Systems and methods for value bearing indicia balance reservation

• US 9,727,860 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auctane LLC (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Begen, Geoffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US13/217,896
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/07 Integrating an electronic processing unit with a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: F16S 5/00 Other constructional members not restricted to an application fully provided for in a single class
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00362 Calculation or computing within apparatus, e.g. calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0037 Calculation of postage value
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00427 Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information

Abstract

Systems and methods which operate to reserve an amount of value associated with a value bearing indicia (VBI) request or requests are shown. Embodiments facilitate completion of a multiple VBI session without failing due to insufficient value balance once the session has begun. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments facilitate later or subsequent (e.g., scheduled) completion of a VBI session, whether a session for a single VBI or multiple VBI, without failing due to insufficient value balance. Value reservations may be made automatically and/or manually. Embodiments provide various reservation priority levels, such as to individual users, user groups, user systems, sessions, types of sessions, jobs, etc., in order to facilitate completion of various desired operations without failure due to insufficient value. Value reservation techniques according to embodiments do not introduce additional transactions into a normal VBI session flow.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring that generation of a series of multiple value bearing indicia (VBI) are fully generated once processing is commenced, the method comprising:

storing, at a server, a shared value balance, wherein said shared value balance is simultaneously accessible by more than one user to request generation of VBI using said shared value balance;

receiving, by said server from a first user device, a first batch request, wherein said first batch request comprises information associated with a series of multiple VBI to be generated using said shared value balance, wherein said first batch request is received before said series of multiple VBI are processed;

establishing a session between said server and said first user device upon receiving said first batch request;

verifying that said shared value balance comprises at least a sufficient amount of unreserved monetary value to generate said series of multiple VBI;

creating a record, separate from said shared value balance, comprising a reserve amount of said shared value balance, wherein said reserve amount is said sufficient amount of unreserved monetary value to generate said series of multiple VBI;

processing said series of multiple VBI, wherein said processing comprises serially decrementing said reserve amount and said shared value balance while multiple VBI of said series of multiple VBI is serially generated;

ending said session between said server and said first user device subsequent to said processing;

receiving a second batch request subsequent to the establishment of said session and prior to the end of said session, wherein said second batch request identifies a second series of multiple VBI to be generated using said shared value balance;

verifying whether said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of multiple VBI; and

initiating an insufficient processing procedure when said shared value balance does not contain enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of multiple VBI.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said insufficient processing procedure comprises:

in response to initiating said insufficient processing procedure, providing, to a user, a plurality of options indicating alternative processing of said second batch request; and

processing said second batch request according to a user selected option of said plurality of options.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said plurality of options comprise:

redefining said second batch request, wherein said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of multiple VBI after said redefining.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said plurality of options comprise:

terminating said second batch request; and

adding monetary value to said shared value balance so that said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of multiple VBI.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that said processing of said first batch request has not yet commenced; and

preventing said first batch request from commencing until processing said insufficient processing procedure is complete, wherein said insufficient processing procedure comprises;

determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request; and

processing said higher priority request.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a lower priority request;

determining that said shared value balance does not contain enough unreserved monetary value to fully process said lower priority request;

in response to initiating said insufficient processing procedure, providing, to a user, a plurality of options indicating alternative processing of said lower priority request; and

processing said lower priority request according to a user selected option of said plurality of options.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said plurality of options include at least one of:

redefining said lower priority request, wherein said shared value balance contains sufficient unreserved monetary value to fully process said redefined lower priority request after said redefining;

terminating said lower priority request; and

adding monetary value to said shared value balance, wherein said shared value balance contains sufficient unreserved monetary value to fully process said lower priority request.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request is based on information in at least one of said first batch request and said second batch request.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request comprises:

determining parameters stored in association with said shared value balance; and

determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request based on the determined parameters.

10. A method comprising:

storing, at a server, a shared value balance, wherein said shared value balance is simultaneously accessible by more than one user to request generation of VBI using said shared value balance;

receiving, at said server from a first user device, a first batch request, wherein said first batch request comprises information associated with a series of indicium generation requests from said more than one user and information identifying said shared value balance, wherein said first batch request is received before said series of indicium generation requests is processed;

establishing a session between said server and said first user device upon receiving said first batch request;

verifying that said shared value balance comprises at least a sufficient amount of unreserved monetary value to process said series of indicium generation requests;

creating a record, separate from said shared value balance, comprising a reserve amount of said shared value balance, wherein said reserve amount is said sufficient amount of unreserved monetary value to process said series of indicium generation requests; and

processing said series of indicium generation requests and serially decreasing said shared value balance and said reserve amount while multiple indicium are generated based on said series of indicium generation requests;

ending said session between said server and said first user device subsequent to said processing;

receiving a second batch request subsequent to the establishment of said session and prior to the end of said session, wherein said second batch request comprises information associated with a second series of indicium generation requests and information identifying said shared value balance;

verifying whether said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of indicium generation requests; and

initiating an insufficient processing procedure when said shared value balance does not contain enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of indicium generation requests.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said insufficient processing procedure comprises:

in response to initiating said insufficient processing procedure, providing, to a user, a plurality of options indicating alternative processing of said second batch request; and

processing said second batch request according to a user selected option of said plurality of options.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said plurality of options comprise:

redefining said second batch request, wherein said shared value balance contained enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of indicium generation requests after said redefining.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said plurality of options comprise:

terminating said second batch request; and

adding monetary value to said shared value balance so that said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of indicium generation requests.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining that said processing of said first batch request has not yet commenced; and

preventing said first batch request from commencing until processing said insufficient processing procedure is complete, wherein said insufficient processing procedure comprises;

determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request; and

processing said higher priority request.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a lower priority request;

determining that said shared value balance does not contain enough unreserved monetary value to fully process said lower priority request;

in response to initiating said insufficient processing procedure, providing, to a user, a plurality of options indicating alternative processing of said lower priority request; and

processing said lower priority request according to a user selected option of said plurality of options.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of options include at least one of:

redefining said lower priority request, wherein said shared value balance contains sufficient unreserved monetary value to fully process said redefined lower priority request;

terminating said lower priority request; and

adding monetary value to said shared value balance so that said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to fully process said lower priority request.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request is based on information in at least one of said first batch request and said second batch request.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request comprises:

determining parameters stored in association with said shared value balance; and

determining which of said first batch request and said second batch request is a higher priority request based on the determined parameters.

19. A system comprising:

a vault configured to store a shared value balance, wherein said shared value balance is simultaneously accessible by more than one purchaser to request generation of VBI using said shared value balance;

a server configured to;

receive, from a first user device, a first batch request identifying a series of VBI generation requests, wherein said first batch request is received before said series of VBI generation requests are processed;

establish a session between said server and said first user device upon receiving said first batch request;

verify that said shared value balance comprises a sufficient amount of unreserved monetary value to process said series of VBI generation requests identified by said first batch request;

create a record, separate from said shared value balance, comprising a reserve amount of said shared value balance wherein said reserve amount is said sufficient amount of unreserved monetary value to process said series of VBI generation requests;

process said series of VBI generation requests, wherein said processing comprises decrementing said reserve amount and said shared value balance while multiple VBI of said series of VBI generation requests is generated;

end said session between said server and said first user device subsequent to said processing;

receive a second batch request subsequent to the establishment of said session and prior to the end of said session, wherein said second batch request identifies a second series of multiple VBI to be generated using said shared value balance;

verify whether said shared value balance contains enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of multiple VBI; and

initiate an insufficient processing procedure when said shared value balance does not contain enough unreserved monetary value to process said second series of multiple VBI.