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AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsRobert A. Cordery, Frank M. D'Ippolito, Leon A. Pintsov
Estimating the term…
A method and system for postage payment include the generation of a plurality of dispensable discrete items of encrypted data. Each of the items of encrypted data, which may be digital tokens, have a specific value. The generated plurality of discrete items of encrypted data are stored on a portable medium. A prepayment value is also stored on the portable medium. The dispensing of the stored plurality of discrete items of encrypted data is limited based on the prepayment value stored on the portable medium. The medium may be a device or member having memory for storing a plurality of dispensable tokens. The portable member or device may have a housing with a register within the housing. The postage prepayment value is stored in the register. The plurality of discrete items of encrypted data is stored in the housing with each of the items of encrypted data adapted to be formatted for printing. Structure within the housing is coupled to the plurality of discrete items of encrypted data and to the prepayment register for enabling at least one selected item of encrypted data to be communicated outside of the housing if the value stored in register is at least equal to the specific value of the selected item of encrypted data.
A method for postage payment comprising:
A postage payment system, comprising:
A system as defined in 12 wherein said dispensing means limits the dispensing of said plurality of discrete items of encrypted data to a total value that does not exceed said stored prepayment value said total value being a sum of the specific value of each of said plurality of dispensable discrete items of encrypted data dispensed.
A portable storage device, comprising:
A portable member for an advanced postage payment system, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.