# US 7,613,639 B1 · Secure and recoverable database for on-line value-bearing item system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,613,639 B1
- Document ID: US7613639B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/690,796
- Filed: 2000-10-17
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 1999-10-18
- Assignees: Stamps.com Inc.
- Inventors: Craig L. Ogg
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613639B1

## CPC

- G07B 17/00733: {Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system}
- G06Q 20/10: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
- G06Q 20/40: Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
- G06Q 20/401: {Transaction verification}
- G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- G07B 17/0008: {Communication details outside or between apparatus (coin-freed apparatus for franking per se G07F17/26)}
- G07B 2017/00056: {Client-server}
- G07B 2017/00064: {Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location}
- G07B 2017/00145: {via the Internet}
- G07B 2017/00201: {Open franking system, i.e. the printer is not dedicated to franking only, e.g. PC (Personal Computer)}
- G07B 2017/00887: {using look-up tables, also called master tables with pointers}
- G07B 2017/00967: {PSD [Postal Security Device] as defined by the USPS [US Postal Service]}
- G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An on-line value bearing item (VBI) printing system that includes one or more cryptographic modules and a secure database is disclosed. The secure database includes account balances and other information for all of the on-line value-bearing item system customers and is capable of preventing access by unauthorized users. Also, a secure communication network is in operation to prevent unauthorized access to the users' data stored in the database. A plurality of subsystems located on the server system side of the on-line VBI system provide services related to purchasing, accounting, and printing of VBI. In addition to the secure database, the server system includes one or more cryptographic modules for authenticating, processing value for the VBI, and generating indicia data for the plurality of users.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A secure on-line system for printing value bearing items (VBI) comprising:
a client system configured to interface with a plurality of users; and
a server system configured to communicate with the client system over a communication network comprising:
a secure database remote from the users including a data record for each of the users; and
a plurality of stateless cryptographic devices, each of the plurality of stateless cryptographic devices remote from the plurality of users and configured to perform authentication, processing value for the VBI, and generation of indicia data for the plurality of users, wherein before each of the authentication, processing value, and generation of indicia data for a given user is performed, an available cryptographic device in the server system retrieves the data record for the given user directly from the database, and wherein after the authentication, processing value, and generation of indicia data are performed, the client system instructs a printer to print the VBI.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The secure on-line system of claim 1, further comprising computer executable code for an asynchronous dynamic password verification to terminate a user session if the password authentication fails.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The secure on-line system of claim 1, wherein the database stores a first set of one or more last database transactions and each of the cryptographic devices stores a second set of one or more last database transactions for comparison with the first set of one or more last database transactions stored in the database to verify each database transaction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The secure on-line system of claim 3, wherein each of the cryptographic devices prevents further database transactions if the second set of one or more last transaction stored in the cryptographic device does not match with the first set of one or more last transaction stored in the database.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The secure on-line system of claim 3, wherein the database stores a table including the respective information about a last transaction and a verification module to compare the information saved in the module with the information saved in the database.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The secure on-line system of claim 1, further comprising a back up database server connected to the server system for periodically backing up the data stored in the database in a back up database.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The secure on-line system of claim 6, further comprising a cryptographically protected transaction log stored in the back up database.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The secure on-line system of claim 1, wherein each of the cryptographic devices includes a data validation subsystem to verify that data is up to date and an auto-recovery subsystem for allowing the device to automatically re-synchronize the device with the data.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The secure on-line system of claim 1, wherein each of the cryptographic devices includes a computer executable code for detecting errors and preventing a compromise of data or critical cryptographic security parameters as a result of the errors.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The secure on-line system of claim 1, wherein the server system further comprises one or more of a postal server subsystem, a provider server subsystem, an e-commerce subsystem, a staging subsystem, a client support subsystem, a decision support subsystem, a SMTP subsystem, an address matching service subsystem, a SSL proxy server subsystem, and a web server subsystem.

### Claim 11

A method for securely printing value-bearing items (VBI) via a communication network including a client system, and a server system including a plurality of stateless cryptographic devices, the method comprising the steps of:
interfacing with a plurality of users remote from the plurality of stateless cryptographic devices, via the client system;
communicating with the client system over the communication network;
storing a data record for each of the plurality of users in a database remote from the plurality of users;
directly retrieving the data record for a given user from the database;
authenticating the given user, processing value for the VBI and generating indicia data for the given user, by any available cryptographic device of the plurality of stateless cryptographic devices; and
printing the VBI by the client system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of encrypting each database transaction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of
storing one or more last database transactions in the database;
storing one or more last database transactions in the cryptographic device; and
comparing the one or more last database transactions stored in the database with the one or more last database transactions stored in the available cryptographic device to verify each database transaction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of storing one or more last database transactions in the database, storing one or more last database transactions in the available cryptographic device for comparison with the one or more last database transactions stored in the database to verify each database transaction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of preventing further database transactions if the one or more last transaction stored in the cryptographic device does not match with the one or more last transaction stored in the database.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of storing a table including the respective information about a last transaction and comparing the information saved in the available cryptographic device with the information saved in the database.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of backing up data stored in the database in a back up database.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of recovering data from the back up database by decrypting an encrypted transaction log stored in the back up database.