System and method for registgration using indicia

• US 5,825,893 A
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Stamp Corporation (LTWC Corp.)
• Inventors: Kara, Salim G.
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US08/797,884
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/9, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/49, 380/50, 380/51, 380/55, 380/59, 705/401, 705/405, 705/408
• US Class Current: 380/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/005 with electric or electronic computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4148 for controlling postal rate in articles to be mailed franking apparatus with means for computing G07B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 17/00362 Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
• 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 2017/00096 via phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00137 In a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00177 from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
• 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 2017/00258 Electronic hardware aspects, e.g. type of circuits used
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0037 Calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00419 Software organization, e.g. separation into objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0058 Printing of code
• 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 2017/00935 Passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00951 : Error handling, e.g. EDC (Error Detection Codes)

Abstract

A system and method for registering a software license agreement utilizing user information encoded in a machine readable media is disclosed. A user installs a software program onto a processor-based system. Thereafter, the user provides user-specific information to the program which is encrypted in a machine-readable form. This encrypted user information is then sent to a owner of rights in the software program to be included in a database of registered software users.

Claims

1. A method for encrypting user-specific information for registering a software license agreement, said method comprising the steps of:

installing a software program onto a processor-based system;

requesting a software user to input user specific information into said system in response to a prompt;

encrypting said user-specific information in a machine-readable format, said machine-readable format being specifically adapted for use by a machine; and

printing said encrypted information on a tangible media.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said user-specific information is encrypted in a two-dimensional symbology.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of sending said encrypted information to an owner of rights in said software program.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of scanning said encrypted information into a database of registered software users.

5. A system for registration of a product, said system comprising:

means for inputting user information into an electronic user registration form;

means for identifying other information available at a first processor-based system to be associated with said electronic user registration form;

means for outputting a tangible user registration form including at least a portion of said user information and said other information, wherein said tangible user registration form includes a machine-readable portion having information selected from the group consisting of said user information and said other information, wherein said machine-readable portion is not directly readable by a human;

means for reading information included within said tangible user registration form; and

means for including at least a portion of said information read from said tangible user registration form in a registered user database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said registration system registers a software product, wherein said registration system operates separately from said software product to be registered.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said registration system precludes installation of said software product on said first processor-based system until said tangible user registration form is generated.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

means for encoding at least a portion of said tangible user registration form.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said machine-readable portion is a two dimensional bar code.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said tangible user registration form also includes human readable information, wherein said human readable information is directly perceptible to a human.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said human readable information includes a product license agreement and said tangible user registration form includes a space for a user to acknowledge consent to said agreement.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein said other information includes information selected from the group consisting of:

a serial number of said product;

a serial number of a portable device;

a date; and

a time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said portable device is adapted for use with said product to be registered, and wherein said portable device serial number is utilized by said second system to add said portable device to a central database.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for authenticating said portable device in temporal proximity to said reading means reading said information included within said tangible user registration form.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said tangible user registration form and said portable device are transmitted together to an operator of a second processor-based system.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for outputting a registration card as evidence of registering of said product.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said registration card contains information to activation of said portable device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said activation of said portable device is for a limited time and said portable device must be periodically reactivated.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein reactivation of said portable device requires reference to said central database.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said portable device is adapted for storage of postage credit, and wherein said product is a postal indicia generation computer program.

21. A method for registration of computer software, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting user information into an electronic user registration algorithm operating at least in part on a first computer;

identifying other information available at said first computer;

outputting registration information including at least a portion of said user information and said other information, said registration information including at least a portion of said user information in a machine-readable format, wherein said machine-readable format is specifically adapted for use by a machine;

inputting at least a portion of said registration information into a second system; and

including at least a portion of said information input into said second system in a registered user database.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said accepting, identifying and outputting steps of said computer software registration method must be completed prior to installation of said computer software on said first computer.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

encrypting at least a portion of said user information included in said registration information.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said machine-readable format is a two dimensional bar code.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said registration information includes human readable information which is adapted to be directly understandable to a human.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said other information includes information selected from the group consisting of:

a serial number of said software program;

a serial number of a portable memory device;

a date; and

a time.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said other information includes unique identification information of a device removably coupled to said first computer, and wherein said unique identification information is utilized by said second system to add said device to a central database.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

authenticating said device at said second computer.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:

transmitting said registration information and said device together to an operator of said second computer.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of:

outputting confirmation information as evidence of registering said computer software.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said confirmation information contains information to authorize registration of said device with a third party.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said device is adapted for storage of postage credit and said third party is a postal authority, and wherein said computer software is a postage related program.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of:

activating said device for use as a credit value storage device, said activation being set to expire at a predetermined length of time.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

reactivating said device for use as a credit value storage device, said reactivating step including reference to said central database.

35. A set of computer program products each including a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for registration of a software program, said computer program product set comprising:

a first computer readable storage medium having a first computer program stored therein, said first computer program including;

means for accepting user information into an electronic user registration algorithm, said user information being input by a user of said first computer program;

means for identifying other information available at said first processor-based system to be included in a printed registration form, said other information including unique information identifying a memory device to be registered to provide secure storage of a monetary equivalent value;

means for outputting said printed registration form including at least a portion of said user information and said other information, said printed registration form including at least a portion of said user information in a machine-readable format, wherein said machine-readable format is not directly readable by human viewing;

a second computer readable storage medium having a second computer program stored therein, said second computer program including;

means for accepting information included within said printed registration form; and

means for integrating at least a portion of said accepted information in a registered user database.

36. The computer program product set of claim 35, wherein said first computer program further comprises:

means for encrypting at least a portion of said printed registration form.

37. The computer program product set of claim 35, wherein said printed registration form also includes human readable information which is adapted to be directly understandable to a human.

38. The computer program product set of claim 35, wherein said memory device is transmittable along with said printed registration form.

39. The computer program product set of claim 38, wherein said second computer program further comprises:

means for outputting a registration acknowledgement as evidence of registering of said software program.

40. The computer program product set of claim 39, wherein said registration acknowledgement is utilized to register said memory device.

41. The computer program product set of claim 40, wherein said monetary equivalent value is a prepaid amount of postage credit, and wherein said software program to be registered is a postage meter program.

42. The computer program product set of claim 35, wherein said unique identification information is utilized to include said memory device in a central database.