Systems and methods for dispensing postage stamps

• US 20040215581A1
• Filed: 06/13/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Gordon, Roy R, Wilkerson, Wayne A, Lord, Daniel J
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• 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 2017/00217 Portable franking apparatus, i.e. the whole franking apparatus, not parts alone
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus

Abstract

Postage stamps are dispensed by receiving payment from a customer for a postage value at a point of sale terminal. The point of sale terminal requests and receives an authorization key from an authorization system. The authorization key is provided to the customer. Thereafter, the customer provides the authorization key to a postage dispensing machine, which provides postage stamps equivalent to the postage value.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing postage stamps comprising:

receiving payment from a customer for a postage value at a point of sale terminal;

requesting and receiving an authorization key from an authorization system;

providing the authorization key to the customer; and

providing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from a postage dispensing machine when the authorization key is provided to the postage dispensing machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the postage value based on a non-postage stamp product for purchase by the consumer at the point of sale terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

soliciting the customer to purchase postage stamps for the postage value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting and receiving an authorization key from an authorization system comprises:

sending a request electronically to the authorization system, wherein the point of sale terminal transmits to the authorization system information related to the postage value and a point of sale terminal identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the authorization key to the customer comprises:

printing the authorization key on a receipt.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the authorization key comprises printing machine readable code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization key comprises a series of alphanumeric characters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from a postage dispensing machine when the authorization key is provided to the postage dispensing machine comprises:

sending a verification electronically to the authorization system to verify the authorization key, wherein the postage dispensing machine transmits to the authorization system information related to the authorization key and a postage dispensing machine identifier; and

printing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from the postage dispensing machine when the authorization system verifies the authorization key.

9. A system for dispensing postage stamps comprising:

a point of sale terminal for receiving payment from a customer for a postage value;

means for requesting and receiving an authorization key from an authorization system;

means for providing the authorization key to the customer; and

means for providing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from a postage dispensing machine when the authorization key is provided to the postage dispensing machine.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining the postage value based on a non-postage stamp product for purchase by the consumer at the point of sale terminal.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for soliciting the customer to purchase postage stamps for the postage value.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein means for requesting and receiving an authorization key from an authorization system comprises:

means for sending a request electronically to the authorization system, wherein the point of sale terminal transmits to the authorization system information related to the postage value and a point of sale terminal identifier.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein means for providing the authorization key to the customer comprises:

means for printing the authorization key on a receipt.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein means for providing the authorization key comprises means for printing machine readable code.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the authorization key comprises a series of alphanumeric characters.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein means for providing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from a postage dispensing machine when the authorization key is provided to the postage dispensing machine comprises:

means for sending a verification electronically to the authorization system to verify the authorization key, wherein the postage dispensing machine transmits to the authorization system information related to the authorization key and a postage dispensing machine identifier; and

means for printing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from the postage dispensing machine when the authorization system verifies the authorization key.

17. A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:

prompting for payment from a customer a postage value at a point of sale terminal;

requesting and receiving an authorization key from an authorization system; and

providing the authorization key to the customer.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the postage value based on a non-postage stamp product for purchase by the consumer at the point of sale terminal.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

soliciting the customer to purchase postage stamps for the postage value.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein requesting and receiving an authorization key from an authorization system comprises:

sending a request electronically to the authorization system, wherein the point of sale terminal transmits to the authorization system information related to the postage value and a point of sale terminal identifier.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein providing the authorization key to the customer comprises:

printing the authorization key on a receipt.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein providing the authorization key to the customer comprises printing machine readable code.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the authorization key comprises a series of alphanumeric characters.

24. A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:

providing postage stamps equivalent to a postage value from a postage dispensing machine when an authorization key is provided to the postage dispensing machine, wherein payment of the postage value is received from a customer at a point of sale terminal and the authorization key is received from an authorization system and provided to the customer.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein providing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from a postage dispensing machine when the authorization key is provided to the postage dispensing machine comprises:

sending a verification electronically to the authorization system to verify the authorization key, wherein the postage dispensing machine transmits to the authorization system information related to the authorization key and a postage dispensing machine identifier; and

printing postage stamps equivalent to the postage value from the postage dispensing machine when the authorization system verifies the authorization key.