Modification of receiver surface to reject stamp...

Coating apparatus – Control means responsive to a randomly occurring sensed... – Responsive to attribute – absence or presence of work

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C118S046000, C283S071000, C347S002000, C101S371000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06503329

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an article and system used for creating a coating on an image produced by a thermal printer, wax sublimation printer, electrophotographic printer or inkjet printer, with a layer of material that produces a surface capable of rejecting information transferred by a stamp canceling device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At present, official postage stamps are designed to accept a cancellation mark as the stamp passes through the postal sorting equipment. The cancellation mark shows the stamp has been used as postage on a piece of mail and cannot be used again. With the advent of the personalized postage stamp as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,605 a consumer can submit a personal image and have the personal image become part of the postage stamp
10
as shown in FIG.
1
. The stamp
10
comprises an official postal image (indicia)
20
printed in an official postal image area
24
bordered on the inside border by lines
25
,
26
,
27
, and
28
and on the outside edge by perforations
30
. The stamp
10
includes a personal image
40
lying inside the personal image area
45
bordered by the lines
25
,
26
,
27
, and
28
. The personalized postage stamp
10
can be created using several methods. Images that can be used for the personal image portion of the personalized postage stamp
10
can be consumer images obtained from a variety of sources. For example, but limited to, consumer image files stored in digital formation floppy disks, Picture CDs, Photo CDs, CD-ROMs, down loaded from the Internet, and negatives and prints scanned using the consumer's own scanner.
Typically because of the high quality required, the official postal image
20
on a postage stamp
10
is printed first using a Gravure process. The Gravure process is capable of creating images of very high resolution, way beyond the capabilities of most common printers. The Gravure process is an intaglio process. It uses a depressed or sunken surface etched into a copper cylinder to create the image and the unetched surface of the cylinder represent non-printing areas. The cylinder rotates in a bath of ink and the etched area picks up the ink and transfers it to the media creating the image. Gravure printing is considered excellent for printing highly detailed marks or pictures and meet all the specifications required for printing an official postage stamp.
Since the personal image
40
is not part of the official postal stamp, meaning the official postal image
20
can be used as postage without the personalized image area
40
, while the personalized image
40
cannot. The personal image
40
can be printed at a later time using for example, a thermal printer, wax sublimation printer, electro-photographic printer or ink jet printer directly onto the stamp
10
as shown in FIG.
1
. The personal image
40
can be printed as a separate sticker
41
and adhered directly to the official stamp in a designated area
50
as shown in
FIG. 2
a
such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,573. The personal image
40
can also be printed adjacent to or below the stamp
10
as shown in
FIG. 2
b
and
FIG. 2
c
respectively such as is disclosed in international patent application PCT/AU99/00346.
There are several problems with the systems and methods disclosed in the prior art. The first is when a postal product such as a stamp
10
with the personal image area
45
is affixed to an envelope
70
and used for postage. However, the postal product may be integrally part of a postcard, label or any other item now used for retaining official postage. The stamp cancellation device prints the cancellation mark
60
across the entire surface of the stamp
10
as shown in FIG.
3
. For the purposes of the present invention an official postal product shall be defined as a product by itself or as affixed to another product and that is recognized as official postage, which can be used to send items through the official governmental postal system. The cancellation mark
60
extends across the official postal area
24
of the stamp
10
as well as the personal image area
45
thus obscuring the personalized portion. A typical official United States postage stamp is printed with inks that have a pigment, when excited by ultraviolet light at a peak wavelength of 254 nanometers, phosphoresce in the visible (green) region of the spectrum with a peak wavelength of 526 nanometers. Current equipment in the post office is used for scanning of the postage for verifying that it is authentic postage and to locate where the stamp is on the envelope for cancellation. Because of the nature of the equipment used to print the cancellation mark no attempt is made to place the cancellation mark other than to ensure the mark is printed across a portion of the stamp.
The present invention provides a method and system for customizing an official postal product that solves many of the problems of the prior art. The method and system also provides high quality images on official postal products having the required quality, characteristics, and content standards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for applying a protective coating on a personalized image product, the personalized image product is comprised of a first area having an official postage image thereon and a second area having a personal image thereon.
A scanner capable of determining the location of the second area and a coating device for applying a protective coating only to the second area as determined by said scanner in response to the scanner determining the location of said second area, said protective coating for repelling a postal cancellation mark.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for providing a cancellation on an official postal product. The official postal product having a first area having an official image area having official postal indicia and a second area having a personal image. The apparatus having a scanner for determining the location of the first area and a printhead for applying a cancellation onto the first area as determined by said scanner in response to the scanner locating said first area.
These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3869986 (1975-03-01), Hubbard
patent: 4580144 (1986-04-01), Calvi
patent: 4846502 (1989-07-01), Chang et al.
patent: 5332713 (1994-07-01), Oldfield et al.
patent: 5373115 (1994-12-01), Manduley et al.
patent: 5387573 (1995-02-01), Oldfield et al.
patent: 5423573 (1995-06-01), de Passillé
patent: 5873605 (1999-02-01), Kaplan
patent: 5984539 (1999-11-01), Patton et al.
patent: 6054170 (2000-04-01), Chess et al.
patent: 6112193 (2000-08-01), Dlugos et al.
patent: 1474203 (1977-05-01), None
patent: 2000-112356 (2000-04-01), None
patent: 99/60551 (1999-11-01), None

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