Patent US5606507A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5606507A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System and method for storing, retrieving and automatically printing postage on mail
Assignee: Auctane Inc
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Filing: 1994-06-22
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Granted: 1997-02-25
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Expires: 2014-06-22
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for printing a postage meter stamp, including a desired postage amount and encrypted information, onto a piece of mail. A user takes a postal storage device to the post office in order to obtain a replenishment of the amount of postage stored within the postage storage device. A desired amount of postage is entered into the storage device by a postal employee through a processor-based system. The user is then able to access this stored postage at the user's location through a complementary processor-based system. The user's processor-based system automatically calculates the required postage for a piece of mail based upon a set of parameters pertaining to that piece of mail. Additional information, such as addresses, may also be printed onto an envelope, a label, a card, a letter, etc., along with the postage meter stamp through the use of a word processor program coupled to the present invention.
Inventors
- 👤 Salim G. Kara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:48
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01G; G01G19/00; G01G19/002; G01G19/005; G01G19/40; G01G19/413; G01G19/414; G01G19/4148; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/10; G06Q20/105; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00016; G07B17/0008; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00362; G07B17/00459; G07B17/00508; G07B17/00733; G07B2017/00088; G07B2017/00096; G07B2017/00137; G07B2017/00153; G07B2017/00177; G07B17/00193; G07B2017/00201; G07B2017/00258; G07B2017/0037; G07B2017/00419; G07B17/00435; G07B2017/00443; G07B2017/00572; G07B2017/0058; G07B2017/00588; G07B2017/00596; G07B2017/00604; G07B2017/00935; G07B2017/00951
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A memory storage device for storing and retrieving an authorization for an amount of postage, said storage device comprising: a memory; means for limiting access to said memory to an authorized postage granting device; means for coupling said storage device to said authorized postage granting device wherein said storage device can receive said authorization for said postage; means for retrievably storing said amount of postage; and means for coupling said storage device to a general purpose processor-based system, wherein said general purpose processor-based system can handshake with said storage device and retrieve any portion of said authorized amount of postage from said coupled device for formatting by a word processing application executing on said general purpose processor-based system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A memory storage device for storing and retrieving an authorization for an amount of postage, said storage device comprising: a memory; means for limiting access to said memory to an authorized postage granting device; means for coupling said storage device to said authorized postage granting device wherein said storage device can receive said authorization for said postage; means for retrievably storing said amount of postage; and means for coupling said storage device to a general purpose processor-based system, wherein said general purpose processor-based system can handshake with said storage device and retrieve any portion of said authorized amount of postage from said coupled device for formatting by a word processing application executing on said general purpose processor-based system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The storage device of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a touch memory utility button.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The storage device of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a smart disk.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The storage device of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a smart card.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The storage device of claim 1 wherein said storage device is a PCMCIA card.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage device of claim 1 wherein said storage device can receive said authorization for said postage from a remote authorized postage granting device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The storage device of claim 6 wherein said storage device can receive said authorization for said postage by modem.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
158 words
A general purpose processor-based system for printing a postage meter stamp with a desired amount of postage onto a piece of mail, said system comprising: means for removeably coupling a postage storage device to said system; means controlled by a particular general purpose processor for handshaking with said postage storage device and retrieving information from said coupled postage storage device, said information including a total amount of postage stored in said postage storage device; means for automatically calculating a correct amount of postage for said piece of mail as a function of mailing parameters entered into said system and particular to said piece of mail; means for automatically deducting said correct amount of postage from said total amount of postage; and means for formatting data to be sent to a word processing program, said word processing program operable to print said meter stamp with said correct amount of postage on a general purpose printer coupled to said system.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
158 words
A general purpose processor-based system for printing a postage meter stamp with a desired amount of postage onto a piece of mail, said system comprising: means for removeably coupling a postage storage device to said system; means controlled by a particular general purpose processor for handshaking with said postage storage device and retrieving information from said coupled postage storage device, said information including a total amount of postage stored in said postage storage device; means for automatically calculating a correct amount of postage for said piece of mail as a function of mailing parameters entered into said system and particular to said piece of mail; means for automatically deducting said correct amount of postage from said total amount of postage; and means for formatting data to be sent to a word processing program, said word processing program operable to print said meter stamp with said correct amount of postage on a general purpose printer coupled to said system.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said postage storage device is a touch memory utility button.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said postage storage device is a smart disk.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said postage storage device is a smart card.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said postage storage device is a PCMCIA card.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising means for verifying that said storage device is authorized to communicate with said particular general purpose processor system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising means for printing a message along with said meter stamp.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising a balance coupled to said system wherein said balance will weigh said piece of mail and automatically enter said weight into said system as a mailing parameter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said meter stamp comprises encrypted information in a machine-readable format.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system as recited in claim 16, said information comprising a serial number for said postage storage device, address to which mail is sent, and date.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said information is encoded in a bar code.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system as recited in claim 18, wherein said information is in a two-dimensional bar code.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-02-25 | 2000-08-26 | 2001-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-02-25 | 2004-08-26 | 2005-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-02-25 | 2008-08-26 | 2009-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |