CA2057613A1 - Embedded user interface accessible by an external device - Google Patents

Embedded user interface accessible by an external device

Info

Publication number
CA2057613A1
CA2057613A1 CA2057613A CA2057613A CA2057613A1 CA 2057613 A1 CA2057613 A1 CA 2057613A1 CA 2057613 A CA2057613 A CA 2057613A CA 2057613 A CA2057613 A CA 2057613A CA 2057613 A1 CA2057613 A1 CA 2057613A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
screen
display
user interface
mailing machine
microcontroller
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA2057613A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2057613C (en
Inventor
Fran E. Blackman
Jacqueline Collins
Terrence M. Doeberl
Patrick J. Donahue
Tracy S. Wilson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Fran E. Blackman
Jacqueline Collins
Terrence M. Doeberl
Patrick J. Donahue
Tracy S. Wilson
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fran E. Blackman, Jacqueline Collins, Terrence M. Doeberl, Patrick J. Donahue, Tracy S. Wilson, Pitney Bowes Inc. filed Critical Fran E. Blackman
Publication of CA2057613A1 publication Critical patent/CA2057613A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2057613C publication Critical patent/CA2057613C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00266—Man-machine interface on the apparatus
    • G07B2017/00274—Mechanical, e.g. keyboard
    • G07B2017/0029—Soft buttons; buttons that can change function
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/00266—Man-machine interface on the apparatus
    • G07B2017/00298—Visual, e.g. screens and their layouts
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G07B2017/00322—Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00314—Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
    • G07B2017/00346—Power handling, e.g. power-down routine
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S715/00—Data processing: presentation processing of document, operator interface processing, and screen saver display processing
    • Y10S715/975—Pop-up dialog box for entry

Abstract

A postage meter mailing machine includes an improved embedded user interface. The user interface is suitable for providing a user interface to the mailing machine and also a direct user interface to an external device in bus communication with the mailing machine. The mailing machine includes a programmable microcontroller for performing hard and soft system functions. The microcontroller includes non-volatile memories for storing data information and executable routine. The microcontroller is also in bus communication with a visual display and a plurality of soft keys. Stored in the non-volatile memory is a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display. Each of the screens has a menu field and a prompt field and contains descriptors for a plurality of screen fields. Also, stored in the non-volatile memory are a plurality of text strings, a plurality of graphic display run routines, a plurality of routines for enabling the soft keys and for identifying subsequent screens as a result of operator activation of one of the soft keys. The user interface is programmed to identify a first screen and a screen select routine to (i) get the screen identified from said screen region of said memory and display on said display, (ii) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptor of said identified screen from said text region and display said text string in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft key to said respective menu area, (iii) display dynamic information in the display window of said display window and execute graphic routine, (iv) await activation of a soft key and repeat for next screen till end. The microcontroller having polls the system to determine whether any external devices are interfaced to the mailing machine, if so, the screen is designated for control of said respective external devices are enabled.
CA002057613A 1990-12-19 1991-12-13 Embedded user interface accessible by an external device Expired - Fee Related CA2057613C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US62979290A 1990-12-19 1990-12-19
US629,792 1990-12-19

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2057613A1 true CA2057613A1 (en) 1992-06-20
CA2057613C CA2057613C (en) 1996-11-05

Family

ID=24524508

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002057613A Expired - Fee Related CA2057613C (en) 1990-12-19 1991-12-13 Embedded user interface accessible by an external device

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5437010A (en)
EP (1) EP0491395A3 (en)
CA (1) CA2057613C (en)

Families Citing this family (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5717596A (en) * 1995-02-15 1998-02-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and system for franking, accounting, and billing of mail services
DE19543075A1 (en) * 1995-11-13 1997-05-15 Francotyp Postalia Gmbh Method and arrangement for automatic modem type recognition and adaptation
US5680403A (en) * 1995-12-14 1997-10-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Multiplex serial data communications with a single UART for a postage meter mailing machine system
GB9604340D0 (en) * 1996-02-29 1996-05-01 Unilever Plc Antiperspirant aerosol composition and method of making same
US5935221A (en) * 1997-06-30 1999-08-10 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing Machine disabling a keyboard/display of a resident user interface which has function keys and the keyboard/display if an external user interface is connected
US6295523B1 (en) * 1997-09-16 2001-09-25 Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Ag Man-machine interface
US6297821B1 (en) 1998-04-23 2001-10-02 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing machine including an embedded control system having a screen control architecture
US6219677B1 (en) 1998-05-01 2001-04-17 Emware, Inc. Split file system
US7865832B2 (en) * 1999-07-26 2011-01-04 Sony Corporation Extended elements and mechanisms for displaying a rich graphical user interface in panel subunit
DE29821903U1 (en) 1998-12-03 1999-05-06 Francotyp Postalia Gmbh Arrangement for entering and displaying user information on a display
US8212893B2 (en) 1999-06-08 2012-07-03 Verisign, Inc. Digital camera device and methodology for distributed processing and wireless transmission of digital images
US6266055B1 (en) * 1999-07-30 2001-07-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Customizable user interface for a mailing apparatus
US20030023700A1 (en) * 2001-07-27 2003-01-30 Lightsurf Technologies, Inc. System and methodology providing on-board user interface
US7724281B2 (en) * 2002-02-04 2010-05-25 Syniverse Icx Corporation Device facilitating efficient transfer of digital content from media capture device
US7225262B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2007-05-29 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for selecting an external user interface using spatial information
US6920557B2 (en) 2002-06-28 2005-07-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for wireless user interface for business machines
US11144868B1 (en) * 2012-12-05 2021-10-12 Stamps.Com Inc. Visual graphic tracking of item shipment and delivery
US10181110B1 (en) * 2012-12-05 2019-01-15 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for mail piece interception, rescue tracking, and confiscation alerts and related services
US11017347B1 (en) * 2020-07-09 2021-05-25 Fourkites, Inc. Supply chain visibility platform

Family Cites Families (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4484304A (en) * 1979-02-02 1984-11-20 International Business Machines Corporation Transaction execution system having keyboard and message customization, improved key function versatility and message segmentation
US4629871A (en) * 1979-12-28 1986-12-16 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Electronic postage meter system settable by means of a remotely generated input device
US4425627A (en) * 1981-02-23 1984-01-10 Sperry Corporation Intelligent prompting terminal apparatus
US4449186A (en) * 1981-10-15 1984-05-15 Cubic Western Data Touch panel passenger self-ticketing system
US4593183A (en) * 1982-05-06 1986-06-03 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Automatic transaction machine
JPS5968037A (en) * 1982-09-21 1984-04-17 Canon Inc Input device
US4595984A (en) * 1982-10-22 1986-06-17 Pitney Bowes Inc. Apparatus and method for determining special postage fees
US4885575A (en) * 1984-05-07 1989-12-05 Williams Leon G Method and means of displaying information
US4853888A (en) * 1984-12-31 1989-08-01 The Boeing Company Programmable multifunction keyboard
JPH0827811B2 (en) * 1985-02-28 1996-03-21 株式会社日立製作所 Transportation planning method and system
JPH0812206B2 (en) * 1986-03-07 1996-02-07 ヒューレット・パッカード・カンパニー Measuring device controller
US5191643A (en) * 1986-04-04 1993-03-02 Alsenz Richard H Method and apparatus for refrigeration control and display
US4763356A (en) * 1986-12-11 1988-08-09 AT&T Information Systems, Inc. American Telephone and Telegraph Company Touch screen form entry system
DE3809677A1 (en) * 1987-03-19 1988-12-01 Toshiba Kk DISPLAY AND INPUT DEVICE
US5025383A (en) * 1988-01-22 1991-06-18 Fme Corporation Postage meter transparent I/O interface
US5079723A (en) * 1988-03-04 1992-01-07 Xerox Corporation Touch dialogue user interface for reproduction machines
US5179657A (en) * 1988-03-17 1993-01-12 International Business Machines Corporation Panel definition language for computer display
US5045880A (en) * 1988-10-03 1991-09-03 Xerox Corporation Pre-programming during job run
CH678367A5 (en) * 1989-03-08 1991-08-30 Frama Ag

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0491395A3 (en) 1992-07-22
CA2057613C (en) 1996-11-05
US5437010A (en) 1995-07-25
EP0491395A2 (en) 1992-06-24

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EEER Examination request
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