PC postage™ service indicia design for shipping label

• US 8,600,909 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Gullo, John F., Wilkerson, Wayne A., Gordon, Roy R., Lord, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US13/334,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 705/335, 705/401
• US Class Current: 705/335
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• 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 2017/00064 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 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0062 Label
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00717 Reading barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00766 Digital signature, e.g. DSA, DSS, ECDSA, ESIGN

Abstract

Systems and methods of insuring payment of a proper amount of postage, comprise receiving payment for an amount of postage, affixing a postage indicia to a piece of mail, wherein the postage indicia includes the postage amount in a format readable only by machine, and adjusting the postage amount at a time subsequent to receipt of payment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of adjusting an amount of prepaid postage on a mailpiece, wherein the mailpiece comprises a postage indicia including an indication of an initial postage amount, comprising:

receiving a payment for the initial postage amount;

receiving the mailpiece, wherein the postage indicia includes the initial postage amount, billing information of a sender, a unique postage number in a machine readable format for uniquely identifying the postage indicia, and a unique delivery confirmation number for identifying the mailpiece;

verifying, by a computer, that the initial postage amount is the proper amount;

updating, by the computer, a database to associate the billing information with the unique postage number;

determining, by the computer, the billing information according to the association between the billing information and the unique postage number stored in the database;

using, by the computer, the billing information to bill a party for an adjusted postage amount upon determining that the initial postage amount is not verified; and

altering the postage indicia to reflect the adjusted postage amount, once the party has been billed for the adjusted amount,

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment for initial postage amount is received via the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the postage indicia is coded on a mailing label, and the initial postage amount is represented in a bar code presented on the mailing label.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mailing label further includes at least one of a FIM code, a POSTNET code, and another representation of the unique delivery confirmation number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the postage indicia further includes a notation that the initial postage amount has been paid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the database with a new purchase of postage.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the billing information in the postage indicia.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising comparing the unique postage number with other postage numbers within the database to detect unauthorized, duplication of the mailing label.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for adjusting an amount of prepaid postage on a mailpiece, the method comprising:

receiving a payment for an initial postage amount;

receiving a mailpiece including a postage indicia, wherein the postage indicia includes the initial postage amount, billing information of a sender, and a unique postage number in a machine readable format for uniquely identifying the postage indicia, and a unique delivery confirmation number for identifying the mailpiece;

verifying that the initial postage amount is the proper amount;

updating a database to associate the billing information with the unique postage number;

determining, by the computer, the billing information according to the association between the billing information and the unique postage number stored in the database;

billing a party for an adjusted postage amount, if the initial postage amount is determined to be improper; and

altering the postage indicia to reflect the adjusted postage amount, once the party has been billed for the adjusted amount.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the payment for initial postage amount is received via the Internet.