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:
Feb. 03, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 10, 1999
Harry T. Whitehouse, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Scott T. Montgomery, Los Altos, CA (US);
PSI Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A postage printing system enables users to generate postage indicia and print mail pieces at client computers. Upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, a mail metering application on the client computer sends reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location. The reprint request includes information identifying an account for printing a postage indicia. A server computer used by the authorizing authority receives the reprint request from a client computer and evaluates the request. When the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, a reply is sent to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization. Otherwise, a negative reply is sent to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization. Upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, the client computer prints a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia. The mail metering application prevents the user from reprinting the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority.