US Patent No: 5,077,792

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Franking system

Stats

ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

Loading Importance Indicators... loading....

Abstract

Credit in a credit register of a franking meter is reset by telephone communication with a resetting terminal. A request for a selected credit amount is transmitted from the meter apparatus to the terminal and in response the terminal interrogates the meter to establish identity of the meter. The terminal locks the meter to prevent operation of the meter for franking while the resetting takes place. The terminal checks the validity of the reset request with customer records stored in the terminal and if valid transmits a reset signal which includes the credit reset amount and a pseudo-random number (TID) to enable the meter to reset its credit register. Upon completion of the resetting the meter sends a request including a random number for unlocking of the meter. The terminal requests the register values from the meter, each request including a random number. The meter transmits the register values together with the random number to the terminal. If the value and random number are correct, the terminal unlocks the meter by sending an unlock signal which includes the TID and random number.

Loading the Abstract Image... loading....

First Claim

Related Publications

Loading Related Publications... loading....

Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
ALCATEL BUSINESS SYSTEMSPARIS76
NEOPOST LIMITEDESSEX110

International Classification(s)

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Herring, William J Kent, WA 7 177

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
NEOPOST LIMITED (2)
4,907,271 Secure transmission of information between electronic stations 34 1988
4,934,846 Franking system 92 1989
 
PITNEY BOWES INC. (2)
4,787,045 Postage meter recharging system 34 1986
4,907,161 Batch mailing system 28 1986
 
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY NOTE AND COMPUTER CORPORATION 33 AVENIDA FEDERICO BOYD, APARTADO 951 PANAMA CITY,PANAMA (1)
4,630,201 On-line and off-line transaction security system using a code generated from a transaction parameter and a random number 304 1984
 
U.S. Philips Corporation (1)
4,665,396 Validation check for remote digital station 25 1985

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES (6)
5,237,506 Remote resetting postage meter 36 1990
5,715,164 System and method for communications with postage meters 50 1994
6,240,403 Method and apparatus for a modular postage accounting system 12 1998
6,230,149 Method and apparatus for authentication of postage accounting reports 1 1998
6,356,919 Method and apparatus for redundant postage accounting data files 1 1999
6,938,018 Method and apparatus for a modular postage accounting system 2 2001
 
PITNEY BOWES INC. (6)
5,920,850 Metering system with automatic resettable time lockout 18 1994
5,572,429 System for recording the initialization and re-initialization of an electronic postage meter 7 1994
5,638,442 Method for remotely inspecting a postage meter 22 1995
5,844,220 Apparatus and method for electronic debiting of funds from a postage meter 4 1996
5,812,990 System and method for providing an additional cryptography layer for postage meter refills 25 1996
6,061,670 Multiple registered postage meters 18 1997
 
NEOPOST LIMITED (4)
5,557,708 Method and apparatus for outputting a binary bit data message from bytes representing strings of contiguous bits of equal value 1 1991
5,367,464 Franking meter system 21 1992
5,526,271 Franking machine 15 1995
6,064,992 Postage meter using two ascending registers in an accounting function 5 1997
 
NEOPOST INC. (3)
5,918,234 Method and apparatus for redundant postage accounting data files 23 1995
5,822,738 Method and apparatus for a modular postage accounting system 43 1995
5,778,066 Method and apparatus for authentication of postage accounting reports 11 1995
 
MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS, INC. (2)
5,805,702 Method, apparatus, and system for transferring units of value 47 1996
6,237,095 Apparatus for transfer of secure information between a data carrying module and an electronic device 26 1998
 
FRAMA AG (1)
5,157,616 Method for filling the valve quantity memory of a franking machine 4 1990
 
GRAVES, FRANK M. (1)
5,309,363 Remotely rechargeable postage meter 41 1992
 
Pitney Bowes plc (1)
5,181,245 Machine incorporating an accounts verification system 64 1991
 
Saranac Software, Inc. (1)
6,233,565 Methods and apparatus for internet based financial transactions with evidence of payment 326 1998
 
Securities Dynamics Technologies, Inc. (1)
5,237,614 Integrated network security system 259 1991