Claims
- 1. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:
a meter having a microprocessor; and a modem coupled to the meter; wherein the microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks to detect security breaches, and wherein the meter sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches.
- 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the modem is a wireless connection.
- 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the security breaches are categorized into a plurality of severity levels.
- 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the automatic fraud reporting is performed upon detection of hard faults.
- 5. The system of claim 3 wherein the meter is disabled upon detection of hard faults.
- 6. The system of claim 3 wherein the detected fault increases in severity level if corrective action is not successful.
- 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the meter awaits an operator fix before sending the alarm message.
- 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the meter resumes operation upon a successful operator fix.
- 9. The system of claim 1 wherein the meter performs corrective action in accordance with a response from the service center responsive to the alarm message.
- 10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
tamper detection devices coupled to subsystems within the meter for detecting security breach in the subsystems; and wherein the meter sends the alarm message via the modem upon activation of one or more of the tamper detection devices.
- 11. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:
a meter having a microprocessor; and a modem coupled to the meter; wherein the microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter to detect security breaches, the security breaches being categorized into three levels, wherein the meter sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of security breaches within predetermined levels, and wherein the meter performs corrective action based on a response from the service center responsive to the alarm message.
- 12. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:
a meter module; a base coupled to the meter module, the base including a microprocessor; and a modem coupled to the base; wherein the microprocessor runs test software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter to detect security breaches, and wherein the base sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches.
- 13. The system of claim 12 wherein operation of the meter module is inhibited upon detection of the security breach.
- 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the security breaches are categorized into a plurality of severity levels.
- 15. The system of claim 12 wherein the automatic fraud reporting is performed upon detection of hard faults.
- 16. The system of claim 14 wherein an operator fix is requested upon detection of soft faults.
- 17. The system of claim 12 further comprising:
tamper detection devices coupled to subsystems within the meter module for detecting security breach in the subsystems; and wherein the base sends the alarm message upon activation of one or more of the tamper detection devices.
- 18. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:
a meter module; a computer coupled to the meter module, the computer including a microprocessor; and a modem coupled to the computer; wherein the microprocessor runs test software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter to detect security breaches, and wherein the computer sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches.
- 19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:
tamper detection devices coupled to subsystems within the meter module for detecting security breach in the subsystems; and wherein the computer sends the alarm message upon activation of one or more of the tamper detection devices.
- 20. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:
a meter module including a first microprocessor; a first modem coupled to the meter; a base coupled to the meter module, the base including a second microprocessor; and a second modem coupled to the base; wherein the first microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter module to detect security and meter failures, the meter module sending an alarm message via the first modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected meter failures; wherein the second microprocessor runs test software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter module to detect security and meter failures, the base also sending the alarm message via the second modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected meter failures.
- 21. The system of claim 20 wherein the failures are categorized into hard and soft faults.
- 22. The system of claim 22 wherein the automatic fraud reporting is performed upon detection of hard faults.
- 23. A method for placing automated fraud reporting in a postage metering system including a meter and a modem comprising:
performing a check of the meter using diagnostic software; detecting a fault within the meter; and sending an alarm message via the modem coupled to the meter upon detection of particular ones of the detected faults.
- 24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:
determining whether the detected fault is a hard fault; and disabling operation of the meter upon detection of the hard fault.
- 25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:
monitoring the detected fault; and resuming operation of the meter upon detection of clearance of the detected fault.
- 26. The method of claim 23 further comprising:
resetting the meter upon detection of the fault; and resuming operation of the meter upon a successful reset.
- 27. The method of claim 23 further comprising:
waiting for a response from the service center; and repeating the sending and waiting steps until the response is received from the service center.
- 28. A method for placing automated fraud reporting in a postage metering system including a meter and a modem comprising:
performing a check of the meter using diagnostic software; detecting a fault within the meter; determining whether the detected fault is a hard fault; disabling operation of the meter upon detection of the hard fault; and sending an alarm message via the modem connected to the meter upon detection of the hard fault.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The following commonly-owned application is copending and is incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety:
[0002] “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLACING AUTOMATED SERVICE CALL FOR POSTAGE METER AND BASE” (Attorney Docket 6969-147), having Chandrakant J. Shah as inventor.