Method of checking daily consumption of postal charges by a postage meter and a postage meter enabling such monitoring to be performed

DETAILED DESCRIPTION This example includes a protected enclosure EN containing electronic circuits that must be kept out of reach of the user in order to avoid fraud.
These electronic circuits comprise: a microprocessor M1 for implementing control functions of the postage meter in compliance with a program stored in a read only memory RM connected to the microprocessor M1 via a parallel bus PB; two read/write memories BAM1 and BAM2 backed by a battery (not shown), these memories contain: an up-count register for the running total value of franking operations, a down-count register for the credit remaining, a register that stores the number of franking operations, and 2.
times.
31 registers for storing daily consumption over two consecutive calendar months; with all of the above registers being duplicated in the two memories respectively; a calendar circuit CAL associated with a crystal Q and a back-up battery B; a keypad K associated with a display D enabling an operator to give orders to the postage meter and read information concerning the operation thereof; an optional printer P; and a switch S placed in a zone T of the enclosure EN that is accessible via an officially-sealed hatch to enable postal authority personnel to reload credit into the down-count register and to update the time and the date of the calendar circuit CAL.
The sealed hatch prevents the user of the meter from gaining access to the switch S in order to avoid any fraud concerning credit or date of franking.
The meter is credited and set to the right time simultaneously, at regular intervals, e.
g.
once every 6 months, by a member of postal authority staff.
In addition to the sealed hatch, a secret digital code may be provided that needs to be keyed onto the keypad K in order to authorize the inputting of credit or a change of date and time.
The user is entitled to frank mail a few days prior to actually depositing the mail in the post office (up to a maximum of 7 days, for example).
If the user seeks to take advantage of this facility, then the keypad K must be used to offset the date as printed