EP1811461A2 - Verfahren zum Bezahlen eines Postguthabens über ein Telekommunikationsnetzwerk - Google Patents

Verfahren zum Bezahlen eines Postguthabens über ein Telekommunikationsnetzwerk Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1811461A2
EP1811461A2 EP07100342A EP07100342A EP1811461A2 EP 1811461 A2 EP1811461 A2 EP 1811461A2 EP 07100342 A EP07100342 A EP 07100342A EP 07100342 A EP07100342 A EP 07100342A EP 1811461 A2 EP1811461 A2 EP 1811461A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sender
postage
communication device
portable communication
franking
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.)
Ceased
Application number
EP07100342A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1811461A3 (de
Inventor
Fabien Chatte
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 EP1811461A2 publication Critical patent/EP1811461A2/de
Publication of EP1811461A3 publication Critical patent/EP1811461A3/de
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

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
    • G07B17/0008—Communication details outside or between apparatus
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00048—Software architecture
    • G07B2017/00056—Client-server
    • G07B2017/00064—Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00112—Wireless
    • 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
    • G07B2017/00177—Communication details outside or between apparatus for sending information from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates exclusively to the field of mail processing and more particularly relates to a method of payment of postage through a telecommunications network.
  • the operation of inputting said address of the recipient may comprise either a manual key entry of the portable communication device or a digital capture by the portable communication device. This capture or capture may be limited to the recipient's postal code only.
  • the operation of generating the franking authorization code is performed from a combination of data taken at least from the following data: postage amount, address or postal code addressee.
  • the operation of sending the franking authorization code to the franking authorization issuing server from the portable communication device comprises the sending of a request comprising the franking authorization code.
  • Said request may include a digital signature of the sender and be sent via a short message.
  • the debiting operation of the sender's account includes a verification of the supply of the sender's account to the postage authorization server or a verification of the sender's credit line with the sender's account. a server of the sender's telephone operator.
  • the operation of sending the franking authorization code to the portable communication device of the sender from the franking authorization issuing server comprises sending a request containing the code of franking authorization.
  • This request can be sent via a SMS short message.
  • the invention also relates to a portable communication device for carrying out the above-mentioned franking payment method advantageously constituted by one of the following devices: a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant communicating, a portable computer communicating .
  • This device may further comprise an optical pen communicating for the digital capture of the address of the recipient.
  • the invention also relates to a computer program comprising code instructions for carrying out the steps of the aforementioned postage payment method when it is executed on the portable communication device.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture necessary for the implementation of the franking payment method according to the invention. It relies on the use of a portable communication device 10 which is used to carry out the payment of payment. a postage relating to an article of mail 12 addressed to a recipient and whose sender wishes to ensure the shipment via the deposit in any postal box 14 of the postal administration.
  • Mail article means not only an envelope but also a label intended to be stuck on a thick envelope or any package to be shipped.
  • the sender's portable communication device is connected to a postage authorization issuing server system 16, which server can itself be connected to a system.
  • server of the postal administration 18 and possibly with a server system of a telephone operator 20 ensuring the payment of the requested postage by debit of the sender's telephone account, when this payment has not been made previously by the system server 16 from which the sender holder of the portable communication device could also have an account.
  • the portable communication device 10 may consist of any data processing device enabling long-distance wireless communication over a terrestrial or satellite wireless telecommunications network (such as GSM, UMTS, WiMax, etc. networks). like a cell phone, a personal digital assistant communicating or a communicating laptop. In a preferred embodiment, it may comprise a digital capture device 10A, such as a digital camera or an optical pen.
  • a digital capture device 10A such as a digital camera or an optical pen.
  • the server system 16 disposed on a site of the supplier of franking authorizations integrates one or more computer central units comprising one or more databases and its control and management are conventionally provided by one or more computer terminals (not shown).
  • the server system 18 of the postal administration has a similar structure with one or more databases, including a database of authorization codes.
  • the server system 20 of the telephone operator has a similar structure with one or more databases, including a customer database integrating accounting data relating to customers of this operator.
  • Figure 2 shows a flow diagram illustrating the various steps of the method for the payment of a postage by a sender of a mail item by means of its portable communication device.
  • a first step 100 of implementation of the method the sender wishing to send a mail item 12 will click on an icon corresponding to a postage payment application preinstalled on its portable communication device.
  • This validation will automatically activate the digital capture function of this device that will allow the sender, using the digital capture device 10A associated with or integrated with the portable communication device, to enter in a step 102 an image of the address. of the recipient affixed previously by the sender on the article of mail, the validation of the capture of this image by the action on a shooting button (not shown) of the portable communication device, resulting in automatic recognition of characters the address entered, possibly only the recipient postal code extracted from this address.
  • the capture device is a communicating optical pen (for example a bluetooth pen), this intelligent recognition of characters is made as and when the address by the sender.
  • the sender is asked to manually enter the address of the recipient or to choose the geographical area of destination of the mail item among a set proposed areas, for example through a drop-down menu.
  • the portable communication device then goes to a next step 104 via its display screen ask the sender to indicate the amount of postage he wishes to assign to the sending of his mail item.
  • This postage amount which is a function of the service or services requested (priority or economic, for example), of the geographical area of destination (national or foreign) and possibly of the weight class of the mail sent, is left to the sole responsibility of the sender who must therefore have at his disposal the various postal rates in force on the date of shipment. For example, for a shipment of a letter of less than 20 grams priority service to the United States, the sender will pay 0.90 Euros, while for the shipment in economic service a package of 8Kg to an overseas department, he will have to pay 14 Euros.
  • the portable communication device then proceeds in a step 106 to generate a franking authorization code from a concatenated combination of the information previously entered by the sender as the destination address, in particular the geographical area of destination, and the amount of postage, and other information available to him (without this enumeration being restrictive) such as the date, time, version of the application software, the SIM card identifier, etc.
  • This code can be advantageously encrypted.
  • the portable communication device then goes in a step 108 to send to the postage authorization issuing server 16 a request in the form of a SMS short message containing the franking authorization code previously generated.
  • the server 16 will receive this request and on the basis of the telephone number of the device of portable communication (obtained conventionally on the basis of the IMSI or IMEI numbers of the portable communication device transmitted during the call) will carry out various verifications depending on whether the holder (the sender) is or is not a client of the authorization provider of postage. Indeed, if the sender is a customer of this provider (so he has an account with him), the server 16 will then check its right of use and if his account is sufficiently stocked (answer yes to the test of step 112), at step 114, debit the customer's account with the amount corresponding to the requested postage.
  • the sender is not a client of the franking authorization provider and therefore does not have a client account at server level 16
  • the latter will retransmit the postage amount to be paid and the number of franking.
  • telephone of the portable communication device associated with it to the server of the telephone operator 20 who can in turn check, by access to his own customer database, if the account of the sender has sufficient telephone credit to pay the amount of postage requested. If the telephone operator considers that the sender's credit is insufficient, he will inform the authorization provider who will then invite the sender as before to recharge his credit and the call will then be interrupted (step 116).
  • step 118 the server 16 can generate, in response to the communication of the authorization code d a request to the portable communication device, preferably in the form of a short message of the SMS type containing a franking authorization, this query causing the postage authorization code to be displayed on the display screen of the portable communication device.
  • the sender will then no longer have, in a step 120, to postpone this postage authorization code on the mail piece and without any other formality to deposit his mail item in the mail box 14 in a step terminal 122.
  • the postage authorization issuing server 16 will transfer to the server of the postal administration 18 all the data (postage authorization codes and associated postage amounts) relating to the day's payment transactions or, more simply, will give him direct access rights to all his data.
  • any sender can proceed very simply to the dispatch of any article of mail, envelope or package, to any destination without having to go to an office of the postal administration, the code of received postage authorization (which replaces the postage stamp or the postage stamp of a franking machine of which it plays the role although having no monetary value) on each item of mail being sufficient for the postal administration carry out a check of this article.
  • the postal administration will perform firstly an optical reading of the mail article to extract the authorization code of postage and address of the recipient, specifically the geographical area of destination (postal code recipient) of the article of mail, possibly the service when it is pre-printed on the article of mail for example "priority", and if necessary a weighing of this mail item to determine the weight class and, from this information, it will calculate the amount of postage required for this mail item. It will only remain to verify that the amount paid by the shipper and associated with the authorization code in the server 16 is at least equal to the amount of postage calculated to allow its distribution to its recipient. In case of insufficient payment, the postal administration will calculate the increased payment which will have to be paid by the recipient to receive his article of mail.
EP07100342A 2006-01-23 2007-01-10 Verfahren zum Bezahlen eines Postguthabens über ein Telekommunikationsnetzwerk Ceased EP1811461A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR0650229A FR2896606B1 (fr) 2006-01-23 2006-01-23 Procede de paiement d'affranchissement au travers d'un reseau de telecommunication

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1811461A2 true EP1811461A2 (de) 2007-07-25
EP1811461A3 EP1811461A3 (de) 2009-04-15

Family

ID=37409471

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP07100342A Ceased EP1811461A3 (de) 2006-01-23 2007-01-10 Verfahren zum Bezahlen eines Postguthabens über ein Telekommunikationsnetzwerk

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20070174217A1 (de)
EP (1) EP1811461A3 (de)
FR (1) FR2896606B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2922345A1 (fr) * 2007-10-12 2009-04-17 Neopost Technologies Sa Systeme d'affranchissement a point de distribution controle
US10032239B2 (en) 2010-06-10 2018-07-24 United Parcel Service Of America, Inc. Enhanced payments for shipping
GB2501254A (en) * 2012-04-16 2013-10-23 Sean Reel Method for paying for postage
US9747576B2 (en) * 2013-02-22 2017-08-29 Farshad Jason Far-Hadian Postage-free mail delivery using a mobile device
GB2535449A (en) * 2015-02-05 2016-08-24 Croft & Weston Ltd Postal systems and methods
EP3285228A4 (de) * 2015-04-15 2018-10-03 Jae Yong Lee Verwaltungssystem und -verfahren für unbemannten post-/eilbotendienst
PL232013B1 (pl) * 2015-10-28 2019-04-30 Asapon Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia Urządzenie do obsługi przesyłek

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5917925A (en) * 1994-04-14 1999-06-29 Moore; Lewis J. System for dispensing, verifying and tracking postage and other information on mailpieces
US7194957B1 (en) * 1999-11-10 2007-03-27 Neopost Inc. System and method of printing labels
US6649849B2 (en) * 2001-06-04 2003-11-18 Pitney Bowes Inc. Handheld mailing system
DE10133887A1 (de) * 2001-07-12 2003-01-30 Siemens Dematic Ag Verfahren zum Frankieren und Bearbeiten von Postsendungen
GB2387259A (en) * 2002-04-02 2003-10-08 Sendo Int Ltd Method for obtaining a postage verification code
US6920557B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2005-07-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for wireless user interface for business machines
US6915281B2 (en) * 2002-06-30 2005-07-05 Pitney Bowes Inc. Systems and methods using a digital pen for funds accounting devices and postage meters
US8027844B2 (en) * 2003-05-12 2011-09-27 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for processing mail
US7243842B1 (en) * 2004-07-27 2007-07-17 Stamps.Com Inc. Computer-based value-bearing item customization security

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2896606B1 (fr) 2008-06-06
EP1811461A3 (de) 2009-04-15
US20070174217A1 (en) 2007-07-26
FR2896606A1 (fr) 2007-07-27

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP2048624B1 (de) Frankierverfahren und Frankiersystem
US20190370763A1 (en) Money transfer system and messaging system
EP1762985A1 (de) Verfahren zum Erlangen eines Postguthabens über ein Telekommunikationsnetzwerk
EP1811461A2 (de) Verfahren zum Bezahlen eines Postguthabens über ein Telekommunikationsnetzwerk
US20090271303A1 (en) Electronic bill process automation
CH675029A5 (de)
PT1922681E (pt) Gestão de conta por telefone móvel
EP1724720B1 (de) Zahlungsverfahren für den Frankierdienst in einer Maschine zur Verarbeitung von Post mit Direktzugriff
CN101454794A (zh) 移动的个人之间支付系统
EP1161747B1 (de) Verfahren zur verwaltung des parkens von fahrzeugen
FR2853108A1 (fr) Dispositif de representation par code a barres d'un ticket de consommation a usage multiple
EP1362466A1 (de) Entferntes zahlungssystem
US20030078985A1 (en) Proactive message buffering across intermittent network connections
EP1295232B1 (de) Verfahren zum adressieren und bearbeiten von postsendungen oder elektronischen nachrichten
EP1739629A1 (de) Verfahren zur automatischen Bezahlung für einen Frankierdienst
WO2019243699A1 (fr) Procédé et dispositif de répartition par un agent conversationnel d'une dépense engagée par un utilisateur au sein d'un groupe d'utilisateurs
EP2330563A1 (de) Verfahren zur Sicherung der Frankierung mittels eines Telekommunikationsnetzes
KR101134272B1 (ko) 이동통신 단말기를 이용한 결제요금통보방법
WO1992006453A1 (fr) Procede et dispositif d'affranchissement automatique pour l'acquittement de taxes
JP3513816B2 (ja) 電子メール配信システム
FR2945881A1 (fr) Procede et systeme de transaction de biens et/ou de services au moyen d'un terminal via un reseau de communication
EP1400935A1 (de) System und Anwendung zum vereinfachten Übertragen von Nachrichten, mittels einer Fest-Verbindung
FR2995711A1 (fr) Procede et systeme de paiement adapte a un equipement communicant de type horodateur ou distributeur automatique
FR2750275A1 (fr) Procede de gestion dans un systeme telematique distribue et systeme de mise en oeuvre de ce procede
FR2896901A1 (fr) Procede de paiement d'un service au moyen d'un systeme d'affranchissement ouvert

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR MK YU

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR MK RS

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20091012

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 20091102

AKX Designation fees paid

Designated state(s): DE FR GB

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN REFUSED

18R Application refused

Effective date: 20130301