US 5,612,884 AGranted

Remote meter operation

Assigneef.m.e. Corporation

InventorJohn G. Haines

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A technique for reconfiguring in the field postage meters having a set of features that may be selectively enabled or disabled by software. The technique provides security so that the meter company will always have a correct record of the configuration of the meter in the field. A technique is provided for reconfiguring in the field of external devices in communication with postage meters, the external devices having an external device feature set that may be selectively enabled or disabled by software. A technique for securely adding postage to a remote setting postage meter without the remote setting code is also provided. A technique for detecting the entry of an invalid code for remote setting the meter a predetermined number at times is also provided. Once detected, a security lock flag stored in memory is set which prevents the meter from being reset until the flag is cleared in a separate procedure.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of operating a postage meter comprising the steps of:

installing said postage meter, installation of said postage meter being registered in a central office computer, said installing step including generating of first and second meter-generated codes by said postage meter and of first and second computer-generated codes by said central office computer;
waiting a specified time until an inspection date, said waiting step performed by said central office computer;
generating a reminder to inspect said postage meter at said central office computer, said generating step performed by said central office computer;
remotely resetting said postage meter without adding postage, said remote resetting without addition of postage performed by said central office computer and said postage meter upon performance of a postal inspection, wherein said step of remote resetting without addition of postage includes advising said central office computer that said postage meter has been inspected;
and
resetting said inspection date, said resetting step achieved by said central office computer in response to said remote resetting without adding postage.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/317,951Filed 4 Oct 1994 · continuation
Priority: 23 Mar 1989
Granted: 18 Mar 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

G07F 7/1016
Together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric…
G07B 17/0008
Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system: communication details outside or…
G07B 17/00193
Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office: constructional details of…
G07B 17/00314
Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office: communication within…

Family

Serial328,112Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Mar 1989
Serial327,779Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Mar 1989
Serial327,487Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Mar 1989
Serial328,099Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Mar 1989
Serial614,054Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Nov 1990
Serial777,776Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Oct 1991
US 5,369,401 AParent of this continuation
US 5,077,660 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,107,455 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,058,025 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,612,884 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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