Pitney Bowes Inc.

Gary G Hansen

Matthew John Campagna

Frederick W Ryan, Jr

Theodore Watkin

Leonard M Pengue

Robert A Cordery

Ronald P Sansone

Daniel F Dlugos

David K Lee

Andrei Obrea

Jean-Hiram Coffy

David W Riley

Easwaran C Nambudiri

Arthur J Parkos

George M Macdonald

John H Steinmetz

Luis A Sanchez

Anthony F Violante

Nathan Rosenberg

Michael Christoff

Gary D Cholakian

Shen-Yuan Jiang

Frederick W Ryan

Systems and methods for increasing user trust by authenticating an electronic commerce server over an electronic communications channel using information received through an out-of-band communication in a physical communications channel are described. In one configuration, a paper bill is sent to a user by physical mail delivery and it includes challenge and response data used to authenticate the electronic commerce server over the electronic communications channel.

Enhanced network server authentication using a physical out-of-band channel

A method and system for collaborative annotation by team members of a master document using a digital pen system is described. At least one hardcopy printout of the master document is printed on digital paper used with a digital pen system. Using the digital pen, annotations are made to the hardcopy representation. The user may then select which of the annotations may be shared with each of the particular team members. In another example, the user may select annotations for promotion onto an action item cover sheet.

System and method for collaborative annotation using a digital pen

Print quality is ensured in a postage meter system employing an ink system and having settable modes of printing operation by detecting the type of ink system employed in the postage meter system, setting a first mode of printing operation for the postage meter system when the detected ink system is of a first type and setting a second mode of printing operation for the postage meter system when the detected ink system is of a second type. The detected information may be communicated to a data center to obtain modes of operation for the postage meter system and other corrective actions may be implemented. The method and system are applicable to other consumable item systems employing various types of consumable items.

Ensuring print quality for postage meter systems

A method and apparatus for embedding information in an image during relative movement between a print medium and an ink jet print head is provided. A plurality of first lines are printed and a plurality of second lines are printed. Each of the first lines includes a plurality of first dots and a plurality of second dots offset from the first dots by a first amount, and each of the second lines includes a plurality of third dots and a plurality of fourth dots offset from the third dots by a second amount different than the first amount. The information is encoded in the image using an encoding scheme in which the first lines represent a first value in the encoding scheme and the second lines represent a second value in the encoding scheme.

Method and apparatus for embedding information in an image

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a cellular telephone metering systems that allows phone calls to be made as long as sufficient funds or call units reside in the phone. The apparatus of this invention also utilize encryption and employ seed numbers for the addition of funds or call units to the cellular phone.

Metered payment cellular telephone communication system

An interface apparatus and method are described with which an electronic scale system is connected to a storage medium such as a disk or memory of a data processor and whereby scale transaction data related to the mailing of an article with an electronic scale can be automatically preserved as a unified record along with subsequently appended test information such as an invoice number or customer number. The interface has a programmable memory with which a normal operating mode is provided to enable an operator to conveniently and rapidly store scale transaction data and in response to displayed prompts enter data such as the number of an invoice accompanying the article being mailed. The test data is appended to the scale transaction data so that all of this data can be transmitted as a unified record to a storage medium. The interface is further provided with a supervisory mode with which special examination and service operations can be performed as these are needed for monitoring or corrective steps in case of errors. The interface displays plain language prompts to guide an operator through a normal RUN mode as well as facilitate supervisory and service technician monitoring and control. With an interface of the invention the unified record enables a rapid update of a customer account and shipping information.

Method and apparatus for interfacing an electronic scale system with a

A postage value computing system includes both apparatus and a method for determining the postage of an article to be mailed for various domestic and international classes of postal service. Postal information such as carrier type, class and destination data are introduced into the system and used to access a memory which stores common structured rate data. Major rate structures are defined by weight headers which specify the upper and lower limits of weight ranges and the weight increments within those ranges. To minimize memory requirements, foreign countries are grouped as a function of such common structured rate data including permissible weight limits. Memory space is conserved through the utilization of a common postage computation routine including various equation subroutines for generating requisite postage values in accordance with the retrieved postage rate data.

System and method for computing domestic and international postage

Disclosed is a mechanism for feeding unit documents, such as sheets, envelopes, pages, cards, and the like to an apparatus for processing. A mechanism is provided for feeding the documents to and removing them from the operating apparatus at a relatively high rate of speed. During the time that an individual document is being operated upon it is conveyed by a mechanism associated with the operating apparatus. Examples of such operations would be printing addresses on an envelope, embossing credit cards, encoding magnetic tapes, and the like. Upon conclusion of the operation, the documents are removed quickly so that a second document may be supplied to the operating apparatus expeditiously.

Unit document feeding mechanism

Disclosed is a means for feeding unit documents, such as sheets, envelopes, pages, cards, and the like to an apparatus for processing. Means is provided for feeding the documents to and removing them from the operating apparatus at a relatively high rate of speed. During the time that an individual document is being operated upon it is conveyed by means associated with the operating apparatus. Examples of such operations would be printing addresses on an envelope, embossing credit cards, encoding magnetic tapes, and the like. Upon conclusion of the operation, the documents are removed quickly so that a second document may be supplied to the operating apparatus expeditiously.

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Newtown, CT, United States of America

Gary G Hansen