Virtual postage meter of closed system

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a postage meter system and method for printing a postage stamp using a personal computer, and more particularly to a postage meter system and method for printing a postage stamp on a network of personal computers.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

The present invention relates to the following US patent application (agent document numbers E-645, E-646, E-647, E-648, E-649, In connection with E-696), all applications were filed together and transferred to the assignee of the present invention. As a proof of postage that can be authenticated, a postage meter system that uses encrypted information printed on mail has been developed. Generally, the cryptographic information includes the postal value of the mail and other information and is printed in the stamp of the mail. Cryptographic information, commonly referred to as digital signatures or digital tokens, is used to authenticate information, including postal values, printed on mail. As a result of the digital token having such information printed in the seal, changing the information printed in the seal can be detected by standard confirmation procedures. Examples of systems that generate and use digital tokens are US Pat. No. 4,757,537, "Detection of Uncharged Items Printed in Value Printing Systems," US Pat. No. 4,831,555, "Unsecured Postage Application System." US Pat. No. 4,775,246, a system for detecting non-charged items printed within a value printing system, US Pat. No. 4,873,645, a system for "safe postage distribution system," and US Pat. No. 4,725,718, a system for applying postage and mailing information. It is described in the issue.

【0003】

Currently, postage meter systems are recognized as closed or open system devices. In closed system devices, the function of the system depends on the activity of the meter. Examples of closed system meter devices include traditional digital and analog postage meters, with a dedicated printer securely coupled to the meter or accounting function. For closed system devices, the printer is securely coupled to the meter and dedicated, so every time you print, you're billed. In open system devices, the printer is not dedicated to meter activity. Therefore, the function of the system is free, and a plurality of multiple uses other than the activity of the meter can be used. Examples of open system meter devices include single / multiple task operating systems, personal computer (PC) based devices with multi-user applications and digital printers. Open system meter devices include non-dedicated printers that are unsafely coupled to the safety accounting module.

【0004】

Traditional closed system mechanical and electrical postage meters have traditionally secured the link between printing and accounting, so the integrity of the physical meter box is to inspect the meter periodically. Has been monitored by. A digital printing postage meter, which is a closed system postage meter, generally includes a digital printer coupled to a meter (accounting) device, which meter (accounting) device is referred to herein as a postal security device (PSD). Digitally printed postage meters still have accounting and printing mechanisms within a physical meter box, but cryptographic security of the link between accounting and printing mechanisms eliminates the need for physical inspection. It was. In essence, the new digital print postage meter creates a secure two-point communication link between the accounting unit and the printhead. See, for example, US Pat. No. 4,802,218 issued to Christopher B. Wright and assigned to the assignee of the invention. An example of a traditional digital meter system is Post Perfect produced by Pitney Bowes in Stamford, Connecticut.^TMAnd personal post office^TMIs.

【0005】

One version of the open meter system, hereinafter referred to as "virtual meter", has a host PC with no PSD coupled. The host PC runs the client's meter application, but all PSD functions are run in the data center. PSD functions in the data center can be performed on a safety device attached to the computer in the data center or within the computer itself. The host PC must connect to the data center to process transactions such as postal distribution, meter registration, and meter refilling. The transaction is requested by the host PC and sent to the data center for remote processing. Transactions are centrally processed in the data center and the results are returned to the host PC. Accounting for funds and transactions is concentrated in the data center. See, for example, US Pat. No. 5,454,038 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The security of the virtual meter of an open system is based on the cryptographic information printed in the seal, that is, the recipient information contained in the digital token. The seal of the open system can be confirmed by scanning the recipient information printed on the mail and reproducing the digital token using the scanned recipient information. Therefore, in an open system, it is necessary to include the address in the cryptographic information in order to prevent printing of multiple copies of a valid seal. This multiple copy is easy on PC-based systems. Traditionally, closed systems have been considered unsuitable for virtual meter configurations because they do not contain recipient information.

【0006】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a system and a method for certifying a postal stamp on a mail piece.

【0007】

[Means for solving problems]

It has been found that digital printers such as postal machines or label printers can run a closed system virtual meter system that can communicate with the data center and obtain postage payment proof. The security of such a closed virtual meter system is achieved by cryptographically combining the printing of postal stamps with accounting to ensure that multiple copies of the stamp are not printed. Alternatively, security is achieved by recording each transaction, preferably in a data center. The process of recording and confirming each transaction by the post office allows the use of unsecured printers within a closed virtual meter system. The closed virtual meter system is configured to have a licensed stamp printer that obtains postage from a PSD located remotely in the data center. In a preferred embodiment, the modem or internet connection that accesses the data center is located within the digital printer or the interface module that connects to it.

【0008】

It has been found that the closed system virtual meter according to the present invention has several advantages. Since the funds are not stored on the user's site, the risk of unauthorized adjustments to the accounting balance is reduced. It means that confirmation is improved because there is a database record of each mail and all valid mails are known. Also, unlike open system meters, it is not necessary to include the destination address, so low-cost devices can be used. (This is made possible by a secure / dedicated printer link.) In addition, the present invention allows the post office to know the amount of mail it will process before it physically receives it. More customer data is available (ie, when mail is usually delivered, daily postal volume, average postage amount), so the post office can predict mail handling patterns. Finally, users can pay when submitting, which is different from the current system. In current systems, such downloaded funds may remain on the meter for weeks before use, but must be deposited before they are downloaded to the meter.

【0009】

There is another advantage that can be seen from the present invention. One of these advantages is that the stamp printed on the paid mail will be sent to the local post office (called the "poster" or "domain") where the mail is posted for mailing. Regarding postal rules that must be obtained from an authorized meter. In addition, the income earned from the use of all meters must be transferred to a permitted post office. Users with stamp printers in multiple locations do not need a separate PSD at each location to comply with such postal rules, as there are stamp printers that access PSDs in the data center. In addition, users of a closed virtual meter system in Shelton, Connecticut can have mail posted at different sources, such as Stamford, Connecticut. According to the present invention, each user of the closed virtual meter system can access PSDs having different posting sources.

【0010】

Another advantage of the present invention is that the limited funding of PSD does not interfere with the production of mail. The present invention provides a system and method for certifying a postal stamp on a mail piece, the system including a printer module that sends a request for stamp data to a remote data center. The data center includes a processor, a database, and a secure dual processor. The database contains the user's accounting data. The request includes the postage of a selected number of stamps printed by the printer module. The data center verifies that the printer module is allowed to request postage and retrieves the user's accounting data stored in the database. The data center confirms that the user's accounting data has sufficient funds for the requested number of stamps, debits the user's accounting data with the total postage requested, and digitally for each stamp. Generate a token. Digital tokens are generated from information about each seal, including information unique to each seal. The data center sends the requested seal data, including the postage and digital token for each seal, to the printer module.

【0011】

Embodiments and Examples of the Invention

The above-mentioned other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood by referring to the drawings and reading the detailed description of the following invention. Throughout these drawings, the same numbers represent parts. The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a closed virtual meter system 10 including a data center 20 and a stamp printer module 30. The data center 20 includes a database 22, a server 24, a secure dual processor 26, and a firewall 28. The database is used to store customer accounting data such as accounting balances and credit card numbers, as well as other customer information such as telephone numbers. Information corresponding to the printer 30, such as the number of sheets, an encryption key for token generation and approval, and transaction records of transactions processed by the data center are also stored in the database. Server 24 handles all transactions in the data center. The secure dual processor 26 performs cryptographic operations such as token generation in the data center. In other embodiments, these cryptographic operations can be performed by the server 24. However, this is an unsafe practice. Firewall 28 is the first line of defense against unauthorized access to the server.

【0012】

The stamp printer module 30 includes a modem 32 that functions as a communication interface between the stamp printer 30 and the data center 20, a printer 34, a control unit 36, and a user interface 38. In a preferred embodiment, the printer 34 is a label printer. In another embodiment, the printer 34 can also print directly on an envelope or meter tape like other digital printing means. The control unit 36, which includes a microprocessor, memory means, and a non-volatile storage device, controls the operation of all machines, including communication with the data center, user interface, and printing functions. User interface 38 includes a keypad and display for user input and status messages.

【0013】

The printer may not be secure (printer 22), but may be securely coupled. This security is granted by U.S. Patent Application No. 08 / 864,929 entitled "Synchronization of Cryptographic Keys Between Two Modules of a Distributed System", which was assigned to the assignee of the invention in a May 29, 1997 application. It is described in US Pat. No. 4,802,218, which was issued to Christopher B. Wright et al. And is now assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The printer may be a conventional postal machine such as the Paragon of Pitney Bowes, Stamford, Connecticut, or a printer dedicated to printing certain types of stamps.

【0014】

With reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the printer module 30 is described. In step 100, the user selects the postal value and number of stamps to print. According to the present invention, the requirement for a plurality of seals, for example 0. A request for five $ 32 stamps is sent at the same time, which can be less costly than connecting each stamp to a data center separately. At step 105, the printer module 30 calls the data center. Although FIG. 1 shows the modem 30, any conventional connection method such as the Internet or R / F is suitable. In step 110, the printer module 30 authenticates with the data center, eg, as described above. Once the connection to the data center is established, the printer module 30 identifies itself by serial number. Therefore, the data center can obtain user information and printer-specific information such as the token key of the printer. In a preferred embodiment, the printer module 30 has its own key that authenticates itself to the data center. However, one key or a limited set of keys may be used for all printers. If the authentication is successful in step 115, the printer module 30 requests the stamp data from the data center in step 120. This request can include postal information including the quantity, weight, and unique identifier of the mail. If the authentication is not successful, an error will be reported. As mentioned above, multiple seal requests can be sent at once. In a preferred embodiment, the stamp data for the closed system stamp includes the number of sheets, postal value, source zip code, printer identifier, date, digital token, check digit. When the token of each seal is generated using such seal data, the post office can confirm each seal using a limited set of data and a set of token keys of the meter. In other embodiments, the stamp data may simply be the stamp serial number (digitally signed or unsigned). The serial number of this seal may be assigned by the data center or may be a unique identifier sent during a request by the printer module. All stamps issued are known in the data center, so this information can be sent to the post office. The post office This data is then used to identify all mail in the mail stream. In this way, the post office must maintain a database of each piece of mail produced. However, this method can also be used for postage billing arrangements.

【0015】

At step 125, an error is reported when the time runs out before receiving a response from the data center. Upon receiving the response in step 130, the printer module 30 approves the response in step 135. At step 140, if the response from the data center does not include postage, an error is reported. If postage is included, in step 145 the printer module 30 is made according to the format for printing the seal. In a preferred embodiment, all seals are made immediately and then printed. However, you can also make one by one and print it. At step 150, the printer module 30 prints the seal.

【0016】

With reference to FIG. 3, the operation of data center 20 is described. At step 200, data center 20 monitors incoming calls. Upon receiving the call, in step 205, the data center 20 authenticates with the printer module 30. The printer module 30 identifies itself by its serial number, and the serial number allows the data center to examine user information and printer-specific information such as a printer token key. A conventional caller ID can also be used as an authentication mechanism. If at step 210 the authentication is not successful, an error will be reported. If successful, in step 215 user data such as account balance, available credit credit limits, credit card number (depending on the user's preferred payment method), etc. are retrieved from database 22. At step 220, data center 20 begins the process of allowing payment by the user. The data center 20 checks, for example, whether the user's account or credit limit has sufficient funds, or whether the user is allowed to trade with a credit card. At step 225, if the authorization is unsuccessful, an error is reported. If successful, at step 230, the data center 20 completes the payment by debiting the user's account or completing the credit card transaction. At step 235, the encryption key is retrieved from database 22. In a preferred embodiment, the token key is used to generate a unique digital token for each printer module 30. For added security, the token key should be encrypted and stored and only decrypted by the secure dual processor 26. At step 240, the data center 20 sends the request from the printer module 30 and the encryption key to the dual processor 26. In step 245, the secure dual processor 26 decrypts the encryption key and uses the decrypted key to generate tokens on demand. If you use a different token for each stamp, the post office will have data on all mail. You can check each mail without a base. Alternatively, a serial number for the mail can be issued (as shown in Figure 2) and the post office can check the individual mail against the database for confirmation purposes. In this case, the serial number of the mail is preferably digitally signed in order to prevent the printing of the serial number at random.

【0017】

At step 250, data center 20 records the transaction. The recorded data can also be sent to the post office in real time for extensive confirmation checking each mail item against a list of valid mail items. At step 255, if more seals are requested, steps 240-250 are repeated. As mentioned above, it is possible to send multiple stamp requests at the same time and reduce costs compared to establishing a separate connection to the data center for each stamp. If not, at step 260, the data center 20 sends the stamp data to the printer module 30. In a preferred embodiment, the stamp data is for a closed system and includes the number of sheets, zip code, sender zip code, printer identifier, date, digital token, check digit. Such data allows the post office to identify each seal using a limited set of data, ie the token key of the meter. In other embodiments, the stamp data may simply be the stamp serial number (digitally signed or unsigned). All issued seals are available at the data center, so you can send this information to the post office, which can use this data to see all the mail in the mail stream. As mentioned above, other methods may be used to charge postage and the post office needs to maintain a database of each piece of mail produced. If you do not receive approval from printer module 30 in step 265, report an error. If received, disconnect the call in step 270.

【0018】

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described as a postage meter, the present invention can be applied to any value meter system such as money transaction, item transaction, information transaction and the like. The present invention has been described in connection with Examples. However, as mentioned above, changes and changes can be made. Therefore, the scope of claims is intended to include modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Personal Post Office, Pos and Perfect are trademarks of Pitney Bowes.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a closed virtual meter system having a stamp printer communicating with a data center according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a block diagram of a printer operating in the closed virtual meter system of FIG.

[Fig. 3]

It is a block diagram of a data center operating in the closed virtual meter system of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 data center 22 database 24 servers 26 Safe Dual Processor 28 firewall 30 Printer module 32 modem 34 Printer 36 Control unit 38 User interface