Claims
- 1. A method for selecting and accounting for value-added services with a closed system metering device, the method comprising:
coupling a scanning device to a closed system postage meter; scanning information, including recipient address, printed on a mailpiece; determining if value-added services are desired; performing accounting related to the desired value-added services; combining the recipient address with other information relating to the postage payment for the mailpiece to obtain postal data relating to the mailpiece; using the postal data to generate an indicium for the mailpiece, the indicium including cryptographic evidencing of postage payment; adding graphical representation of the desired value-added services to the generated indicium to generate a value-added indicium printing the value-added indicium on the mailpiece.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the scanning device is a bar code reader and the addressing information scanned on the mailpiece is printed in bar code format.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cryptographic evidencing of postage payment is in the form of a digital signature.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the other information relating to the mailpiece includes at least one of date of mailing, piece count, postage amount and an identification number of the closed system postage meter.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises the step of:
selecting the desired value-added services from a menu of value-added services available through the closed system metering device.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises the step of:
automatically selecting the desired value-added services from the information scanned from the envelope.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the value-added services comprises ad slogan/coupon brokering.
- 8. A postage metering system comprising:
a closed system meter including means for generating a indicium and means for printing the indicium; and means operatively coupled to the closed system meter for scanning information printed on an envelope; means operatively coupled to the closed system meter for selecting value-added services corresponding to the envelope; and wherein the generating means generates the indicium using the scanned information, the indicium including graphical representation of the value-added services, and the printing means prints the indicium on the envelope, said closed system meter further including means for accounting for generated indicium and the value-added services.
- 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the means for generating a indicium includes a cryptographic operation using the scanned information.
- 10. The system of claim 8 wherein the scanning means comprises a bar code scanner and the scanned information is printed in bar code format on the envelope.
- 11. The system of claim 8 wherein the scanning means comprises an OCR reader and the scanned information is printed in alphanumeric format on the envelope.
- 12. The system of claim 8 wherein the closed system meter is operatively coupled to a mailing machine.
- 13. A postage metering system comprising:
means for generating a graphical representation of an advertising message; means operatively coupled to the generating means for scanning information printed on an envelope; and means operatively coupled to the generating means for selecting at least one advertising message corresponding to information printed on the envelope; means operatively coupled to the generating means for printing the selected advertising message; and means for accounting for the selected advertising message printed on the envelope.
- 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the generating means, the selecting means, the printing means and accounting means are located within a closed system postage meter.
- 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the generating means, the selecting means, the printing means and accounting means are located within a mailing machine, the mailing machine being operatively coupled to postage meter.
- 16. The system of claim 13 wherein the generating means, the selecting means and the printing means are located within a mailing machine and accounting means is located within a postage meter, the mailing machine being operatively coupled to postage meter.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to the following co-pending applications filed concurrently herewith and commonly assigned to the assignee of this application: U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. (Attorney Docket No. E-737), (Attorney Docket No. E-739), (Attorney Docket No. E-741), (Attorney Docket No. E-743), (Attorney Docket No. E-796), (Attorney Docket No. E-803), (Attorney Docket No. E-806), all of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference.