Electronic postage meter system settable by means of a remotely generated input device

Claim 1

In a microprocessor controlled postal meter system having a postal meter with a postage printer and an accounting means for maintaining an accurate record of account of an amount chargeable, a central memory, and a data entry means for entering data into said meter system, the improvement being a method of recharging said meter system comprising the steps of: generating a truly random sequence of comginations, combining said combinations with fixed chargeable amounts of postage in accordance with a predetermined pattern to form a sequence of charging combinations, storing said charging combinations in said meter system central memory in a non-alterable manner, storing said charging combinations in a central postal authority computer bank, issuing upon request a further unique charging combination from said central postal authority computer bank encompassing both a postal meter identification and a charging combination representing a specific desired postal amount, entering said further unique charging combination onto said data entry means, inserting said data entry means into a postal meter system, said central memory recognizing said unique charging combination relative to said postal meter system, decoding therefrom the encoded postal amount, entering same in said accounting means.