US 7,831,518 B2Granted

Systems and methods for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure

AssigneePSI Systems, Inc.

InventorsScott Montgomery, Harry T. Whitehouse

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Abstract

A method and system for using an indexing identifier (such as, e.g., a tracking ID or the combination of a postage vendor ID, user account, and piece count) to decrease the size of the postage indicium transmitted to an end user computer, or eliminate transmission of the postage indicium altogether, is provided. When the postage indicium for the end user computer is generated, it is stored, and the indexing identifier, rather than the postage indicium, is transmitted to the end user computer. The indexing identifier is applied to a mail piece, which is then scanned by the postal authority. The postal authority can obtain the stored postage indicium by reference to the indexing identifier. In this manner, the postal authority has access to the postage indicium without having to apply it to the mail piece. The indexing identifiers can optionally be used to index sender identification information for verifying that the sender of a mail piece is a trusted individual or entity.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, comprising:

receiving, at a postage-issuing computer system, a request for a postage transaction from an end user computer;
allocating a unique tracking number to the requested postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides a mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS);
generating, at the postage-issuing computer system, a unique postage indicium for the requested postage transaction, wherein the unique postage indicium contains the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction that provides the mail piece tracking capability within the USPS;
storing information for the postage transaction in a postage database coupled to the postage-issuing computer system, wherein the information stored for the postage transaction includes the unique tracking number and the unique postage indicium;
indexing the information stored for the postage transaction in the postage database with the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction;
retrieving the information indexed with the unique tracking number from the postage database in response to receiving a validation request from the USPS, wherein the validation request received from the USPS relates to a mail piece carrying a printed postage indicium that contains the unique tracking number;
comparing the information retrieved from the postage database to one or more records in a transaction database that stores one or more tracking numbers contained in one or more postage indicia carried on mail pieces previously handled by the USPS;
and
transmitting, from the postage-issuing computer system to the USPS, data indicating whether the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece matches any of the records in the transaction database, wherein the USPS submits the mail piece for normal delivery if the data transmitted from the postage-issuing computer system indicates that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece does not match any of the records in the transaction database.

6 more elements

A system for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, comprising:

a postage database coupled to a postage-issuing computer system, wherein the postage database stores one or more records describing unique postage indicia generated by the postage-issuing computer system;
a transaction database coupled to the postage-issuing computer system, wherein the transaction database stores one or more records describing one or more tracking numbers contained in one or more postage indicia carried on mail pieces previously handled by the United States Postal Service (USPS);
a communications link that connects the postage-issuing computer system with an end user computer, and that further connects the postage-issuing computer system with a computer system at the USPS;
and
one or more software modules that execute on the postage-issuing computer system, wherein executing the one or more software modules on the postage-issuing computer system causes the postage-issuing computer system to:
receive a request for a postage transaction from the end user computer;
allocate a unique tracking number to the requested postage transaction, wherein the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction provides a mail piece tracking capability within the USPS;
generate a unique postage indicium for the requested postage transaction, wherein the unique postage indicium contains the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction that provides the mail piece tracking capability within the USPS;
store information for the postage transaction in the postage database, wherein the information stored for the postage transaction includes the unique tracking number and the unique postage indicium;
index the information stored for the postage transaction in the postage database with the unique tracking number allocated to the postage transaction;
retrieve the information indexed with the unique tracking number from the postage database in response to receiving a validation request from the computer system at the USPS, wherein the validation request received from the USPS relates to a mail piece carrying a printed postage indicium that contains the unique tracking number;
compare the information retrieved from the postage database to the records in the transaction database that stores the tracking numbers contained in the postage indicia carried on the mail pieces previously handled by the USPS;
and
transmit data indicating whether the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece matches any of the records in the transaction database to the USPS, wherein the USPS submits the mail piece for normal delivery if the transmitted data indicates that the unique tracking number contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece does not match any of the records in the transaction database.

11 more elements

A method for detecting postage fraud using an indexed lookup procedure, comprising:

generating, at a postage-issuing computer system, a unique postage indicium in response to receiving a request for a postage transaction from an end user computer, wherein the unique postage indicium contains a unique delivery confirmation code allocated to the postage transaction, and wherein the unique delivery confirmation code provides a mail piece tracking capability within the United States Postal Service (USPS);
storing information for the postage transaction in a postage database coupled to the postage-issuing computer system, wherein the information stored for the postage transaction includes the unique delivery confirmation code and the unique postage indicium;
indexing the information stored for the postage transaction in the postage database with the unique delivery confirmation code allocated to the postage transaction;
retrieving the information indexed with the unique delivery confirmation code from the postage database in response to receiving a validation request from the USPS, wherein the validation request received from the USPS relates to a mail piece carrying a printed postage indicium that contains the unique delivery confirmation code;
comparing the information retrieved from the postage database to one or more records in a transaction database that stores one or more delivery confirmation codes contained in one or more postage indicia carried on mail pieces previously handled by the USPS;
and
transmitting, from the postage-issuing computer system to the USPS, data indicating whether the unique delivery confirmation code contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece matches any of the records in the transaction database, wherein the USPS submits the mail piece for normal delivery if the data transmitted from the postage-issuing computer system indicates that the unique delivery confirmation code contained in the printed postage indicium carried on the mail piece does not match any of the records in the transaction database.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.