Patent US1909644A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0331352A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Franking system
Assignee: Neopost Ltd
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Filing: 1989-02-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-02-23
Abstract
Abstract A method of franking mail items (10) is disclosed in which the franking impression includes a machine readable portion (12) and a visually readable portion (11). The machine readable portion (12) comprises a data block including at least a postage charge and a pseudo-random number and the data block is encrypted prior to printing. During printing of the franking impression, at least a part of the machine readable portion (12) is read (17) and compared with the data block intended to be printed. If the comparison is satisfactory the printing operation is continued to print the visually readable portion (11). The pseudo-random number is changed for each franking transaction which may be each item or batch of items. The machine readable portion is read at a mail handling centre to provide an input to a postage charging and accounting function.
Inventors
- 👤 Dennis Thomas Gilham
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:51
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00459; G07B17/00508; G07B17/00661; G07B17/00733; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/30; G07C9/32; G07C9/33; G07B2017/00572; G07B2017/0058; G07B2017/00588; G07B2017/00604; G07B2017/00709; G07B2017/00717; G07B2017/00822; G07B2017/0083; G07B2017/00919
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of franking mail items characterised by the steps of generating a pseudo-random number relating to a franking transaction; forming a data block containing at least said pseudo random number and data relating to a postal charge for said mail item; encrypting said data block; printing data (12) representing said encrypted data block together with identification data in machine readable form on a mail item (10).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of franking mail items characterised by the steps of generating a pseudo-random number relating to a franking transaction; forming a data block containing at least said pseudo random number and data relating to a postal charge for said mail item; encrypting said data block; printing data (12) representing said encrypted data block together with identification data in machine readable form on a mail item (10).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 further characterised by the steps of machine reading said printed data (12) from said mail item (10); comparing information obtained from reading said printed data block with information contained in said data block and in response to identity therebetween printing a visually readable franking impression (11) including at least a postage charge on the mail item.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 2 further characterised in that the step of comparing is effected in respect of only a part of the information obtained from reading said printed data block (12).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in claim 2 further characterised in that the step of comparing is effected in respect of the whole of the information obtained from reading said printed data block (12).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised by the step of generating for each of a series of franking transactions respectively a next pseudo-random number of a series of pseudo-random numbers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 5 further characterised in that a franking transaction comprises franking of a single mail item (10) and wherein the next pseudo-random number of the series is generated for the franking of each successive mail item.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as claimed in claim 5 further characterised in that a franking transaction comprises franking of a batch comprising a plurality of mail items (10) and wherein the next pseudo-random number of the series is generated for the franking of a first mail item of each successive batch of mail items.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 7 further characterised by the steps of registering a current date and generating the next pseudo-random number of the series in response to change in the registered date.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of franking mail items and accounting for postage value used characterised by, at a mail item franking location, the steps of generating a pseudo-random number relating to a franking transaction; forming a data block containing at least said pseudo random number and data relating to a postal charge for said mail item; utilising an encryption key unique to a franking machine to encrypt said data block; printing data representing said encrypted data block together with data identifying said franking machine in machine readable form (12) on a mail item (10); and, at a postal authority location, the steps of machine reading said identification data and printed encrypted data block (12); selecting from a record of decryption keys a decryption key corresponding to said identification data; utilising said selected decryption key to decrypt said encrypted data block read from the mail item (10); checking validity of the pseudo-random number contained in said data block and if valid utilising the postage charge data as an accounting input to account for postage value used.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of franking mail items and accounting for postage value used characterised by, at a mail item franking location, the steps of generating a pseudo-random number relating to a franking transaction; forming a data block containing at least said pseudo random number and data relating to a postal charge for said mail item; utilising an encryption key unique to a franking machine to encrypt said data block; printing data representing said encrypted data block together with data identifying said franking machine in machine readable form (12) on a mail item (10); and, at a postal authority location, the steps of machine reading said identification data and printed encrypted data block (12); selecting from a record of decryption keys a decryption key corresponding to said identification data; utilising said selected decryption key to decrypt said encrypted data block read from the mail item (10); checking validity of the pseudo-random number contained in said data block and if valid utilising the postage charge data as an accounting input to account for postage value used.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 further characterised by the step, at the postal authority location, of maintaining a record of pseudo-random numbers used in franking mail items (10) at the franking location corresponding to the identification data; and comparing the pseudo-random number from the data block read from the mail item with pseudo-random numbers already used at that franking location and accepting the mail item as validly franked if the pseudo-random number has not been used.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of franking a mail item characterised by the steps of generating a different pseudo-random number for each franking transaction; printing on the mail item (10) franking data in machine readable form (12), said franking data including a data block containing data relating to a postal charge for said item and the pseudo-random number applicable to that mail item, said data block being encrypted prior to printing on the mail item.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of franking a mail item characterised by the steps of generating a different pseudo-random number for each franking transaction; printing on the mail item (10) franking data in machine readable form (12), said franking data including a data block containing data relating to a postal charge for said item and the pseudo-random number applicable to that mail item, said data block being encrypted prior to printing on the mail item.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of handling a mail item franked by a method as claimed in any preceding claim characterised by the steps of utilising a reading device (17) to read the franking data (12) printed on the mail item (10)in machine readable form; maintaining a record of pseudo random numbers used in relation to a franking machine identification; comparing a pseudo random number read from franking data of a current mail item with the record of pseudo random numbers; accepting the franked mail item for despatch to a destination address only if said pseudo random number is not included in said record and adding the pseudo-random number of the franking data of the current item to said record of pseudo-random numbers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
62 words
Franking apparatus characterised by means (18) to generate a pseudo random number for each franking transaction; means (18) to form a data block by combining said pseudo random number with a postal value selected for franking a mail item; and printing means (16) operable to print franking data including said data block in machine readable form (12) on the mail item (10).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
62 words
Franking apparatus characterised by means (18) to generate a pseudo random number for each franking transaction; means (18) to form a data block by combining said pseudo random number with a postal value selected for franking a mail item; and printing means (16) operable to print franking data including said data block in machine readable form (12) on the mail item (10).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
Franking apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further characterised by means (18) operable in combination with a secure encryption key to encrypt said data block prior to printing on the mail item (10).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
72 words
Franking apparatus as claimed in claim 13 or 14 further characterised by reading means (17) operative to read said franking data printed in machine readable form (12) on the mail item (10); and means (18) operative to compare franking data intended to be printed with the franking data read by said reading device (17) and to terminate franking in the event that the comparison indicates an error in the printed franking data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
Franking apparatus as claimed in claim 15 further characterised in that the printing means (16) is operative to print visually readable franking (11) on the mail item (10) only if the comparison indicates that the printed franking data (12) is free of error.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
Franking apparatus as claimed in claim 16 further characterised in that the printing means (16) is operative to print a visually readable franking (11) including at least a visually readable postage value.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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