Pitney Bowes Inc.

Other

Monroe A Weiant, Jr

Robert A Cordery

Leon A Pintsov

Frederick W Ryan, Jr

David K Lee

Steven J Pauly

David W Riley

Richard W Heiden

Feliks Bator

Kathryn V Lawton

William Berson

Andrei Obrea

Brian M Romansky

John L Campo

Edward J Twarog

Michael Y Swaluk

Kevin D Hunter

John F Braun

Walter J Baker

Frank M D'Ippolito

Gary M Heiden

Linda V Gravell

Louis J Loglisci

Kathyrn V Lawton

Frederick W Ryan Jr

A system and method include means for processing a cryptographic certificate adapted to provide security functionality. A register means is provided and means for adjusting the register means to account for services when the cryptographic certificate is processed. In accordance with another aspect, a system and method include a register means for storing funds. Means are provided for processing a digital token providing proof of postage payment and means are also provided for processing a cryptographic certificate adapted to provide security functionality. Means debit funds stored in the register means when the digital token is processed and when the cryptographic certificate is processed. Processing the cryptographic certificate may involve many functions such as providing security services and/or certificate management functions (including generating and verifying cryptographic certificates) and/or key management functions and/or access to any needed private keys to perform security services. Processing the digital token may include generating the digital token or issuing the digital token.

Secure user certification for electronic commerce employing value metering system

A transaction evidencing system includes a personal computer (PC) comprising a processor, memory and hard drive, with a plurality of non-metering application programs that selectively run on the PC. An unsecured printer is operatively coupled to the PC for printing in accordance with the non-metering application programs. A portable vault card that is removably coupled to the PC is programmed to generate tokens generation and perform transaction accounting. An application interface module in the PC, which interfaces with the non-metering application programs, issues a request for digital tokens in response to requests for indicia from a non-metering application program. A secure communications module in the PC, which securely communicates with the vault card when the vault card is coupled to the PC, sends the request for digital token to the vault card and receives a digital token generated by the vault card. An indicia bitmap generation module generates an indicia bitmap in the PC from the digital token and stores it in memory. The indicia bitmap is accessed by the non-metering application program when a print indicia operation is selected. A transaction capture module in the PC stores on the hard drive a transaction record corresponding to each issued digital token and associated postal data. The application interface module, the secure communications module, the indicia bitmap generation module and the transaction capture module are part of a dynamic link library module in the PC.

PC-based open metering system and method

A system and method include means for processing a cryptographic certificate adapted to provide security functionality. A register means is provided and means for adjusting the register means to account for services when the cryptographic certificate is processed. In accordance with anther aspect, a system and method include a register means for storing funds. Means are provided for processing a digital token providing proof of postage payment and means are also provided for processing a cryptographic certificate adapted to provide security functionality. Means debit funds stored in the register means when the digital token is processed and when the cryptographic certificate is processed. Processing the cryptographic certificate may involve many functions such as providing security services and/or certificate management functions (including generating and verifying cryptographic certificates) and/or key management functions and/or access to any needed private keys to perform security services. Processing the digital token may include generating the digital token or issuing the digital token.

A transaction evidencing system includes a plurality of computer systems operatively configured to form a network with one of the computer systems functioning as a server and the remaining computer systems functioning as clients. Each of the computer systems includes a processor, memory and storage media. At least some of the storage means includes non-metering application programs that are selectively run on the client computer systems. An unsecured printer is operatively coupled to at least one of the computer systems for printing in accordance with the non-metering application programs. A portable vault card, which is removably coupled to the server computer system, includes digital token generation and transaction accounting processing. The client computer systems issue requests for digital tokens to the server computer system in response to requests for indicia from the non-metering application programs. The requests for digital tokens include predetermined information required by the token generation processing. The server computer system communicates with the vault card when the vault card is coupled to the server computer system, sending the requests for digital tokens to the vault card and receiving from the vault card the generated digital tokens. The server computer system sends each digital token to the client computer system that requested the digital token. The requesting client computer system generates an indicia bitmap from the digital token. The server computer system receives from the vault a transaction record that includes the digital token and the predetermined information and stores the transaction record in its storage media.

Network open metering system

A system and corresponding method for detecting duplicate indicia on mailpieces. The system includes: a plurality of postal machines, each operated by a particular branch postal facility among a plurality of branch postal facilities, each postal machine having a scanning system for scanning indicia, each responsive to selection criteria, and each for providing data from sampled indicia based on the selection criteria and also for providing results of local verification of indicia; the plurality of branch postal facilities, each operating at least one of the postal machines, each responsive to selection criteria received from a central postal site, and in turn for providing the selection criteria to at least one of the postal machines it operates, each further responsive to the sampled indicia and to the local verification results provided by the postal machines it operates, and each for further providing to the central postal site data from the sampled indicia as well as a summary of all of the local verification results received from the postal machines it operates; and the central postal site, responsive to the sampled indicia and to the summary of the local verification results provided by each branch postal facility, for determining a duplicate detection list based on the sampled indicia, and for generating selection criteria to replace existing selection criteria and providing the selection criteria to the branch postal facilities so as to control sampling by the branch postal facilities by restricting the sampling to a subset that is a fraction of all indicia.

System for detecting mail pieces with duplicate indicia

A method and system for creating, reviewing and revoking, if necessary, a certificate for a client of a service provider of a communications network, wherein the client has a client private key and a client public key. The method includes the steps of establishing a communications link with the service provider through a dedicated communication channel; requesting a client certificate from the service provider; obtaining a caller-ID, including a telephone number from an operator of the dedicated communication channel; and creating the requested client certificate including the caller-ID. Preferably, the method also includes the step of verifying that the caller-ID obtained from the operator of the dedicated communication channel is the same as client identifying information provided by the client when requesting the client certificate. The certificate can be stored at a caller ID server or a client's storage. The method includes the steps of periodically reviewing issued certificates against a reverse telephone book to determine if the included telephone number is still associated with the client and revoking the certificate if it is not.

Method and system for revocation of certificates used to certify public key users

System and method for performing cryptographic operations include providing at least one processor for performing cryptographic operations, memory coupled to the processor for use in performing the cryptographic operations; and a storage component coupled to the processor for storing and retrieving information calculated and used in the cryptographic operations. The processor, memory and storage component are securely enclosed whereby direct access to the cryptographic operations is prevented. At least the processor is comprised in an integrated circuit. A first power source, which is external to the secure enclosure, is coupled to and supplies power to the processor, the memory and the storage component. A second power source, which is within the housing of the integrated circuit, is coupled to and supplies power to at least the processor. A switch is included for switching from the first power source to the second power source when the cryptographic operations are being performed and for switching from the second power source to the first power source when non-cryptographic operations are being performed.

System and method for suppressing conducted emissions by a cryptographic device comprising an integrated circuit

System and method for performing cryptographic operations include providing at least one processor for performing cryptographic operations, memory coupled to the processor for use in performing the cryptographic operations; and a storage component coupled to the processor for storing and retrieving information calculated and used in the cryptographic operations. The processor, memory and storage component are securely enclosed whereby direct access to the cryptographic operations is prevented. A first power source, which is external to the secure enclosure, is coupled to and supplies power to the processor, the memory and the storage component. A second power source, which is internal to the secure enclosure, is coupled to and supplies power to at least the processor. A switch is included for switching from the first power source to the second power source when the cryptographic operations are being performed and for switching from the second power source to the first power source when non-cryptographic operations are being performed.

System and method for suppressing conducted emissions by a cryptographic device

An apparatus for issuing money orders and similar instruments and for securing payment therefor is provided as a subsystem of an existing kiosk of a type including, but not limited to postal kiosks, informational kiosks, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Point of Sale terminals (POS), vending machines and the like, or any combination thereof. Payment is secured by drawing funds directly from a customer's bank account; by drawing funds from a smart card, or by accepting currency through a bill acceptor. The apparatus further includes facilities for redeeming money orders and dispensing cash amounts corresponding thereto.

Secure money order issuing kiosk

A method for processing controlled acceptance mail includes creating, at a first location, a batch of mail including a plurality of mailpieces, each of the plurality of mailpieces having unique indicia data printed thereon which identifies a source of creation of the batch of mail and a unique identifier for a corresponding one of the plurality of mailpieces upon which the unique indicia data is printed; generating, at the first location, a manifest containing all of the unique indicia data for each of the plurality of mailpieces; cryptographically protecting the manifest; sending the cryptographically protected manifest to a second location; verifying the authenticity of the cryptographically protected manifest at the second location; providing the batch of mail to a carrier distribution system for distribution; as part of the carrier distribution system reading unique indicia data from selected mailpieces being distributed therein and sending the unique indicia data for each of the selected mailpieces to the second location; and comparing, at the second location, the unique indicia data received from the carrier distribution system for each of the selected mailpieces with all of the unique indicia data in the manifest to determine if any one of the unique indicia data received from the carrier distribution system matches any of the unique indicia data in the manifest.

Controlled acceptance mail fraud detection system

The present invention provides a method for verifying an unreadable information-based indium that has been generated by a postal security device (PSD) for information-based indium comprising a 2-D bar code, certain human-readable information, a digital signature and a certificate. The method comprises the steps of attempting to read the 2-D bar code using sophisticated digital image processing when the 2-D bar code is not readable; and continuing normal processing when the 2-D bar code is readable with the sophisticated digital image processing. When the 2-D bar code is not readable two independent processes are used to determine the indicium certificate. A first process includes reading human readable information by optical character recognition using context, syntax, and redundancy in the human readable information to obtain a PSD-ID; and using the PSD-ID to look up in a certificate database a certificate corresponding to the information-based indicium. A second process includes interpreting partial bar code data and extracting a &ldquo;best guess&rdquo; of the certificate and searching the certificate database for the closest matching certificate. The method further comprises merging data obtained from the two processes and attempting to reconstruct bar code data from the merged data. If the merged data is sufficient, an attempt is made to verify the digital signature obtained from the merged data. If the signature is verified, normal processing is resumed. If the merged data is insufficient or if the signature is not verified, a suspect mailpiece record is created.

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Trumbull, CT, United States of America

Monroe A Weiant, Jr