"This Technical Specification describes the ""Open Standard Interface between Image Processor@ Machine Control and Image Controller"" (IP/MC/IC Interface) in the context of postal automation equipment. The following architectural overview is the basis for this interface standardization: It was agreed to unify the interfaces between a) Image Processor and Image Controller@ b) Image Processor and Machine Control and c) Machine Control and Image Controller and to produce one common specification for this so-called IP/MC/IC Interface. The communication partners of this interface will be called Machine or Machine Control (MC) on the one side and Reading/Coding (RC) System on the other side. There may be several instances of this interface@ depending on the implementation of the MC and the connected RC. NOTE interfaces for synchronizing the lifted images with their mailpiece_IDs provided by the machine are not shown in the figure above and are not subject of standardization within the first release of this interface. From the customer point of view@ the following two scenarios are relevant. The systems MACHINE and RC SYSTEM are to be considered as ""black boxes"" thus not detailing internal system structure and interfaces. 1) The Machine already includes Camera and Image Processor and will be connected to a 3rd-party RC System including Image Controller and Enrichment Devices. 2) The Machine will be connected to a 3rd-party RC System including Camera@ Image Processor@ Image Controller and Enrichment Devices. The Camera and (possibly) the Image Processor will have to be mechanically integrated into the machine. NOTE The camera can be provided by any 3rd-party. This should not impede on the IP/MC/IC interfaces ! This standard is arranged under four main clauses as described in Figure 4. ??UCM (Use Case Model) describes the use cases for the IP/MC/IC Interface using sequence diagrams with messages. ??IDD (Interface Design Description) defines the data model for the IP/MC/IC interface. ??SDD (System Design Description) defines the mandatory specification of the IP/MC/IC interface in terms of architecture@ services and behavioural models. In the Common Part of this clause no middleware or transport layer is specified. The common part of this clause is intended to be middleware-independent. ??SDD-TCP/IP@ SDD-CORBA@ SDD-SOAP in these specialized clauses. The specifications for three compatible transport solutions TCP/IP@ CORBA and SOAP are provided. Further middleware solutions can be added when available@ provided that they are fully compatible with the Common Part."