Method and arrangement for generating and checking a security imprint
First Claim
1. A method for checking a security imprint made by a postage meter machine capable of communicating with a remote central data station, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a postage meter at a location remote from a central data station, said central data station being remote from a postal authority apparatus;
determining exclusively within said central data station that a postage meter machine qualifies as suspicious with respect to a breach of the security of said postage meter machine by obtaining and monitoring data associated with use of said postage meter machine exclusively within said data central station;
transmitting a message to said postal authority apparatus from said central data station identifying said postage meter machine as a suspicious postage meter machine; and
thereafter, at said postal authority, checking mailings franked by said postage meter machine against further data obtained at said central data station.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for checking a security imprint in a postage meter machine having a microprocessor includes the steps of encoding data for a security mark pixel image and inserts the encoded data into the remaining, fixed and variable pixel image data during printing. The method includes steps for forming a mark symbol sequence from an encoded combination number which is composed of at least a first number (sum of all postage values since the last reloading date), an optional second number added to said first number, a third number (postage value) and a fourth number (of the serial number), and for enabling a check of the security imprint by a postal authority. Manipulations can be recognized using further data stored and/or calculated in a remote data canter. An arrangement conducting a for check includes a mark reader composed of a CCD line camera, a D/A converter, a comparator and an encoder which are connected via an input/output unit to an input unit. A communication link can be established between the meter and the data center to evaluate mark data in a computerized manner.
61 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for checking a security imprint made by a postage meter machine capable of communicating with a remote central data station, comprising the steps of:
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disposing a postage meter at a location remote from a central data station, said central data station being remote from a postal authority apparatus; determining exclusively within said central data station that a postage meter machine qualifies as suspicious with respect to a breach of the security of said postage meter machine by obtaining and monitoring data associated with use of said postage meter machine exclusively within said data central station; transmitting a message to said postal authority apparatus from said central data station identifying said postage meter machine as a suspicious postage meter machine; and thereafter, at said postal authority, checking mailings franked by said postage meter machine against further data obtained at said central data station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for checking a security imprint made by a postage meter machine, comprising the steps of:
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disposing a postage meter machine, a central data station and an apparatus at a postal authority all remote from each other; storing accounting register values in said postage meter machine; establishing a communication link between said postage meter machine and said central data station; communicating said register values from said postage meter machine to said central data station via said communication link for conducting a security check of said postage meter machine; calculating a point in time of a next communication between said postage meter machine and said central data station; analyzing said register values exclusively at said central data station and determining exclusively within said data central station whether said register values indicate that the security of said postage meter machine has been reached; informing said postal authority in the event that said register values indicates said security of said postage meter machine has been breached by transmitting a communication from said data central station to said apparatus at said postal authority, and simultaneously and separately analyzing said security imprint at said postal authority by evaluating the presence or absence of selected characters in said security imprint to determine whether a manipulation of said postage meter machine has occurred; and identifying a true sender of a franked item bearing said security imprint in the event of a manipulation.
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Specification