System and method for automatically printing postage on mail
AssigneePost N Mail, L.C.
InventorSalim G. Kara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for printing a postage meter stamp, including a desired postage amount, onto a piece of mail. A user takes a touch memory utility ("TMU") button to the Post Office in order to obtain a replenishment of the amount of postage stored within the TMU button. A desired amount of postage is entered into the TMU button by a postal employee through a processor-based system. The user is then able to access this stored postage at the user's location through a complementary processor-based system. The processor-based system automatically calculates the required postage for a piece of mail based upon a set of parameters pertaining to the mail.
Claims32
A general purpose processor-based system for printing a postage meter stamp with a desired amount of postage onto a piece of mail, said system comprising:
- means for reading a total amount of postage from a TMU button removably coupled to said system;
- means controlled by a particular general purpose processor for handshaking with said TMU button to read data from said TMU button including a unique serial number assigned to said button and verifying that said button is authorized for use in printing postage meter stamps;
- means for automatically calculating a correct amount of postage for said piece of mail as a function of mailing parameters entered into said system and particular to said piece of mail;
- means for automatically deducting said correct amount from said total amount thereby creating a new total amount;
- and
- means for formatting data to be sent to a printer coupled to said system, wherein said formatted data is operable to print said meter stamp with said correct amount of postage.
In a PC based system, installing on a selectively controllable basis a first application program, said program controlling a method for printing a postage meter stamp on a piece of mail, said stamp including postage for mailing said piece of mail, said first application program method comprising the steps of:
- reading and displaying under control of said installed first application program a serial number and a postage balance specific to a TMU button removably coupled to said PC;
- receiving in said PC by a general purpose second application installed within said PC one or more parameters pertaining to mailing of said piece of mail;
- automatically calculating under joint control of said first and second application programs said postage as a function of said parameters;
- automatically deducting under joint control of said first application and memory contained within said TMU button said postage from said postage balance resulting in a new balance stored within said button;
- and
- printing said postage meter stamp including said postage on said piece of mail, said printing occurring on a general purpose printer connected to an output port of said PC.
A general purpose processor-based system operable for outputting data pertaining to a postage meter stamp to be printed on a piece of mail, said system comprising:
- means for verifying that a universal storage means, programmed to contain a predetermined amount of postage that may be printed is coupled to said system, is an authorized storage means, said means for verifying using data retrieved from said storage means;
- means for retrieving a portion of an amount of postage contained within said verified storage means;
- and
- means for outputting data pertaining to said retrieved portion along with data operable for printing said postage meter stamp including an indication of said retrieved postage portion;
- and
- means operable prior to said outputting of data for displaying a graphical representation of said postage meter stamp including said retrieved portion of postage.
Under control of a general purpose processing system, the method of outputting data pertaining to a postage meter stamp to be printed on a piece of mail, said method comprising the steps of:
- loading into said general purpose processing system an application program containing instructions for directing said general purpose processing system to interact with a user to control said outputting of data;
- inserting a storage device into a temporary holder connected to said general purpose processing system, said storage device containing therein data bits representing postage amounts and containing data representing a unique unalterable identity of said storage device;
- verifying under control of a handshake between said storage device and said application program that said storage device is an authorized storage device and that said loaded application program is also authorized using said unique data stored within and retrieved from said storage device;
- retrieving a portion of an amount of said postage from said inserted storage device;
- and
- outputting for use of a general purpose printer data pertaining to said retrieved portion along with data operable for printing on said general purpose printer said postage meter stamp including an indication of said retrieved portion.
A processor-based system adaptable for inputting to a universal data storage means data pertaining to an amount of postage, said system comprising:
- means for removably coupling said data storage means to said system;
- means including unique data unalterably stored in said data storage means for verifying from data retrieved from said storage means that said data storage means is authorized to receive data pertaining to an amount of postage;
- means for verifying, from data retrieved from said storage means, that said data storage means is authorized to receive data pertaining to an amount of postage;
- means operable for receiving user input pertaining to a desired amount of postage to be stored within said data storage means;
- means, responsive to said received user input, for transferring said desired amount of postage to said data storage means;
- means for storing an identification pertaining to said system within said data storage means along with said transfer of said amount of postage;
- and
- means for displaying to a user an identification of said verified data storage means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.