Neopost Technologies

Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems, Inc.

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Neopost Industrie Sa

George M Brookner

Robert G Schwartz

Michael A Brown

Fetneh Eskandari

Roman Kresina

Robert A Cordery

Jose Pastor

David H Mechler

Gaye D Gardner, Legal Representative

Douglas T Heroy

Edward J Naclerio

Hyung-Kun (Paul) Kim

Eric Zuidema

Lorenz R Frey

Walter J Kulpa

Kevin D Hunter

John H Soderberg

Terrence M Doeberl

Hyung-Kun P Kim

Jacqueline Collins

Rod Witmond

Brian T Leary

Lorenz Frey

Alex L Yip

Edward Mailhot

Gary Morris

Gary A Gardner

Hyung-Kim Paul Kim

Sung S Change

A system and method for managing a value of a descending register of a postal security device (PSD) in accordance with a guarantee is disclosed. Mailing data including a guarantee rate, and a public rate of postage disbursed for a mailpiece franked under terms of the guarantee, can be received. The public rate and the guarantee rate can be compared, and if the public rate is equal to or less than the guarantee rate, postage funds can be downloaded from an account corresponding to a lessee of the PSD.

Guaranteed postage

In a secure cryptographic environment, a private key in a private/public key cryptographic scheme needs to be backed up and recovered in case of a loss or corruption of the private key. To back up the private key, multiple key segments are generated based on the private key which are distributed to a corresponding number of trusted individuals, each of whom has knowledge of only his or her key segment. The key can be restored only when all of the trusted individuals provide the respective key segments, based on which the original private key is reconstructed. In addition, each trusted individual is uniquely identifiable by a personal identification number. Advantageously, the private key which is secret can be backed up and restored without any individual having knowledge of the full key.

Technique for split knowledge backup and recovery of a cryptographic key

In a mailing system for franking a postage indicium serving as a proof of postage, postal data including the postage needs to be communicated through such an indicium. Illustratively, the postal data is categorized into (a) invariable postal data, e.g, a device ID identifying the mailing system, which is unaffected by a franking transaction, and (b) variable postal data, e.g., the postage, which may change from one franking transaction to another. To avoid latency of the franking operation, the invariable postal data is preset for initial printing of the postage indicium, and the variable postal data is determined and set for printing in real time. In printing the postage indicium, the invariable postal data and the variable postal data are presented in that order in one or more symbols.

Technique for effectively generating multi-dimensional symbols representing postal information

In a postage payment system, a secure integrated circuit (IC) card is used to manage postage funds, and created encrypted postage indicia. Among other things, the system is capable of performing charge-back accounting of postage expenses and generating mail contents. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the postage indicia are applied onto selected locations of the mail contents while they are being generated. In the preferred embodiment, each mail content is placed in a window envelope such that the postage indicium on the mail content exposes through a window of the envelope to facilitate inspection of the indicium. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, by including transactional data in addition to the traditional postal data in a postage indicium, the indicium can be used to pay bills, purchase products and services, including any courier service different than the postal service.

Secure postage payment system and method

A method and system to process and track mailpieces. A code is printed on the mailpiece that can include an identification of a metering device generating the code and a subscriber number of a subscriber generating the mailpiece. The code is scanned during a processing step in a mailpiece delivery system, wherein information associated with the scanned code is stored in a database accessible by the user and allowing the user to track a movement of the mailpiece in the mailpiece delivery system.

Mailpiece tracking

A method for securely generating a PIN comprises generating a number of random binary bits; determining the least significant bits of the number of bits; converting the least significant bits to a decimal integer; shifting the value of the integer by a predetermined constant to produce a shifted integer; and encoding the shifted integer as bits in a PIN block in accordance with a standard. A method for managing security of a PIN used to provide access to a secure device comprising choosing the PIN; storing an encrypted version of the PIN in the device; and communicating the PIN to a user of the device via a communication channel separate and apart from a channel reset to provide the device to the user. A method for resetting a PIN in a secure device comprising sending a message to a data center having an original PIN for the device, the message including authorization data indicative of at least one of the device and an authorized user of the device, and securely communicating the original PIN to the location of the device.

Generation and management of customer pin's

An indicia authentication system includes a franking device for embedding identification and encrypted authentication data into indicia and applying the indicia to an article, and a computing device for utilizing the identification data to retrieve a key for deciphering the encrypted authentication data, where the computing device is adapted to utilize the deciphered authentication data to determine the validity of the indicia.

Remote authentication of two dimensional barcoded indicia

A system for authenticating items includes: a processing unit for generating indicia for imprints to be applied to items and authenticating imprints applied to items, each indicium including a cryptographically encoded component; at least one item printing station for printing imprints on items as generated by the processing unit; and at least one item presentation station to which items are presented in authenticating the same. The item presentation station is configured to transmit data relating to the indicium on an item presented thereto to the processing unit, and to receive an authentication message in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid.

Item authentication

A method of securely updating software in a remote device includes copying selected portions of program code in the remote device to a memory, downloading software to the remote device, and upon detecting an unsuccessful download, reinstalling the selected portions of program code.

System and method of secure updating of remote device software

After a processor-controlled system having communications capabilities is delivered to a user in its generic configuration, customization of the system is realized in accordance with the invention by downloading thereto selected information objects, e.g., software components and/or data, from a server. To avoid unauthorized downloading of the selected information objects, certain information in a request for the objects by the system to the server is encrypted and/or cryptographically signed. Such information may be, e.g., a serial number identifying the system. If the server succeeds in decrypting the encrypted information and/or authenticating the digital signature, and thereby verifies the identity and legitimacy of the system, the server downloads the selected information objects to realize the customization.

Technique for secure remote configuration of a system

A gate keeping system for a user accessible resource is provided. The system has a server, a transceiver and an RFID tag. The server is communicably connected to the resource for sending commands allowing and terminating user access to the resource. The receiver is communicably connected to the server and capable of sending an RF interrogation signal. The RFID tag is capable of sending an RF signal in response to the receiving the interrogation signal. The RFID tag has a program that embodies user unique credentials capable of providing user access to the resource. The user unique credentials represent a user associated with the tag.

Proximity validation system and method

System and method for conducting a financial transaction between a sender and recipient of a mail piece

In a postage payment system, a secure integrated circuit (IC) card is used to manage postage funds, and create encrypted postage indicia. Among other things, the system is capable of performing charge-back accounting of postage expenses and generating mail contents. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the postage indicia are applied onto selected locations of the mail contents while they are being generated. In the preferred embodiment, each mail content is placed in a window envelope such that the postage indicium on the mail content exposes through a window of the envelope to facilitate inspection of the indicium. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, by including transactional data in addition to the traditional postal data in a postage indicium, the indicium can be used to pay bills, purchase products and services, including any courier service different than the postal service.

In a postage meter system (FIG.), a user enters information,indicative of a batch of mail pieces to be franked (). The mail pieces are franked(), and when the batch is completed, data relating to the batch are made the subject of a cryptographic engine(). The data digitally signed, or a message authentication code (MAC) is derived, all in a postal security device (PSD)(). The data are communicated(), preferably by means of public-key cryptography(). These data are then made available to the postal authority in a secure way.()

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Shelton, CT, United States of America

George M Brookner