System and Method for Managing Postal Accounting Data Using Transient Data Collectors
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- a single postal account database storing authoritative account data for a plurality of postal accounts, the authoritative account data defining an available postage budget for each of the postal accounts;
an application server in communication with the single postal account database;
a plurality of remote computer systems in communication with the application server, each remote computer system comprising;
a plurality of postal meters;
a processor in communication with the plurality of postal meters; and
a transient data collector to cache transaction data generated by the plurality of postal meters temporarily, the transient data collector configured to receive a list of one or more valid postal accounts from the application server, to validate each postal meter for use with at least one valid postal account received from the application server, and to provide the transaction data received from the postal meter to the application server;
said application server configured to receive cached transaction data from the transient data collector and to update the single postal account database based upon the received transaction data.
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Abstract
Methods and systems using a single centralized database to manage postal accounting data are provided. The central database may interface with remote postal meters by way of one or more transient data collectors, which cache data from associated meters and transmit the data to the central database. The data collectors also validate postage accounts to the associated meters. The use of local transient data collectors allows for a single centralized database to be used without requiring data replication among databases local to each computer that manages postal meters.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a single postal account database storing authoritative account data for a plurality of postal accounts, the authoritative account data defining an available postage budget for each of the postal accounts; an application server in communication with the single postal account database; a plurality of remote computer systems in communication with the application server, each remote computer system comprising; a plurality of postal meters; a processor in communication with the plurality of postal meters; and a transient data collector to cache transaction data generated by the plurality of postal meters temporarily, the transient data collector configured to receive a list of one or more valid postal accounts from the application server, to validate each postal meter for use with at least one valid postal account received from the application server, and to provide the transaction data received from the postal meter to the application server; said application server configured to receive cached transaction data from the transient data collector and to update the single postal account database based upon the received transaction data.
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2. A method comprising:
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executing a transient data collector on a local computer in communication with a postal meter; retrieving, by the transient data collector, a list of one or more valid accounts and associated postage budgets from a remote application server, the remote application server storing authoritative account data for a plurality of postal accounts; receiving, by the transient data collector, a plurality of franking transactions performed by the postal meter; caching the plurality of franking transactions at the transient data collector; sending the plurality of franking transactions to the remote application server; removing the cached plurality of franking transactions from the transient data collector'"'"'s cache subsequent to sending the plurality of franking transactions to the remote application server; and receiving, by the transient data collector, an updated postage budget for each valid account associated with one of the plurality of franking transactions sent to the remote application server, the updated postage budget reflecting a change due to at least one of the plurality of franking transactions. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of communicating between a postal meter and a remote application server, comprising:
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removing stored data from a transient data collector cache, the cache being stored in a computer-readable medium in a computer system in communication with a postal meter and a remote application server; validating an account in use at the postal meter with the remote application server; requesting a current postage balance for the account from the application server; receiving a budget amount for the account from the application server; opening a persistent connection to the application server from the transient data collector; receiving transaction data at the transient data collector from the postal meter; and providing the transaction data to the application server from the transient data collector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification