System and method for generating personalized postage indica
AssigneeE-Stamp Corporation
InventorSalim G. Kara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for printing a postage meter stamp, including a desired postage amount and a personalized postage indicia, onto a piece of mail. A user takes a postal storage device to the Post Office in order to obtain a replenishment of the amount of postage stored within the postage storage device. A desired amount of postage is entered into the storage device 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 user is also able to create or to select one of a variety of graphical configurations of postage indicia to be imprinted as the postage meter stamp on a piece of mail.
Claims70
A processor-based system for printing a desired amount of postage for mailing a document created within said system, said system comprising:
- means for temporarily coupling said system to a postage storage device;
- means controlled in part by said postage storage device for automatically calculating a correct amount of postage for a particular one of said documents as a function of mailing parameters entered into said system and specific to said particular document;
- means for formatting data to be sent to a general purpose printer coupled to said system, wherein said formatted data is operable to print said correct amount of postage;
- and
- means for creating a personalized postage indicia together with said correct amount of postage, wherein at least one characteristic of said personalized postage indicia is personalized by a user of said system independent of said mailing parameters, said creating means operable in temporal proximity to said formatting means.
A method of printing a desired amount of postage for mailing a document created within a general purpose processor based system, said method comprising the steps of:
- automatically calculating a correct amount of postage for a particular one of said documents as a function of mailing parameters specific to said particular document;
- formatting data operable for printing said correct amount of postage;
- and
- wherein said formatting step includes the step of:
- creating, at least in part on said general purpose processor based system having a portable memory coupled thereto, a postage indicia together with said correct amount of postage, said postage indicia formatted for printing together with said correct amount of postage, wherein said creating step includes receiving information from a system user regarding said postage indicia independent of said mailing parameters and independent of information with respect said system user, said creating step being substantially contemporaneous with printing said correct amount of postage.
A system for printing postage indicia on a mailing envelope, said system comprising:
- a portable memory for storing thereon a plurality of said postage indicia;
- a general purpose processor-based system having stored thereon a plurality of application programs, said general purpose processor-based system executing a particular application program of said plurality of programs temporarily defining said general purpose processor-based system as a postage printing system;
- means for temporarily associating said portable memory with said postage printing system;
- and
- means controlled in part by said stored plurality of postage indicia for creating an user selected postage indicia for printing.
A method for printing postage indicia on a mailing envelope, said method comprising the steps of:
- prestoring on a portable memory at least one of said postage indicia;
- executing a postage metering program on a general purpose processor-based system;
- temporarily associating said portable memory with said processor based system;
- and
- creating under joint control of said postage metering program operating on said processor based system and said portable memory a user selected postage indicia.
A method for printing postage indicia on a mailing envelope, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing data in a general purpose processor based system having a postage credit memory device coupled thereto, said data for creating at least one of said postage indicia;
- selecting under control of a user from said stored data a particular postage indicia, wherein said selecting step includes receiving input from said user regarding selection of said postage indicia;
- and
- printing on a general purpose printer said selected postage indicia under control of said processor based system, wherein said user input of said selecting step is received substantially contemporaneously with printing said postage indicia.
A method of controlling printing a selected postage indicia on a piece of mail, said method comprising the steps of:
- displaying a plurality of said postage indicia on a general purpose processor-based system screen, said general purpose processor-based system having a portable memory temporarily associated therewith;
- and
- selecting under control of a user a particular one of said displayed indicia, said selected indicia being transmitted to a printer, wherein said selecting step is performed in temporal proximity to transmitting said selected indicia to said printer.
A method for use in a general purpose CPU for generating personalized postage indicia messages in conjunction with a printed postage amount, said method comprising the steps of:
- interfacing with a user and with a program operating in said general purpose CPU for generating an amount of postage to be printed on a mailing piece for a particular piece of mail, said general purpose CPU having a portable memory containing prepaid postage amounts operative to control said postage amount generating step removably coupled thereto;
- selecting a desired indicia from a pre-established data base of possible indicia, wherein said selecting step includes receiving instruction with respect to said desired indica from an operator of said general purpose CPU;
- and
- printing said generated postage amount together with said selected indicia on said particular piece of mail, wherein said printing step is operable substantially contemporaneously with said receipt of operator instruction.
In combination,
- means under control of said user for interfacing on a use by use basis with a user of a general purpose processor operating a program which controls the amount of, and printing of, postage amounts on mailing envelopes, said general purpose processor having a portable memory containing data for operating in cooperation with said processor program removably coupled thereto;
- means for creating a desired graphical presentation, said creating means being independent of information with respect to a particular user and a particular mailing envelope;
- and
- means for printing said created presentation in conjunction with the printing of a desired postage amount on a mailing envelope.
A general purpose processor-based system for printing a desired amount of postage for mailing a document created within said system, said system comprising:
- means for communicating between said system and a postage storage memory;
- means for determining a correct amount of postage for a particular one of said documents;
- means for selecting a particular postage indicia to be printed with said correct amount of postage, said selecting means operable upon input of a user of said system;
- and
- means for formatting data to be sent to a printer coupled to said system, wherein said formatted data is operable to print said correct amount of postage together with a selected particular postage indicia, wherein said formatting means and said selecting means are operable substantially contemporaneously.
A method of creating a selected postage indicia, said method comprising the steps of:
- displaying a plurality of said postage indicia on a general purpose processor-based system screen, said general purpose processor-based system having a postage memory device temporarily associated therewith;
- selecting under control of a user a particular one of said displayed indicia for transmittal to a printer;
- and
- printing said selected particular one of said postage indicia, wherein said printing step is performed substantially contemporaneously with said selecting step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.