System and method for dynamically partitioning a postage evidencing system
AssigneeStamps.com Inc.
InventorsCraig Ogg, Keith Bussell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A postage evidencing system for tracking postage amounts for multiple users comprising at least two register set partitions is disclosed. Each of the partitions includes an ascending register holding a number representing a value of postage that can be evidenced by the device, a descending register holding a number representing a value of postage that has been previously evidenced by the device, and an identification representing a source of mail pieces that are evidenced with postage from the partition. A security module limits access to the partitions and registers. The identifier for a selected partition is printed on mail pieces as part of an Information Based Indicia (IBI) to identify the source of the mail pieces.
Claims20
A method for processing a plurality of mail pieces by a high speed mail processing system, the method comprising:
- continuously analyzing, by a controller in a high speed postage evidencing device, a plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces from a plurality of different senders, wherein the printed non-franked mail pieces were printed prior to the analyzing;
- determining, by the controller, a sender identity of each non-franked mail piece during the continuous analyzing of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces;
- identifying, based on the determining, a partition corresponding to the sender identity for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein the partition is identified from among a plurality of partitions of a storage device, wherein each of the plurality of partitions comprises a register pair corresponding to a sender identity, each of the register pair comprising an ascending register storing information representative of evidenced postage value, and a descending register storing information representative of available postage value, wherein the plurality of partitions are simultaneously accessible for performing high speed mail processing operations, and wherein each partition of the plurality of partitions has corresponding and unique authentication data;
- providing, by a common security module protecting the plurality of partitions, access to the identified partition;
- and
- performing postage value accounting for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces to account for postage indicium data generated for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein, for a particular mail piece, the postage value accounting comprises incrementing the ascending register of the identified partition and decrementing the descending register of the identified partition based on a value of postage indicium data generated for the particular mail piece.
A high speed mail processing system configured to continuously process a plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces from a plurality of different senders, the high speed mail processing system comprising:
- a storage device comprising:
- a plurality of partitions, each of the plurality of partitions comprising an identity and a register pair comprising an ascending register storing information representative of evidenced postage value, and a descending register storing information representative of available postage value, wherein the plurality of partitions are simultaneously accessible for performing high speed mail processing operations, and wherein each partition of the plurality of partitions has corresponding and unique authentication data;
- a common security module protecting the plurality of partitions,
- a controller configured to:
- analyze the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces;
- determine, based on the analysis, an identity of a particular sender of the plurality of different senders associated with each mail piece of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces;
- and
- select, based on the determined identity, a partition from the plurality of partitions for postage value accounting for each mail piece when processing the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein, for a particular mail piece, the postage value accounting comprises incrementing the ascending register of the selected partition and decrementing the descending register of the selected partition based on a value of postage indicium data generated for the particular mail piece;
- and
- a printer configured to print a postage indicium on each mail piece.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for processing a plurality of mail pieces through a high speed mail processing system, the operations comprising:
- continuously analyzing, by a controller in a high speed postage evidencing device, a plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces from a plurality of different senders, wherein the printed non-franked mail pieces were printed prior to the analyzing;
- determining, by the controller, a sender identity of each non-franked mail piece during the continuous analyzing of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces;
- identifying, based on the determining, a partition corresponding to the sender identity for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein the partition is identified from among a plurality of partitions of a storage device, wherein each of the plurality of partitions comprises a register pair corresponding to a sender identity, each of the register pair comprising an ascending register storing information representative of evidenced postage value, and a descending register storing information representative of available postage value, wherein the plurality of partitions are simultaneously accessible for performing high speed mail processing operations, and wherein each partition of the plurality of partitions has corresponding and unique authentication data;
- providing, by a common security module protecting the plurality of partitions, access to the identified partition;
- and
- performing postage value accounting for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces to account for postage indicium data generated for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein, for a particular mail piece, the postage value accounting comprises incrementing the ascending register of the identified partition and decrementing the descending register of the identified partition based on a value of postage indicium data generated for the particular mail piece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.