System and method for restrictively authorizing reprinting of mail pieces having postage indicia

• US 6,687,684 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PSI Systems Incorporated (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PSI Systems Incorporated (Stamps.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitehouse, Harry T., Montgomery, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/329,551
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 705/401-407, 705/408-418, 705/500, 705/60-63, 235/375, 235/380, 714/2, 714/8
• US Class Current: 705/408
• 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 2017/00056 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00338 Error detection or handling

Abstract

A postage printing system enables users to generate postage indicia and print mail pieces at client computers. Upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, a mail metering application on the client computer sends reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location. The reprint request includes information identifying an account for printing a postage indicia. A server computer used by the authorizing authority receives the reprint request from a client computer and evaluates the request. When the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, a reply is sent to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization. Otherwise, a negative reply is sent to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization. Upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, the client computer prints a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia. The mail metering application prevents the user from reprinting the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

generating a postage indicia;

printing a mail piece with said indicia thereon;

upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;

upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia; and

preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;

wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user during a predefined time period.

2. The method of claim 1, the postage indicia indicating a monetary quantity, the method including deducting the monetary quantity from an account balance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the account balance is maintained securely by the client computer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the account balance is maintained securely a remote computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reprint request includes information identifying an account of a party authorized to print mail pieces having a respective postage indicia.

6. A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;

evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid; and

sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;

the evaluating step including applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the evaluating step includes looking up the account in a table of authorized accounts.

8. A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;

evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid; and

sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;

the evaluating step including applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the evaluating step includes looking up the account in a table of authorized accounts.

10. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a mail metering module that includes instructions for;

generating a mail piece that includes a postage indicia;

printing the mail piece;

upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;

upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia; and

preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;

wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user during a predefined time period.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, the postage indicia indicating a monetary quantity, the mail metering module including instructions for deducting the monetary quantity from an account balance.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the account balance is maintained securely by the client computer.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the account balance is maintained securely a remote computer.

14. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a reprint authorization module that includes instructions for;

receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;

evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid;

sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;

wherein the request evaluating instructions in the reprint authorization module include instructions for applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

15. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a reprint authorization module that includes instructions for;

receiving a request from a client computer for authorization to reprint a mail piece that includes a postage indicia, wherein the request includes information identifying an account for printing postage indicia;

evaluating the request, including verifying that said account is valid;

sending a reply to the client computer that includes a reprint authorization when the account is verified and other criteria are satisfied, and otherwise sending a negative reply to the client computer that does not include the reprint authorization;

the request evaluating instructions in the reprint authorization module include instructions for applying the other criteria to the request, the other criteria including a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for the account during a predefined time period.

16. A computer data signal residing on a medium, the computer data signal carrying program module data for receipt and storage in a computer system, the program module data comprising:

a mail metering module that includes instructions for;

generating a mail piece that includes a postage indicia;

printing the mail piece

upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;

upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia;

preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;

wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user during a predefined time period.

17. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a mail metering module that includes instructions for;

generating a mail piece that includes a postage indicia;

printing the mail piece;

upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;

upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia; and

preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;

wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user.

18. A computer implemented method to enable a user to reprint a postage indicia at a client computer, comprising:

generating a postage indicia;

printing a mail piece with said indicia thereon;

upon user determination of a mail piece print failure, sending a reprint request to an authorizing authority at a remote location;

upon receiving a reprint authorization from the authorizing authority, enabling the user to print a replacement mail piece with the postage indicia; and

preventing reprinting of the mail piece when a reprint authorization is not received from the authorizing authority;

wherein the reprint authorization from the authorizing authority is denied when, upon evaluation of the reprint request by the authorizing authority, the reprint request is determined to not satisfy at least one of a plurality of criteria, the plurality of criteria including an account verification criterion and a reprint limit criterion, the reprint limit criterion comprising a cumulative monetary limit on reprint requests to be authorized for an account associated with the user.