Pitney Bowes Inc.

George B Harvey

Ronald P Sansone

Feliks Bator

Michael Y Swaluk

A post production processing application receives and manipulates document print images, in particular to integrate postage printing and accounting into the document finishing, without the need for a specialized postage printing system. The post production processing application may run on a main frame, together with the application(s) that generate the document print images, or on some other computer platform. The post production processing application calculates postage for each document and interacts with a postage metering functionality to obtain digital tokens. Each token includes an encrypted cipher for use in validating applied postage indicia. The mail processing system uses the tokens to generate postage indicias, containing the ciphers, during the subsequent document printing and finishing processes. The meter functionality may reside in software (e.g. as part of the post production processing application), in a meter device associated with and connected to the platform that runs the post production processing application or in a remote data center in communication with that platform. The mail processing system may print the indicias on the documents or on envelopes that will carry the documents.

Encrypted postage indicia printing for mailer inserting systems

A postal meter is contained in a kiosk. The kiosk also contains a postage meter secure classifier; and a modem link, which communicates with a data center, that is located at a different location. The secure classifier records every time postal funds are dispensed by the postal meter and classifies the postal transactions of the postage meter into various categories, which are then stored in funds registers memory. The modem link communicates with the secure classifier and the data center, during a postage meter refill, by exchanging funds and information so that proper rebates will be applied to the kiosk owner. Thus, the data center may also be used to supply additional funds or refills to the postage meter contained within the kiosk.

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New Canaan, CT, United States of America

George B Harvey