System and method for authenticating a mailpiece sender

• US 7,110,576 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Coffy, Jean-Hiram, Braun, John F., Rojas, John W., Norris, James R. Jr., Parkos, Arthur, Leung, Alan, Leung, Wendy Chui Fen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US10/248,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20040134690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/116, 382/118, 382/119, 382/124, 382/181, 382186-188, 705/60, 705/401, 705/406, 705/407, 705/410, 705/44, 705/67, 705/408, 229300-302, 229/305, 229/306, 229/92, 229/921, 229/584, 229/900, 902/3, 358/472, 178/19.05, 209/584, 209/900
• US Class Current: 382/119
• 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 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00443 Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00629 Circuit, e.g. transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00838 Personal data, i.e. biometrics

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating the sender of a mailpiece is described for identifying certain mailpieces as originating from known trusted senders. In one configuration, biometric information and/or biometric metadata is captured when a user writes on a mailpiece with a digital pen. That data is then compared to reference data in a database. Registrant data is then loaded into storage device on the mailpiece and may be digitally signed and/or encrypted by the trusted third party. In another configuration, a mailpiece includes the signature of a sender and the biometric data includes authentication data obtained from the signature that is compared to the biometric data related to the signature obtained during a sender registration process.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing a sender of an item using a trusted third party authenticator system comprising:

obtaining a digital pen for capturing biometric information;

registering the digital pen including providing a biometric data sample;

handwriting a writing sample on the item;

requesting authentication of the sender of the item by sending a request to the trusted third party authenticator system including the writing sample;

receiving authentication data from the trusted third party authenticator system; and

transferring the authentication data to the item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the item is a mailpiece label.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the item is an envelope.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the writing sample is a signature.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the writing sample is a signature written on the inside of the envelope.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the authentication data in a storage device removably adhered to the envelope.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the storage device comprises an RF-ID tag.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

placing the mailpiece in the mail stream.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication that postage was paid.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the registering process includes providing an initial reference writing sample.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining biometric data relating to the user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

obtaining biometric data relating to the pen strokes of the user.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

creating at least one profile for the user by analyzing the biometric data.

14. A method for verifying the authenticity of the sender of a mailpiece:

obtaining a mailpiece authentication data from the mail piece;

obtaining a user authentication profile;

comparing the mail piece user profile to the user profile; and

assigning a level of trust from among a plurality of defined levels of trust to the mailpiece based upon the comparison; and

processing the mailpiece based upon the assigned level of trust.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

the user profile include information obtained using user biometric data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the user biometric data comprises sample pen stroke data.

17. A method for authorizing a sender of an item using a trusted third party authenticator system comprising;

receiving sender authentication data from the sender of the item at the trusted third party authenticator system;

receiving destination information associated with the item;

obtaining reference sender authentication data associated with the sender;

obtaining routing information associated with the item and the intended carrier system that is to be used for sending the item;

comparing the sender authentication data with the reference sender authentication data;

obtaining an item authentication data associated with the sender and the item;

sending the item authentication data to the sender if the comparison results in authentication; and

sending the item authentication data to the intended carrier.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the item authentication data is digitally signed by the trusted third party; and

the item authentication data includes sender information and recipient information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the item authentication data includes an indication of the determined level of trust.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

utilizing the comparison of the sender authentication data with the reference sender authentication data to determine a level of trust from among a plurality of defined levels of trust.