EP0493949A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Postage meter
Assignee: Neopost Ltd
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Filing: 1991-12-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-12-20
Abstract
Abstract A method of manufacturing and supplying to a user a fully operational postage meter (20) is disclosed in which the meter is rendered inoperative by setting of a secure flag in a storage location of non-volatile memory (14, 15) to which access is permitted only by use of a secure key. Provided the postal authority has permitted installation of the meter (20), a remote computer (18) is enabled to transmit to the meter (20) a meter identification and an encrypted secure key. In an installation routine the meter (20) checks that the received identification matches that of the meter and then proceeds to decrypt the secure key to obtain access to the storage location of the non-volatile memory (14,15) to reset the key and thereby enable the meter (20) for franking operations.
Inventors
- 👤 Dennis Thomas Gilham
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 20:29
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00016; G07B17/0008; G07B17/00733; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/30; G07C9/32; G07C9/33; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00314; G07B2017/00088; G07B2017/00096; G07B2017/00153; G07B2017/00161; G07B2017/00322; G07B2017/00346; G07B2017/00741
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
A method of providing and installing a postage meter for use in franking mail items at a location, said postage meter (20) including electronic circuits (10) for carrying out accounting and control functions under the control of program routines (11) and a printing device (17) operable by said electronic circuits for printing franking impressions on mail items, characterised during manufacturing of the postage meter by the steps of :- providing in the electronic circuits (10) of the meter (20) a non-volatile storage device (14, 15) storing a flag; said electronic circuits (10) being inhibited from operating said printing device (17) when said flag is set and being capable of operating said printing device to print franking impressions when the flag is un-set; un-setting of said set flag being effected only by entry to said electronic circuits of an electronic key; storing a meter identification in said non-volatile storage device (14, 15); and setting said flag to inhibit operation of the electronic circuits (10) from operating said printer (17) to print franking impressions; and after receipt of the postage meter (20) by a user the steps of:- entering said electronic key to said electronic circuits (20); and operating the electronic circuits (20) under the control of an installation routine (11) to utilise the entered electronic key to access the flag and to unset the flag to enable the electronic circuits to be operated to carry out and control postage metering.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 further characterised after receipt of the postage meter by the user the steps of entering a meter identification signal and comparing said meter identification signal with said stored meter identification and only in response to the identification corresponding to the identification signals continuing with the step of utilising the electronic key to access the flag.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 further characterised in that the electronic key is entered in the postage meter in a secure data block and the electronic circuits (20) are operable to retrieve the key from the data block.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
53 words
A method as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised in that after receipt of the postage meter (10) by the user the meter is connected to a remote computer (18) via a communication link (23) and the meter identification signal and electronic key are transmitted by the computer to the postage meter.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised in that the printing device (17) is supplied as an integral part of the postage meter (20).
Claim 6
Independent Claim
48 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 further characterised in that the printing device (17) is supplied as a unit separate from the postage meter (20) and is controllable remotely by the electronic circuits (10) of the postage meter to print franking impressions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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