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:
Jul. 30, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 02, 1998
Meredith B. Fischer, Norwalk, CT (US);
Ronald P. Sansone, Weston, CT (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A method and system that permits artistic works that are accessed on the internet or from a data center to be down loaded pursuant to an agreement with a representative of the copyright owner to users of postal security devices to pay for their use of copyrighted artistic works. A scanner at the post would read the already existing indicia and other information on the mail piece and then extract a unique identifier contained on the mail piece that is associated with the artistic or graphical information contracted to appear on the mail piece. The scanner with also read tracking information that is contained in the unique identifier. The extracted unique identifier would be periodically uploaded to a data center. The data center would compare the unique identifier on the mail piece with information about artistic or graphical information that has previously been uploaded from sending postal security devices to determine when the track mail piece arrived at a post office near the addressee.