Security and authentication of postage indicia
AssigneeNeopost Technologies
InventorDennis Thomas Gilham
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for authentication of postage indicia are disclosed. A secret key is read from store and modified in dependence upon postage data to be printed in a postage indicium. The modified key is then utilised to generate an authentication code dependent upon the postage data to be printed. Authentication of the indicium is effected by reading the authentication code and postage data from the printed indicium and repeating the process of generating an authentication code. The generated authentication code is compared with the authentication code read from the indicium. A control code based on a value in an accounting register may be included in the indicium. The value may be a value of postage dispensed in a determined expired period.
Claims10
A method of generating an indicium for printing on an item including the steps of storing a key;
- generating a modified key from the stored key in dependence upon first data to be included in said indicia;
- utilising the modified key in conjunction with second data to be included in the indicia to generate an authentication code and printing the indicium, said indicium including said first and second data and said authentication code.
A method of authenticating an indicium including data and an authentication code for authentication of said data includes the steps of selecting a stored key;
- utilising said data to generate a modified key from said stored key;
- utilising said modified key and said data to generate an authentication code and comparing the generated authentication code with the authentication code included in the indicium.
Postage meter apparatus including means storing a secret key;
- input means for the input of postage data;
- electronic control means operative to read the secret key and to modify the secret key to generate a modified secret key in dependence upon and the postage data, said electronic control means being operative to utilise the modified secret key to generate an authentication code dependent upon the postage data and being operative to print an indicium containing the postage data and the authentication code.
A postage meter including a first register storing a value of postage dispensed by the postage meter in a predetermined period and generation means to generate a control value dependent upon the value stored in said first register and to include a code value dependent upon the control value in an indicium printed on a mail item.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.