Stamps Com Inc.

Auctane, Inc.

Michael John Biswas

Geoffrey Charles Begen

John Roland Clem

J P Leon

Charles John Atkinson

Jeffery T Crouse

Christopher Andrew Gaudet

Kenneth Thomas McBride

Daniel David Farino

Pradipe Yoggi

James Michael Bortnak

Yang Lu

Bry Willis

In certain embodiments, cryptographic-chain-based verification of postage transaction records may be facilitated. In some embodiments, a customer computer system may obtain a customer private key associated with a customer from a secure local storage at the customer computer system. The customer computer system may obtain (i) a first vendor digital signature derived from a first postage transaction record and (ii) a second postage transaction record. The customer computer system may create a customer digital signature based on (i) the customer private key, (ii) the first vendor digital signature, and (iii) the second postage transaction record. The customer computer system may provide the customer digital signature to a vendor computer system associated with the postage vendor, and, in response, obtain a second vendor digital signature from the vendor computer system, wherein the second vendor digital signature is based on (i) a vendor private key associated with the postage vendor and (ii) the customer digital signature.

System and method for cryptographic-chain-based verification of postage transaction records

Systems and methods which provide parasitic postage indicia comprising thin indicium information and corresponding postage indicium data are shown. The thin indicium information may be disposed in a mail scan block in parasitism for use in identifying the corresponding postage indicium data. This thin indicium information may comprise one or more pieces of information configured to be carried within a structure of a mail scan block present on a mail item and which uniquely or substantially uniquely identifies a postage indicium data packet comprised of postage indicium data. The postage indicium data may be generated as proof of payment for postal services and stored for access using the thin indicium information. As a mail item is processed a mail scan block thereon may be scanned and the thin indicium information extracted for identifying a corresponding postage indicium data packet for proof of payment for postal services.

Parasitic postage indicia

Systems and methods which implement localized functionality in a client server system using a technique of caching one or more functional objects for access in response to an appropriate server call are shown. Embodiments provide a browser based postage indicia generation and printing solution in which a browser upon which a postage client is operable is controlled to cache one or more functional objects in the form of script files. Various functional objects may be optimized for caching by clients such as postal rating scripts, postal insurance rating scripts, address verification scripts, etc. Security and/or accuracy verification may be implemented by a server to independently verify the results of use of functional objects by a client.

Systems and methods for providing localized functionality in browser based postage transactions

Systems and methods which facilitate fixed rate shipping through the use of perpetual value bearing shipping labels are disclosed. The substantially perpetual viability of the value borne by perpetual value bearing shipping labels herein provides a shelf life which exceeds a shipping rate change epoch. Perpetual value bearing shipping labels of embodiments, although providing valid viable postage for use in obtaining shipping services, are provided as fungible products and do not include delivery or date information as pre-produced and made available to shippers in advance of their shipping activity. An on-line fulfillment system may be provided in which shippers may select a desired number of perpetual value bearing shipping labels in one or more value bearing amount for purchase by and delivery to the shipper for later use. Perpetual value bearing shipping labels may also be made available to shippers is through point of sale acquisition.

Perpetual value bearing shipping labels

Systems and methods which provide known shipper information in association with unknown shipper indicia as disclosed. Embodiments operate to collect information regarding a shipper and associate the shipper information with unknown shipper indicia. Where shipper information satisfactory to a known shipper requirement has not otherwise been collected, embodiments operate to perform a transaction matrix analysis to determine a shipper identification risk level. Such transaction matrix analysis may operate to analyze multiple pieces of shipper information (e.g., collected from different sources) to provide a determination as to a level of risk that the shipper information correctly and/or uniquely identifies the shipper. A shipping service provider, when accepting an item for shipment and/or when processing the item during shipment, may use the unknown shipper indicia to access shipper information associated therewith in accordance to embodiments of the invention to provide an appropriate level of shipping services.

Systems and methods providing known shipper information for shipping indicia

Systems and methods which implement localized functionality in a client server system using a technique of caching one or more functional objects for access in response to an appropriate server call are shown. Embodiments provide a browser based postage indicia generation and printing solution in which a browser upon which a postage client is operable is controlled to cache one or more functional objects in the form of script files. Various functional objects may be optimized for caching by clients such as postal rating scripts, postal insurance rating scripts, address verification scripts, etc. Security and/or accuracy verification may be implemented by a server to independently verify the results of use of the use of functional objects by a client.

Systems and methods which provide a reusable shipping product comprised of a reusable shipping container and reusable shipping event code are shown. A shipper may use a user device to interact with a reusable shipping event code and/or corresponding shipping event management system for facilitating operation herein. The reusable shipping event codes of embodiments provide for shipping information used in processing an item during shipment in a configuration adapted for repeated use in shipping. A shipping event code database is preferably provided, such as at a shipping event management system, wherein shipping information associated with a corresponding shipping event code may be stored, such as for use in shipping services processing of a shipped item using a reusable shipping product of embodiments herein. The reusable shipping containers of embodiments of the invention provide shipping containers which are adapted for repeated use in shipping.

Reusable shipping product

Systems and methods which implement a rules based engine for processing items for shipping are shown. Embodiments implement a series of rules that are executed in a particular order to address decision points in processing individual items of a plurality of items for shipping. A user interface adapted to allow a user to create rules, weigh or order the rules, revise rules, enable/disable rules, etc. is provided according to embodiments. By selecting and associating various rule parameters, such as conditions, operators, and/or outcomes, through the rules interface a user may create and revise rules as desired. The rules interface of embodiments provides a hierarchical rules environment in which the resulting rules are weighted or ordered for hierarchical implementation.

Systems and methods for rules based shipping

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would project a route and a delivery schedule for relevant mail pieces and would monitor carrier recorded tracking events for those mail pieces to determine whether or not actual tracking events are following the projected route and the projected schedule, and/or whether or not issues that might impact their delivery and/or their delivery schedule, may have arisen along their projected route; such exemplary embodiments would provide an alert to the relevant user(s) and/or other authorized parties and/or relevant carrier(s) and would facilitate user interaction by the relevant user(s) and/or parties to provide intercept and/or rescue and/or confiscation instructions; exemplary embodiments would facilitate automatic interfaces with the relevant carriers and delivery services for the subject mail piece to resolve rescue, item loss, insurance coverage, postage refund, intervention and/or confiscation instructions and issues.

Systems and methods for mail piece interception, rescue tracking, and confiscation alerts and related services

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would project a route and a delivery schedule for relevant mail pieces and would monitor carrier-recorded tracking events for those mail pieces to determine whether or not actual tracking events are following the projected route and the projected schedule, and/or whether or not issues that might impact their delivery and/or their delivery schedule, may have arisen along their projected route; such exemplary embodiments would provide an alert to the relevant user(s) and/or other authorized parties and/or relevant carrier(s) and would facilitate user interaction by the relevant user(s) and/or parties to provide intercept and/or rescue and/or confiscation instructions; exemplary embodiments would facilitate automatic interfaces with the relevant carriers and delivery services for the subject mail piece to resolve rescue, item loss, insurance coverage, postage refund, intervention and/or confiscation instructions and issues.

Systems and methods which implement localized functionality in a client server system using a technique of caching one or more functional objects for access in response to an appropriate server call are shown. Embodiments provide a browser based postage indicia generation and printing solution in which a browser upon which a postage client is operable is controlled to cache one or more functional objects in the form of script files. Various functional objects may be optimized for caching by clients such as postal rating scripts, postal insurance rating scripts, address verification scripts, etc. Security and/or accuracy verification may be implemented by a server to independently verify the results of the use of functional objects by a client.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Michael John Biswas