Cryptography – Electric signal modification – Having production of printed copy
Utility Patent
1996-11-21
2001-01-02
Swann, Tod R. (Department: 2767)
Cryptography
Electric signal modification
Having production of printed copy
C380S259000, C380S277000, C380S044000, C705S056000, C705S060000, C705S061000, C705S062000, C705S075000, C705S076000, C713S152000, C713S156000
Utility Patent
active
06169804
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for postage metering security and, more particularly, to systems and methods for verifying authorized postage security devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Information-Based Indicia Program (IBIP) is a distributed trusted system proposed by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The IBIP is expected to support new methods of applying postage in addition to, and eventually in lieu of, the current approach, which typically relies on a postage meter to mechanically print indicia on mailpieces. The IBIP requires printing large, high density, two dimensional (2-D) bar codes on mailpieces. The Postal Service expects the IBIP to provide cost-effective assurance of postage payment for each mailpiece processed.
The USPS has published draft specifications for the IBIP. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM (IBIP) INDICIUM SPECIFICATION, dated Jun. 13, 1996, defines the proposed requirements for a new indicium that will be applied to mail being processed using the IBIP. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM POSTAL SECURITY DEVICE SPECIFICATION, dated Jun. 13, 1996, defines the proposed requirements for a Postal Security Device (PSD) that will provide security services to support the creation of a new “information based” postage postmark or indicium that will be applied to mail being processed using the IBIP. The INFORMATION BASED INDICIA PROGRAM HOST SYSTEM SPECIFICATION, dated Oct. 9, 1996, defines the proposed requirements for a host system element of the IBIP. The specifications are collectively referred to herein as the “IBIP Specifications”. The IBIP includes interfacing user (customer), postal and vendor infrastructures which are the system elements of the program.
The user infrastructure, which resides at the user's site, comprises a postage security device (PSD) coupled to a host system. The PSD is a secure processor-based accounting device that dispenses and accounts for postal value stored therein. The host system may be a personal computer (PC) or a meter-based host processor. Among the various requirements set forth in the Host System Specification is that the host system verifies that the coupled PSD is “the expected PSD”. Conventional postage metering devices and recent digital metering devices, such as PostPerfect and Personal Post Office, both manufactured by the assignee of the present invention, do not include such verification. Thus, a method for achieving such verification is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,992 discloses a method whereby the host PC verifies that a storage means that is coupled to the host PC and has postal value stored therein, is authorized for use with the host PC. The method comprises the steps of storing a unique identifier, such as a serial number, in the storage means when the storage means is filled with postal value, and sending the unique identifier to the host PC when postage value is requested for dispensing. The host PC then verifies that the storage means is authorized for use with the host PC by confirming that the unique identifier retrieved from the storage device is the same as one stored in the host PC. Although such method verifies that the storage means is the expected storage device, the storage means is not a PSD because it is not a processor-based accounting device that dispenses and accounts for postal value stored therein. Furthermore, the verification of the serial number in the host PC is subject to fraud.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been found that the present invention provides a more secure and reliable system and method for verifying the expected PSD is coupled to the host PC. It has further been found that the present invention provides a secure and reliable system and method for verifying the expected host PC is coupled to the PSD.
The present invention provides a secure and reliable method for verifying in the host system that the expected PSD is coupled to the host system. In accordance with the present invention, a random number is generated in the host system and encrypted with a PSD state identification number. The encrypted random number is then sent to the PSD. The PSD decrypts the encrypted random number received using the PSD state identification number and sends the decrypted random number to the host system. The host system compares the decrypted random number received from the PSD to the random number generated in the host system. If they are the same, the host system has verified the expected PSD and has also verified that the PSD has not completed any transactions apart from the host system. A method for verifying that the expected host is coupled to the PSD mirrors the method for verifying the expected PSD.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5491750 (1996-02-01), Bellare et al.
patent: 5612889 (1997-03-01), Pintsov et al.
patent: 5742683 (1998-04-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5745576 (1998-04-01), Abraham et al.
patent: 5805711 (1998-09-01), Windel et al.
Cordery Robert A.
Ryan Jr. Frederick W.
Callahan Paul E.
Chotkowski Kimberly S.
Melton Michael E.
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Swann Tod R.
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