EP1331608A1 - System zum Frankieren von Poststücken mit zugehöriger Datei - Google Patents

System zum Frankieren von Poststücken mit zugehöriger Datei Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1331608A1
EP1331608A1 EP03290209A EP03290209A EP1331608A1 EP 1331608 A1 EP1331608 A1 EP 1331608A1 EP 03290209 A EP03290209 A EP 03290209A EP 03290209 A EP03290209 A EP 03290209A EP 1331608 A1 EP1331608 A1 EP 1331608A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
postal
data
mail
franking machine
data file
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Withdrawn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
EP03290209A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Denis Gilham
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.)
Quadient Technologies France SA
Original Assignee
Neopost Technologies SA
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 Neopost Technologies SA filed Critical Neopost Technologies SA
Publication of EP1331608A1 publication Critical patent/EP1331608A1/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Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • G07B17/00185—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
    • G07B2017/00153—Communication details outside or between apparatus for sending information
    • G07B2017/00169—Communication details outside or between apparatus for sending information from a franking apparatus, e.g. for verifying accounting
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00443—Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases
    • 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
    • G07B2017/0058—Printing of code
    • G07B2017/00588—Barcode

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of treatment of mail and it relates more particularly to a franking machine allowing very large numbers of data, postal or no, printed on a mail item.
  • a postal imprint being a monetary value
  • the quality of its printing on mail items is essential in order to to avoid any fraud or any financial loss for the user in the event of rejection of postage.
  • this print quality is notably linked to the number of data printed, the impression of a very large number of data, possibly with complex graphics, being likely to degrade printing and therefore readability of the postal imprint.
  • postal administrations today demand printing on mail items more and more more data, postal or not, relating not only to shipping and sorting these mail items, but also monitoring, valuing them or their security, and this phenomenon can only go on increasing, the postal administrations regularly offering new services value-added postal services.
  • the object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by providing a machine for franking mail items comprising means for printing a postal imprint on an article of mail and means to also print on this mail item a unique identification number for this mail item, characterized in that it further comprises means for generating at least one data file associated with this unique identification number printed on the article of mail and means to communicate, through a secure link, said at least one data file to a data remote from the franking machine.
  • the printed postal imprint directly by the franking machine i.e. a machine of the type closed incorporating secure imprint printing means postal
  • the franking machine i.e. a machine of the type closed incorporating secure imprint printing means postal
  • the essential elements date, office transmitter, amount and machine number
  • all the other elements in particular the fingerprint authentication code and all service markings, can be transmitted with the file associated with the identification code unique appearing on the mail item with the postal imprint.
  • the data file contains postal data and information relating to one or more services requested by the user of the franking machine and advantageously information of security allowing authentication by said data server remote (preferably a computer server of the postage machine) postal data and other information contained in said data file.
  • said data server remote preferably a computer server of the postage machine
  • the information relating to one or more services requested by the user of the franking machine are accessible from a mail server postal administration linked to the remote data server by another secure connection.
  • the unique identification number is a series of characters machine-readable alphanumeric, preferably OCR or code type with one-dimensional bars.
  • the present invention also relates to the method for to frank articles of mail in which one prints an imprint mail on a mail item and we print on that mail item a unique identification number for this mail item, characterized in that in addition one generates at least one data file associated with this unique identification number printed on the mail item and on communicates, via a secure link, said at least one file data to a data server remote from the postage meter.
  • Secure communication of said at least one data file to the remote data server from the postage meter is performed periodically, preferably daily.
  • the unique identification number is obtained from an encrypted combination of postal data.
  • Figure 1 schematically illustrates the architecture of a system intended for the treatment of mail items in which can be put implement the present invention.
  • mail item By mail item, it should to hear both an envelope (of any size) and an label to be then stuck on a thick envelope or a package.
  • This mail processing system conventionally comprises a connected mail item franking machine, via from a first specialized line 12, to a computer server 14 of the dealer of this machine, this data server being itself connected by a second dedicated line 16 to a computer server postal administration 18.
  • Specialized lines 12, 16 are conventionally communication lines secured by encryption or signature.
  • the mailing machine is a machine communicating completely classic design of the closed type (this is say including secure means of printing the postal imprint) and does not require any particular description.
  • means 20 of transport of mail items from a feed module of these items to a receiving module secure printing means 22 of a postal imprint arranged on the transport path of these mail items; means 24 for interfacing (of the modem type) with the first specialized line 12; means 26 for interfacing with the user, screen and keyboard type for example; and processing means 28 (more particularly with memory and microprocessor) for control and controlling the management of the postage meter.
  • the server of the concessionaire 14 and the server of the administration postal 18 are conventional computer servers, the first however comprising specific but conventional software means allowing remote maintenance and teleshopping operations, control postage operations and possible reloading of a credit postal and the second specific software means, also conventional, for installation authorization, verification of the encryption, multi-account and postal customer account management and statistical control.
  • these two servers also include additional means 14A, 18A for interfacing with an open network of Internet 30 type communications.
  • these two servers are also linked, through this network of communications, to at least one computer unit 32, of the type traditional personal computer, however with means software (essentially a browser) allowing its owner (franking machine user or postal administration agent) access to the Internet 30 and therefore a consultation of the Internet site of the postage meter dealer as well as that of postal administration.
  • the postage data conventional (weight, amount, and.) are entered on the keyboard of the postage meter (step 40) then the user selects the postage (s) services he wants to send a given mail item (step 42). From these elements, the processing means 28 of this machine will conventionally generate (step 44) the postal data but also the unique identification number which is advantageously obtained at from some of this postal data relating to the mail item sent, typically a concatenated combination of the postal number of the franking machine, amount and date of franking, number of the depository establishment, and of the sequential object number by example, without this data being limiting (It is indeed possible add elements of the recipient's address or the number of a service associated with this mail item or data not postal).
  • An encryption, of the triple DES type for example, using a hashing process guarantees this identification number unique sufficient confidentiality with regard to a possible decryption.
  • This identification number will then be printed (step 48) with the postal imprint, in or near this postal imprint, under form of numeric or alphanumeric characters, legible from preferably by an OCR reader, or in the form of a barcode one-dimensional (1D) readable with a barcode reader conventional.
  • the data file associated with a determined postal imprint is generated (step 46) by the means processing 28 of the franking machine and stored in its means memories with the other postal data necessary for the printing of the postal imprint. It includes of course all the mentions usual postal imprint (amount and postage date, postage number of the franking machine, name and number of the establishment of deposit, sequential object number, etc.) necessary for a visual inspection by agents of the postal administration of the validity apparent from the mail item but, most importantly, all the others data useful for the processing (reception, follow-up, delivery) of the article of mail by the postal administration, in particular all information relating to one or more services requested by the user (recommended, mention of the carrier, etc.) relating to this article of mail and whose mentions on the mail item are no longer required.
  • this file will also contain information about security allowing authentication by the dealer's server 14 postal data and other information contained in the file of data.
  • the problem of legibility of the imprint postal due to the presence of too much information) or the limitation of printable information on the mail item (for 100% readability by the postal administration) is resolved since this information is no longer intended to be printed on the mail item but stored in a file in the machine postage and the only limit to the information that can be stored in this file associated with the postal imprint is that of the size of the means franking machine memory.
  • the invention is particularly suitable for upgrading existing machines, it will suffice simply to increase the memory resources and to implant additional software resources adapted to the new functionalities.
  • the franking machine 10 being a machine connected, i.e. having a communication link via its modem interface 24 with the dealer server 14, it is proceeded periodically, preferably once a day (possibly after several successive attempts in the event of communication failure), by postage meter to a connection to this server and to a coded exchange information between them two in which it is transmitted in addition to usual control data (machine number and content of ascending and descending counters), the different files associated with each item of mail prepaid during the statement period considered (final step 50).
  • This quantified exchange classically comprises security information necessary for authentication and not repudiation of the message. These data after verification will be retransmitted (after a new encryption) to the server postal administration 18 where they will be accessible to agents of postal administration, part of them being made accessible on the website of the postage meter dealer as that of the postal administration.
  • the postal administration agent may therefore proceed to processing of this mail item according to the services requested by the user-sender and possibly return to the server of postal administration, via suitable input means such as a entry at the postage administration website, different tracking information related to the mail item processed.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
  • Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
  • Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
EP03290209A 2002-01-29 2003-01-28 System zum Frankieren von Poststücken mit zugehöriger Datei Withdrawn EP1331608A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0201021 2002-01-29
FR0201021A FR2835339B1 (fr) 2002-01-29 2002-01-29 Systeme d'affranchissement d'articles de courrier a fichier de donnees associe

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1331608A1 true EP1331608A1 (de) 2003-07-30

Family

ID=8871420

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP03290209A Withdrawn EP1331608A1 (de) 2002-01-29 2003-01-28 System zum Frankieren von Poststücken mit zugehöriger Datei

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US8015121B2 (de)
EP (1) EP1331608A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2835339B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102004017309A1 (de) * 2004-04-06 2005-11-10 Francotyp-Postalia Ag & Co. Kg Verfahren und Anordnung zur Durchführung von Transaktionen
WO2006020150A2 (en) * 2004-07-15 2006-02-23 Cosgrove Roger T System and apparatus for generating mailers on demand
FR2880161B1 (fr) * 2004-12-28 2007-05-04 Neopost Ind Sa Dispositif de conception et machine pour affranchir un modele personnalise de courrier
GB2436628A (en) * 2006-03-31 2007-10-03 Pfe Internat Ltd Mailing machine which sends weight and number data to postal service provider
US8775331B1 (en) 2006-12-27 2014-07-08 Stamps.Com Inc Postage metering with accumulated postage
US8510233B1 (en) * 2006-12-27 2013-08-13 Stamps.Com Inc. Postage printer
US8612361B1 (en) 2006-12-27 2013-12-17 Stamps.Com Inc. System and method for handling payment errors with respect to delivery services
FR2911803B1 (fr) * 2007-01-26 2009-05-08 Neopost Technologies Sa Systeme de traitement d'adresses a tres haute cadence
US10373398B1 (en) 2008-02-13 2019-08-06 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for distributed activation of postage
US9978185B1 (en) 2008-04-15 2018-05-22 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods for activation of postage indicia at point of sale
US9208620B1 (en) 2008-04-15 2015-12-08 Stamps.Com, Inc. Systems and methods for payment of postage indicia after the point of generation
US9911246B1 (en) 2008-12-24 2018-03-06 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods utilizing gravity feed for postage metering
US10713634B1 (en) 2011-05-18 2020-07-14 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods using mobile communication handsets for providing postage
US10846650B1 (en) 2011-11-01 2020-11-24 Stamps.Com Inc. Perpetual value bearing shipping labels
US10922641B1 (en) 2012-01-24 2021-02-16 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods providing known shipper information for shipping indicia
US9805329B1 (en) 2012-01-24 2017-10-31 Stamps.Com Inc. Reusable shipping product
US9721225B1 (en) 2013-10-16 2017-08-01 Stamps.Com Inc. Systems and methods facilitating shipping services rate resale
US10417728B1 (en) 2014-04-17 2019-09-17 Stamps.Com Inc. Single secure environment session generating multiple indicia
US10521754B2 (en) 2016-03-08 2019-12-31 Auctane, LLC Concatenated shipping documentation processing spawning intelligent generation subprocesses

Citations (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0710930A2 (de) * 1994-10-04 1996-05-08 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postverarbeitungssystem mit einer Poststückkennzeichnung zugeordnet vor dem Eintritt von Poststücken in den Bearbeitungsstrom eines Postträgerdienstes
EP0741374A2 (de) * 1995-05-02 1996-11-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. System zur kontrollierten Annahme der Bezahlung und des Nachweises von Postgebühren
EP1017020A2 (de) * 1998-11-18 2000-07-05 Pitney Bowes Inc. System zur kontrollierten Annahme von Poststücken mit Betrugserfassung
US6101487A (en) * 1995-07-10 2000-08-08 Canada Post Corporation Electronic postal counter
WO2001099056A1 (en) * 2000-06-19 2001-12-27 Pitney Bowes Limited Mailer - postal service interfaces

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US5826247A (en) * 1996-04-09 1998-10-20 Pitney Bowes Inc. Closed loop transaction based mail accounting and payment system with carrier payment through a third party initiated by mailing information release
US6549892B1 (en) * 1999-05-21 2003-04-15 Pitney Bowes Inc. System for delivering mail
US7647230B2 (en) * 1999-06-24 2010-01-12 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and apparatus for tracking a special service delivery of a mail item created by an office worker
US6557755B1 (en) * 2000-08-10 2003-05-06 Bell & Howell Mail And Messaging Technologies Company Methods and systems for tracking and controlling mailpiece processing using postal service mailpiece code
US7251824B2 (en) * 2000-12-19 2007-07-31 Intel Corporation Accessing a private network
US6974928B2 (en) * 2001-03-16 2005-12-13 Breakthrough Logistics Corporation Method and apparatus for efficient package delivery and storage
US6839695B2 (en) * 2001-05-03 2005-01-04 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postage meter location system
US6483446B1 (en) * 2001-11-02 2002-11-19 Lockheed Martin Corporation Variable-length message formats and methods of assembling and communicating variable-length messages

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0710930A2 (de) * 1994-10-04 1996-05-08 Pitney Bowes Inc. Postverarbeitungssystem mit einer Poststückkennzeichnung zugeordnet vor dem Eintritt von Poststücken in den Bearbeitungsstrom eines Postträgerdienstes
EP0741374A2 (de) * 1995-05-02 1996-11-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. System zur kontrollierten Annahme der Bezahlung und des Nachweises von Postgebühren
US6101487A (en) * 1995-07-10 2000-08-08 Canada Post Corporation Electronic postal counter
EP1017020A2 (de) * 1998-11-18 2000-07-05 Pitney Bowes Inc. System zur kontrollierten Annahme von Poststücken mit Betrugserfassung
WO2001099056A1 (en) * 2000-06-19 2001-12-27 Pitney Bowes Limited Mailer - postal service interfaces

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US8015121B2 (en) 2011-09-06
FR2835339A1 (fr) 2003-08-01
US20030167241A1 (en) 2003-09-04
FR2835339B1 (fr) 2004-06-04

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