Remote postage meter systems having variable user authorization code

A postage meter of the type having printing means for printing postage and register means for accounting for postage, said register means adapted to be funded with additional postage, and data entry means for entering data into said meter of selected, variable amount of postage in preparation for funding said register means with that amount and of an externally generated combinations, the improvement comprising:

• Encrypter means coupled to said data entry means;
• Means for storing signals, said signal storing means coupled to said encrypter means for entering signals stored in said signal storing means into said encrypter means;
• Comparator means coupled to said encrypter means and to said data entry means for comparing output signals from said encrypter means and signals entered by said data entry means;
• Splitter means coupled to said comparator means for separating the output signal from said comparator means into a first part and into a second part, said splitter means coupled to said signal storing means for updating signals stored in said signal storing means with said first part of said comparator means output signal;
• Adder means coupled to said splitter means and to said register means for adding said second part of said comparator means output signal and the contents of said register means to provide a new signal for storage in said register means;
• and
• Means coupled to said register means for generating an authorization code.

A postage meter of the type having a printing means for printing postage and register means for accounting for postage, said register means adopted to be charged with additional postage, data entry means for entering data into said postage meter and display means for displaying data stored in said postage meter, the improvement comprising:

• Encrypter means coupled to said data entry means;
• Seed number signal storage means for storing seed number signals, said seed number storage means coupled to said encrypter means;
• Control sum signal storage means coupled to said encrypter means;
• Comparator means coupled to said encrypter means and to said data entry means for comparing output signals from said encrypter means and signals entered by said data entry means to determine if a predetermined relationship exists between said encrypter means output signal and said signal entered by said data entry means;
• Splitter means coupled to said comparator means for separating the output signals from said comparator means into a first part and into a second part, said splitter means coupled to said seed number signal storage means for updating said seed number signal stored in said seed number signal storage means with said first part of said output signal from said comparator means;
• Adder means coupled to said splitter means and to said accounting register means for adding said second part of said output signal from said comparator means to data in said accounting register means;
• Reset counter means coupled to said comparator means, said reset counter means maintaining a count of the number of times said comparator determines the existence of a predetermined relationship between the output signal from said encrypter means and signals entered from said data entry means;
• and
• Means coupled to said register means, said reset counter means and to said display means for generating an authorization code which is displayable by said display means, said authorization code generated by said authorization code generating means being a function of the count maintained by said reset count means and of data in said register means.