Mailing system with random sampling of postage

• US 4,780,828 A
• Filed: 12/26/1985
• Issued: 10/25/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Whisker, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MELNICK, STEVEN A
• Application Number:
  US06/813,447
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464, 364/406, 364/478, 364/900, 364/466, 364/555, 364/552, 364/554, 364/401, 235/425, 235/432, 235/433, 235/419, 235/494, 235/495, 209/900, 388/23
• US Class Current: 705/404
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00483 Batch processing of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00491 Mail/envelope/insert handling system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces

Abstract

A system for accounting for postage on large batches of mail without franking of each mail piece. The system includes an intelligent inserter system or automatic weighing system for generating postage determining information for mail pieces in a large batch of mail and a printer or scanner for serializing the batch by either imprinting each piece with a serial number or scanning for pre-printed serial numbers. The postage determining information and serial numbers are transmitted to a manifest system which generates a manifest (i.e., a matched list of serial numbers and postage) and computes the total postage due on the batch. In one disclosed embodiment, the manifest system then selects a random sample of the manifest, encrypts the serial numbers and transmits this encrypted sample to a data processing center. The data processing center decrypts the sample and transmits it to the post office handling the batch of mail so that the computed total postage may be verified with a particular confidence level and concurrently transmits instructions to a trustee bank to pay the postage due to the postal service out of a pre-established account. The random selection and encryption schemes are kept secure to avoid the possibility that a mailer may tamper with the selected sample. In another embodiment, the encrypted random sample is output on a printer, and the printed output is then metered in a conventional postage meter in payment of the total postage due. In another embodiment, an unencrypted random sample is output on a printer in response to an access code entered by a postal service employee and this unencrypted sample is then metered with a conventional postage meter in payment of the total postage due.

Claims

1. A system for accountign for postage on large batches of mail, comprising:

(a) means for receiving identifying information and corresponding postage determining information for sustantially all pieces of mail in said batch;

(b) means, responsive to said receiving means, for determining postage from said corresponding postage determining information for each of said pieces and the total postage due on said batch;

(c) means, responsive to said determining means, for selecting a random sample of said batch, said sample comprising identifying information and postage for corresponding pieces selected;

(d) means, responsive to said selecting means, for at least partly encrypting said sample by encrypting each item of said selected identifying information to provide an encrypted sample comprising said selected identifying information in encrypted form and said postage for corresponding pieces;

(e) said random selecting means and said encrypting means each being secure from the mailer of said batch so that said sample is substantially unidentifiable by said mailer from said encrypted sample;

(f) means, responsive to said encrypting means, for outputting said encrypted sample and said total postage due, whereby a person having knowledge of an approriate decryption scheme may identify said batch and verify said coresponding postage for each of said selected pieces to determine a confidence level that the percentage of said pieces in said batch having incorretly determined postage does not execeed a predetermined value.

2. A system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

(a) means for generating said postage determining information; and

,

(b) means for serializing said pieces and thereby providing said identifying information.

3. A system as described in claim 2 wherein aid postage determining information generating means comprises n intelligent inserter system or an automatic weighing system.

4. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said output means outputs said encrypted sample and said total postage due to a data processing center.

5. A system as described in claim 4 wherein said data processing center decrypts said encrypted sample and transmits said decrypted sample to the post office handling said batch.

6. A system as described in claim 4 wherein said data processing center transmits requests to a financial institution to pay said total postage due.

7. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said output means outputs said encrypted sample to a printer to provide a printout of said encrypted sample.

8. A system as decribed in claim 7 wherein said output means outputs said total postage due to a postage meter to set said meter;

whereby said printout of said encrypted sample may be metered with an amount equal to said total postage due in said postage meter in payment of said total postage due.

9. A system as described in claim 2 wherein said serializing means comprises a printer for imprinting said mail pieces with said identifying information.

10. A system as decribed in claim 2 wherein said serializing means comprises a scanner for scanning said identifying information from indicia pre-printed on said mail pieces.

11. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said identifying information is imprinted on said mail pieces in machine readable form.

12. A system as described in claim 1 further comprising means for protecting said total postage due from alteration after output.

13. A system as decribed in claim 2 further comprising means for protecting said total postage due from alteration after output.

14. A system as described in claim 4 further comprising means for protecting said total postage due from alteration after output.

15. A system as described in claim 8 further comprising means for protecting said total postage due from alteration after output.

16. A system for accounting for postge on large batches of mail, comprising:

(a) means for receiving identifying information and corresponding postage determining information for substantially all pieces of mail in said batch;

(b) means for determining postage from said determining information for each of said mail pieces and the total postage due on said batch;

(c) means for selecting a random sample of said batch, said sample comprising selected identifying information and postage for corresponding mail pieces; and

,

(d) means for outputting said sample and said total postage due, in response to an access code entered by an operator, said access code being secure from the mailer of said batch.

17. A system as described in claim 16 wherein said output means outputs said total postage due to a postage meter to set said meter;

whereby a printout of said sample may be metered with an amount equal to said total postage due in said postage meter in payment of said total postage due.

18. A system as described in claim 16 wherein said system changes said access code for subsequent operations in response to entry of said access code, so as to prevent disclosure of said access code.

19. A system as described in claim 17 wherein said system changes said acess code for subsequent operations in response to entry of said access code, so as to prevent disclosure of said access code.

20. A system as described in claim 16 wherein said sample is a pseudo-random function of said access code.

21. A system as described in claim 18 wherein said sample is a pseudo-random function of said access code.

22. A system as described in claim 16 wherein said mail pieces are pre-printed with said identifying information, said identifying information including an arbitrary indicia.

23. A system as described in claim 18 wherein said mall pieces are pre-printed with said indentifying information, said identifying information including an arbitrary indicia.