Cryptographically secured stock for use with online postage systems

Abstract

An illustrative label stock and associated systems and methods for identifying and utilizing sheets of label stock in online postage systems are described. In one configuration, a label stock is provided that includes a cryptographically secured serial number. The uppercase letters of the modern English alphabet are utilized in a character string to provide a serial number string component and a cryptographic check string component. The check string includes all or part of a cryptographic hash function output based upon the serial number string and the cryptographic hash function. The character string includes the serial number characters and the check string characters in an interspersed format.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.