System and method for dynamically partitioning a postage evidencing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11037151-B1
Application number	US-201715603276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 19, 2003
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A postage evidencing system for tracking postage amounts for multiple users comprising at least two register set partitions is disclosed. Each of the partitions includes an ascending register holding a number representing a value of postage that can be evidenced by the device, a descending register holding a number representing a value of postage that has been previously evidenced by the device, and an identification representing a source of mail pieces that are evidenced with postage from the partition. A security module limits access to the partitions and registers. The identifier for a selected partition is printed on mail pieces as part of an Information Based Indicia (IBI) to identify the source of the mail pieces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing a plurality of mail pieces by a high speed mail processing system, the method comprising:
continuously analyzing, by a controller in a high speed postage evidencing device, a plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces from a plurality of different senders, wherein the printed non-franked mail pieces were printed prior to the analyzing;
determining, by the controller, a sender identity of each non-franked mail piece during the continuous analyzing of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces;
identifying, based on the determining, a partition corresponding to the sender identity for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein the partition is identified from among a plurality of partitions of a storage device, wherein each of the plurality of partitions comprises a register pair corresponding to a sender identity, each of the register pair comprising an ascending register storing information representative of evidenced postage value, and a descending register storing information representative of available postage value, wherein the plurality of partitions are simultaneously accessible for performing high speed mail processing operations, and wherein each partition of the plurality of partitions has corresponding and unique authentication data;
providing, by a common security module protecting the plurality of partitions, access to the identified partition; and
performing postage value accounting for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces to account for postage indicium data generated for each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein, for a particular mail piece, the postage value accounting comprises incrementing the ascending register of the identified partition and decrementing the descending register of the identified partition based on a value of postage indicium data generated for the particular mail piece.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces are not ordered according to the sender identity when the analyzing is performed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuously analyzing determines the sender identities without ceasing between different senders.

4. The method of claim 1 , providing, by the controller, personal identification number (PIN) to the common security module to authorize access to the identified partition for the postage value accounting.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking, by the controller, each non-franked mail piece as it travels through the high speed mail processing system;
determining an orientation of each non-franked mail piece as it travels through the high speed mail processing system; and
identifying, based on the orientation of each non-franked mail piece, a location where postage indicium should be printed for each of the non-franked mail pieces.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the tracking further comprises performing a quality control check on each of the non-franked mail pieces.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing multiple groups of mail pieces simultaneously within the high speed mail processing system.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
printing a postage indicium on each of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces to thereby produce franked mail pieces.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein two or more of the franked mail pieces vary with respect to weight, class, or both.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the postage indicium comprises a unique identifier corresponding to the sender identity.

11. A high speed mail processing system configured to continuously process a plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces from a plurality of different senders, the high speed mail processing system comprising:
a storage device comprising:
a plurality of partitions, each of the plurality of partitions comprising an identity and a register pair comprising an ascending register storing information representative of evidenced postage value, and a descending register storing information representative of available postage value, wherein the plurality of partitions are simultaneously accessible for performing high speed mail processing operations, and wherein each partition of the plurality of partitions has corresponding and unique authentication data;

a common security module protecting the plurality of partitions,
a controller configured to:
analyze the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces;
determine, based on the analysis, an identity of a particular sender of the plurality of different senders associated with each mail piece of the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces; and
select, based on the determined identity, a partition from the plurality of partitions for postage value accounting for each mail piece when processing the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces, wherein, for a particular mail piece, the postage value accounting comprises incrementing the ascending register of the selected partition and decrementing the descending register of the selected partition based on a value of postage indicium data generated for the particular mail piece; and

a printer configured to print a postage indicium on each mail piece.

12. The high speed mail processing system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces are not ordered according to senders of the plurality of different senders.

13. The high speed mail processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to continuously determine each particular sender without ceasing between different senders in the plurality of senders.

14. The high speed mail processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to process multiple groups of plurality of mail pieces simultaneously within the high speed mail processing system.

15. The high speed mail processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the value of the postage indicium evidenced for the particular mail piece.

16. The high speed mail processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide personal identification number (PIN) information to the common security module to authorize access to the selected partition for the postage value accounting.

17. The high speed mail processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to track each mail piece as it travels through the high speed mail processing system.

18. The high speed mail processing system of claim 17 , wherein the tracking comprises knowing an orientation of the mail piece and identifying which portion of the mail piece the postage indicium should be printed.

19. The high speed mail processing system of claim 17 , wherein the tracking comprises knowing a location of each of the mail pieces as they travel through the high speed mail processing system.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for processing a plurality of mail pieces through a high speed mail processing system, the operations comprising:
continuously analyzing, by a controller in a high speed postage evidencing device, a plurality of printed non-franked mail pieces from a plurality of different senders, wherein the printed non-franked mail pieces were printed prior to the analyzing;
determining, by the controll

Assignees

• Stamps Com Inc

Inventors

• Ogg Craig
• Bussell Keith

Classifications

• G07B2017/00701

  Measuring the weight of mailpieces · CPC title

• G07B2017/00685

  Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces · CPC title

• G07B2017/00677

  Keeping track of mailpieces inside apparatus · CPC title

• G07B2017/00483

  Batch processing of mailpieces · CPC title

• G07B2017/0037

  Calculation of postage value · CPC title