Internet stamp

• US 20040070194A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iconex LLC
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Christianson, David L., Janetzke, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,396,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/71
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0292 tamper indicating labels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/902 Anti-photocopy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia

Abstract

A postage sheet includes a face sheet adhesively bonded to a release liner. The face sheet includes a removable internet stamp having a diecut perimeter. A visible security indicium is disposed on the front side of the stamp and has a different color than the face sheet, and is not reproducible by photocopying.

Claims

1. A postage sheet comprising:

a face sheet having an exposed front side and an opposite back side covered with an adhesive;

a release liner having a front side covered with a release agent and bonded to said back side of said face sheet by said adhesive therebetween;

said face sheet including a removable internet stamp having a diecut perimeter, with said stamp having disposed on said front side thereof a visible security indicium different in color than said face sheet and not reproducible by electrostatic photocopying.

2. A postage sheet according to claim 1 wherein said stamp further includes a blank postage site for printing internet postage indicia, and said security indicium is preprinted adjacent said site.

3. A postage sheet according to claim 2 wherein said face sheet is white, and said security indicium is a different shade of white.

4. A postage sheet according to claim 3 wherein said security indicium is minuscule in size and not readily visible to the untrained eye.

5. A postage sheet according to claim 3 wherein said security indicium comprises microprint characters.

6. A postage sheet according to claim 3 wherein said stamp has a horizontal orientation for printing said postage indicia horizontally, and said security indicium has a narrow vertical extent for obscuring said security indicium.

7. A postage sheet according to claim 3 wherein said face sheet is configured to fluoresce under black light, and said security indicium is configured not to fluoresce under said black light.

8. A postage sheet according to claim 2 wherein said security indicium comprises thermalchromatic ink.

9. A postage sheet according to claim 8 wherein said security indicium is majuscule in size and plainly visible to the naked eye.

10. A postage sheet according to claim 8 wherein said security indicium is blue.

11. A postage sheet according to claim 8 wherein said security indicium is configured to visibly fade under body heat.

12. A postage sheet according to claim 8 wherein said security indicium comprises a graphical scene.

13. A postage sheet according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of said internet stamps arranged in a rectangular array on said face sheet, with each stamp having a respective diecut perimeter, and being separately removable from said liner.

14. A postage sheet according to claim 13 wherein said face sheet includes a border surrounding each of said stamps for permitting overprinting of said stamps along said border.

15. A method of using said postage sheet according to claim 2 comprising:

loading said postage sheet into a printer;

using a personal computer to access the internet for obtaining postage;

printing said internet stamp with said internet postage indicia in said blank postage site; and

removing said printed internet stamp from said liner adhering said stamp to a mailer for providing postage therefor.

16. A postage sheet comprising:

a white face sheet having an exposed front side and an opposite back side covered with an adhesive;

a release liner having a front side covered with a release agent and bonded to said back side of said face sheet by said adhesive therebetween;

said face sheet including a removable internet stamp having a diecut perimeter, with said stamp having disposed on said front side thereof a visible security indicium different in shade of white than said white face sheet and not reproducible by electrostatic photocopying; and

said stamp further includes a blank postage site for printing internet postage indicia, and said security indicium is preprinted adjacent said site.

17. A postage sheet according to claim 16 wherein said security indicium comprises microprint characters.

18. A postage sheet according to claim 17 wherein said stamp has a horizontal orientation for printing said postage indicia horizontally, and said security indicium has a narrow vertical extent for obscuring said security indicium.

19. A postage sheet according to claim 18 wherein said face sheet is configured to fluoresce under black light, and said security indicium is configured not to fluoresce under said black light.

20. A method of authenticating said internet stamp according to claim 19 comprising visibly examining said stamp to discern said white security indicium from said white face sheet.

21. A method according to claim 20 further comprising exposing said internet stamp to black light for fluorescing said face sheet and discerning whether said white security indicium fluoresces or not.

22. A postage sheet comprising:

a face sheet having an exposed front side and an opposite back side covered with an adhesive;

a release liner having a front side covered with a release agent and bonded to said back side of said face sheet by said adhesive therebetween;

said face sheet including a removable internet stamp having a diecut perimeter, with said stamp having disposed on said front side thereof a visible security indicium comprising thermalchromatic ink different in color than said face sheet and not reproducible by electrostatic photocopying; and

said stamp further includes a blank postage site for printing internet postage indicia, and said security indicium is preprinted adjacent said site.

23. A postage sheet according to claim 22 wherein said security indicium is majuscule in size and plainly visible to the naked eye, and is configured to visibly fade under body heat.

24. A method of authenticating said internet stamp according to claim 23 comprising touching said security indicium to apply heat thereto, and observing whether said security indicium visibly fades or not.

25. A postage sheet comprising:

a white face sheet having an exposed front side and an opposite back side covered with an adhesive;

a release liner having a front side covered with a release agent and bonded to said back side of said face sheet by said adhesive therebetween;

said face sheet including a removable internet stamp having a diecut perimeter, with said stamp having disposed on said front side thereof a visible first security indicium different in shade of white than said white face sheet, and a visible second security indicium comprising thermalchromatic ink different in color than said white face sheet, with both said first and second security indicia not being reproducible by electrostatic photocopying; and

said stamp further includes a blank postage site for printing internet postage indicia, and said first and second security indicia are preprinted adjacent said site.

26. A postage sheet according to claim 25 wherein:

said first security indicium is minuscule in size and not readily visible to the untrained eye; and

said second security indicium is majuscule in size and plainly visible to the naked eye.

27. A postage sheet according to claim 26 wherein said first security indicium comprises microprint characters, and said second security indicium comprises a graphical scene.

28. A postage sheet according to claim 27 wherein said stamp has a horizontal orientation for printing said postage indicia horizontally, and said first security indicium has a narrow vertical extent disposed on one side of said postage site for obscuring said first security indicium, and said second security indicium is disposed on an opposite side of said postage site.

29. A postage sheet according to claim 28 wherein:

said face sheet is configured to fluoresce under black light, and said first security indicium is configured not to fluoresce under said black light; and

said second security indicium is configured to visibly fade under body heat.

30. A postage sheet according to claim 29 further comprising a plurality of said internet stamps arranged in a rectangular array on said face sheet, with each stamp having a respective diecut perimeter, and being separately removable from said liner.

31. A postage sheet according to claim 30 wherein said face sheet includes a border surrounding each of said stamps for permitting overprinting of said stamps along said border.