The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1997
Perry A Pierce, Darien, CT (US);
Frederick W Ryan, Jr, Oxford, CT (US);
Robert W Sisson, Shelton, CT (US);
Kevin L Strobel, Fairfield, CT (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A method for removing postal funds from a postage meter provides an accounting unit of a postage meter with indicium-related information which is invalid for mailing such as invalid origin zip or date. The accounting unit generates a digital signature, which is an encrypted value of the postal funds removed from the postage meter and other postal data including the indicium-related information. The accounting unit through a Host PC sends to a data center the amount of the postal funds removed from the postage meter and the digital signature. The data center verifies that the digital signature has been generated using the indicium-related information. The meter is disabled when the digital signature cannot be verified. When the digital signature is verified a request for a refund is sent by the data center to a postal authority. An example of the indicium-related information is an invalid destination postal code or an invalid origination postal code.