Postage metering with accumulated postage
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for metering postage value in an Internet metering system, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a postage server of the Internet metering system, a request for postage value from a postage metering services provider system of the Internet metering system, wherein the postage metering services provider system provides online services facilitating sales of items by a plurality of users;
generating, by the postage server, at least one postage indicium in response to the request for postage value prior to receiving full payment for the postage value, wherein the generating the at least one postage indicium adjusts an accumulated postage register in an amount of a portion of the postage value for which payment for the postage value has not been received and an ascending register in a full amount of the postage value, wherein the accumulated postage register and the ascending register are each registers of a postal security device; and
processing, by the postage server in accordance with an established postage value settlement schedule, payment for at least a portion of an amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value after outputting the generated at least one postage indicium, wherein the processing the payment adjusts the accumulated postage register in the payment amount of the portion of the amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value.
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Abstract
Systems and methods which provide metering of postage value using accumulated postage information are shown. Embodiments implement an accumulated postage register in a postage security device which is incremented each time a postage indicium is generated and which is reset when a postage value settlement operation is performed. Accumulated postage may be paid for using various accounts, including pre-funded or pre-paid accounts, credit accounts, debit accounts, and billing accounts. Accordingly, embodiments may be used with respect to a post-paid metering model, a pre-paid metering model, and combinations thereof.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for metering postage value in an Internet metering system, the method comprising:
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receiving, by a postage server of the Internet metering system, a request for postage value from a postage metering services provider system of the Internet metering system, wherein the postage metering services provider system provides online services facilitating sales of items by a plurality of users; generating, by the postage server, at least one postage indicium in response to the request for postage value prior to receiving full payment for the postage value, wherein the generating the at least one postage indicium adjusts an accumulated postage register in an amount of a portion of the postage value for which payment for the postage value has not been received and an ascending register in a full amount of the postage value, wherein the accumulated postage register and the ascending register are each registers of a postal security device; and processing, by the postage server in accordance with an established postage value settlement schedule, payment for at least a portion of an amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value after outputting the generated at least one postage indicium, wherein the processing the payment adjusts the accumulated postage register in the payment amount of the portion of the amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for metering postage value in an Internet metering system, the system comprising:
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means for receiving, at a postage server of the Internet metering system, a request for postage value from a postage metering services provider system of the Internet metering system, wherein the postage metering services provider system provides online services facilitating sales of items by a plurality of users; means for generating, at the postage server, at least one postage indicium in response to the request for postage value prior to receiving full payment for the postage value, wherein the means for generating the at least one postage indicium adjusts an accumulated postage register in an amount of a portion of the postage value for which payment for the postage value has not been received and an ascending register in a full amount of the postage value, wherein the accumulated postage register and the ascending register are each registers of a postal security device; and means for processing, at the postage server in accordance with an established postage value settlement schedule, payment for at least a portion of an amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value after outputting the generated at least one postage indicium, wherein the means for processing the payment adjusts the accumulated postage register in the payment amount of the portion of the amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for metering postage value in an Internet metering system, the system comprising:
a postage security device of a postage server of the Internet metering system configured to generate at least one postage indicium in response to a request for postage value prior to receiving full payment for the postage value, wherein the request is received at the postage server from a postage metering services provider system providing online services facilitating sales of items by a plurality of users, wherein the generating the at least one postage indicium adjusts and accumulated postage register in an amount of a portion of the postage value for which payment for the postage value has not been received and an ascending register in a full amount of the postage value, wherein said postage security device is further configured to process payment for at least a portion of an amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value after outputting the generated at least one postage indicium in accordance with an established postage value settlement schedule, wherein the processing the payment adjusts the accumulated postage register in the payment amount of the portion of the amount of the accumulated postage register including the portion of the postage value. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
Specification