Neopost Technologies

Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems, Inc.

Brian T Leary

George M Brookner

Robert G Schwartz

Richard Rosen

Alex L Yip

Urs Bernhard Jenny

A system for dispensing funds. The system includes a non-dedicated printer adapted to print indicia of a monetary value, and a postal security device coupled to the franking machine. The postal security device includes an accounting register indicative of a value of monetary funds stored in the postal security device. The system also includes a money transfer system coupled to the franking machine and adapted to allow a user to transfer funds from the postal security device to the money transfer system and vice versa.

Use of electronic devices for money transfer

In an arrangement for accounting for consumption of a resource, e.g., utilization of a postal service or utilities, a data center () periodically communicates with multiple franking systems (---) dispensing postage for the postal service utilization. The data center () receives transaction records (), where a transaction record () is associated with each transaction performed by the franking system (---) in each period. Each record () includes at least the postage dispensed () in the associated franking transaction, and an ascending register value () indicating the cumulative postage dispensed. Using the received records (), the data center () assesses the charges during the period and causes assessed charges to be charged to an account associated with the franking system (---). In addition, the data center () forwards a copy of the received records () to another system () for storage, which may be used by the postal authority or utility to audit the charges.

Technique for effective management of resource consumption

Growing community of inventors

Milford, CT, United States of America

Brian T Leary