EP0780804A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Token generation process in an open metering system
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1996-12-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-12-19
Abstract
Abstract A method of issuing digital tokens in a open system meter comprising the steps of: sending a request for digital tokens and predetermined postal information, including addressee information, from a host processor to a vault that is operatively coupled to the host processor; calculating in the vault in response to the request for tokens at least one digital token using the predetermined postal information; debiting postal funds in the vault; issuing the digital token to the host processor; and storing the digital token and the predetermined postal information as a transaction record in the host processor for subsequent generation and printing of an indicia.
Inventors
- 👤 David K. Lee
- 👤 David W. Riley
- 👤 Frederick W. Ryan, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:34
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00733; G07B17/00016; G07B17/0008; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00193; G07B2017/00153; G07B2017/00177; G07B2017/00201; G07B17/00314; G07B2017/00322; G07B2017/0033; G07B2017/00354; G07B2017/00741; G07B2017/0075; G07B2017/00822; G07B2017/0083; G07B2017/00935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of issuing digital tokens in a open system meter comprising the steps of: sending a request for digital tokens and predetermined postal information, including addressee information, from a host processor to a vault that is operatively coupled to the host processor; calculating in the vault in response to the request for tokens at least one digital token using the predetermined postal information; debiting postal funds in the vault; issuing the digital token to the host processor; and storing the digital token and the predetermined postal information as a transaction record in the host processor for subsequent generation and printing of an indicia.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of: generating in the host processor an indicia comprising a graphical image of the digital token and the predetermined postal information and storing the indicia in the host processor; printing the indicia on a mailpiece when requested.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing the digital token and the predetermined postal information as a transaction record in the host processor includes indexing the transaction record corresponding to piece count.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of reissuing the digital token from the hard drive if the indicia has not been printed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of: repeating the steps in claim 1 for a batch of addressees before printing an indicia for each digital token corresponding to each of the addressees.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of: maintaining a plurality of issued digital tokens for a predetermined time or count.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of: repeating the steps in claim 1 to obtain a batch of digital tokens stored on the hard drive for subsequent batch generation of indicia.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of issuing digital tokens in a open system meter comprising the steps of: sending a request for digital tokens and predetermined postal information, including addressee information, from a host processor to a vault that is operatively coupled to the host processor; calculating in the vault in response to the request for tokens at least one digital token using the predetermined postal information; debiting postal funds in the vault; sending the digital token to the host processor: generating in the host processor a graphical image of the digital token and the predetermined postal information; and storing the graphical image of an indicia comprising the digital token and the predetermined postal information for subsequent printing of the indicia; and storing in the server PC a record of each transaction as backup for disaster recovery.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of issuing digital tokens in a PC meter on a network, comprising the steps of: sending a request for digital tokens and predetermined postal information, including addressee information, from a local PC to a vault operatively connected to a network server; generating in the vault in response to the request for tokens at least one digital token using the predetermined postal information; storing the digital token in NVM in the vault; sending the digital token to the local PC; storing the digital token and the predetermined postal information in a transaction record file in the local PC for subsequent generation and printing of an indicia.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
168 words
A method of issuing a batch of digital tokens, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mailing list file in a PC; extracting required postal information for each desired address in a mailing list sending a request for digital tokens and the required postal information, including addressee information, for desired ones of the addresses in the mailing list from the PC to a vault that is operatively coupled to the PC; calculating in response to each request for digital tokens at least one digital token in the vault using the predetermined postal information; storing each digital token in vault NVM in the vault; debiting postal funds in the vault NVM corresponding to the digital tokens calculated for each address; sending each digital token to the processor; and storing each digital token in an issued token file on the hard drive of the PC in a manner consistent with the order that each corresponding address is in the mailing list for subsequent generation and printing of an indicia.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 10 comprising the further steps of: generating an indicia bitmap comprising the digital token for one of the digital tokens in the issued token file; formatting an envelope print routine including the indicia bitmap in response to a print command; printing an envelope in accordance with the formatted envelope print routine; storing the indicia bitmap in a bitmap file on the hard drive for subsequent printing; and repeating the previous steps until indicia are printed for all desired addressees in the mailing list.
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