...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7970641 | Automated bundle package pricing An automated system and method for pricing a bundle package based on a weight of a bundle includes an interface, a point of entry and a processor. The interface requests information and displays information. Data relating to the requested information is submitted th... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7257566 | Method for decision and risk analysis in probabilistic and multiple criteria situations A computer-implemented decision device and a family of methods and procedures are used for representing and analyzing imprecise, vague, and incomplete probabilistic decision and risk problems and/or when a criteria hierarchy is present. Decision makers can state the... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7247801 | System and method for fast weighing of items such as mailpieces A system and method for fast weighing of items such as mailpieces. The system includes a scale system having a platform connected to a load cell that provides an output signal to an analog-to-digital converter. The resulting digital output signal is processed by a l... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7193163 | Handheld electronic scale with background digital animation on display screen The hand held scale of the present invention comprises a rectangular casing with a weighing platform, for supporting items to be weighed, a display screen, for displaying the weight of the objects and to view the animation sequences. There are a series of digital an... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7162459 | Method and system for estimating weights of mailpieces A weight estimating system for estimating the weight of a mailpiece and a postage metering system including such a weight estimating system. The weight estimating system includes a measuring system, a diverter mechanism and a microprocessor system. The measuring sys... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7156303 | Shopping system and method A shopping system and method which reduces resources necessary for completing transactions. The shopping system includes an item recording computer for recording item identification information associated with an item selected for purchase by a shopper in a store, f... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7122750 | Dual display weight measuring apparatus A mechanical weighing scale having mechanical parts driving a pointer rotating around a fixed disc or dial having slots or holes formed therein. The mechanical pointer operates to provide an analog display of one's weight to the user. An optical sensor system is res... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7120611 | Integrated electronic scale, and a system and method which uses the scale automatically to compute postal/carrier rates An electronic scale integrally formed within the housing of a piece of office equipment increases a user's work space in a home or business environment. The piece of equipment may be a personal computer or one of its peripheral devices. A mailing system automaticall... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7098410 | Weighing module for weighing on the fly A weighing module comprising a weighing platform incorporating a weighing cell and a motorized drive belt for transporting a mail item from one side to the other of the weighing platform, means for sensing the format of said mail item and processing means for calcul... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7057117 | Combination balance and cash register The invention relates to the combination of a balance and a cash register with a customer display device shared by both, customary cash register software being used for this purpose. A multiplexer is used, the one data input of which has weighing data of the balance... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7053316 | Wireless weighing device comprising a plurality of functional units A weighing device for handling sales transactions in a retail store, with several functional units, each one among the functional units being linked to at least another one among the functional units by a signal communications system. At least one of unit has a load... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7026556 | Method and system for controlling messages printed by an in store label printer and related label structure A method for selectively printing different messages on labels printed by an in-store scale involves providing an in-store scale including a label printing mechanism with a supply of labels and a communications link for receiving information from a site external to ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6998542 | Scale The invention relates to a device to be used for the sale of goods in a store. Said device comprises a unit for generating goods-related signals, a unit for generating identification signals, which represent the type of the goods to be sold, and comprises a display ... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6983883 | System and method for weighing and tracking freight In a freight shipment system and method, the lift trucks used by the freight carrier for handling and loading freight shipments are equipped with a weighing device capable of weighing each piece of freight handled by the lift truck. The lift truck is also equipped w... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6982388 | Food product scale with customer voice prompting and related methods A food product scale system includes a customer detecting functionality and a voice functionality for outputting one or more audible voice messages when a customer is detected. When a customer is at a first distance from a weighing station of the scale a customer at... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6972384 | Internet scale The invention disclosed consists of an Internet scale, which is comprised of a weighing platform with an integrated Internet connection/browser means. This scale will allow the connectivity and communication with the Internet or Intranet without the use of a separat... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6970094 | Remotely accessible combination weighing apparatus and combination weighing system In a combination weighing system, a connection is established by Internet between a combination weighing apparatus comprising a weighing machine control portion for setting an operating condition of a weighing machine and logging an operating state of the weighing m... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6960730 | Downloadable digital rate calculating scale A downloadable postage rate calculating device including a platform for receiving a parcel and providing a weight for the parcel, and a processor configured to receive current rates information downloaded from a computer or other similar device. The processor calcul... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6947912 | Method and arrangement for controlling a dynamic scale In a method and arrangement for controlling a dynamic scale, the conveying speed of a conveyor belt for items of mail in the dynamic operating mode is independent of the format of the pieces of mail. During dynamic weighing, a controller of the scale deactivates the... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6928343 | Shopper tracker and portable customer service terminal charger A system and method is disclosed for a shopping system, the system including a shopping cart including a plurality of wheels; a portable electronic device (e.g., a CST or POS terminal), coupled to the shopping cart, for displaying shopping data; and a position mappi... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6910047 | Method and system for changing rating data via internet or modem in a carrier management system The invention is a method and system of updating a set of data objects within a Data Access System (DAS). The method begins by initiating a communication link between a client and a host data processing system. Once a communications link is established, a set of obj... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6907409 | Method and arrangement for determining a weight with a dynamic scale A dynamic scale has a conveyor, a weighing pan, a weighing cell, sensors and an electronic control unit that, in addition to controlling the conveyor means (4), implements an evaluation of a number measured weight values that are obtained from the weighing ce... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6900396 | Device for handling individual processes The invention pertains to a device, especially a measuring device, for handling individual processes, in the course of which at least one value is generated, with a characterization unit, which can be operated to generate characterizing signals for characterizing th... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6901388 | Method and system for metering mixed weight mail pieces at an increased average rate A method for printing indicia on mailpieces at an increased average speed. The system includes: a postal scale for determining a postage amount for a mail piece; a printer; and a postage meter responsive to the postal scale to control the printer to print an indiciu... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6884946 | Scale for weighing and determining a price of an item A scale for weighing an item and determining a price for the item includes a weighing station for receiving the item, the weighing station producing at least one weight indicative signal. A scale controller receives the weight indicative signal and determines the pr... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6839697 | System and method for weighing items such as mailpieces in the presence of external vibration A system and method for weighing of items such as mailpieces in the presence of external vibration such as ground noise. The system includes a scale system having a platform connected to a load cell, which provides an output signal to an analog-to-digital converter.... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6777624 | Electronic balance with a remote error reporting via the internet and a display for informing a user of corrective measures from a remote service center An electronic balance provided with a self-diagnosis function comprises a connection port for connecting the electronic balance to an external communication terminal. When a self-diagnosis function is performed, the previously stored address in the electronic balanc... | 08/17/2004 |
| 6759602 | Apparatus and method for weighing mailpieces in motion A method for weighing mailpieces while in motion in a mailpiece weighing system. The weigh pan in the mailpiece horizontal transport path generates a signal corresponding to a weight of the moving mailpiece, and the system controller compares the weight of the movin... | 07/06/2004 |
| 6725206 | Cashierless shopping store and components for use therein A cashierless shopping store includes a plurality of shopping carts into which selected items to be purchased are placed by shoppers. Each of the shopping carts includes a weight detector to measure the weight of items placed therein and a transmitter to transmit th... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6674416 | Small-sized sensor A photoelectric sensor 11 has a level display unit (28). The level display unit (28) is constituted by arranging a plurality of 7-segment indicators (33). The 7-segment indicators (33) are partially constituted of red LED segments (33b) and partially cons... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6580037 | Method and system for remote error reporting on weighing equipment A method and system are provided for remotely reporting errors on weighing equipment. The reporting system provides error and diagnostic information for one or more scales to a central service center. The system includes a scale instrument in communicatio... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6571223 | System and method generating postal/carrier rates using encoded information A system and method for computing postal/carrier rates encodes a weight value for an item to be shipped or mailed in bar code form. The bar code is scanned, at a different location, to input the weight value into a program which computes a postal/carrier ... | 05/27/2003 |
| 6559391 | Method for controlling a fast dynamic scale In a method for the control of a fast dynamic scale a first operating mode controls the transport device for transport of postal matter to a further processing station, a measurement with a weighing cell during the transport is made and an evaluation of t... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6496275 | Character printing method and device There are provided a character printing method and device. There are defined print size alternatives to be selectively set to a print size of a printing area of a printing object on which is to be printed part or all of a character group including at leas... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6488207 | Bar code reader, scaling device and scaling method A bar code reader includes bar code processing units (10, 11) for generating a bright/dark pattern forming a bar code (40) by optically scanning a bar code forming surface of an object (4), converting into plural categories of module values indicating wid... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6462286 | Electronic postage scale system and method In an improved postage scale system, soft-selection keys are used for selecting options including shipping service options provided by the system. The display on such a system is adjustable for comfortable viewing thereof. The system is capable of interfa... | 10/08/2002 |
| 6384348 | Packing error detecting system The information of sales items is transmitted from a cash register 1 to a sensing device 2 and stored in a sales items memory 26. In the sensing device 2, a commodities information memory 25 stores the information relating to a nominal weight of each comm... | 05/07/2002 |
| 6237007 | Verification of port list integrity in a hardware description language file A method and computer readable medium are provided for analyzing the integrity of a port list for a component and instantiated modules in a hardware description language file. An example of a hardware description language to which the method and the compu... | 05/22/2001 |
| 6215078 | Method and apparatus for determining a stable weight measurement for use in a security software application of a self-service checkout terminal A method of operating a retail terminal having a weight scale associated therewith includes the step of executing a security software application so as to provide security to the retail terminal during operation thereof. The method also includes the step ... | 04/10/2001 |
| 5918197 | Monitor for collecting data on consumer consumption of disposable sheet products A monitor for collecting data on consumer consumption of disposable sheet products is disclosed. The monitor comprises a working surface capable of supporting a stack of sheets thereon, a weight sensor, and a recorder. The stack of sheets comprises a plur... | 06/29/1999 |