Postal system intranet and commerce processing for on-line value bearing system

• US 7,233,929 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Venkat, Girish, Kiyohara, Keith Shoji, Lingle, Piers Christian, Hwang, Kenneth Kay-Yih
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II; Calvin L.
• Application Number:
  US09/692,829
• Time in Patent Office: 2,435 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 50- 53, 705/64, 705/400, 705/401, 705/60, 705/62, 705/402
• US Class Current: 705/402
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00024 Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
• 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 2017/00056 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00064 Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00145 via the Internet
• 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 2017/00201 Open franking system, i.e. the printer is not dedicated to franking only, e.g. PC (Personal Computer)
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00427 Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00935 Passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00967 PSD [Postal Security Device] as defined by the USPS [US Postal Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

An on-line system for printing a value bearing item (VBI) that includes a client subsystem for interfacing with a user, a cryptographic device remote from the client subsystem for authenticating a plurality of users, and a server subsystem capable of communicating with the client subsystem and having code for providing customer support to a user, for administering a user VBI meter, for providing payment administration support to a user, providing accounts receivable support to a user, meter refund and withdrawal processing support to a user, providing misprint processing support to a user, and providing payment processing and billing functions. A method implementing these features is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for generating meter refund indicia data, the method comprising:

providing a secure network between a postage value administrator and a postal service provider;

authenticating a user at a user computer by a server on the secure network, wherein the server comprises a database and a cryptographic module;

accessing meter refund withdrawal software executing on a user computer and transmitting to the server a request for a meter refund using the meter refund withdrawal software;

processing the meter refund request via a meter refund application executing on the secure network at a support personnel computer;

contacting the cryptographic module by the meter refund application;

calculating the meter refund by the cryptographic module;

generating indicia data for the calculated meter refund by the cryptographic module by accessing meter refund information from the database;

transmitting the generated indicia data from a vault wherein the vault comprises the server; and

printing the indicia including the indicia data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the meter refund request allows a meter administrator to initiate the meter refund.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the meter refund request comprises generating reports including a withdrawal request report and a withdrawn meters reports.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the meter refund withdrawal software executing on the user computer comprises accessing a GUI to permit the user computer to interact with the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is printed to an electronic file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is printed to a printer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for searching for a customer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for accessing a postage transaction history.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for placing an administrative hold on an account.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for accessing an e-mail history.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for executing a file transfer status and file download.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for executing a file transfer archive search.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for uploading quality assurance envelopes.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing code for providing print error credits to a customer.