EP0845762A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for verifying the expected postal security device in a postal security device
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1997-11-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-11-21
Abstract
Abstract A PSD has a private key which is associated with a specific public key that is stored in the host PC. The host PC sends the PSD public key private key to the PSD. If the PSD determines that the received PSD public key corresponds to its private key, the system has determined that the expected PSD is connected to the Host system and the PSD is activated to accept postal value requests from the host PC. Additionally, a PSD state identification, such as a checksum of a PSD transaction log file stored in the host may be verified by the PSD, which also has stored therein a PSD transaction log file. In this manner the PSD verifies that the PSD has performed all transactions with the host PC sending the checksum. Methods for verifying in the PSD that the expected host PC is coupled to the PSD mirrors the two embodiments for verifying the expected PSD.
Inventors
- 👤 David E. Pitchenik
- 👤 Robert A. Cordery
- 👤 Frederick W. Ryan, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:59
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00733; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/36; G06Q20/367; G06Q20/3672; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/382; G07B17/00016; G07B17/0008; G07B2017/00153; G07B2017/00161; G07B2017/00741; G07B2017/00758; G07B2017/00846; G07B2017/00895; G07B2017/00959; G07B2017/00967
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for verifying that a postal security device (PSD) is the
expected PSD for a host system, the method comprising the steps of: storing at least the private key of a cryptographic key pair in the PSD; sending from the host system to the PSD a first public key stored in the
host system; and verifying in the PSD that the first public key received from the host
system is the public key of the key pair.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: activating the PSD for transaction processing when the first public key
is the public key of the key pair.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for verifying that a postal security device (PSD) is the
expected PSD for a host system, the method comprising the steps of: storing a cryptographic key pair in the PSD, the cryptographic key pair
including a private key and a first public key; sending from the host system to the PSD at least a portion of a second
public key stored in the host system; and verifying in the PSD that the portion of the second public key received
from the host system corresponds to the first public key.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of: activating the PSD for transaction processing when the first public key
is the same as the second public key.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A postage metering system comprising: a host system having stored therein a first public key; a postal security device (PSD) coupled to said host system, said PSD
having stored therein at least a private key of a key pair; and wherein said PSD includes means for verifying that said first public key
is the public key of the key pair.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for verifying that a postal security device (PSD) is the
expected PSD and that the PSD has not completed transactions with any
other host system, the method comprising the steps of: generating a first message in the host system, said first message
representing a predetermined status of the PSD after the previous transaction
between the host system and the PSD; encrypting the first message with an encryption key stored in the host
system; sending the encrypted first message to the PSD; decrypting the encrypted first message with a decryption key stored in
the PSD; generating a second message in the PSD, said second message
representing the predetermined status of the PSD after the previous
transaction between the host system and the PSD; and comparing the second message to the decrypted first message.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of activating the PSD for transaction processing when the second
message is the same as the decrypted first message.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the first message generated
includes data indicating status of the PSD based on PSD transaction records
stored in the host system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 or 3 or 6 wherein the host system is a
personal computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second
identification numbers include at least one of a checksum, control sum,
ascending register, descending register and random number from the
previous transaction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the decryption key and
encryption key are identical.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the decryption key and the
encryption key are different.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the decryption key is a private
key of a key pair and the encryption key is a public key of the key pair.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the data indicating status of the
PSD is a checksum of PSD transaction records.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
148 words
A method for verifying that a postal security device (PSD) is the
expected PSD for a host system and that the host system is the expected
host system for the PSD, the method comprising the steps of: storing at least a first private key of a first cryptographic key pair in the
PSD; storing at least a second private key of a second cryptographic key
pair in the host system; sending from the host system to the PSD a public key stored in the
host system; verifying in the PSD that the public key stored in the host system is a
first public key of the first key pair; sending from the PSD to the host system a public key stored in the
PSD; and verifying in the host system that the public key stored in the PSD is a
second public key of the second key pair;
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of: activating the PSD for transaction processing when the public key
stored in the host is the public key of the first key pair and the public key
stored in the PSD is the public key of the second key pair.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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