Method for franking postal deliveries and a graphical user interface for carrying out said method

The invention relates to a method for franking postal deliveries, whereby the franking process is controlled by a graphical user interface. According to the invention, said method is carried out in such a way that a screen menu appears during the selection of a graphical representation of a franking design, said menu containing command buttons for selecting franking options. The invention also relates to a graphical user interface suitable for carrying out said method.

(57) Zusammenfassung: Die Erfindung hetrifft ein Verfahren zum Freimachen von Postsendungen, wobei die Freimachung durch eine graphische Benutzeroberflache gesteuert wird. EtfindungsgemaB wird dieses Verfahren so durchgefilhrt, dass bei Auswahl einer graphischen Darstellung eines Entwurfes der Freimachung ein Bildschirmmenii geoffnet wird, das eine Schaltflache zur Auswahl von Freimachungsoptionen enthalt. Die Erfindung hetrifft ferner eine fur die Durchfuhrung dcs Vcrfahrcns geeignete Benutzeroberflache.

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CU, CZ, DK, DM, DZ, EC, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NO, NZ, OM, PH, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZM, ZW.

(84) Bestimmuiigsstaaten (regional)·. ARIPO-Patent (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), curasischcs Patent (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), europaisches Patent (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), OAPI-Patcnt (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG).

Erklarung gemaB Regel 4.17:

— Erfindererklarung (Regel 4.17 Ziffer iv) nur fur US

Veroffeiitlicht:

— mit internaiionalem Recherchenbericht vor Ablauf der fur Anderungen der Anspriiche gelienden Frist; Veroffentlichung wird wiederholt, falls Anderungen einireffen

Zur Erklarung der Zweibuchstaben-Codes und der anderen Abkurzungen wird auf die Erklarungen (Guidance Notes on Codes and Abbreviations) am Anfangjeder regularen Ausgabe der PCT-Gazette verwiesen.

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-1 Method for franking postal deliveries and a graphical user interface for carrying out said method

Description:

The invention relates to a method for franking postal deliveries, whereby the franking is controlled by a graphical user interface.

The invention also relates to a user interface that is suitable for carrying out said method.

European Patent Application No. 0 876 840 discloses a graphical user interface for an automatic franking machine. This document user interface allows a flexible selection of franking functions. The graphical representation also comprises a plain depiction of an envisaged franking imprint as well as touch-sensitive areas that are arranged outside of the image of the franking imprint and that serve to select franking functions.

The invention seeks to further refine a method of this generic type such that it can be carried out even more flexibly.

Accordingly, the invention seeks to, when a graphical representation of a design of the postage indicium is selected, a screen menu opens that contains a command panel for selecting franking options.

Another subject matter of the invention is to further refine a user interface for a franking system with a plain representation of a design of an imprint of a postage indicium to be generated such that it likewise allows the most flexible possible creation of postage indicia.

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-2According to one aspect of the invention, at least in certain areas, the graphical representation is configured as a command panel for selecting the franking options.

This graphical user interface allows an especially simple and advantageous execution of the method presented.

The graphical user interface stands out for its particular user-friendliness.

In order to enhance the user-friendliness of the user interface, it is advantageous that, when the command panel is selected, a drop-down menu appears which has calculation and/or selection options for postage amounts.

In order to further increase the user-friendliness, it is advantageous for the drop-down menu to contain preset franking amounts.

Preferably, this is achieved in that the drop-down menu includes command panels for selecting postage amounts.

In order to avoid the generation of postage indicia with invalid franking options, it is advantageous for the drop-down menu to include a list with possible delivery modalities for the mailpieces that are to be franked.

Here, it is advantageous to enhance the user-friendliness in that the selectable postal classes are displayed in a window.

Moreover, for purposes of further enhancing the user-friendliness, it is advantageous that, when a postal class is selected, optional additional services are displayed in another window.

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-3An especially preferred embodiment of the invention stands out for the fact that the graphical representation of the design of the imprint of the postage indicium to be generated which, at least in certain areas, is configured as a command panel for selecting the franking options, is embedded in a screen display of a text document.

This embodiment of the invention allows an especially simple and user-friendly integration of the method for generating postage indicia in an application program.

For example, it is thus possible for the user of a PC to create a text, for instance, by manually writing or by loading mail-merge options. In order to frank mailpieces for postal delivery, especially letters or address labels, the franking function can be selected and process steps can be initiated in order to generate an imprint of a postage indicium if desired, at first only reproduced as an example.

In addition to the especially preferred implementation of the address fields of text documents in the form of command panels for generating postage indicia, it is likewise advantageous to create the designs of addresses generated in another maimer, for example, by a database, with command panels for the postage indicia.

Additional advantages, special features and practical refinements of the invention ensue from the subclaims and from the following representation of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings.

The drawings show the following:

Figure 1 a display representation of a word processing program with an open text document in whose address field a franking object has been inserted;

Figure 2 a drop-down menu with preset franking values and

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-4Figure 3 a screen window with selectable postal classes.

The following representation shows an especially preferred use of the invention when integrated into a word processing program.

The screen surface of the word processing program in Figure 1 shows a letter opened by the word processing program, whereby a postage indicium can be seen in the address field of the letter.

The postage indicium shown, which is also designated as postage indicium 10 without any limitations in the meaning, contains several components.

One component of the postage indicium 10 is a two-dimensional bit pattern 11, whereby the bit pattern 11 contains information that makes it possible to check whether the postage indicium 10 is genuine.

In order to allow an integration of the postage indicium 10 into the document without the risk that the user will be charged for a postage amount in a document that has not yet been printed out, it is advantageous for a program that serves to generate the postage indicium to include a test mode.

In the test mode, the design of an imprint of the postage indicium 10 to be generated is characterized in that it shows the user as well as any third party, especially a payment assurance center or an automatic checking unit, that this is a postage indicium that has not yet been finalized, but rather that this is just a design that serves as a placeholder.

Moreover, the design of the postage indicium contains an indication 12 of the producer of a customer system, which controls the generation of the postage indicium, the serial number 12345678 of the generating customer system in plain text, a symbol 13 of the ν·

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-5postal service provider that acknowledges the postage indicium as valid and a recipient address 14.

It is especially advantageous for the postage indicium 10 to contain all of the mentioned components, but a selection of individual components is likewise possible. Nevertheless, the highest possible level of manipulation security and user-friendliness is ensured by integrating as many of these components into the postage indicium as possible.

The graphical representation of the postage indicium 10 can be inserted automatically into a desired place, especially into the address field, for example, with a special program routine as well as manually, for instance, by using dragging or copying routines of the operating system or with an application program.

In the case at hand here, the entire postage indicium 10 is configured as a command panel. If the pointer of a cursor device, especially a computer mouse or trackball, is in the area of the command panel 10, then the selection of a special function, particularly by means of the familiar so-called “double click”, can start a special program routine.

The program routine starts by opening a first screen menu 15, for example, a window in which postal classes, including the appertaining postage amounts, are shown as command panels 20, 30,40, 50, 60, 70.

Here, it is possible to predefine the postal classes depicted as command panels 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or to allow the user to design these command panels. Such a window 15 is shown in Figure 2 by way of an example.

Figure 3 shows another screen menu 75 as a window containing the most complete possible product list of mailpieces that are to be franked. A first partial window 80 shows basic products such as, for example, a standard letter, a compact letter, a large letter, an

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-6oversized letter or a postcard. Once one of these basic products has been selected as the postal class, then the available additional services appear in another partial window 90.

The appropriate postage amount is calculated automatically.

For example, when a standard letter is selected, first of all, a price of 0.56 euros is displayed, as well as the available additional services such as drop-off registered letter, C.O.D. and registered letter with return receipt.

Once one or more of these additional services have been selected, then the additional services that constitute available additional services to supplement the first additional service are automatically displayed.

Thus, for example, if the additional service “registered” is selected, then additional services such as “return receipt” and “personal delivery” are displayed.

When one or more of these additional services are selected, the amount to be paid for generating the final postage indicium is correspondingly increased.

For example, in the case shown here, the postage amount increases when the additional service “registered” and the further additional service “return receipt” are selected.

By loading another program routine, a final postage indicium is generated.

A print-out of the text document is possible in the test mode as well as with the correct postage indicium inserted.

However - unlike the generation of a final postage indicium - the user is not charged for the print-out of a text document with an invalid postage indicium that is specifically designated as “sample”.

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-7The final generated postage indicia can be invoiced in various ways; for example, by reducing a postage account stored in a customer system or by invoicing via a separate list.

The invention, however, is not limited to any one of the invoicing modalities described.

The other components of the representation should also only be understood as examples.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word comprise, and variations such as comprises or comprising, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Whilst the present invention has been hereinbefore described with reference to a particular embodiment, it will be understood that numerous variations and modifications will be envisaged by persons skilled in art. All such variations and modifications should be considered to fall within the scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described and as hereinafter claimed.

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