Postage and mailing information applying system

• US 4,743,747 A
• Filed: 02/25/1986
• Issued: 05/10/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated Walter H Wheeler Jr Drive Stamford CT A Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Hunter, Kevin D., Schmidt, Alfred C. Jr., Sansone, Ronald P., Fougere, Guy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/832,802
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/432, 235/491, 235/495
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/18 Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks applying data to information carriers G06K1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• 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 2017/00177 from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00201 Open franking system, i.e. the printer is not dedicated to franking only, e.g. PC (Personal Computer)
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00217 Portable franking apparatus, i.e. the whole franking apparatus, not parts alone
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0058 Printing of code
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00596 Printing of address
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0083 Postal data, e.g. postage, address, sender, machine ID, vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00967 PSD [Postal Security Device] as defined by the USPS [US Postal Service]

Abstract

A postage and mailing information system wherein an encrypted message based upon postage and mail address information is created. This encrypted message is used in the determination of authenticity. Another aspect of the invention resides in placing the encrypted message in the address field of a mail piece for authentication by an automatic high speed sorter.

Claims

1. A system including a computer for providing self authentication on a mail piece, comprising:

a card

means for providing communication between said card and the computer

encryption means supported by said card and operative to derive an encrypted message based upon recipient address information,

means for communicating recipient address information to said encryption means, and

means for placing onto a mail piece an encrypted message derived from said recipient address information by said encryption means such that a relationship between said recipient address information and said encrypted information can be used to authenticate said mail piece.

2. The system of claim 1 including mail piece authentication means comprising:

means for decrypting said encrypted message, and

means for comparing the descryption with said address information to determine the authenticity of said mail piece such that a relationship between said recipient address information and said encrypted information can be used to authenticate said mail piece.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said address information includes the zip code of the mail piece recipient.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said recipient address information includes the street address of the mail piece recipient.

5. In a method of placing an encryption message upon a mail piece, the steps comprising:

inserting a card into a computer

communicating recipient address information to an encryptor supported by the card,

deriving an encryption message based upon the communicated recipient address information, and

placing the encrypted message on the mail piece such that a relationship between said recipient address information and said encrypted information can be used to authenticate said mail piece.

6. The method of claim 5 including communicating the mail address zip code to the encryptor.

7. The method of claim 5 including communicating a street address of the recipient to the encryptor.

8. The method of claim 5 including printing the encryption message in dot matrix form onto a label and attaching the label to a mail piece.