Remote postage meter resetting system having alternate postage funding sources

• US 6,381,590 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Debois, Elise R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERR, CRISTINA O
• Application Number:
  US09/470,584
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/61, 705/400, 705/401, 705/402, 705/403
• US Class Current: 705/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00016 Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00096 via phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00161 from a central, non-user location, e.g. for updating rates or software, or for refilling funds
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00427 Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information

Abstract

A remote postage meter resetting system includes apparatus for sending a request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount together with first data indicative of a first user prepaid postage account resident in a prepaid postage account data base having a plurality of prepaid postage accounts; and a data center including apparatus for receiving from the sending apparatus the first data together with the request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount; a line of credit database having a plurality of lines of credit each of which is associated with at least one of the plurality of prepaid postage accounts; a computer, in communication with the receiving apparatus, which is programmed to 1 ) obtain the first data and the postage recharge amount from the receiving apparatus, and 2) communicate with the prepaid postage account data base to determine if sufficient funds are in the first user prepaid postage account to cover the cost of the postage recharge amount, wherein at times when the computer determines that sufficient funds are not available in the first user account to cover the cost of the postage recharge amount the computer is programmed to automatically 1) communicate with the line of credit data base to determine if one of the plurality of lines of credit is associated with the first user prepaid postage account and 2) generate and send enabling data via the receiving apparatus to the sending apparatus only if the computer determines that one of the plurality of lines of credit is associated with the first user prepaid postage account; and structure for obtaining the enabling data from the sending apparatus and for providing the postage meter with the enabling data to effectuate resetting of the postage meter by the postage recharge amount.

Claims

1. A postage recharge system comprising:

a data center including

means for receiving from a postage meter first data indicative of a first user prepaid postage account resident in a prepaid postage account data base having a plurality of prepaid postage accounts together with a request to recharge the postage meter by a postage recharge amount;

a line of credit database having a plurality of lines of credit each of which is associated with at least one of the plurality of prepaid postage accounts;

a computer, in communication with the receiving means, which is programmed to

     1) obtain the first data and the postage recharge amount from the receiving means, and

     2) communicate with the prepaid postage account data base to determine if an amount of prepaid funds in the first user prepaid postage account is at least equal to the postage recharge amount, wherein at times when the computer determines that the amount of prepaid funds is not at least equal to the postage recharge amount the computer is programmed to automatically

     1) communicate with the line of credit data base to determine if one of the plurality of lines of credit is a first user line of credit that is associated with the first user prepaid postage account,

     2) ascertain a credit amount available in the first user line of credit, and

     3) generate and send enabling data to the postage meter via the receiving means and the sending means only if the computer determines that between the credit amount available and the amount of prepaid funds, the request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount should be honored.

2. A method for resetting, via data center, a postage meter with a postage recharge amount, the method comprising:

receiving at the data center first data indicative of a first user prepaid postage account resident in a prepaid postage account data base having a plurality of prepaid postage accounts together with a request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount;

the data center communicating with the prepaid postage account data base to determine if an amount of prepaid funds in the first user prepaid postage account is at least equal to the postage recharge amount;

wherein at times when the data center determines that the amount of prepaid funds is not at least equal to the postage recharge amount the data center performs functions of communicating with a line of credit data base for determining if a first user line of credit associated with the first user prepaid postage account is established, ascertaining a credit amount available in the first user line of credit, and generating and sending enabling data to the postage meter only if the data center determines that between the credit amount and the amount of prepaid funds the resetting of the postage meter by the postage recharge amount should be accomplished.