Apparatus and method for the storage of data concerning the usage of a terminal

0001The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for storing data on the use of a terminal according to the preamble of claims 1 and 4 and claim 7, respectively. The arrangement and the method are particularly suitable for users of franking machines.

0002The applicant's newer franking machines use digital printing units. For example, the franking machines T1000 and JetMail from the applicant Francotyp Postalia AG & Co. have a thermal transfer printer and an inkjet printer for the first time worldwide. In principle, this makes it possible to also print addresses and other information on a filled letter in the area of ​​the franking stamp, which are related to a service. For example, election prints are printed on franking to indicate the type or form of dispatch.

0003A franking machine is already known from EP 493 948 B1, which can print the type of dispatch as a separate optional printing stamp for the franking stamp or integrated with it. It is equipped with a plurality of registers in a secure module for storing accounting data, which relate to the use of the franking machine for franking objects. A first set of registers relates to a special first service and a second set of registers relates to a special second service, the special services being selectable via the input means and the accounting data of the respectively selected service being updated. However, only certain services are recorded for billing purposes. These statements do not provide the carrier with sufficient information about customer behavior. Some postal authorities / mail carriers are now required or given discounts to allow the user to print out the operating procedures stored in the franking machine, documents / consignment notes accompanying mail stacks / freight or in a period of time, i.e. billing or statistics or receipts for reloading Prepaid credit. Predicting customer behavior would also be interesting for future mail carriers who will offer new mail transport services that will then have to be billed separately. According to EP 285 956 B1, a franking machine is equipped with a special operating sequence memory and with a connection for an external printer. The user is required to select and print only certain of the stored periodic records of all data. For this purpose, the user not only has to provide a separate printer, but also may have to reserve a large amount of time for searching out and printing the data. On the part of the franking machine manufacturer, it is also necessary to provide sufficient storage space in the franking machine so that the current count can be recorded at suitable time intervals.

0004The form of storage can also be adapted to the needs of a large number of users of the same franking machine. In some machines, for example, class formation in the form of cost centers is assigned to individual user groups. With the T1000 franking machine, this entry is limited to 10 cost centers. To print out corresponding reports, even without a separate external printer, DE 42 24 955 A1 proposes a method and arrangement for internal cost center printing. The printouts that can be generated for each cost center contain lists of postal use of the franking machine that can be subdivided into selected prints. The saving of the additional printer is advantageous for the users. However, it is unreasonable for users to request the mail carrier or Data center always print out lists of data on the use of the franking machine. Because, of course, franking cannot be done while printing lists of the cost center data by means of the print head internal to the franking machine.

0005From FR 2 665 003 B1 a device for tracking the mail usage of an electronic franking system is known which is connected to a central office which exchanges electronic messages. In addition to the bytes, the message format includes information on identification, register status and credit status as well as a number of additional bytes on the statistical order. The bytes for the statistical order contain a breakdown according to postage values, weights or destinations of the franked mail items. Part of the statistical order instructions can be modified during communication with the control center. However, an instruction must be modified in advance before statistical recording is started. Communication takes place via a telephone line or an electronic module, which must be physically transported to the communication partner. It is difficult for the data center to determine customer behavior because, after the instructions have been given, only certain data are saved in accordance with the instructions.

0006Due to the large number of services, it is not always clear which of the services would have to be expanded. In some cases, outdated telecommunications systems do not allow high data throughput. It has now been proposed in a previously unpublished German patent application 19731304.3-53 to generate selectable link instructions for class formation in the data center and to transmit them to the franking machine in the form of new statistical instruction data. A new statistical mode is formed in the franking machine on the basis of the new statistical instruction data and before functions and services are used and their statistical recording in the memory of the franking machine. One advantage is the lower storage space requirement through a pre-compression of the data that can be achieved by the link. It is also advantageous that the transmission of pre-compressed data to the data center does not interfere with the process, since it only takes a short time to transmit. In the case of pre-compression, much can be learned about the special but only little about the basic user behavior. Otherwise, the statistical recording would have to be very broad, which in turn causes an increased storage space requirement. It is therefore still necessary to agree on certain limits. From EP 717 376 A2 a franking machine with a statistical program is known which carries out the transmission of statistical data to the data center by modem and the changing of parameters in the franking machine for statistical data acquisition by downloading new parameters from the data center to define the class limits. However, the options for performing statistics are limited to postage value classes.

0007The object of the invention is to provide an optimal storage of data in a terminal and a fast communication to a remote data center, the statistical acquisition may reach a maximum width, so that the instructions of the data center for storage can be omitted.

0008Unaffected by the storage and transmission of usage data, the use of the terminal for services should be made possible in a service mode.

0009The object is achieved with the features of claims 1, 4 and 7.

0010Since there are no instructions from the data center for restricting storage, the terminal has a program in the program memory for storing current usage data with automatic class formation for statistical recording and for transferring it to a remote data center when the statistics memory is full.

0011The invention is based on the availability of inexpensive memories with a very high storage capacity in order to statistically record usage data of a system. The usage data relate to information about user-selected properties of a system or features of a device. The mail transport or the dispatch of mail pieces by a public or private mail carrier is only one possible type of service of a service company. The device in the shipping system is understood to mean a terminal located at a distance from the service provider or a terminal of a franking system located at the customer. Properties of the shipping system or (customer / end device) are to be understood here as meaning specific user inputs and specific automatically made inputs which are connected with the order that a customer places with the service provider. The storage capacity of a statistical memory can advantageously be used optimally, that is to say less than a known storage of usage information in statistical classes, by space-saving storage management of usage data. On the other hand, if the available storage capacity is fully used, the number of stores can be increased, ie the terminal A franking system device can be operated for a long time before communication with the data center is required. Shortly before or when the statistical memory overflows, the stored data is loaded into a memory of the data center. Based on the improved possibilities of communication with a high baud rate, communication only requires a relatively short period of time to transmit all data from the terminal to the data center. If the data transfer from the statistical memory to the remote memory of the data center is successful, the original storage capacity can be restored by deleting the statistical memory.

0012The terminal is in particular a franking machine, a device of a franking and / or mail processing system, a PC franking device or any peripheral device of a system which itself provides a service or permits the use of the service of a third party. A record of individual events of use is created in a corresponding service mode. The usage information preferably identifies the postal use of the franking machine or a franking system. According to the invention, the franking mode comprises a statistical mode with automatic class formation when the current usage information is stored. It is envisaged that a franking machine during your operation or as a result of your operation in franking mode, saves usage information belonging to a class that corresponds to the current user behavior. A new class is automatically generated and a new data record is saved if the current usage information cannot be assigned to an existing class. However, if a corresponding class for usage information has already been generated, to which the current usage information can be assigned, then only a piece counter belonging to the class is incremented and the new piece count is stored in the existing data record. The data records are transferred to the data center automatically after the time has elapsed or when the statistics memory overflows.

0013It is envisaged that the transmission takes place by modem and that data compression is carried out during the transmission.

0014Advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the subclaims or are shown in more detail below together with the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures. Show it:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Figure 1a,</dt><dd>Block diagram of a franking machine,</dd><dt>Figure 1b,</dt><dd>Variant with separate statistics memory and with OTP in the control device of a terminal,</dd><dt>Figure 2,</dt><dd>Overall schedule for a franking machine.</dd><dt>Figure 3,</dt><dd>Representation of a class COMm,</dd><dt>Figure 4,</dt><dd>Flow chart for statistical storage with automatic class formation,</dd><dt>Figure 5,</dt><dd>Representation of a storage space for a parameter,</dd><dt>Figure 6,</dt><dd>Representation of a COMm class data record stored in the statistical memory with only one parameter,</dd><dt>Figure 7,</dt><dd>Memory recovery routine,</dd><dt>Figure 8,</dt><dd>Representation of a transaction request routine.</dd></dl>

0015FIG. 1a shows a block diagram of the franking machine equipped with the invention. It is equipped with a printer module 1 for a fully electronically generated franking image, with at least one input means 2 having a plurality of actuating elements, a display unit 3, a MODEM 23 establishing communication with a data center, further input means 21 or Scales 22 which are coupled via an input / output control module 4 to a control device 6 and with non-volatile memories 5a, 5b or 9, 10 and 11 for data or programs which include the variable or the constant parts of the franking image. German patent application DE 19534530 A1 provides more detailed information on individual functions of the agents. A character memory 9 supplies the necessary print data for the variable parts of the franking image to a volatile working memory 7. The control device 6 has a microprocessor μP which is connected to the input / output control module 4, to the character memory 9, to the volatile working memory 7 and non-volatile working memories 5a, 5b (with internal statistical memory) or (shown in dashed lines) with an additional statistical memory 16, with a program memory 11, with the motor of a transport or feed device, possibly with a strip release 12, an encoder (coding disk) 13 and with a calendar or clock / date module 8 in Connection is established. The memory module which comprises the non-volatile working memory 5b can be, for example, an EEPROM, which is secured against removal by at least one additional measure, for example gluing onto the printed circuit board, sealing or potting with epoxy resin. In the non-volatile memory 5a, the current parameters are stored in an area 5a-01 provided for this purpose, which are at least those which are printed as variable data on the mail piece after franking. The representation of a memory location for such a parameter memory 5a-01 is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 5.

0016For the first storage of the statistical data, the current usage data are taken from the parameter memory and form a class of parameters. The latter will be explained in more detail later with reference to FIG. 3. The statistical data can, for example, be stored separately in a statistical memory 16 or also within the non-volatile memory 5a, in which special memory areas are provided for this purpose. In the case of a special service provided by another service provider, separate memory areas (not shown) for use data or separate memory modules are provided. The individual memories can be implemented in several physically separate or combined in a few modules in a manner not shown. The relevant usage data are preferably stored in at least one separate memory area which includes a plurality of memory locations 16-01 to 16-0n. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1a, the memory module 16 is assigned to the service provider and its memory area to all cost centers. With a large number of memory areas, each memory area can be assigned to a cost center. The microprocessor µP can address a number of memory cells per memory location in accordance with the number of information units to be stored. The following information, such as number, postage value, date, advertising cliché number, weight, format, optional prints for shipping information (shape, type, destination) and other specific setting states can be mapped onto the aforementioned information units bits.

0017FIG. 1b shows details of the block diagram of another variant of a terminal with a one-time programmable (OTP) processor in the control device. The block diagram shown in FIG. 1b also applies in principle to any electronic control unit to which a printer (not shown) and a modem (not shown) can be connected. According to the invention, it is provided that the electronic control unit provides at least one separate storage area for usage data, which can be transmitted to the data center by modem at intervals. Alternatively, an electronic franking machine in a variant not shown here can also be implemented by a personal computer with a connected commercially available printer.

0018Such an arrangement is also referred to as a PC franking device. Alternatively, the printer can also be designed for high-speed mail processing. A mail processing system with a printing machine base station controlled by a personal computer is explained in the unpublished German patent application DE 19711998.0.

0019A suitable OTP processor is already used in an embodiment of a franking machine proposed in EP 716 398 A2. It is connected to a non-volatile memory for billing and to an ASIC as an interface to a base. Details of this embodiment were described in the German patent application DE 19534530 A1 with the title: Method for securing data and program code of an electronic franking machine, and also in the German patent application DE 19731304.3-53 with the title: Method for reloading statistics mode and for statistical recording according to statistics classes the storage of a data record.

0020FIG. 2 shows an overall flowchart for a franking machine with statistical mode 420 according to the invention within a franking mode 400. It is provided that after the franking machine is switched on in the Start 100 font, a function test with a subsequent initialization takes place within a start routine 101. A program code in the non-readable internal OTP-ROM now allows several advantageous start security check routines, such as those detailed in the German patent application DE 19534530. After a start routine 101, the sequence has a system routine 200 with a point s. It is envisaged that the terminal is a franking machine with a microprocessor 6, which is programmed to enter an input / display routine 209 and a franking mode 400 within a system routine 200, the input routine 209 for the microprocessor to acquire current usage data the franking machine in parameter memory 5a-01, request steps for entering at least the franking value, includes the usage information regarding weight or shipping.

0021The process is continued after the input / display routine 209, with a branch to a communication mode 300 and with the modified franking mode 400. In German patent application DE 19731304.3-53, step 209 for the input / display routine of properties of a system or Features of the device, the communication mode, the franking mode and a statistics mode explained in more detail. In principle, steps 401 to 407 can be processed in the modified franking mode 400 as was explained in the same way. The accounting data are stored in the Li-battery-based NV-RAM 5a in separate storage areas (not shown). A number of steps (not shown) for forming a checksum 415 and its DES encryption in the font 416 to form a MAC (message authentication code) follow. In font 417, the MAC associated with the accounting data is also stored in a carrier-specific manner under a cost center number.

0022The statistical mode step 420 according to the invention is called within a franking mode 400 by the OTP processor or by the separate microprocessor 6 of the meter. However, the usage data is always saved separately from the accounting data. Such an arrangement consists at least of a memory and a microprocessor, whereby according to the invention a parameter memory 5a-01 for current usage data and a statistical memory 16 for statistical storage of usage data are formed, the aforementioned memories being non-volatile memories. The compilation of current usage data is also referred to below as a parameter combination. After a signal for a print request has been detected in document 405 and steps 406 to 417 associated with the billing routine have been carried out, the microprocessor determines (420-1) that processing for statistical storage of the usage data can begin in statistical mode 420. It is provided that the processor is connected to a statistical memory 16 for statistical storage of use data stored in statistical classes and to a program memory and is programmed with a program for automatic class formation and for statistical storage of the use data and associated storage of a counter reading.

0023FIG. 4 shows a flow chart for statistical storage with the automatic class formation according to the invention. The following steps are carried out:<ul id="ul0001" list-style="dash" compact="compact"><li>Entry 420-1 into statistical mode 420 for statistical storage of the usage data,</li><li>Calling 420-2 a current parameter combination from the parameter memory 5a-01 and carrying out a comparison 420-3, whether a statistics class COM already corresponds to this parameter combination_m of stored combinations exists in the statistics memory 16, each stored combination having a counter reading Z_m assigned,</li><li>Increase 420-5 the counter reading Z_m in the statistical memory 16 by one if it is determined in step 420-3 that a statistical class exists in the statistical memory 16 according to the stored combinations mentioned above, or</li><li>automatic formation 420-4 of a new statistics class COM_n and storing them in the statistics memory 16 and setting one to the new statistics class COM_n assigned payer status Z_n to a starting value (for example = 1).</li></ul>

0024After the end of 420-9, it is optionally checked whether there is still enough space in the statistics memory for usage data. If this is not the case, however, the microprocessor can automatically establish a connection to the data center in order to load the statistical data from the memory of the franking machine FM into a memory of the data center DZ. Alternatively, the franking machine can wait for user input in order to enter communication mode I. In the aforementioned comparison in the statistical mode, the microprocessor evaluates all the stored data records. Each data record can be assigned a unique code, name or number that identifies the data record. This identifier occupies a first byte of the first memory location 16-01. In the second memory location 16-02 there is at least an assigned number of memory cells as counters for storing a subsequent, similar use. The counter requires four bytes of memory cells in the second memory location 16-02. One byte is required for the type of each parameter and a further 4 bytes are required for its value.

0025FIG. 3 shows the representation of an m-th class COMm of current parameters. A number of pieces is assigned to each class of parameter data. The data record stored in the statistics memory 16 consists of data for the postage value, date, advertising cliché number, weight, format, election prints or other parameter data. In addition, the class can be labeled with identifying data. In the limit case, a data record only consists of a CC (COM Code) label, data for the number of items, the type and the value of a parameter. This is the case, for example, if parameters can no longer be entered from the parameter memory or other parameters could not be taken into account.

0026FIG. 5 shows a memory location in the parameter memory for such a limit case. A first byte is for an identifier of the i-th type for types 1, 2, ..., i, ..., k and four bytes are for the u-th value for values ​​1, 2, ... , u, ..., z provided. The corresponding parameter data listed in memory locations and remain non-volatile in the parameter memory 5a-01 until the next change. This parameter memory 5a-01 formed in a memory area of ​​the non-volatile memory 5a can of course also be implemented as a separate parameter memory.

0027The representation of a data record of the class COMm stored in the statistical memory with only one parameter is explained with reference to FIG. A first byte is for an identifier of the statistics class, four bytes are for the counter reading, another byte is for the type of the first parameter and four bytes are for the value of the first parameter. Such a limit case has of course been shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 only for reasons of simplification. The bytes for the type and value of other parameters are simply appended to the end of the data record. This is possible because the link forms a conjunction. The further individual byte for the type of a second parameter and the further four bytes for the value of the second parameter form at least with the byte for the type of the first parameter and with the four bytes for the value of the first parameter the aforementioned parameter combination. The available storage capacity in the statistical memory is, for example, 20 kbytes. It is used optimally by the space-saving storage management. A statistical evaluation of the usage information for a service can be done periodically.

0028The use of the franking machine in accordance with the franking service for sending mail pieces results in at least certain usage information. The usage information required to generate statistics in the data center is transmitted to the data center in the form of compressed data records via modem 23. A memory area is selected by a cost center entered by the user in order to be used for the first time<img file="EP1001383A2_D0001.tif" />Franking "as the first usage information to store at least the postage value on one of the storage locations in the statistical memory 16. There are no fixed storage locations for values ​​or numbers, but the data records are stored in succession. A single or a number of usage information can form a class. The class is assigned a counter, which is incremented if the subsequent use results in the same class of usage information. If, however, the subsequent use results in a new use for which no class has yet been formed, a new class is automatically generated and a corresponding data record is added to the statistics memory. The storage space saving results, on the one hand, from the piece counting when the franking machine is used in direct succession in the same manner, and, on the other hand, from the storage of data records of variable length. The length depends on whether only one or a large number of different usage information is stored in the subsequent storage locations.

0029FIG. 2 shows the following optional steps after the statistical mode 420 for checking the still available storage capacity of the statistical memory 16. A time interval can be agreed for each communication with the data center so that the franking machine reports back to the data center after the time has elapsed. In step 429, the still available memory space in the memory area of ​​the user memory 16 is checked. If the available storage space is still sufficient for storing a next data record, then a branch is made to step 431 with the franking imprint routine known per se. On the other hand, if the statistics memory is almost full, a branch is made to step 430 in order to generate a warning and possibly to close the time interval for storing usage information, before branching to step 431 with the franking printing routine. The franking imprint routine is preferably carried out by the microprocessor 6 in a manner known per se. Since the microprocessor in the system routine queries the print request 405 constantly and faster than a mail piece to be franked can be delivered, the execution of the query step 349 is assured. In this way, communication with transmission of the data to the data center and subsequent deletion of the memory area can be automatically triggered in an indirect manner. Alternatively, you can wait for user input after the display to initiate communication with the data center. The microprocessor 6 is programmed in a statistical mode 420 and in a communication mode 300 or 350 to occur, the microprocessor 6 being programmed in the communication mode for data transfer from the statistical memory 16 to a remote memory 31, the data transfer taking place in order to carry out a statistical evaluation of the usage data away from the terminal. It is optionally possible to call up a routine for statistical evaluation in the franking machine via the user interface using the input means 2, 21 and the display 3.

0030It is provided that shortly before or when the memory overflows, the usage data stored in the statistical memory of the terminal is transmitted to the data center. The memory area can then be made free for new usage data. In contrast to the treatment of the accounting data, the usage data may be deleted by the OTP processor or by the microprocessor 6 of the meter after it has been transmitted to the data center. After completion of the data transfer to the remote memory 31, it is provided that the microprocessor 6 is programmed to restore the required memory capacity in the statistical memory 16.

0031Figure 7 shows a routine for restoring the statistical storage capacity. After communication mode 300, point b is reached (FIG. 2). Further queries may lie between points b and d of the flow chart shown in FIG. 2 before a service mode is reached which includes the statistical mode 420 according to the invention. In a query step 211 - shown in FIG. 7 - a query is made as to whether usage data were transmitted to the data center during the communication. It is provided that after the transmission and storage of usage data in the remote memory, it is determined in query step 211 of a system routine 200 of the terminal that the data have been transmitted. In step 213, the capacity of the statistical memory 16 can be restored, for example by deleting it. Subsequently, a display text is generated in font 215 before branching back to point s of system routine 200. Alternatively, a branch can be made from the query step 211 to a step 214 for evaluating the communication with partial or without deleting the statistical memory 16.

0032Figure 8 shows a transaction request routine in the event of a memory overflow. This is an optional subroutine for statistical mode 420 (FIG. 4). The query step 420-7 begins at the point q, ie after the processing of the steps 420-5 or 420-6 shown in FIG. 4. In memory step 420-7, the memory overflow is determined. The branch is then branched to point g of FIG. 2 via the transaction request in step 420-8. Otherwise, end 420-9 of statistics mode is reached. If a statistical memory is already full, the statistical mode 420 can thus point directly to point g in order to automatically enter a communication mode II.

0033The flow chart for storing usage data in statistical mode (steps 417 to 430), which is processed within franking mode 400, was explained with reference to FIG. However, the method according to the invention is not restricted to this specific embodiment. In principle, usage data can also be stored after the franking printing routine has been completed or immediately after writing 405 to determine a printing request.

0034The invention is not limited to the present embodiments. Rather, a number of variants are conceivable within the scope of the claims. Obviously, further other embodiments of the invention can be developed or used, starting from the same basic idea of ​​the invention, which are encompassed by the appended claims.