Systems and methods using a digital pen for funds accounting devices and postage meters

• US 20040002926A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Coffy, Jean-Hiram, Cordery, Robert A., Parkos, Arthur J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,915,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00217 Portable franking apparatus, i.e. the whole franking apparatus, not parts alone
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00717 Reading barcodes

Abstract

A method and system for processing postage payments is described. In one configuration a digital pen is utilized to provide a mail piece identifier. The data provided is utilized to account for postage and verify payment of postage.

Claims

1. A method for a user for accounting for and providing evidence of payment of postage comprising:

obtaining a registered digital pen meter registered to the user;

handwriting a return address field on a mail piece;

handwriting a mail piece identifier on the mail piece;

facilitating the transfer of digital pen data to a server; and

placing the mail piece in the mail stream.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication that postage was paid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user selects the mail piece identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

a postal authority sends the mail piece identifier to the user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining biometric data relating to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining biometric data relating to the pen strokes of the user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a postage value indicator written in a postal value field.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the mail piece identifier comprises data obtained from a destination address field.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the mail piece identifier comprises a graphical image representation of the destination address field.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the mail piece identifier comprises data obtained from at least one pen stroke captured from writing on the mail piece.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the mail piece identifier comprises pen stroke data captured from the destination address field and is stored to be matched with a scan of the destination address field.

12. A method for verifying payment of postage comprising:

obtaining a user profile;

obtaining a mail piece identifier from a mail piece;

obtaining customer data from the mail piece;

obtaining a mail piece user profile; and

comparing the mail piece user profile to the user profile.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the user profile include information obtained using user biometric data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the user profile includes information obtained from pen strokes.

15. A method for verifying payment of postage comprising:

obtaining a mail piece identifier from a mail piece;

obtaining a stored mail piece identifier; and

comparing the mail piece identifier to the stored mail piece identifier.