EP0647923A2 - Frankiermaschinensystem mit punktorganisierten Zeichen zum Schutz gegen Betrug - Google Patents

Frankiermaschinensystem mit punktorganisierten Zeichen zum Schutz gegen Betrug Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0647923A2
EP0647923A2 EP94115885A EP94115885A EP0647923A2 EP 0647923 A2 EP0647923 A2 EP 0647923A2 EP 94115885 A EP94115885 A EP 94115885A EP 94115885 A EP94115885 A EP 94115885A EP 0647923 A2 EP0647923 A2 EP 0647923A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
indicia
mailpieces
printing
batch
predetermined
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP94115885A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0647923A3 (de
Inventor
George M. Brookner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of EP0647923A2 publication Critical patent/EP0647923A2/de
Publication of EP0647923A3 publication Critical patent/EP0647923A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00572—Details of printed item
    • G07B2017/00604—Printing of advert or logo
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00637—Special printing techniques, e.g. interlacing

Definitions

  • the invention relates to methods of printing indicia to enable verification of mailpieces, methods of producing a batch of mailpieces, and methods for verifying authenticity of a batch of mailpieces.
  • the invention is applicable to postage metering systems and especially to postage metering systems which include bit-mapped printing of the meter indicias.
  • the computer driven printer can print the postal indicia in a desired location on the face of a mail piece.
  • the postal indicia includes a Postal Revenue Block or PRB.
  • the PRB typically contains data such as the postage value, a unique PED identification number, the date and in some applications the name of the place where the mail is originating.
  • the postage amount, date and sequential piece count can be encrypted using either a secret or public key encryption algorithm and printed along with the plain text counterpart in the PRB.
  • the value of the franking used in the encryption can be determined from the encryption to learn whether the value as printed on the mailpiece is correct. See, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,757,537 and 4,775,246 to Edelmann et al. as well as U.S. Patent No. 4,649,266 to Eckert. It is also known to authenticate a mailpiece by including the address as a further part of the encryption as described in U.S. Patent No.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,075,862 to Doeberl et al. discloses a metering system which includes changes in the indicia based on time of day of the printing.
  • the Postal authorities can riffle through a batch of mail to determine whether the time is changing appropriately during the printing of a batch of mail. Tell locations may also be included such that the presence or absence of a marker at a particular location will authenticate the mailpiece.
  • U.S. Patent Nos. 4,637,051, to Clark; 4,641,346 to Clark et al.; 4,829,568 to Clark et al.; and 4,660,221 to Dlugos teach the printing of indicia in human readable format wherein the dots forming the indicia are displaced in accordance with a coded message which may be read with an overlay.
  • the coded message may also be printed in barcode.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,186,498 to Dietrich discloses the forming of a characteristic identification pattern to be printed which includes an encrypted number representative of the machine and the fee amount and date of printing.
  • the verifying Authority To authenticate a mailpiece using the foregoing encryption techniques, the verifying Authority must again generate the encryption from the plain text using the identical key used by the purported mailer. If the printed cipher text matches that generated by the verifying authority or if the graphical pattern matches an overlay, the mailpiece is verified. If there is no match then appropriate action may be initiated.
  • a method for verifying mailpieces comprising the steps of creating a predetermined first indicia image, printing the first indicia image on a mailpiece, changing the first indicia image in a predetermined manner after the printing thereof, and thereafter sequentially printing and changing successive indicias on respective successive mailpieces franked by the system in accordance with a predetermined pattern of changes.
  • Fig. 1 there is shown generally at 10 a system in accordance with the invention.
  • Mailpieces 12, 14, and 16 which are representative of those to be sequentially printed during a batch run by a particular mailer are shown being fed to printer 18 for printing of a postal indicia by the printer which is suitably connected to computer 20 in known manner as described for example in U.S. Patent No. 4,757,537 to Edelmann et al or U.S. Patent No. 4,831,555 to Sansone et al, specifically incorporated by reference herein.
  • Fig. 2a shows a first bit-mapped print 50 on a mailpiece 52 illustrative of a predetermined indicia for a particular machine assigned to a given mailer.
  • the indicia print 54 on mailpiece 56 has been changed only slightly so as to be artistically different from the previously printed indicia 50.
  • Fig. 2c shows indicia 58 on the next mailpiece in the printing sequence shown at 60. It in turn has been modified slightly from both the previously illustrated indicias. It will be appreciated that the variations in successive printed indicias may form a pattern such that when a sequentially printed batch of the mailpieces are riffled, an animated sequence occurs.
  • the visibly animated pattern created by riffling through the batch may form such noticeable changes as, for example, an eagle of the indicia flapping its wings, or it may be made more subtle in order to be harder for the attempted fraudulent printer to find. It will also be appreciated that a particular predetermined pattern may be associated with a corresponding mailer or group of mailers.
  • Fig. 3 is a flow chart of the operation of the postage metering device in accordance with the invention.
  • the data for the bit map may be chosen to be the image of a standard indicia or one associated with a particular user.
  • the chosen bit map data is stored, block 100, in memory of computer 20 for printing in conventional manner when commanded in association with the known postage meter accounting routines described for example in the previously cited U.S. Patents incorporated by reference.
  • the image is printed, block 102, and the image is changed, block 104, in accordance with a predetermined change program.
  • the program checks to determine if any more mailpieces are to be franked, decision block 106, and if there are the program loops back to printing block 102 in order to assure that the next printed indicia in the sequence will be different in some way from the indicia just printed previously. If there are no more mailpieces in the particular batch, the program returns to its idling sequence, not further described herein.
  • bit map data may be selected from a library of bit maps to form the new image.
  • the change may be to selected portions of the image via a library or via an algorithm for changing the bit map.
  • the program and/or bit map library is preferably selected to provide a pattern that will produce an easily-viewed animated sequence for the selected changes of the indicia. That is, the animated pattern will become apparent simply by flipping through a batch of mailpieces where the indicia changes may be as apparent as the flapping of the wings of the typical eagle of the indicia or the changing of the number of stars or the like in accordance with the predetermined pattern. It will be understood that in the event the mailpieces are not in proper order a random pattern of changes will result which will in itself provide an indication that simple copies have not been made.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
EP94115885A 1993-10-08 1994-10-07 Frankiermaschinensystem mit punktorganisierten Zeichen zum Schutz gegen Betrug. Withdrawn EP0647923A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13342093A 1993-10-08 1993-10-08
US133420 1993-10-08

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0647923A2 true EP0647923A2 (de) 1995-04-12
EP0647923A3 EP0647923A3 (de) 1995-10-11

Family

ID=22458548

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94115885A Withdrawn EP0647923A3 (de) 1993-10-08 1994-10-07 Frankiermaschinensystem mit punktorganisierten Zeichen zum Schutz gegen Betrug.

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0647923A3 (de)
CA (1) CA2133363A1 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997015903A1 (en) * 1995-10-11 1997-05-01 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for generating personalized postage indicia
EP0856816A2 (de) * 1997-01-29 1998-08-05 Neopost Limited Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Drucken und zum Vermeiden des Kopierens von Postaufdrucken
EP1927407A1 (de) * 2006-11-28 2008-06-04 Intelmail Explorenet Pty Ltd. Verfahren und System zur Objektüberprüfung

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4660221A (en) * 1983-07-18 1987-04-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for printing encrypted messages with bar-code representation
US4835713A (en) * 1985-08-06 1989-05-30 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter with coded graphic information in the indicia
US4949381A (en) * 1988-09-19 1990-08-14 Pitney Bowes Inc. Electronic indicia in bit-mapped form
US5075862A (en) * 1989-12-26 1991-12-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for printing value indicia with diagrammatic data representation
EP0576113A2 (de) * 1992-06-26 1993-12-29 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren und Anordnung zur schnellen Erzeugung eines Sicherheitsabdruckes

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4660221A (en) * 1983-07-18 1987-04-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for printing encrypted messages with bar-code representation
US4835713A (en) * 1985-08-06 1989-05-30 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter with coded graphic information in the indicia
US4949381A (en) * 1988-09-19 1990-08-14 Pitney Bowes Inc. Electronic indicia in bit-mapped form
US5075862A (en) * 1989-12-26 1991-12-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for printing value indicia with diagrammatic data representation
EP0576113A2 (de) * 1992-06-26 1993-12-29 Francotyp-Postalia GmbH Verfahren und Anordnung zur schnellen Erzeugung eines Sicherheitsabdruckes

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997015903A1 (en) * 1995-10-11 1997-05-01 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for generating personalized postage indicia
EP0856816A2 (de) * 1997-01-29 1998-08-05 Neopost Limited Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Drucken und zum Vermeiden des Kopierens von Postaufdrucken
EP0856816A3 (de) * 1997-01-29 1999-09-15 Neopost Limited Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Drucken und zum Vermeiden des Kopierens von Postaufdrucken
EP1927407A1 (de) * 2006-11-28 2008-06-04 Intelmail Explorenet Pty Ltd. Verfahren und System zur Objektüberprüfung

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2133363A1 (en) 1995-04-09
EP0647923A3 (de) 1995-10-11

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