System and method for managing multiple users with different privileges in an open metering system

A transaction evidencing system, comprising

• a personal computer (PC) including processor, memory and storage means, said storage means including at least one non-metering application program that is selectively run on said PC;
• an unsecured printer operatively coupled to said PC for printing in accordance with said non-metering application program;
• vault means operatively coupled to said PC, said vault means including digital token generation means and transaction accounting means, said vault means further including a user password system for vault access, said vault access including functional access based on an entered user password;
• means in said PC for interfacing with said non-metering application program, said interfacing means issuing a request for at least one digital token in response to a request for indicia from said non-metering application program, said request for digital token including predetermined information required by said token generation means;
• means in said PC for communicating with said vault means, said communicating means sending said request for digital token to said vault means and receiving from said vault means a digital token generated by said token generation means;
• and
• means in said PC for generating an indicia bitmap from said digital token, wherein said interfacing means sends said indicia bitmap to said non-metering application program;
• wherein a requested vault function is performed by the vault means when an entered user password under which the request is made has been assigned vault functional access for the requested vault function.

A transaction evidencing system, comprising

• a personal computer (PC) including processor, memory and storage means, said storage means including at least one non-metering application program that is selectively run on said PC;
• an unsecured printer operatively coupled to said PC for printing in accordance with said non-metering application program;
• vault means operatively coupled to said PC, said vault means including digital token generation means and transaction accounting means, said vault means further including a user password system for vault access, said vault access including functional access based on an entered user password;
• means in said PC for interfacing with said non-metering application program, said interfacing means issuing a request for at least one digital token in response to a request for indicia from said non-metering application program, said request for digital token including predetermined information required by said token generation means;
• means in said PC for communicating with said vault means, said communicating means sending said request for digital token to said vault means and receiving from said vault means a digital token generated by said token generation means;
• and
• means in said PC for generating an indicia bitmap from said digital token;
• wherein a requested vault function is performed by the vault means when an entered user password under which the request is made has been assigned vault functional access for the requested vault function.