Electrophotography – Combined with diverse subject matter – With diverse image formation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-04
2002-10-01
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Combined with diverse subject matter
With diverse image formation
C270S001030, C347S002000, C399S110000, C705S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459858
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention claimed and disclosed herein pertains to printing of metered postage, and more particularly to printing metered postage facilitated by an electrophotographic imaging device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to postage meters, which are devices used to print postage on envelopes or the like in the form of a “meter stamp”. The use of a postage meter avoids having to apply stamps to the item to be mailed. Postage meters can print one or more denominations of postage, and can display the amount of postage used and the amount remaining. A meter locks (i.e., will not authorize the printing of a meter stamp) when no postage or minimal postage remains. The use of a postage meter in the United States is governed by United States Postal Service (“USPS”) regulation P030, which describes the use and specifications of postage meters and meter stamps. Many foreign countries have similar regulations pertaining to the printing of postage using a postage meter.
In the United States, one must obtain a license to possess a meter and then select a meter and have the meter set. Postage meters are available only by lease from authorized manufacturers. The USPS holds manufacturers responsible for the control, operation, maintenance, and replacement of their meters. No entity other than the manufacturer may possess a postage meter without a valid USPS postage meter license and a rental agreement with the meter manufacturer. A customer may not possess a postage meter before the USPS sets, seals, and checks it into service. A meter generally must be taken to the licensing post office to be reset by payment for additional postage. However, the USPS Computerized Remote Postage Meter Resetting System (“CMRS”) allows certain meters to be reset electronically at the licensee's place of business. This can be done through the use of a modem or a network interface card or the like.
As mentioned, postage can be paid by printing metered postage on any class of mail (except periodicals). Metered postage (printed meter stamps) must be legible and not overlap. Metered postage must be printed or applied in the upper right corner of the envelope, address label, or tag. Meter stamp designs (types, sizes, and styles) must be those specified when a meter is approved by the USPS for manufacture. In all usages, a meter stamp must show the city and state designation of the licensing post office, the meter number, and the amount of postage. Fluorescent red ink is mandatory for metered postage on letter-size metered mail. Failure to use fluorescent ink may lead to the revocation of the meter license. At the present time, a meter stamp cannot be printed using toner in an electrophotographic printing process.
A postage meter comprises a “vault”, which is the device which stores the value of the postage which has been set on the meter (and paid for by the licensee), and more specifically, the remaining value of postage following any use of the meter. Modern postage meter “vaults” are typically electronic devices which include a vault memory (such as a readable-writeable random access memory (“RAM”)) configured to store the value of postage remaining in the meter. A primary concern of the licensing authority (typically, a national post office) in the use of postage meters is ensuring that the licensee debits the vault for usage of postage, and further that the licensee does not increase the value of postage recorded in the vault through means other than those authorized by the licensing authority. To this end, access to the vault is provided through a vault program, which is typically executed by a vault processor. The vault program is provided with an encryption or encoding routine allowing only an authorized entity to increment the value stored in the vault. Likewise, the vault program is provided with an accounting routine to subtract value from the vault when postage is printed using the postage meter. The accounting routine can also provide a user with information regarding the balance available in the vault.
When a meter stamp is to be printed using an electronic printing device, such as an ink jet printer, then an additional concern of the licensing authority is ensuring that the meter stamp printing device only prints a meter stamp which is authorized by the postage meter. That is, the licensing authority desires to prevent persons from printing metered postage using the printing device unless the printing causes the meter vault to be debited by the amount of the printed meter stamp. To this end the meter stamp printing device can be provided with an electronic “lock” which can only be disabled by an encrypted signal from the vault processor. The meter stamp printing device cannot print a meter stamp until the electronic lock has been disabled. Accordingly, the vault program can further include a meter stamp printing routine. The meter stamp printing routine can generate an electronic file of the meter stamp image to be printed, including the value of the postage, the origin of the stamp (city and state), and any other characteristics to be printed as part of the meter stamp. The meter stamp printing routine can then provide the meter stamp printing file with an encrypted “key”, which can only be used by the meter stamp printing device. The “key” unlocks the meter stamp printing device, allowing it to print the meter stamp printing file. After printing, the meter stamp printer again becomes “locked” so that unauthorized printing of postage does not occur.
Prior to the advent of electronic meter stamp printing, meter stamps were almost exclusively printed by apparatus which employ mechanical print elements. These mechanical printing elements are either fixed (such as the city and state of origin of the meter stamp), or are variable and set by hand (such as the postage value and the date, which were set by a plurality of wheels). The mechanical print elements are used to transfer the postage ink from a medium (such as a reservoir or a ribbon) to the item being printed with the meter stamp. However, the use of electronic meter stamp printing allows the formatting and printing of the meter stamp to be performed automatically, saving user time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,828, issued to Cordery et al. on Dec. 9, 1997, entitled, “DIGITAL POSTAGE METER SYSTEM”, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a postage meter having a vault and an ink jet print head. A control system coordinates the printing of metered postage (as authorized from the vault) by the ink jet print head using encrypted communications to thereby ensure security of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,172, issued to Sungwon R. Moh on Sep. 29, 1998, entitled, “METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR CONTROLLING THE ENERGIZING OF AN INK JET PRINTHEAD IN A VALUE DISPENSING DEVICE SUCH AS A POSTAGE METER”, discloses a secure method, and apparatus for implementing the method, to print metered postage using an ink jet print head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,181, issued to Linda V. Gravell et al. on Jul. 4, 2000, entitled, “POSTAGE METERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A STAND-ALONE METER OPERATING AS A METER SERVER ON A NETWORK”, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a postage meter that can print a meter stamp on any of several meter stamp printing devices connected to a network. Further, the postage meter can be reset using the USPS Information-Based Indicia Program (“IBIP”) using a connection (such as a modem) to a data center authorized to issue postage to a postage meter.
FIG. 3
of this patent shows how the meter, in the form of a postal security device (“PSD”), is in communication with an meter stamp printer via a host computer, such as a personal computer. The meter stamp printer can be an unsecured printer. The host computer is provided with a modem to allow postage to be purchased from a data center. The host computer is also provided with applications programs, in conjunction with a meter toolkit, allowing a user to select the desired postage and have the postage printed on media
Chen Sophia S.
Hewlett--Packard Company
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