Method and apparatus for verifying postage
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorAlton B. Eckert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Indicia having an encrypted number that is stamped upon a mail piece representative of postage so as to provide a code for authentication of such postage.
Claims12
A method of verifying postage through an encrypted mark that is part of alphanumeric indicia applied to a mail piece, comprising:
- storing a seed number,
- inputting postal data to be imprinted on the mail piece,
- deriving a single encrypted alphanumeric character based upon the stored seed number and input postal data, and
- imprinting said mail piece with indicia including a string of alphanumeric characters representing at least a portion of said data and including said single encrypted alphanumeric character as the only encryption of said indicia.
In the method for the validation of postage by applying an encrypted mark as a part of indicia applied to a mail piece, and applying the indicia to the mail piece, the indicia including said encryption mark and alphanumeric data;
- the improvement comprising deriving a single digit encrypted number from said data, combining said encrypted number as the terminal part and only encrypted part of said data;
- and
- imprinting said combined data and encrypted number on said mail piece.
An apparatus for verifying postage through an encyrpted mark that is part of alphanumeric indicia applied to a mail piece, comprising:
- means for storing a seed number,
- means for inputting postal data to be imprinted on the mail piece,
- means for deriving an encrypted alphanumeric character based upon the stored seed number and input postal data, and
- means for imprinting said mail piece with indicia including a string of alphanumeric characters representing at least a portion of said data and including said encrypted alphanumeric character as the sole encryption of the indicia.
In an apparatus for the validation of postage by applying an encrypted mark as a part of indicia applied to a mail piece, the indicia applied to the mail piece including said encryption mark and alphanumeric data;
- the improvement comprising means for deriving a single digit encrypted number from said data, means for combining said encrypted number as a part of and the only encrypted part of said data;
- and means for imprinting said combined encrypted number and data on said mail piece.
In a document having postal information including data representing a determined value, said document including a substrate, said postal information imprinted on said substrate, said postal information including a plurality of alphanumeric characters;
- the improvement wherein said postal information includes a string of alphanumeric characters, only one of said string of alphanumeric characters being an encrypted character, said character having an identity related to said postal information in accordance with a determined algorithm, said postal information data being representative of a determined value relating to said document.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.