Postal rating system with verifiable integrity
DCFirst Claim
1. A postal rating system comprising:
- a postal rating device having non-volatile storage means;
means for transmitting a postal rate table to said postal rating device such that said postal rate table is stored in said rating device non-volatile memory;
means for transmitting to said postal rating device a hash code such that said hash code is stored in said rating device non-volatile memory, said hash code based on information from said rating table;
means in said postal rating device for generating a hash code based on information from said received rate table stored in said rating device non-volatile memory; and
means for comparing the received hash code with the generated hash code.
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Abstract
A data center provides a rate table to a user. The rate table is communicated to the mailer along with a hash code that is based on information from the rating table. The hash code provides a unique number based on the rating table. The user within a secure device and to which the rate table is loaded regenerates the hash code based on the information received from the rate table and compares the transmitted hash code with the generated hash code. The comparison verifies that the rate table data has not been intentionally or unintentionally corrupted. The transmitted hash code may be encrypted by the data center and when received decrypted by the mailer. The encryption decryption process provides authenticity of the data center if desired. The generation of the hash code and the comparison with the transmitted hash code can be initiated prior to postage printing and used to insure proper rating. Printing is enabled only after the rating process has been properly implemented. The hash code and rating information may be printed on the mail piece such that a verifying party can reconstruct the rating process and determine if any rating inaccuracy occurred. Various rating inaccuracies for a particular user can be stored by the verging party to detect a recurrence of rating errors. Rating profiles for particular users or group of users may be stored to enable generation of user profiles.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A postal rating system comprising:
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a postal rating device having non-volatile storage means; means for transmitting a postal rate table to said postal rating device such that said postal rate table is stored in said rating device non-volatile memory; means for transmitting to said postal rating device a hash code such that said hash code is stored in said rating device non-volatile memory, said hash code based on information from said rating table; means in said postal rating device for generating a hash code based on information from said received rate table stored in said rating device non-volatile memory; and means for comparing the received hash code with the generated hash code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A postage evidence device comprising:
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means for storing a postal rate table in a non-volatile memory; means for storing a hash code based on information from the rate table in said non-volatile memory; means for receiving a request for printing of postage value; means for recomputing the hash code from said information from said rate table stored in said non-volatile memory; means for comparing the recomputed hash code based with said hash code stored in said non-volatile memory; and means for comparing said recomputed hash code and said stored hash code. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A postage evidencing device as defined in claim further including means for encrypting said hash code such that said printing means is enabled to print an encrypted hash code on said mail piece.
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8. A system for verifying the accuracy of postal rating, comprising:
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means for scanning a mail piece to detect a hash code printed on a mail piece and rating parameters also printed on the mail piece; means for recomputing the rating process to determine the rating accuracy; and
,means for determining the correctness of said rating for said scanned mail piece. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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- 10. A mail piece having imprinted thereon a postal rate based on a postal rate table, the improvement comprising imprinting on said mail piece a code based on information derived from the postal rate table and which provides an identification of the rate table.
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21. A method for postal rating, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a postal rate table to a rating device; transmitting to said rating device a code, said code based on information from said rating table; generating a code based on information from the received rate table; and comparing the received code with the generated code. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 35)
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25. A method of printing postage evidence, comprising the steps of:
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storing a postal rate table in a non-volatile memory; storing a code based on information from the rate table in said non-volatile memory; receiving a request for printing of postage value; recomputing the code from said information from said rate table stored in said non-volatile memory; and comparing said recomputed code and said stored code. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for verifying the accuracy of postal rating, comprising the steps of:
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scanning a mail piece to detect a code for a mail piece printed on said mail piece and rating parameters also printed on said mail piece; recomputing the rating process to determine the rating accuracy; and determining the correctness of said rating for said scanned mail piece. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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36. A postal rating system comprising:
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a postal rating device having secure storage means; means for transmitting a postal rate table to said postal rating device such that said postal rate table is stored in said rating device secure storage means; means for transmitting to said postal rating device a hash code such that said hash code is stored in said rating device secure storage means, said hash code based on information from said rating table; means in said postal rating device for generating a hash code based on information from said received rate table stored in said rating device secure storage means memory; and means for comparing the received hash code with the generated hash code. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of printing postage evidence, comprising the steps of:
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storing a postal rate table; storing a code based on information from the rate table; receiving a request for printing of postage value; recomputing the code from said information from said stored rate table; and comparing said recomputed code and said stored code. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for a mailing system, comprising the steps of:
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generating a request for recharging a postage evidencing device with additional postage value to be printed; determining the validity of a rate table associated with said postage evidencing device; and
,enabling recharging of said postage evidencing device if said rate table is determined to be valid. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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49. A method for a mailing system, comprising the steps of:
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determining the validity of a rate table associated with a postage evidencing device; and enabling operation of said postage evidencing device if said rate table is determined to be valid. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. A mailing system, comprising the steps of:
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determining the validity of mailing data associated with a postage evidencing device; and enabling operation of said postage evidencing device if said mailing data is determined to be valid. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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Specification