1. A dimensional rating system for providing dimensional rating measurement data regarding a mail piece comprising:
a digital pen sensing device having a first portion with a first surface and a second portion with a second surface, wherein the first portion operatively connected to the second portion at an approximately ninety degree angle;
wherein the first surface and the second surface comprise a digital pen sensor;
a digital pen for obtaining a plurality of measurement data points using the digital pen sensing device; and
a computer having a dimensional rating lookup table, the computer configured for receiving the measurement data points and for determining dimensional rating measurement data for the mail piece using the dimensional rating lookup table, wherein the computer receives the measurement data points from the digital pen.
2. The dimensional rating system of claim 1, further comprising:
a printer operatively connected to the computer for printing postage indicium based upon the dimensional rating measurement data.
3. The dimensional rating system of claim 2, wherein,
the computer is operatively connected to the digital pen using a wireless communications channel.
4. The dimensional rating system of claim 2, wherein,
the computer is operatively connected to the digital pen using a docking station and whereby the computer receives the plurality of measurement data points after all of the plurality of measurement data points have been measured using the digital pen.
5. The dimensional rating system of claim 1, wherein,
the digital pen sensor comprises a digital pen pattern.
6. The dimensional rating system of claim 1, wherein,
the mail piece is a parcel having a shape that is approximately a rectangular prism;
the first surface is displaced in a horizontal plane and the second surface is displaced in a vertical plane;
the computer is configured to determine a length of a mail piece using one of the plurality of measurement data points received associated with a measurement taken by the digital pen on the first surface corresponding to a first corner of the mail piece;
the computer is configured to determine a width of a mail piece using one of the plurality of measurement data points received associated with a measurement taken by the digital pen on the second surface corresponding to a second corner of the mail piece, wherein the second corner of the mail piece is diagonally opposed to the first corner.
7. The dimensional rating system of claim 6, wherein,
the system provides audio prompts for a user to take the measurements at the first and second corners of the mail piece.
8. The dimensional rating system of claim 2, wherein,
the computer is resident in the printer.
9. A scale for providing weight and dimensional rating measurement data regarding a mail piece comprising:
a scale platform having a digital pointing sensing device having a first portion with a first surface and a second portion with a second surface, wherein the first portion is pivotally connected to the second portion and may be configured at an approximately ninety degree angle;
wherein the first surface and the second surface comprise a digital pointing device sensor;
a digital pointing device for obtaining a plurality of measurement data points using the digital pointing sensing device; and
a processor having a dimensional rating lookup table, the processor configured for receiving the measurement data points and for determining dimensional rating measurement data for the mail piece using the dimensional rating lookup table, wherein the processor receives the measurement data points from the digital pen.
10. The scale of claim 9, further comprising:
a weight sensor operatively connected to the scale platform for obtaining weight data associated with the mail piece; and
a display operatively connected to the processor for displaying the weight data and the dimensional rating measurement data.
11. The scale of claim 10, wherein:
the digital pointing device comprises a digital pen and the digital pointing sensing device comprises a digital pen pattern sensing device.
12. The scale of claim 11, wherein:
the scale further comprises a second digital pointing sensing device including a rigid pole marked with digital pen pattern.
13. The scale of claim 9, wherein:
the first portion has a back surface;
the first portion may be pivoted to adjacent the second portion so that the first surface is flush against the second surface; and
the back surface accepts mail pieces for weighing.
14. The scale of claim 13, wherein:
the scale enters a dimensional rating mode when the first surface is pivoted to a position approximately 90 degrees from the second surface.
15. The scale of claim 9, wherein:
the scale estimates the girth of the mail piece using a plurality of measurement data points obtained from the mail piece edges adjacent to the first surface.
16. A mailing machine having a platform scale for dimensionally weighing a mail piece comprising:
the platform scale having a digital pen sensing device having a first portion with a first surface and a second portion with a second surface, wherein the first portion is pivotally connected to the second portion and may be configured at an approximately ninety degree angle;
wherein the first surface and the second surface comprise a digital pen device sensor;
a digital pen device for obtaining a plurality of measurement data points using the digital pen sensing device; and
a processor having a dimensional rating lookup table, the processor configured for receiving the measurement data points and for determining dimensional rating measurement data for the mail piece using the dimensional rating lookup table, wherein the processor receives the measurement data points from the digital pen.
17. The mailing machine of claim 16, further comprising:
a weight sensor operatively connected to the platform scale for obtaining weight data associated with the mail piece; and
a printer for printing postage indicium labels based upon the dimensional rating measurement data and the weight.
18. The mailing machine of claim 16, wherein:
the platform scale enters a dimensional rating mode when the first surface is pivoted to a position approximately 90 degrees from the second surface.
19. The mailing machine of claim 16, wherein:
the first portion has a back surface;
the first portion may be pivoted to adjacent the second portion so that the first surface is flush against the second surface; and
the back surface accepts mail pieces for weighing.
20. The mailing machine of claim 16, wherein:
the processor is operatively connected to the digital pen using a wireless communications channel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of producing a package from a lenticular sheet having anisotropic optical properties comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate of transparent material having a first side and a second side and an index of refraction greater than one;
forming at least one lens pattern having a plurality of lenses on the first side of the substrate in pre-selected portions thereof, wherein a desired optical effect is produced in the pre-selected portions only; and
forming a pre-determined package design from the substrate;
wherein the remainder of the first side of the substrate is unaltered,
wherein the step of forming the at least one lens pattern further comprises the steps of:
engraving a plate or cylinder with a desired lens pattern;
removing undesired portions of the lens pattern from the plate or cylinder using a gravure engraving process; and
using the resulting plate or cylinder in an extrusion embossment process such that the substrate can be embossed with the remaining lens pattern.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses comprises two or more different types of lens patterns.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said sheet can be reverse printed by lithography, gravure, flexography, ink jet or screen.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate can be produced from any clear plastic sheet consisting of polyester, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride or any energy cured thermo set resin.
5. A method of producing a package from a lenticular sheet having anisotropic optical properties comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate of transparent material having a first side and a second side and an index of refraction greater than one;
forming at least one lens pattern having a plurality of lenses on the first side of the substrate in pre-selected portions thereof, wherein a desired optical effect is produced in the pre-selected portions only; and
forming a pre-determined package design from the substrate;
wherein the remainder of the first side of the substrate is unaltered,
wherein the step of forming at least one lens pattern further comprises the steps of: engraving a plate or cylinder with a desired lens pattern; masking desired portions of the engraved plate or cylinder; electroplating the plate or cylinder with a metal; cutting back the electroplated metal to a desired level; removing the masking from the desired lens pattern; and using the resulting plate or cylinder in an extrusion embossment process such that the substrate can be embossed with the remaining lens pattern.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of lenses comprises two or more different types of lens patterns.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said sheet can be reverse printed by lithography, gravure, flexography, ink jet or screen.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein said substrate can be produced from any clear plastic sheet consisting of polyester, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride or any energy cured thermo set resin.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the smooth areas are delustered by chemical etching or patterned by mechanical means.
10. The method of claim 5, wherein the plating in the smooth areas is cut to a level higher than a selected lens area to provide a thinner plastic sheet in the smooth areas.
11. The method of claim 5, wherein the plating in the smooth areas is cut to a level lower than a selected lens area to give a thicker plastic sheet in the smooth areas.
12. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of engraving register marks and bands into the cylinder or plate for use in slitting, sheeting and reverse printing the sheet.
13. A method of manufacturing a package from lenticular sheet comprises the steps of:
engraving a desired lens pattern into a surface metal of a flat metal plate or a cylinder, wherein the surface metal of the plate or cylinder in which the pattern is engraved into is loosely bonded to a base thereof and can be removed to become an engraved metal shell;
cutting the engraved metal shell to the desired shape; and
fastening the metal shell to the cylinder or plate to be used to produce the transparent patterned sheet such that the lens pattern runs along a pre-selected direction; and
forming a pre-determined package design from the lenticular sheet.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the lens pattern comprises two or more different types of patterns.