Pitney Bowes Inc.

G Thomas Athens

John A Hurd

Roger J Ratzenberger, Jr

Robert A Cordery

Maria P Parkos

Wesley A Kirschner

Mark A Scribe

Frederick W Ryan, Jr

Gary S Jacobson

Steven J Pauly

Walter J Baker

Jerome E Jackson

Robert G Arsenault

Douglas A Clark

Michael J Ramadei

David G Collings

Michael J Shukaitis

Richard C Day, Jr

Albert P Jacques

Thomas O Matthews

Robert W Sission

A method of authenticating a PSD and an initializing infrastructure that uses a secret key, a PSD public/private key pair and a provider public/private key pair. The infrastructure prepares a signed provider key record using the provider public key and the provider private key and a first MAC using the signed provider key record and the secret key. Both are sent to the PSD. The PSD authenticates the signed provider key record using the first MAC and the provider public key using the included digital signature. The PSD prepares a signed PSD key record using the PSD public key and the PSD private key and a second MAC using the signed PSD key record and the secret key. Both are sent to the infrastructure. The infrastructure authenticates the signed PSD key record using the second MAC and the PSD public key using the included digital signature.

Mutual authentication system and method for protection of postal security devices and infrastructure

A mailing machine that optimizes throughput by reducing the amount of time necessary for the PSD to generate the digital signature and indicium for each mail piece is provided. The debit operation performed by the PSD, i.e., adjusting the PSD registers, is separated into three different sections, a pre-debit operation, a perform debit operation, and a complete debit operation. In addition, the calculation of the digital signature can optionally be pre-computed, or, alternatively, computed in stages, i.e., partial signature calculation. Utilizing this granularity, the cryptographic operations associated with generating the digital signature can be shifted between the three debit operations such that the execution time of the time critical portion of the debit operation (perform debit) can be optimized to meet the performance requirements of the mailing machine in which the PSD is deployed.

Method and system for optimizing throughput of mailing machines

A method includes configuring a flash memory device including a first memory sector having a primary memory sector correspondence, a second memory sector having an alternate memory sector correspondence, and a third memory sector having a free memory sector correspondence, copying a portion of the primary memory sector to the free memory sector, erasing the primary memory sector, and changing a correspondence of each of the first memory sector, the second memory sector, and the third memory sector.

Method for manipulating state machine storage in a small memory space

A method and system that increases the throughput of a mailing machine by continuously computing indicia prior to and during mail processing is provided. The indicia generation process is divided into two distinct parts, cryptographic calculation and funds committal/printing. Indicium data are continuously computed, asynchronously with the printing of the indicia, and stored in a buffer until needed. This enables several indicium data to be computed and stored prior to processing of a mail piece by the mailing machine. Prior to printing an indicium on a mail piece, the funds for the indicium are accounted for by updating the registers of the mailing machine. Since a number of indicium data may be pre-computed prior to the start of processing the mail through the mailing machine, the throughput of the mailing machine can be increased.

Method and system for increasing mailing machine throughput by precomputing indicia

A method and system that protects against a replay attack in a closed system postage meter is provided. 'Freshness' data is included along with each indicium message sent from the meter to the printer, thereby enabling the printer to detect 'stale' indicium data, i.e., indicium data that was previously generated and is being replayed, and prohibit the printing of duplicate indicia. The freshness data includes a random nonce generated by the printer during initialization along with sequence data that the printer can verify against sequence data from the previous printed indicium. If in the current indicium message the nonce is different or the current sequence data is not greater than or equal to the sequence data from the previous printed indicium, indicating the current indicium data may have been previously generated and is a replay, the printer will not print the current indicium data.

Method and system for protection against replay of an indicium message in a closed system meter

In a value dispensing system, a system and method for securely loading and executing software in a secure device that does not include any non-volatile programmable memory is provided. A non-secure portion of the value dispensing system stores software for loading into the secure portion when needed. Commands being sent to the secure printer are monitored to determine if the secure has the necessary software to execute the command. If the secure device currently does not have the necessary software to execute the command, the command is delayed and the proper software is loaded from the non-secure portion to the RAM of the secure device. A signature associated with the software is verified to ensure the authenticity of the software. If the signature is verified, the command is passed to the secure device, and, utilizing the software in the RAM, the command is executed by the secure device.

Method for securely loading and executing software in a secure device that cannot retain software after a loss of power

A method and system for printing a 2D-barcode corresponding to a binary data array and a substrate imprinted with such barcode. The barcode has I first columns of modules and J rows of modules transverse to columns. Each module having a one-to-one correspondence with a bit in a data array and comprising X columns and Y rows of pixels. All pixels are unprinted if said corresponding data bits for a module is not asserted; and otherwise: for pixel columns P( ) through P(X&minus;H) and rows P( ) through P(Y&minus;V), where H is in the range 0 to X&minus;1 and V is in the range 0 to Y&minus;1, all pixels are printed; for first columns P(X&minus;H&plus;1) through P(X) and rows P( ) through P(Y&minus;V), all pixels are printed if a corresponding data bit for an adjacent module in the next module column is asserted; and for columns P(X&minus;H&plus;1) through P(X), rows P(Y&minus;V&plus;1) through P(Y) are not printed if a corresponding data bit for an adjacent or diagonally adjacent module in a next first is not asserted. H and V are not both equal to 0.

Apparatus and method for printing two-dimensional barcode and articles incorporating such barcode

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Derby, CT, United States of America

G Thomas Athens