Claims
- 1. A postage metering system comprising:a computer having a user interface to receive postage information; a secure metering device (SMD) operatively coupled to the computer via a communications link, the SMD including a processor configured to receive the postage information from the computer, direct generation of a postage indicium, and account for the postage indicium, and a tamper evident enclosure that houses the processor; and a printer coupled to the SMD, the printer configured to receive and print the postage indicium; wherein: the postage indicium is printed on a specially manufactured postage label having an identifier printed with fluorescent ink that is visible when exposed to light of one or more selected wavelengths; the postage label includes at least one portion printed with an ink that includes a plurality of taggant beads; and each taggant bead has multicolored layers that are arranged in a color pattern to encode information.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage label includes a micro printing portion.
- 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the taggant beads are formulated to resonate at a particular frequency.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage indicium includes a human-readable portion and a machine-readable portion.
- 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the machine-readable portion includes a barcode.
- 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the machine-readable portion includes a facing identification mark (FIM) mark.
- 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage indicium includes a plurality of data fields, each field including at least one data element from a set of available data elements.
- 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage indicium includes a plurality of data elements.
- 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage indicium includes postage information signed using a digital signature algorithm.
- 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the postage indicium includes postage information encoded using a cryptographic algorithm.
- 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the data fields conform to IBIP specifications.
- 12. A postage metering system comprising:a secure metering device (SMD) configured to generate a postage indicium; and a printer coupled to the SMD and configured to receive and print the postage indicium onto a postage label, wherein the postage indicium includes a human-readable portion that includes at least one data element, each data element providing a particular item of postage information, a machine-readable portion that includes a combination of one or more graphical representations and encoded texts, and an identifier portion that exhibits characteristics used for authenticating the postage indicium; wherein: the identifier portion includes a fluorescent strip; the postage label includes at least one portion printed with an ink that includes a plurality of taggant beads; and the taggant beads have multicolored layers that are arranged in at least one color pattern that is an indicator of postage authentication information.
- 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the identifier portion includes a micro printing portion.
- 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the characteristics aid in the detection of counterfeit postage indicium.
- 15. A postage label having a postage indicium, the postage label comprising:a human-readable portion that includes at least one data element, each data element providing a particular postage information; a machine-readable portion that includes a combination of one or more graphical representations and encoded texts; and an identifier portion that exhibits characteristics used for authenticating the postage label, wherein: the identifier portion includes at least one of the group including a fluorescent strip, a micro printing portion, and an identifier; and the identifier portion is printed with an ink that includes taggant beads.
- 16. The postage label of claim 15, wherein the identifier portion includes a fluorescent strip.
- 17. The postage label of claim 15, wherein the identifier portion includes a micro printing portion.
- 18. The postage label of claim 15, wherein the characteristics aid in the detection of counterfeit postage labels.
- 19. A postage metering system comprising:a computer having a user interface to receive postage information; a secure metering device (SMD) operatively coupled to the computer via a communications link, the SMD including: a processor configured to receive the postage information from the computer, direct generation of a postage indicium, and account for the postage indicium, and a tamper evident enclosure that houses the processor; and a printer coupled to the SMD, the printer configured to receive and print the postage indicium; wherein the postage indicium is printed on a specially manufactured label having an identifier, the label includes at least one portion printed with an ink that includes taggant beads formulated to provide an identifying characteristic.
- 20. The system of claim 19, wherein:the taggant beads include aluminum particles that are formulated to resonate at a particular resonant frequency; and the resonant frequency provides the identifying characteristic.
- 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the taggant beads are formulated to provide a color pattern.
- 22. A postage metering system comprising:a secure metering device (SMD) configured to generate a postage indicium's; and a printer coupled to the SMD and configured to receive and print the postage indicium's onto a label; wherein the postage indicium's includes a human-readable portion that includes at least one data element, each data element providing a particular item of postage information, a machine-readable portion that includes a combination of one or more graphical representations and encoded texts, and an identifier portion that exhibits characteristics used for authenticating the postage indicium's; wherein the identifier portion includes a micro-printing portion and printed with ink that includes taggant beads.
- 23. The postage metering system of claim 22 wherein the micro printing portion is disposed adjacent to a ruled line.
- 24. A postage metering system comprising:a secure metering device (SMD) configured to generate a postage indicium; and a printer coupled to the SMD and configured to receive and print the postage indicium onto a label; wherein the postage indicium includes a human-readable portion that includes at least one data element, each data element providing a particular item of postage information, a machine-readable portion that includes a combination of one or more graphical representations and encoded texts, and an identifier portion that exhibits characteristics used for authenticating the postage indicium; wherein the identifier portion is printed with ink that includes taggant beads that are viewable under microscopic magnification.
- 25. The system of claim 1 wherein:the ink that includes the taggant beads is the fluorescent ink; and the identifier is printed in the fluorescent ink.
- 26. The system of claim 1 wherein the taggant beads are viewable under microscopic magnification.
- 27. The system of claim 2 wherein the micro printing portion is disposed adjacent a ruled line.
- 28. The system of claim 2 wherein the micro printing portions is printed with the ink that includes the taggant beads.
- 29. The system of claim 3 wherein the resonant frequency is a radio frequency.
- 30. The system of claim 16 wherein the identifier portion is the at least one portion printed with the ink that includes the taggant beads.
- 31. The system of claim 30 wherein the fluorescent strip is printed with the ink that includes the taggant beads.
- 32. The system of claim 15 wherein the taggant beads are viewable under microscopic magnification.
- 33. The postage label of claim 15 wherein the taggant beads have multicolored layers that are arranged in at least one color pattern that is an indicator of postage authentication information.
- 34. The postage label of claim 15 wherein:the taggant beads include aluminum particles that are formulated to resonate at a particular resonant frequency; and the resonant frequency is an indicator of postage authentication information.
- 35. The system of claim 20 wherein the resonant frequency is a radio frequency.
- 36. The system of claim 33 wherein the resonant frequency is a radio frequency.
Parent Case Info
This application claims priority from the following U.S. provisional and non-provisional applications, the disclosures of which, including software appendices and all attached documents, are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes:
Application Serial No. 60/093,849, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Postage Label Authentication,” filed Jul. 22, 1998, of J P Leon and David A. Coolidge;
Application Serial No. 60/094,065, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Resetting Postage Meter,” filed Jul. 24, 1998, of J P Leon;
Application Serial No. 60/094,073, entitled “Method, Apparatus, and Code for Maintaining Secure Postage Information,” filed Jul. 24, 1998, of J P Leon, Albert L. Pion, and Elizabeth A. Simon;
Application Serial No. 60/094,116, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Dockable Secure Metering Device,” filed Jul. 24, 1998, of J P Leon;
Application Serial No. 60/094,120, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Remotely Printing Postage Indicia,” filed Jul. 24, 1998, of Chandrakant J. Shah, J P Leon, and David A. Coolidge;
Application Serial No. 60/094,122, entitled “Postage Metering System Employing Positional Information,” filed Jul. 24, 1998, of J P Leon;
Application Serial No. 60/094,127, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Operating a Removable Secure Metering Device,” filed Jul. 24, 1998, of J P Leon; and
a continuation of Application Ser. No. 09/250,990, entitled “Postage Meter System,” filed Feb. 16, 1999, of J P Leon.
The following related U.S. patent applications filed on the same day herewith are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes:
Application Ser. No. 09/359,158, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,274, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Operating a Secure Metering Device,” of JP Leon;
Application Ser. No. 09/358,802, entitled “Method, Apparatus, and Code for Maintaining Secure Postage Data,” of J P Leon, Albert L. Pion, and Elizabeth A. Simon;
Application Ser. No. 09/359,163, entitled “Postage Metering System Employing Positional Information,” of JP Leon;
Application Ser. No. 09/359,162, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Resetting Postage Meter,” of JP Leon; and
Application Ser. No. 09/358,511, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Remotely Printing Postage Indicia,” of Chandrakant J. Shah, J P Leon, and David A. Coolidge.
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Provisional Applications (7)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/093849 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
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60/094065 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
|
60/094073 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
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60/094116 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
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60/094120 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
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60/094122 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
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60/094127 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/250990 |
Feb 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/358801 |
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US |