Importance

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and arrangement for data processing in a mail shipping system, wherein a piece of mail is detected and scanned in the transport path leading to a postage meter machine. Information obtained by the scanning of the piece of mail is automatically entered into the postage meter machine, and this information includes an identification of a number of items (pages or inserts such as disks or other information carriers). In the postage meter machine, the weight of the piece of mail is calculated by multiplying the item count by an average item weight stored in the postage meter machine, and adding this to the container weight, such as an envelope weight, for the piece of mail, also stored in the postage meter machine. The fee for shipping the piece of mail is then calculated in the postage meter machine using the calculated weight and a fee table for a carrier selected for shipping the piece of mail. The item count can either be printed on the piece of mail, in which case it is scanned directly, or it can be stored in a computer on which the piece of mail was produced, and the scanned information is used to enable the postage meter machine to search the memory of the computer to locate the item count. The piece of mail is then franked in the postage meter machine, with an accounting being conducted before the franking.

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First Claim