Method and apparatus for performing automated fraud reporting

• US 6,523,013 B2
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Neopost Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neopost Incorporated
• Inventors: Coolidge, David A., Shah, Chandrakant J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/122,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 705/400, 705/404, 705/405, 705/410, 705/403, 705/63, 705/60, 705/61, 380/51, 380/55
• US Class Current: 705/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• 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 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00096 via phone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00112 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00137 In a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00169 from a franking apparatus, e.g. for verifying accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00258 Electronic hardware aspects, e.g. type of circuits used
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00338 Error detection or handling

Abstract

A meter and/or base (or computer), coupled to one or more modems, perform automated fraud reporting to a service center upon detection of particular ones of detectable faults. Diagnostic software and/or tamper detection devices test the meter to ensure that the meter operates in an expected manner. A detected fault can be classified into one or more categories or levels. For faults within certain levels, an alarm message is sent to the service center. Corrective action can be performed in accordance with a response from the service center. For major faults, the meter can be disabled until service is performed and the alarm message can be sent to the postal inspectors.

Claims

1. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:

a meter having a microprocessor; and

a modem coupled to the meter;

wherein the microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks to detect security breaches, and wherein the meter sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the modem is a wireless connection.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the security breaches are categorized into a plurality of severity levels.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the automatic fraud reporting is performed upon detection of hard faults.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the meter is disabled upon detection of hard faults.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the detected fault increases in severity level if corrective action is not successful.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the meter awaits an operator fix before sending the alarm message.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the meter resumes operation upon a successful operator fix.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the meter performs corrective action in accordance with a response from the service center responsive to the alarm message.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

tamper detection devices coupled to subsystems within the meter for detecting security breach in the subsystems; and

wherein the meter sends the alarm message via the modem upon activation of one or more of the tamper detection devices.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a counter, the counter being incremented, when the operator fix is unsuccessful, and wherein when the counter equals a predetermined maximum, a hard fault is set.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a timer counter for increasing a severity level, when the timer counter equals a predetermined timer count.

13. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:

a meter having a microprocessor; and

a modem coupled to the meter;

wherein the microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter to detect security breaches, the security breaches being categorized into three levels, wherein the meter sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of security breaches within predetermined levels, and wherein the meter performs corrective action based on a response from the service center responsive to the alarm message.

14. The postage metering system of claim 13 wherein the three levels comprise an intermediate fault.

15. The postage metering system of claim 13 wherein the three levels comprise a first level having a low or no possibility of tampering, a second level having a medium possibility of tampering, and a third level having a high possibility of tampering.

16. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:

a meter module;

a base coupled to the meter module, the base including a microprocessor; and

a modem coupled to the base;

wherein the microprocessor runs test software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter to detect security breaches, and wherein the base sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein operation of the meter module is inhibited upon detection of the security breach.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the security breaches are categorized into a plurality of severity levels.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the automatic fraud reporting is performed upon detection of hard faults.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein an operator fix is requested upon detection of soft faults.

21. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

tamper detection devices coupled to subsystems within the meter module for detecting security breach in the subsystems; and

wherein the base sends the alarm message upon activation of one or more of the tamper detection devices.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the failures are categorized into hard and soft faults.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the automatic fraud reporting is performed upon detection of hard faults.

22. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:

a meter module;

a computer coupled to the meter module, the computer including a microprocessor; and

a modem coupled to the computer;

wherein the microprocessor runs test software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter to detect security breaches, and wherein the computer sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising:

tamper detection devices coupled to subsystems within the meter module for detecting security breach in the subsystems; and

wherein the computer sends the alarm message upon activation of one or more of the tamper detection devices.

24. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:

a meter module including a first microprocessor;

a first modem coupled to the meter;

a base coupled to the meter module, the base including a second microprocessor; and

a second modem coupled to the base;

wherein the first microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter module to detect security and meter failures, the meter module sending an alarm message via the first modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected meter failures;

wherein the second microprocessor runs test software configured to perform periodic checks of the meter module to detect security and meter failures, the base also sending the alarm message via the second modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected meter failures.

27. The postage metering system of claim 24 wherein the base further comprises a mailing machine.

28. The postage metering system of claim 24 wherein the meter further comprises a selection from a group consisting of a postage meter, a secured module, or a secure metering device.

29. A method for placing automated fraud reporting in a postage metering system including a meter and a modem comprising:

performing a check of the meter using diagnostic software;

detecting a fault within the meter;

sending an alarm message via the modem coupled to the meter upon detection of particular ones of the detected faults;

waiting for a response from the service center; and

repeating the sending and waiting steps until the response is received from the service center.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

determining whether the detected fault is a hard fault; and

disabling operation of the meter upon detection of the hard fault.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

monitoring the detected fault; and

resuming operation of the meter upon detection of clearance of the detected fault.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

resetting the meter upon detection of the fault; and

resuming operation of the meter upon a successful reset.

33. A method for placing automated fraud reporting in a postage metering system including a meter and a modem comprising:

performing a check of the meter using diagnostic software;

detecting a fault within the meter;

determining whether the detected fault is a hard fault;

disabling operation of the meter upon detection of the hard fault; and

sending an alarm message via the modem connected to the meter upon detection of the hard fault.

34. A postage metering system for placing automated fraud reporting to a service center comprising:

a meter having a microprocessor; and

a modem coupled to the meter;

wherein the microprocessor runs diagnostic software configured to perform periodic checks to detect security breaches, and wherein the meter sends an alarm message via the modem upon detection of particular ones of the detected security breaches; and

wherein the service center provides a corrective action responsive to the alarm message, and wherein the corrective action is communicated to the meter via the modem.