Automated transaction system with modular printhead having print authentication feature

• US 4,864,618 A
• Filed: 10/17/1988
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Wright Technologies Private Limited
• Inventors: Wright, Christopher B., Bristow, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cangialosi, Salvatore
• Application Number:
  US07/258,395
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23-25, 380/51, 235/379, 235/380, 235/487, 235/488, 235/492, 364/405, 364/705, 364/900, 340/825.34
• US Class Current: 380/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0034 the connector being capable of simultaneously receiving a plurality of cards in the same insertion slot
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/0008 Communication details outside or between apparatus coin-freed apparatus for franking per se G07F17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00314 Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
• 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 2017/00177 from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00354 Setting of date
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00653 Special inks, e.g. fluorescent
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0075 Symmetric, secret-key algorithms, e.g. DES, RC2, RC4, IDEA, Skipjack, CAST, AES
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00838 Personal data, i.e. biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 : by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/127 : in which both online and offline card verification can take place

Abstract

An automated transaction system employs a terminal for printing a value indicia, such as a postmark, on an article. The terminal contains a modular printer unit which has a printhead and a dedicated microprocessor physically permanently bonded together such that the printhead microprocessor cannot be physically tampered with without disabling the printhead. The modular printer unit includes a first supply of visible ink and a second supply of invisible ink, and an internal program for printing the value indicia with visible ink and an authentication code, which uniquely corresponds to the value indicia, with invisible ink. The invisible value indicia can be subsequently verified as authentic by machine reading of said invisible authentication code and comparing the authentication code for correspondence to the value indicia.

Claims

1. In a transaction terminal having input means for inputting a request for printing a value indicia on an article, printing means for printing the requested value indicia on the article, and operating means for operations said terminal to enable a user to input the request for value indicia through said input means and to enable said printing means to print the requested value indicia on the article, an improved printing means for said transaction terminal comprising:

said printing means being formed as a separate section in said terminal and having a printhead and a dedicated microprocessor for controlling said printhead contained therein;

first ink supply means for supplying a visible ink to said printhead;

second ink supply means for supplying an invisible, machine-readable ink to said printhead; and

said printhead microprocessor having interface means connected to said operating means of said terminal for receiving the value indicia request input to said terminal, and print program means for controlling said printhead to print the requested value indicia as a visible indicia with visible ink from said first ink supply means on said article, for deriving an authentication code which uniquely corresponds to the requested value indicia, and for controlling said printhead to print the authentication code as an invisible indicia with invisible ink from said second ink supply means on said article, whereby said printed visible value indicia can be subsequently verified as authentic by machine reading of said invisible authentication code and comparing the authentication code for correspondence to the value indicia.

2. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 1, wherein said printhead and said printhead microprocessor are physically permanently bonded together in said separate section such that said printhead microprocessor cannot be physically tampered with without disabling said printhead.

3. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 1, wherein said printhead, said printhead microprocessor, said first ink supply means, and said second ink supply means are physically incorporated together in said separate section, and said separate section is formed as a modular unit which is removably mounted in said terminal.

4. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 1, wherein said operating means of said terminal includes verification means for verifying whether a user is authorized to input a value indicia request to said terminal and provides an input value indicia request to said printhead microprocessor only if the user is verified by said verification means of said terminal.

5. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 1, wherein said print program means of said printhead microprocessor includes security program means incorporated therein for validating whether an input value indicia request received through said operating means of said terminal is a valid request and enables said printhead to print the value indicia on the article only if the request has been validated by said security program means.

6. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 1, wherein said terminal includes first receiving means for receiving a user card inserted therein, said user card having a card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a user transaction account and data output means connected to said card microprocessor, and said terminal further includes first path means for establishing a connection between said user card data output means and said interface means of said printhead microprocessor.

7. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 6, wherein said user card microprocessor and said printhead microprocessor have mutual security program means respectively incorporated therein for executing a security procedure between said microprocessors to validate whether an input value indicia request is a valid request and to enable said printhead to print the value indicia on the article only if the request has been validated through said mutual security program means.

8. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 1, wherein the requested value indicia to be printed is a postmark including a postage amount, and said print program means includes encoding means for generating an authentication code uniquely corresponding to a selected portion of a postmark requested to be printed.

9. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 8, wherein said encoding means encodes said selected portion of the postmark as a binary authentication code, and said print program means operates said printhead to print said binary authentication code within a designated portion of said postmark.

10. An improved printing means for a transaction terminal according to claim 8, wherein said encoding means encrypts said selected portion of the postmark as a bar authentication code, and said print program means operates said printhead to print said bar authentication code within a designated portion of said postmark.

11. A modular printing section for use in a terminal comprising:

a printhead and a dedicated microprocessor for controlling said printhead physically permanently bonded together in said modular printing section such that said printhead microprocessor cannot be physically tampered with without disabling said printhead;

means for removably mounting said modular printing section in an associated terminal; and

said printhead microprocessor having interface means for establishing an operative connection with the associated terminal to receive a print request signal from said terminal.

12. A modular printing section according to claim 11, further comprising first ink supply means for supplying a visible ink to said printhead, second ink supply means for supplying an invisible, machine-readable ink to said printhead, and said printhead microprocessor having print program means for controlling said printhead to print a visible indicia with visible ink from said first ink supply means, for deriving an authentication code which uniquely corresponds to the visible indicia, and for controlling said printhead to print the authentication code as an invisible indicia with invisible ink from said second ink supply means, whereby said printed visible indicia can be subsequently verified as authentic by machine reading of said invisible authentication code and comparing the authentication code for correspondence to the visible indicia.

13. A modular printing section according to claim 12, wherein said printhead, said printhead microprocessor, said first ink supply means, and said second ink supply means are physically incorporated together as a unit in said modular printing section.

14. A modular printing section according to claim 11, wherein said print program means of said printhead microprocessor includes security program means incorporated therein for validating whether a print request signal received from the associated terminal is a valid request and enables said printhead to print only if the request has been validated by said security program means.

15. A modular printing section according to claim 11, wherein the print request signal designates a value indicia to be printed, and said print program means includes encoding means for generating an authentication code uniquely corresponding to a selected portion of the value indicia.

16. A modular printing section according to claim 15, wherein the value indicia to be printed is a postmark including a postage amount, and said print program means includes encoding means for generating an authentication code uniquely corresponding to a selected portion of a postmark requested to be printed.

17. A modular printing section according to claim 16, wherein said encoding means encodes said selected portion of the postmark as a binary authentication code, and said print program means operates said printhead to print said binary authentication code within a designated portion of said postmark.

18. A modular printing section according to claim 16, wherein said encoding means encrypts said selected portion of the postmark as a bar authentication code, and said print program means operates said printhead to print said bar authentication code within a designated portion of said postmark.