EP1053526A1 - Procede et systeme d'impression d'etiquettes postales par television en reseau - Google Patents

Procede et systeme d'impression d'etiquettes postales par television en reseau

Info

Publication number
EP1053526A1
EP1053526A1 EP99905498A EP99905498A EP1053526A1 EP 1053526 A1 EP1053526 A1 EP 1053526A1 EP 99905498 A EP99905498 A EP 99905498A EP 99905498 A EP99905498 A EP 99905498A EP 1053526 A1 EP1053526 A1 EP 1053526A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
postal
customer
host
indicative
security device
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Withdrawn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
EP99905498A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1053526A4 (fr
Inventor
Robert G. Schwartz
George Brookner
Richard H. Rosen
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.)
Hasler Inc
Original Assignee
Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems 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 Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Inc filed Critical Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems Inc
Publication of EP1053526A1 publication Critical patent/EP1053526A1/fr
Publication of EP1053526A4 publication Critical patent/EP1053526A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
    • G07B17/00024—Physical or organizational aspects of franking systems
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00435—Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00016—Relations between apparatus, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office, in a franking system
    • G07B17/0008—Communication details outside or between apparatus
    • G07B2017/00145—Communication details outside or between apparatus via the Internet
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00612—Attaching item on mailpiece
    • G07B2017/0062—Label

Definitions

  • the invention relates generally to the task of printing postage indicia, typically a replica of a franked meter impression, in a home or small office. It relates more particularly to such printing with the use of a television set-top box or web television interface.
  • postage has been applied to mail pieces in several ways, most commonly postage stamps, and imprints by postage meters (franking machines). Both technologies are very well developed and accepted.
  • a postage meter for example, uses a secure printer with a printing plate that is not accessible to the customer and that is not easily counterfeited.
  • the postage meter also uses fluorescent ink, thus differing from other inks.
  • One of the defining characteristics of a typical traditional postage meter is a secure housing, within which are located an accounting means and the printing means including the aforementioned printing plate.
  • the accounting means registers the amount of postage printed and/or the amount of postage paid for that may be printed, these registered amounts respectively termed the "ascending register” and "descending register.”
  • the accounting means is set directly by a postal authority or is remotely reset through a mechanism approved by the postal authority.
  • PSD postal security device
  • PSD postal security device
  • the PSD's connections to the rest of the system are purely electrical.
  • the secure housing of the PSD differs greatly from the secure housing of the traditional postage meter, because the secure housing of the traditional postage meter has an opening, or more than one opening, through which is passed the mail piece or package label that is to receive the printed indicium.
  • the PSD contains processing capability for establishing cryptographically secure communication with a postal authority, which permits setting and reading the ascending and descending registers and related information. It contains nonvolatile memories for the registers and for cryptographic keys. It contains firmware to permit generation of data to be used for printing of postal indicia.
  • One arrangement for a PSD is that set forth in PCT publication 98-20461 entitled “System for protecting cryptographic processing and memory resources for postal franking machines.”
  • the PSD may contain a secure and reliable real-time clock and calendar, or alternatively it may employ a cryptographically secure substitute for such a real-time clock and calendar as described in PCT publication 98-08325 entitled “Printing postage with cryptographic clocking security.”
  • the PSD is located physically nearby to the printer.
  • the printer may be a "button" integrated circuit plugged into a socket that is connected to a personal computer with a printer.
  • the invention solves the problem of printing postage indicia, typically a replica of a franked meter impression, in a home or small office, with the use of a television set-top box or web television interface.
  • the system brings the ability of printing postage stamps on label stock.
  • Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of the system according to the invention.
  • a postage indicium is printed onto a self-adhesive or water- activated label.
  • the indicium is printed using a printer 81, which may be a printer supplied with a set-top box 70 for web television viewing.
  • a printer is provided for printing information for the user or for printing store coupons or other incentives. It has been suggested, for example, to have an incentive associated with a pay-per-view movie, such as a coupon which may redeemed for some product or activity connected iwth the movie.
  • the printer 81 used for such coupons could be employed to print postage indicia on label stock.
  • the set-top box 70, printer 81, television 83, and remote control 88 are collectively termed the customer station.
  • the sequence of events may be as will now be described.
  • the customer identifies himself or herself to the Host Data Center 65 (sometimes simply called a "host"), via a communications link 60 which is preferably the Internet but which could optionally be a private network operated by the service provider.
  • the user employs a television remote control device 88 to send signals to the set-top box 70, and calls up a submenu relating to postage.
  • the submenu is displayed on the screen of the television 83.
  • the menu requires the customer to enter an identification, and this together with a unique identifier associated with the set-top box 70 is transmitted to the Host Data Center 65.
  • the Host Data Center 65 confirms that the identification and identifier are valid.
  • the user inputs may be by means solely of inputs by the remote control device 88 or may be accomplished in part by means of an external keyboard, o
  • the user may enter information about the mail piece, such as the destination address or the Zip code of the destination address.
  • the postal indicium generated may thus carry the Zip code or the entirety of the destination address in a cryptographically signed form, which permits postal authorities to confirm that the indicium does in fact correspond to the mail piece. (This permits detection of fraudulent use of an indicium for a second or third time on a mail piece with a different Zip code or destination address.)
  • the information printed on the label printer 81 may include not only the postal indicium but also the mailing address and a sorting bar code containing the Zip code.
  • the label is affixed by the customer to the mail piece (omitted for clarity in Fig. 1) and is entered into the mail stream. The postal authority may then scan the indicium and perform a cryptographic authentication to confirm the validity of the indicium.
  • a scale 80 is provided which is communicatively coupled to the set-top box.
  • the data sent to the Host Data Center 65 includes the mass of the mail piece (placed upon the scale) and the appropriate postage value is calculated and used in generating the postal indicium.
  • the postage value is thus contained within the indicium and the customer is charged for the corresponding amount of postage.
  • the customer may communicate the mass of the mail piece by means of key entries at the remote control 88 or at the aforementioned keyboard.
  • speech recognition technologies are of limited utility. It is expected, however, that speech recognition may be used for customer identification as described above, for communicating the mail piece destination address, and for communicating the mass of the mail piece, as well as other functions such as indicating the class of service (mail type) such as first class, air mail, etc.
  • the Host Data Center 65 contains one or more PSDs 10A, 10B, IOC. Each PSD contains security-critical functions for the postal indicia customer. In one arrangement, there are as many PSDs as there are customers and they correspond to each other. In another, preferred, arrangement, there are fewer PSDs than there are customers, and the operator of the Host Data Center 65 maintains its own set of accounts with respect to the various customers.
  • the PSD contains a random number generator, various storage registers, an optional date/time clock, and other circuitry.
  • the PSD supports device authorization, finance record-keeping, creation of indicia, and audit functions. In sum, the PSD ensures that only authorized persons are able to apply indicia to mailpieces, and ensures that the indicia are accounted for.
  • the PSD may be located in or nearby to the set-top box 70, it is considered preferable for it to be located distant from the customer location, namely within the Host Data Center 65.
  • the set-top box has identification functions which are usable for authenticating users when they order pay-per-view movies and the like, and these functions rely upon a tamper-proof identifier within the set-top box 70 as well as upon cryptographic functions of modest security.
  • the built-in capability of the set-top box may include a fingerprint reader in which case the fingerprint authentication may be used as well. These functions may be combined with the above-mentioned user authentication steps to improve the level of confidence regarding the authentication of the customer.
  • the Host Data Center 65 may offer the ability to print indicia for the US Postal Service, for Federal Express, and for UPS. It may be able to give the customer information such as price comparisons.
  • a PSD or its functional equivalent corresponding to each of the delivery service providers.
  • the host 20 has communications links to the various carriers 30A, 30B, and 30C.
  • the shipping label 82 may contain a tracking number generated by the delivery service provider, provided in bar code form for tracking purposes.
  • the Host Data Center 65 or the set-top box 70 may retain a list of such tracking numbers, which makes it easy for the customer to track mail pieces.
  • the customer would use the remote control 88 or the optional keyboard to enter a tracking menu, and would select one or more packages to be tracked.
  • the tracking results would be displayed on the screen of the television 83.
  • set-top box does not literally require location on the top of the television set, and rather that the box permits connection between a conventional broadcast television and enhanced services such as pay-per-view television. Indeed it is expected that the set-top box may come to be contained in the same housing as the television, at such time as the set-top box becomes standardized within a particular country or market area, all without departing in any way with the invention.
  • the Host 20 includes such functions as providing network access to the carriers 30A, 30B,
  • Processor 40 provides communications protocol and message integrity control, which in a preferred embodiment uses TCP (transmission control protocol) as a way of assuring message integrity, and uses higher-level protocols to carry out customer sessions.
  • functional block 50 provides communications interfacing, for example via frame relay to the Internet or via other communications-layer protocols for satellite, dedicated data line, analog modem, or television cable communications.
  • the Host Data Center 65 is thus able to serve as a single point of contact for each of several delivery service providers.
  • the Host Data Center 65 communicates with the customer station at the customer's location by means of an enhanced fax machine 90 which is connected to the Internet 60 or other communications channel by an appropriate means.
  • the fax machine is, of course, connected with the public switched telephone network and responsive to incoming fax telephone calls for receiving and printing fax messages.
  • the fax machine interfaces with a printer 91 printing on label stock 92, much like the printer 81 and label stock 82.
  • An optional scale 93 is connected with the fax machine 90.
  • a personal computer 94 may be connected with the fax machine 90 to permit easy user inputs and display of information from the Host Data Center 65.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système d'impression d'étiquettes postales, qui comprend un coffret d'abonné télévisuel (70) ou une interface de télévision en réseau connectée, par l'intermédiaire d'un moyen de communication (comme Internet), à un système hôte (65) équipé d'un dispositif de sécurité postale (10A). Les empreintes sont imprimées sur un film à étiquettes au moyen d'une imprimante d'étiquettes (81).
EP99905498A 1998-01-30 1999-01-28 Procede et systeme d'impression d'etiquettes postales par television en reseau Withdrawn EP1053526A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US7314498P 1998-01-30 1998-01-30
US73144P 1998-01-30
PCT/US1999/001781 WO1999039278A1 (fr) 1998-01-30 1999-01-28 Procede et systeme d'impression d'etiquettes postales par television en reseau

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1053526A1 true EP1053526A1 (fr) 2000-11-22
EP1053526A4 EP1053526A4 (fr) 2000-12-20

Family

ID=22111987

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99905498A Withdrawn EP1053526A4 (fr) 1998-01-30 1999-01-28 Procede et systeme d'impression d'etiquettes postales par television en reseau

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1053526A4 (fr)
CA (1) CA2319445A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1999039278A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2391414A1 (fr) * 1999-11-15 2001-05-25 Ascom Hasler Mailing Systems, Inc. Systeme d'affranchissement par telephone/fax
ATE280418T1 (de) * 1999-11-16 2004-11-15 Neopost Inc System und verfahren zum verwalten von mehreren postalischen funktionen in einem einzigen konto
US7047551B2 (en) 2000-04-28 2006-05-16 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Information distributing method and information distributing system
DE10037631A1 (de) * 2000-08-02 2002-02-14 Deutsche Telekom Ag Verfahren zur bargeldlosen Bezahlung mit Online-Wertmarken
NL1018460C1 (nl) * 2001-07-04 2003-01-08 Mitchico Internat B V Werkwijze en samenstel voor het verzenden van poststukken en dergelijke.
GB2384599A (en) * 2002-01-23 2003-07-30 Fastabs Ltd Producing a product label
DE102004037695A1 (de) * 2004-08-02 2006-02-23 Deutsche Post Ag Verfahren und Vorrichtungsanordnung zur digitalen Freimachung von Postsendungen

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5233657A (en) * 1990-10-25 1993-08-03 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Method for franking postal matter and device for carrying out the method
US5561709A (en) * 1991-10-03 1996-10-01 Viscorp Apparatus and method for electronic device for information services

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5801944A (en) * 1995-10-11 1998-09-01 E-Stamp Corporation System and method for printing postage indicia directly on documents

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5233657A (en) * 1990-10-25 1993-08-03 Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh Method for franking postal matter and device for carrying out the method
US5561709A (en) * 1991-10-03 1996-10-01 Viscorp Apparatus and method for electronic device for information services

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO9939278A1 *
USPS, UNITED POSTAL SERVICE: "Information Based Indicia Program - Postal Security Device Specification" UNITED POSTAL SERVICE IBIP PROGRAM, 13 June 1996 (1996-06-13), XP002137734 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1053526A4 (fr) 2000-12-20
CA2319445A1 (fr) 1999-08-05
WO1999039278A1 (fr) 1999-08-05

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