System and method for printing postage indicia directly on documents

• US 5,801,944 A
• Filed: 11/21/1995
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Stamp Corporation (LTWC Corp.)
• Inventors: Kara, Salim G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/561,417
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464.02, 364/464.03, 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.03, 364/479.05, 364/479.07, 364/464.11, 364/464.18, 364/464.2, 364/464.21, 395/155, 395/352
• US Class Current: 705/401
• 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 2017/00201 Open franking system, i.e. the printer is not dedicated to franking only, e.g. PC (Personal Computer)
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0037 Calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00596 Printing of address
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00604 Printing of advert or logo
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0062 Label

Abstract

A system and method for printing a postage meter stamp, including a desired postage amount and a personalized postage indicia onto a label or onto a document directly. A processor based system is programmed to interact with a customer to produce individualized documents, printed address labels, and a printed postage meter stamp having in one embodiment, a customized postage indicia. The processor based system automatically calculates the postage due for a specific document, prints that postage amount as a meter stamp, interacts with the customer to generate a personalized stamp indicia, encrypts selected information into a machine readable format, and prints the information entered by the customer in a selected format, all on the document for transfer to the outside of a mailing envelope.

Claims

1. A processor based word processing system having a program running on said processor, said program operable for controlling document creation by a user giving input data and instructions to said processor, comprising:

means controlled by said word processing system and responsive to input data from a user for creating a document, said document having a section thereof containing the address of a document recipient;

means for establishing a transfer section on said document; and

means for printing within said transfer section postage indicia pertaining to said document recipient.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said postage indicia is customized under control of data provided on an interactive basis between said processing system and said user.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said document is a check form and wherein said document creation control program is an accounting program operable to print amounts on said check form;

and

wherein said transfer section of said document contains a transfer medium.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the transfer medium is a peel off restick label.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said document creation control program is a word processing program, and wherein said transfer section of said document contains a transfer medium.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said transfer medium is a peel off restick label.

7. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said transfer medium cooperates with a juxtaposed section of a mailing envelope to create on the outside of said envelope a replica of the postage indicia printed on the document within said transfer section, said replica occurring by chemical reaction with material contained within said juxtaposed section of said envelope.

8. The system as set forth in claim 5 and wherein said system function includes:

means for calculating from a page count of each said document the amount of postage to print.

9. The system as set forth in claim 5 and wherein said system further includes:

means for calculating from address information contained within each said document the amount of postage to print.

10. The system as set forth in claim 5 further including:

means for determining if a document being printed is a draft document; and

means for inhibiting said printing of postage indicia when a determination is made that the document being printed is a draft document.

11. The method of operating a processor based word processing system having a program running on said processor, said program operable for controlling document creation by a user giving input data and instructions to said processor;

said method comprising the steps of;

creating a document under control of said word processing system and responsive to input data from a user, said document having a section thereof containing the address of a document recipient;

establishing a transfer section on said document; and

printing within said transfer section postage indicia pertaining to said document recipient.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of:

customizing said postage indicia under control of data provided on an interactive basis between said processing system and said user.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said document is a check form and wherein said document creation control program is an accounting program operable to print amounts on said check form;

and

wherein said transfer section of said document contains a transfer medium.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein the transfer medium is a peel off restick label, further comprising the step of peeling a label from said document upon which postage indicia has been printed and repositioning said label on a mailing container for said document.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said document creation control program is a word processing program, and wherein said transfer section of said document contains a transfer medium.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the transfer medium is a peel off restick label, further comprising the step of peeling a label from said document upon which postage indicia has been printed and repositioning said label on a mailing container for said document.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15 further including the step of:

folding a printed document so that said transfer medium cooperates with a juxtaposed section of a mailing envelope to create on the outside of said envelope a replica of the postage indicia printed on the document within said transfer section, said replica occurring by chemical reaction with material contained within said juxtaposed section of said mated envelope.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15 further including the step of:

calculating from a page count of each said document the amount of postage to print.

19. The method as set forth in claim 15 further including the step of:

calculating from address information contained within each said document the amount of postage to print.

20. The method as set forth in claim 15 further including the steps of:

determining if a document being printed is a draft document; and

inhibiting said printing of postage indicia when a determination is made that the currently printing document is a draft document.

21. An automated system for generating a document, said system comprising:

means for interfacing with a user to generate selected documents;

means for determining the correct postage for mailing each said selected document;

means for generating a personalized postage indicia for each said selected document, wherein said generating means includes means for selecting one of a plurality of graphical configurations of a postage indicia;

means for printing said selected document; and

means for generating and printing said personalized postage indicia including said correct postage together with said printing of said selected document.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said first-mentioned generating means includes:

means for personalizing said selected graphical configuration.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said last-mentioned means includes:

means for printing said personalized postage indicia including said correct postage on a label for subsequent application to a mailing envelope.

24. The system of claim 21 further including:

means for automatically generating an encrypted message incorporating information entered into said system by said user, said encrypted message printed together with said printing of said correct postage.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein said means for generating a personalized postage indicia includes graphical configurations of postage indicia.

26. The system of claim 25 further including:

means for allowing a system to select one of said graphical configurations for the printing of said indicia.

27. A method for generating a document under control of a general purpose processor, said method comprising the steps of:

interfacing with a user to generate a desired document;

determining the correct postage for mailing said document;

generating a personalized postage indicia for said document, wherein said generating step include the step of selecting one of a plurality of graphical configurations of a postage indicia;

printing said document under control of said general purpose processor; and

printing said personalized postage indicia including said correct postage together with said printing of said document under control of said general purpose processor.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said selecting step includes the step of:

personalizing said selected graphical configuration.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said generating step further includes the step of:

printing said personalized postage indicia including said correct postage on a label for subsequent transfer to a mailing envelope.