Francotyp-postalia Ag & Co.

Olav A Zarges

Stephan Guenther

Stephan Gunther

Ralf Kubatzki

Frank Reisinger

Harald Windel

Andreas Wagner

Claus Freytag

Peter Rieckhoff

Wilfried Kopanski

Enno Bischoff

Marcus Hansel

Arndt Berthold

Ludger Bornemann

Joachim Pilz

A postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit has a controller which, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, allows the function input and the administration of cost center to be handled to be simplified. For deriving chip cards that individually allow only a limited function to be implemented, i.e. the cards are of a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced using the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine, so that a pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified by the user. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards and further successor cards derived from the specific application function cards that allow access to the table with their chip card number internally stored in the chip card. The function allocation applications to the chip card number can be arbitrarily selectably stored in non-volatile memory areas by the authorized user

Postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit and method for operating same

A postage meter machine with a chip card write/read unit has a controller allows an initialization of a number of chip cards by the user in order, in conjunction with suitably initialized chip cards, to simplify the function input and the administration of cost center data to be handled. A chip card number is stored in the chip card. For deriving chip cards that set a limited function scope, a table with a specific hierarchic structure can be produced upon employment of the keyboard and display and with the assistance of the microprocessor and the appertaining non-volatile memories within the postage meter machine in that the pre-stored structure is correspondingly modified. At least one of the number of application functions is allocated to the chip card number in the table. A tree structure in the hierarchy thereby arises for second chip cards derived from the first chip card and for successor cards, particularly specific function application cards.

A method for securing data and program code of an electronic postage meter machine against manipulation, having a microprocessor in a control unit of the postage meter machine for implementing steps for a start and initialization routine and following system routine with a possibility of entering into a communication mode with a remote data central, as well as further input steps in order to enter into a franking mode from which a branch is made back into the system routine after the implementation of an accounting and printing routine, includes conducting a start security check within the framework of a start and initialization routine which runs before a secure printing data call routine and the following system routine for determining the validity of a program code and/or of data in the predetermined memory location and of an appertaining MAC (message authentification code) that is present in the same storage medium. The check for valid program code and/or for validity of the data is implemented with a selected checksum method within an OTP (one time programmable) processor that internally receives the corresponding program parts. Transfer of the postage meter machine into the aforementioned system routine takes place given validity of the data or transfer of the postage meter machine into a first mode when the data are invalid, or when a specific manipulation criterion is met. Steps for preventing the franking or blocking of the postage meter machine and/or steps for preventing a further program execution or a program branch exiting the OTP processor within the framework of system routine the occur.

Method of improving the security of postage meter machines

In a method for modifying data loaded into memory cells of an electronic postage meter machine having a microprocessor which executes steps for a routine controlled by an external storage medium, a data modification mode is entered into by plugging a programmed, read-only memory module, which contains a program to be interpreted, into communication with the microprocessor and the program is loaded from the module into the microprocessor, a check routine is executed in a secure region of the postage meter machine for checking the validity of the loaded program, and given validity of the loaded program, the data in the postage meter machine are modified including initialization of an interpreter routine, with the interpreter routine being executed in the data modification sequence.

Method for modifying data loaded into memory cells of an electronic

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Berlin, Germany

Olav A Zarges