jet pulse or one drop of ink is used for each pixel  20 . If 480 drops of ink are placed in region  17 , a black rectangle will be formed. 
     Column D contains 11 drops of ink which were produced by 11 ink jet pulses. The 11 drops of ink are located in coordinates (D, b), (D, c), (D, f), (D, j), (D, k), (D, m), (D, n), (D, o), (D, s), (D, t), and (D, u). Information may be embedded in the columns of region  17 . For instance, column D may be said to represent 11 units (one unit for each drop of ink). A constant number may be added to or subtracted from the counted units to scale the values or to make it more difficult to determine the information placed in particular columns. For instance, column D may be said to represent 9 units by subtracting the number 2 from the drops of ink in column D. 
     Column I contains 6 drops of ink which were produced by 6 ink jet pulses. The 6 drops of ink are located in coordinates (I, b), (I, c), (I, l), (I, n), (I, o) and (I, s). Column I represents 4 units of information, i.e. 6−2=4. 
     Column J contains 2 drops of ink which were produced by 2 ink jet pulses. The 2 drops of ink are located in coordinates (J, b) and (J, c). Column J represents 0 units of information, i.e. 2−2=0. 
     Column K contains 2 drops of ink which were produced by 2 ink jet pulses. The 2 drops of ink are located in coordinates (K, b) and (K, c). Column K represents 0 units of information, i.e. 2−2=0. 
     Column L contains 2 drops of ink which were produced by 2 ink jet pulses. The 2 drops of ink are located in coordinates (L, b) and (L, c). Column L represents 0 units of information, i.e. 2−2=0. 
     Column N contains 5 drops of ink which were produced by 5 ink jet pulses. The 5 drops of ink are located in coordinates (N, b), (N, c), (N, d), (N, s), (N, t). Column N represents 3 units of information, i.e. 5−2=3. 
     The amount of postage  18  indicated by indicia  11  of FIG. 1, namely $0.349 is indicated in the columns and rows of region  17  to make it more difficult to produce fraudulent indicia. The tens of dollar value of the amount of postage  18  is indicated by column L, i.e., 0, and the dollar value is indicated by column K, i.e., 0. The tenths of cents value of the amount of postage  18  is indicated by column N, i.e., 3 and the cents value is indicated by column I, i.e., 4. The tenths of cents value of the amount of postage  18  is indicated by column D, i.e., 9. Thus, columns L, K, N, I and D indicate that $00.349 was paid for postage. Additional drops of ink or ink jet pulses will be added to or subtracted from columns L,K,N,I and D to indicate the amount of postage  18  (FIG.  1 ). The manner in which the foregoing is accomplished is described in the graphical encoding routines  61  of FIG. 4. A thresholding process is typically used for the encoding of information into region  17 . Whether or not the value of a particular pixel  20  should be counted is determined by using a value of 1 to 2% from 0 or white. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the amount of postage may also be encoded in the rows of region  17 . 
     FIG. 3 is a block drawing of meter and printer controller  52  functioning as a printer controller. FIG. 3 shows a print module  25  and an information capture module  26 . Print module  25  comprises: a meter and print controller  52 ; an ink jet assembly  28 ; an ink jet array transport  29 ; a mail piece transport  30 ; a print image buffer  31 ; and an ink supply  32  that is coupled to ink jet assembly  28 . Print controller  52  is coupled to ink jet assembly  28 , ink jet array transport  29 , mail piece transport  30 , print image buffer  31 , and ink jet assembly  28 . Information capture module  26  comprises: droplet image value capture controller  33 ; image cell row/column coordinates Read Only Memory  34 ; capture drop value routines Read Only Memory  35 ; compute drop Read Only Memory  49 ; processing buffer Random Access Memory  85 , and drop value storage non-volatile memory  36 . Processor  33  is coupled to ROM  34 , drop value routines ROM  35 , drop value non-volatile storage memory  36 , ROM  49 , process buffer Random Access Memory  85  and meter and print controller  52 . It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that either a laser printer or other digital printers may be used instead of ink jet assembly  28  and ink supply  32  to apply postage to an envelope, label or post card. 
     When one wants to print indicia  11  on mail piece  10  (FIG.  1 ), one places mail piece  10  in the mail piece transport  30  and sets the correct postage value in electronic meter  50  (FIG.  4 ), i.e. $0.349. Print image input data will then be transferred from print image buffer  31  to meter and print controller  52 . The print image input data will include all of the information that is necessary to print indicia  11 . The above information will include the information that is required to print region  17  of indicia  11 . Controller  52  will cause mail piece transport  30  to move mail piece  10  under ink jet assembly  28  back and forth and ink jet array transport  29  to move ink jet assembly  28  to deposit ink drops  42  on mail piece  10  to form indicia  11 . As the printing process proceeds, controller  52  also provides position data via line  38  and droplet data via line  39  to controller  33 . Controller  52  will transmit the position data for region  17  of indicia  11  to droplet image value capture processor  33  via line  38 . Controller  52  will transmit the droplet data for region  17  of indicia  11  to droplet image value capture processor  33  via line  39 , and controller  52  will provide a data clock signal to processor  33  via line  40 . At the appropriate time, controller  33  will obtain the row and column coordinates of region  17  from ROM  34 . The routines in ROM  35  are used to capture the number of drops in columns D, I, J, K, L, and N (FIG. 2) and to temporarily store the number of drops in the columns in non-volatile memory  36 . Controller  33  utilizes the computational routines in ROM  49  to calculate the postage value represented by the number of drops in columns D, I, J, K, L, and N. Thus, memory  36  will store the dollar amount of postage  18  indicated in indicia  11  (FIG.  1 ). Controller  33  will transmit the number of drops in columns D, I, J, K, L, and N, and their locations and the number and locations of the other drops in region  17  to controller  52  via line  41 . 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing meter and printer controller  52  functioning as a meter controller. Controller  52  will transmit the number of drops in columns D, I, J, K, L, and N and their locations to drops to value converter  59  via line  43 . Electronic meter  50  includes meter routines  51 , meter and print controller  52 , fixed graphic image Read Only Memory  53 , modem  54 , compose indicia image routines  55 , clock calendar non-volatile memory and battery  86 , I/O routines  101 , I/O ports, keyboard and display  141  and buffer memory  87 . Controller  52  is coupled to modem  54 , I/O routines  101  and meter routines  51 , I/O port keyboard and display  141 . A postage verifying module  65  is coupled to electronic meter  50 . Module  65  includes: a current indicia value buffer  57  that is coupled to controller  52 ; a comparator  58  that is coupled to buffer  57  and controller  52 , graphic value buffer  88  that is coupled to comparator  58 ; a drops to value buffer and converter  59  that is coupled to buffer  88 ; an incident, non-volatile memory buffer  60  that is coupled to comparator  58  and to controller  52 ; encoding module  137  includes graphic encoding routines  61  and variable graphic base image ROM  89 . Graphics encoding routines  61  are coupled to controller  52  and ROM  89  is coupled to controller  52 . Modem  54  is coupled to meter refill data center  62 . Postal scale  100  is coupled to I/O ports keyboard and display  141 . 
     Meter  50  begins to function when a user sets the postage dollar amount  18  (FIG. 1) by weighing mail piece  10  on scale  100 . Alternatively, the user may enter the weight of mail piece  10  into I/O ports, keyboard and display  141  of meter  50 . The weight and amount of postage for mail piece  10  is displayed by meter  50 . Controller  52  will compose an image of indicia  11  (FIG. 1) using the fixed graphic images from ROM  53  and using encoding routines  61 . The above image will be stored in print image buffer  31 . Buffer  31  will provide the above image to meter controller  52 . Upon completion of region  17  of indicia  11 , the drop values stored in non violate memory  36  may be transferred by controller  33  via line  41  to controller  52 . Controller  52  will also transfer the above values via line  43  to value converter  59 . Process controller  52  detects the drop information deposited in converter  59  and initiates conversion of the drop information to postal value. Controller  52  stores the value produced by converter  59  in buffer  88 . The value stored in buffer  88  is compared by comparator  58  to the value stored in buffer  57 . A match causes no output. A mismatch causes the difference between the value in buffer  88  and buffer  57  to be stored in buffer  60 . When buffers  57  and  88  do not have the same value, there exists the possibility of fraud or a micro processor malfunction. Meter routines  51  will handle the accounting functions of meter  50 . Routines  51  are not being described, because one skilled in the art is aware of their operation and function. 
     Modem  54  communicates with meter data center  62  during a refill of postage meter  50  by exchanging funds and the difference in value between buffers  57  and  88  is stored in buffer  60  so that possible fraud may be investigated. 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing how region  17  is formed. The program begins in decision block  125 . Block  125  determines whether or not a graphic encoding request has been received from meter controller  52 . If block  125  determines that a graphic encoding request has not been received, the program goes back to the input of block  125 . If block  125  determines that a graphic encoding request has been received, the program goes to the input of block  126 . Block  126  reads the amount of postage that was set in meter  50  by the user, i.e., $0.349. Then the program goes to block  127  to compute each decimal value for the number of pixels in columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17  (FIG.  2 ). Now the program goes to block  128  to store the value obtained in block  127  in the buffer of block  128 . At this point the program goes to block  129  to read the base graphic cell (the remaining columns of region  17 ). The base graphic cell is then stored in the buffer in block  130 . 
     At this point, the program goes to block  131  to adjust the value carrying graphic column heights i.e., the heights of columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17  (FIG.  2 ). The aforementioned heights are adjusted by using the values stored in the buffer of block  128  and checking that the number of pixels in columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17  (FIG. 2) match the decimal values of the pixels indicated by the buffer of block  128  i.e., $0.349 postage is represented by the pixels of columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17 . Now the program goes to block  132  to adjust all of the remaining columns of region  17  in order to make the graphic in region  17  pleasing to the human eye. Then the program goes to block  133  to begin the validation process. The validation process will read all the value bearing columns, i.e., columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17  in the modified base cell, and convert the column counts to decimal values. Now the program goes to decision block  134 . Block  134  determines whether or not the value determined in block  133  matches the decimal value stored in the buffer of block  128 . If block  134  determines that the value determined in block  133  does not match the value stored in the buffer of block  128 , the program knows that a mistake was made and the program goes to block  99  retry and to block  136 . Block  136  will clear the buffers in blocks  128  and  130 . Then the program will go back to the input of block  125 . If block  134  determines that the value determined in block  133  matches the value stored in the buffer of block  128 , the program knows that a mistake was not made, and the program goes to the input of block  135 . Block  135  adds the edited base cell (region  17 ) to the full indicia  11  (regions  12  and  13 ). The foregoing result is stored in the buffer of block  137 . The program also goes to block  136  to clear the buffers in blocks  128  and  130 . Then the program will go back to the input of block  125 . 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the program contained in controller  33  and a portion of the program contained in controller  52 . The Input to block  145  is received from controller  62 . Decision block  145  determines whether or not the printing that is going to take place (FIG. 5) has begun. If block  145  determines that the printing has not begun, the program goes back to the input of block  145 . If block  145  determines that the printing has begun, the program goes to the input of block  146 . Block  146  reads the stored locations of the encoded value by column and row. Then the program goes to block  147 . For the six identified columns i.e., columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17 , block  147  sums the sensed print head pixel or drop firings transferred by line  39  (FIG. 3) from the start of a row to the end of a row for each of the six columns. Then block  147  stores the column sum for each of the six columns in the buffer in block  148 . Now the program goes to decision block  149 . Block  149  determines whether or not the printing has ended. If block  149  determines that the printing has not ended, the program goes back to the input of block  149 . If block  149  determines that the printing has ended, the program goes to the input of block  160 . In block  150  controller  33  (FIG. 3) reads the values stored in the buffer in block  148  and converts the values to a status message that Is transferred to the drop to value converter  59  (FIG. 4) block  151  (FIG.  7 ). Then the program goes to block  152  where the drop values are converted to a postal value. The postal value is stored in buffer  88  (FIG. 4) block  153  buffer. 
     At this point the program goes to block  154 . Block  154  triggers comparator  58  (FIG.  4 ). Then the program goes to decision block  155 . Block  155  determines whether or not the value in the buffer in block  128  equals the value in the buffer in block  153 . in other words, does the postage set by the user of meter  50  equal the coded value of the postage indicated in columns D, I, J, K, L and N of region  17 , i.e.: does the value in buffer  57  equal the value in buffer  88 ? If block  155  determines that the value of the buffer in block  128  equals the value of the buffer in block  153 , the program goes to block  157  to reset the buffers in blocks  148 ,  151 , and  153 . Then the program goes back to the input of block  145 . If block  155  determines that the value of the buffer in block  128  does not equal the value of the buffer in block  153 , the program goes to block  156 . 
     Block  156  will transfer the value of the buffer in block  128  and the value of the buffer in block  153  and the date and time to the Special Refill buffer in block  161 . 
     Now the program will go to decision block  157 . Block  157  will determine whether or not the value stored in the buffer of block  128  differs from the value stored in the buffer of block  153  by an amount greater than $10.00. If block  153  determines that the amount is less than $10.00, the program will go to block  157  to reset buffers  148 ,  151 , and  153 . Then the program will go back to the input of block  145 . If block  153  determines that the amount is over $10.00, the program goes to block  159  to display the error to display a call service message. Then the program goes to block  160  and halts. 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B is a flow chart of a portion of the program contained in controller  52  and the program contained in data center  62 . The input to block  165  comes from meter controller  52 . Decision block  165  determines whether or not the user of meter  50  has requested that additional funds be added to the vault (not shown) of meter  50 . If block  165  determines that no additional funds have been requested by the user of meter  50 , the program goes back to the input of block  165 . If block  165  determines that the user of meter  50  has requested that additional funds be added to the vault, the program goes to block  166 . Block  166  connects meter  50  to data center  62  and starts the standard meter refill process (which is well-known in the art). 
     At this point, the program goes to decision block  167 . Block  167  determines whether or not the special refill buffer in block  161  contains any data. If block  167  determines that the buffer in block  161  does not contain any data, the program goes to block  168  to complete the meter refill process. Then the program goes back to the input of block  165 . If block  167  determines that the buffer in block  161  contains data, the program goes to block  169  to transfer to data center  62  the postage value as set by the user and the postage value as printed on mail piece  10 , i.e.: $0.349 plus the date and time from the special refill buffer in block  161 . 
     Then the program goes to the input of decision block  170  (FIG.  7 B). Block  170  determines whether or not the special refill buffer in block  161  contains data. If block  170  determines that the buffer (not shown) in data center  62  does not contain data, the program goes to block  171  to continue the standard meter refill process. Now the program goes to the input of decision block  172  (FIG.  7 A). Block  172  determines whether or not to continue the standard meter refill process. If block  172  determines to continue the refill process, the program goes to block  168  to continue the refill process. Then the program goes back to the input of block  165 . 
     If decision block  170  (FIG. 7B) determines that the special refill buffer in block  161  contains data, the program goes to block  176  to review the meter refill history file for prior special refill buffer entries. Then the program goes to decision block  177 . Block  177  determines whether or not there are any prior special refill buffer entries in block  161 . If block  177  determines that there were prior entries in block  161 , the program goes to block  178  to stop the meter refill process and format a cancel command and recovery instructions for the display of meter  50  (FIG.  4 ). Then the program goes back to the input of decision block  172  (FIG.  7 A). 
     If block  172  determines not to continue the meter refill process, the program goes to block  173  to store the special refill buffer data in the buffer in data center  62  (not shown). At this point, the program goes to block  174  to transfer a special data center  62  (FIG. 4) error command and cancel the meter refill process. Then the program goes to block  175  to display the data center  62  error message on the display of meter  50  notifying the user of the cancellation of the refill process. 
     If block  177  determines that there are no prior special refill buffer entries in block  161 , the program will go to block  179  to store the new special refill buffer entries. Then the program will go to block  171 . 
     FIG. 8 is a drawing of an Information Based Indicia affixed to mail piece  10 . Indicia  91  has a graphic region  92 , a fixed and variable text region  93  and a two dimensional bar code  90 . Region  92  includes a region  17  that is printed with 480 pixels. Region  93  contains a postal meter serial number  94 , the date  95 , the place the mail piece was mailed from  96 , and a dollar amount  98 . 
     Indicia  91  may be produced by a personal computer, a printer combined with either a postal security device attached to the personal computer (personal computer postage meter) or a postal security device coupled to a personal computer via a data center and a printer (virtual postage meter). 
     The above specification describes a new and improved apparatus for providing security to documents by metering and auditing the number of dots or drops used to produce the document or regions of the document. It is realized that the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principals of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit. It is, therefore, intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6