Claims
- 1. A method of evidencing postage payment, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a postal origin in a meter accounting unit;
- selecting a requested postal value to be printed on a mailpiece;
- deducting the requested postal value from a total postal value stored as a general account for the meter accounting unit;
- adding the requested postal value to a sub-account corresponding to the selected postal origin for the meter accounting unit; and
- printing the requested postal value and the selected postal origin on the mailpiece.
- 2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:
- generating a digital token as evidence of the requested postal value to be printed on the mailpiece, said digital token being encrypted information including the requested postal value and the selected postal origin; and
- printing the digital token on the mailpiece.
- 3. A method of refilling a postage meter with postal funds, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a postage meter with a general accounting register corresponding to total postal value stored in the postage meter;
- authorizing the postage meter for printing evidence of postage payment for a plurality of postal origins, each of the postal origins corresponding to respective post offices;
- providing the postage meter with a plurality of sub-accounting registers, each of the sub-accounting registers corresponding to an amount of postal value printed for one of the plurality of postal origins since an immediately previous meter refill by the postage meter;
- requesting a new meter refill from a data center;
- sending to a data center controlling the new meter refill the amount of postal value in each of the sub-accounting registers;
- accounting at the data center the amount requested for the new refill;
- sending the amount of postal value in each of the sub-accounting registers to a postal service;
- distributing to the respective post offices funds corresponding to the amount of postal value in each of the sub-accounting registers.
- 4. A postage metering system comprising:
- a postal security device (PSD) including a first processor, secure accounting means, value storage means and digital signature means, said value storage means including total postal value information and an origin postal value for each of a plurality of postal origins, wherein the PSD is authorized to dispense evidence of postage payment for each of said postal origins;
- a printer module coupled to the PSD, wherein the PSD performs accounting for each postage evidencing transaction, the accounting including debiting the total postal value and incrementing one of the origin of postal values corresponding to the postage evidencing transaction.
- 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the printer module requests and obtains from the PSD evidence of postage payment for mailpiece to be printed on the mailpiece, the request including postal amount and one of the postal origins.
- 6. The system of claim 4 wherein the printer module includes printing means dedicated to printing said evidence of postage payment.
- 7. The system of claim 4 wherein the printer module includes a general purpose processor with an unsecured printer coupled thereto for printing said evidence of postage payment.
- 8. The system of claim 4 wherein the PSD is communicatively coupled to a remote Data Center for performing conventional metering functions including meter refill.
- 9. The system of claim 4 wherein said secure accounting means and said value storage means maintain general accounting information for said PSD and specific accounting information for each of said printer modules.
- 10. The system of claim 4 wherein additional printer modules are connected to the PSD over a network.
- 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said printer modules include open system and closed system printers.
- 12. A postage metering system comprises:
- a plurality of closed and open meter printer modules operatively connected as part of a metering network;
- a postal security device (PSD) coupled to the network, the PSD including a processor, secure accounting means, value storage means and digital signature means, said value storage means including total postal value information and origin postal value for a plurality of postal origins, wherein the PSD is authorized to dispense evidence of postage payment for each of said postal origins;
- wherein the printer modules and the PSD function as a postage metering network when one of the printer modules initiates a postage metering transaction by requesting evidence of postage payment from the PSD for concluding the postage metering transaction for one of the postal origins, the PSD receiving the request and performing accounting for the total postal value and for the origin of postal value, the PSD further generating the evidence of postage payment and sending the evidence of payment to the printer module for subsequent printing.
- 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the PSD is coupled to the network through a personal computer coupled to the network.
- 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the PSD is coupled to the network through one of the printer modules.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is related to the following U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/993,356 and 08/993,357, all filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
US Referenced Citations (21)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2138103 |
Jun 1995 |
CAX |