System and method for authenticating a mailpiece sender

• US 20040134690A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Braun, John F., Rojas, John W., Norris, James R. Jr., Parkos, Arthur, Leung, Alan, Leung, Wendy Chui Fen, Coffy, Jean-Hiram
• Granted Patent: US 7,110,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/19.01
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00838 Personal data, i.e. biometrics

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating the sender of a mailpiece is described for identifying certain mailpieces as originating from known trusted senders. In one configuration, biometric information and/or biometric metadata is captured when a user writes on a mailpiece with a digital pen. That data is then compared to reference data in a database. Registrant data is then loaded into storage device on the mailpiece and may be digitally signed and/or encrypted by the trusted third party. In another configuration, a mailpiece includes the signature of a sender and the biometric data includes authentication data obtained from the signature that is compared to the biometric data related to the signature obtained during a sender registration process.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing a sender of an item comprising:

obtaining a digital pen for capturing biometric information;

registering the digital pen including providing a biometric data sample;

handwriting a writing sample on an item; and

requesting authentication of the sender of the item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the item is a mailpiece label.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the item is an envelope.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the writing sample is a signature.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the writing sample is a signature written on the inside of the envelope.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving an indication of authentication.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

storing the indication of authentication in a storage on the envelope.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the storage comprises an RF-ID tag.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

placing the mailpiece in the mail stream.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication that postage was paid.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the registering process includes providing a writing sample.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining biometric data relating to the user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

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

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

creating at least one profile for the user by analyzing the biometric data.

12. The method of claim 12 wherein:

The writing sample comprises a signature.

16. A method for verifying the authenticity of the sender of a mailpiece:

obtaining a mailpiece authentication data from the mail piece;

obtaining a user authentication profile;

comparing the mail piece user profile to the user profile; and

assigning a level of trust to the mailpiece based upon the comparison.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the user profile include information obtained using user biometric data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the user biometric data comprises sample pen stroke data.