Apparatus and method for electronic debiting of funds from a postage meter
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsEileen C. Eddy, Dale A. French, Iris E. Kishimoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for remotely removing funds from a postage meter includes the steps of establishing communication between the postage meter and a remotely located data center; sending current postage meter accounting register readings to the data center; validating at the data center the current postage meter accounting register readings; sending, from the data center to the postage meter, an instruction to debit the postage meter accounting registers by a predetermined amount without the postage meter dispensing an indication of value; effecting a funds refill process within the postage meter whereby remote refill keys within the postage meter are diversified.
Claims8
A method for remotely removing funds from a postage meter comprising the steps of:
- establishing communication between the postage meter and a remotely located data center;
- sending at least one current postage meter accounting register reading to the data center;
- validating at the data center the current postage meter accounting register reading;
- sending, from the data center to the postage meter, an instruction to debit the at least one current postage meter accounting register by a predetermined amount without the postage meter dispensing an indication of value;
- upon receipt of the instruction by the postage meter debiting the at least one current postage meter register by the predetermined amount without the postage meter dispensing an indication of value;
- and
- effecting a funds refill process within the postage meter whereby a variable secure key stored within the postage meter is diversified to have a new value.
A postage dispensing system comprising:
- a postage meter having a printing mechanism for printing and indication of value on a recording medium, at least one accounting register for maintaining the value of available postage in the postage meter, and
- a data center:
- wherein the postage meter further comprises means for establishing communication between the postage meter and the remotely located data center, means for validating at the data center the current postage meter accounting register reading and means for sending, from the data center to the postage meter, an instruction, and means upon receipt of the instruction for debiting the postage meter accounting register by a predetermined amount without the postage meter dispensing and indication of value, and means for effecting a funds refill process within the postage meter whereby a variable secure key stored within the postage meter is diversified to having a new value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.