High speed printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10504298-B2
Application number	US-201213591817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2012
Priority date	Dec 30, 2005
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for high-speed processing of mail pieces is disclosed. The high-speed system includes client server that forms and prints a shipping label comprising reduced Information-Based Indicia (RIBI) on each piece of mail. The client server provides funds to the system server and reports the RIBI usage to the system server. The system server issues tokens to the client server that allow the client server to the print a shipping label including RIBI indicia for a certain value of postage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for performing high speed postage operations, the operations comprising:
forming, by a first device of a high-speed mail processing system, a plurality of datasets,
wherein each dataset of the plurality of datasets corresponds to a mail item of a plurality of mail items scheduled for processing by the high-speed mail processing system,
wherein each dataset comprises information to form a digitally signed full information based indicium (FIBI) therefrom,
wherein each dataset is not an indicium that evidences payment of postage,
wherein the high-speed mail processing system comprises:
the first device;
a mail printer configured to print the plurality of mail items;
a mail folder configured to fold each mail item of the plurality of mail items;
a mail inserter configured to insert each mail item of the plurality of mail items into a mailing container;
an indicia printer configured to print a shipping label for each mail item of the plurality of mail items; and
a conveyer belt configured to transfer each mail item of the plurality of mail items between the mail printer, the mail folder, the mail inserter, and the indicia printer, and

wherein the first device is communicatively coupled to the indicia printer of the high-speed mail processing system;

generating, by the first device using at least a portion of the plurality of datasets, a plurality of reduced information based indicium (RIBI),
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is an indicium that evidences payment of postage for one mail item of the plurality of mail items and is generated from at least a portion of a dataset of the plurality of datasets corresponding to the one mail item,
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI comprises an indicia version number, a piece counter, a vendor identifier, a postage value, a Postal Security Device (PSD) serial number, and a mail service identifier,
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI excludes a digital signature, and
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is generated faster than a corresponding FIBI generated from the dataset;

printing, by the indicia printer, the shipping label for each mail item of the plurality of mail items, wherein, for each mail item of the plurality of mail items, the shipping label comprises one RIBI of the plurality of RIBI that evidences payment of postage and excludes the corresponding FIBI; and
sending, by the first device, each dataset of the plurality of datasets to a remote computer processor configured to:
generate, using the plurality of datasets, the corresponding FIBI for each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI, wherein the FIBI for each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is generated slower than the corresponding RIBI;
create, in a database communicatively coupled to the remote computer processor, a plurality of records, wherein each record of the plurality of records corresponds to one dataset of the plurality of datasets and links the one RIBI of the plurality of RIBI generated from the one dataset to the corresponding FIBI; and
authenticate at least one RIBI of the plurality of RIBI using the plurality of records.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI generated from the dataset of the plurality of datasets corresponding to the one mail item is generated using a portion of the dataset used to generate the corresponding FIBI.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the corresponding FIBI for each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is generated after the shipping label for each mail item of the plurality of mail items comprising the one RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is printed.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is formed using 21 or less bytes from the dataset corresponding to the one mail item of the plurality of mail items, wherein the 21 or less bytes are used to form one or more FIBI from one or more datasets of the plurality of datasets.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is generated by a system that does not include a trusted e-meter.

6. A high speed mail processing method comprising:
receiving, by a computer processor communicatively coupled to a high-speed mail processing system, a plurality of datasets,
wherein each dataset of the plurality of datasets corresponds to a mail item of a plurality of mail items scheduled for processing by the high-speed mail processing system,
wherein each dataset comprises information to form a digitally signed full information based indicium (FIBI),
wherein each dataset is not an indicium that evidences payment of postage,
wherein at least a portion of the information of each dataset is utilized to create a reduced information based indicium (RIBI) that excludes a digital signature;

generating, by the computer processor using the plurality of received datasets, each FIBI of a plurality of FIBI including a digital signature, and
wherein each FIBI of the plurality of FIBI is generated slower than a corresponding RIBI generated from the received dataset corresponding to one mail item;

generating, by the computer processor using the plurality of received datasets, a plurality of RIBI,
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is an indicium that evidences payment of postage for the one mail item and is generated based on at least the portion of the information of the dataset of the plurality of received datasets corresponding to the one mail item;
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI comprises an indicia version number, a piece counter, a vendor identifier, a postage value, a Postal Security Device (PSD) serial number, a mail service identifier, and a pointer to a database communicatively coupled to the computer processor for a corresponding FIBI of the plurality of FIBI generated from the received dataset corresponding to the one mail item,
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI does not include a digital signature, and
wherein each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI is generated faster than the corresponding FIBI generated from the received dataset corresponding to the one mail item;

sending, by the computer processor, each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI to a printer of the high-speed mail processing system for printing a shipping label for each mail item of the plurality of mail items, wherein, for each mail item of the plurality of mail items, the shipping label comprises a RIBI of the plurality of RIBI that evidences payment of postage and excludes the corresponding FIBI; and
creating, by the computer processor, a plurality of records,
wherein each record corresponds to one dataset of the plurality of received datasets and links one RIBI of the plurality of RIBI generated using the one dataset to information of the one dataset for generating the corresponding FIBI of the plurality of FIBI, and
wherein the plurality of records provide authentication of each RIBI of the plurality of RIBI.

7. The high speed mail processing method of claim 6 further comprising:
providing a service provider with access to the RIBI evidencing payment of postage for a mail item based on information of the linked FIBI of a record of the plurality of records corresponding to the RIBI evidencing payment of postage for the mail item.

8. The high speed mail processing method of claim 6 wherein the method comprises generating each FIBI of the plurality of FIBI after the corresponding RIBI is generated.

9. A mail process

Assignees

• Leon J P
• Bussell Keith
• Stamps Com Inc

Inventors

• Leon J P
• Bussell Keith

Classifications

• G07B17/00508 Primary

  Printing or attaching on mailpieces (printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00) · CPC title

• G07B2017/00491

  Mail/envelope/insert handling system · CPC title

• G07B17/00733 Primary

  Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system · CPC title

• G07B2017/00572

  Details of printed item · CPC title

• G07B2017/00064

  Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location · CPC title