CA1255800A

CA1255800A - Postage and mailing information applying system

Info

Publication number: CA1255800A
Application number: CA000506855A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Kevin D. Hunter; Alfred C. Schmidt, Jr.
Original assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
Current assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date: 1985-08-06
Filing date: 1986-04-16
Publication date: 1989-06-13
Also published as: US4743747A

Abstract

POSTAGE AND MAILING INFORMATION APPLYING SYSTEM

Abstract of the Disclosure A postage and mailing information system wherein an encrypted message based upon postage and mail address information is created. This encrypted message is used in the determination of authenticity. Another aspect of the invention resides in placing the encrypted message in the address field of a mail piece for authentication by an automatic high speed sorter.

Description

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Back~round of the Invention Since the issuance of U.S~ Patent No. 1,530,852 to Arthur H. Pitney, March 24, 1925, the postage meter has had a steady evolution. Postage meters are mass produced devices for printing a defined unit value for governmental or private carrier delivery o~ parcels and envelopes. The term po~tage meter also includes other like devices which provide unit value printing such as a tax stamp meter.

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~s~a Postage meters include interrlal accounting devices which account Eor postage value, which postage value is stored within the meter. The accounting device accounts for both the recharging of the meter witih additional postage value and the printing of postage by the meter printing mechanism.
No external independent accounting system is available for accounting for the postage printed by the meter.
Accordingly, postage meters must possess high re~iability to avoid the loss of user or governmental funds.
Throughout the years, two general types of postage meters have been used: one that uses a rotatable print drum and is referred to as a rotary postage meter, and the other that uses a stationary print head and a reciprocating platen and i5 referred to as a flat bed postage meter. Most recently, there has been a change from a completely mechanical device to meters that incorporate electronic components extensively. ~lthough there have been a number of changes, there are certain elements that remain constant.
For example, the need for security is absolute. In prior postage meters, such security i5 applied both to the printing portion of the meter and to the accounting portion.
The reason for the absolute security re~uirement is because a postage meter is printing value, and unless security measures are taken, one would be able to print unauthorized postage, thereby defrauding the U.S. Postal Service. Most security measures taken are of a physical nature, but recently there have been suggestions for the use of encryption to ensure that a postage indicia is valid.
Nevertheless, such encryption merely supplements the physical security systems that have been used and suggested by the prior art. Furthermore, the known prior encryption systems attest to the validity of the indicia but provide no means for determining whether the printed indicia is just a co~y of a valid indicia. Additionally, prior systems relied 3~ upon the post office accounting for postage by monitoring the number and value of mail pieces sent by a particular meter user. `

Another common factor in prior postage systems is the inclusion of a postage indicia normally placed in the upper right hand corner of one surface of an envelope or package.
This indicia has taken a specific ~orm. The postage amount is contained in a rectangular border and the date of the postage impression appears in a circular border. This form has evolved from the original appearance oE a canceled stamp wherein the stamp is of a rectangular configuration and the cancellation mark included the date within a circle. Also included in this indicia is the postage meter-number and the city and state from which the envelope was mailed.
Although postage meters have performed satisfactorily in the past and continue to perform satisfactorily, with the advance of electronics, postage systems are needed that are less expensive and more flexible while still providing the serviceability and security required. Additionally, it would be desirable to have a postage system that is more compatible with contemporary mail processing systems.

SummarY of the Invention Encryption is utilized to prevent fraudulent postage taking. An encryption message is derived from postage information and/or recipient address information and applied to a mail piece. With the inclusion of recipient address information in the encryption message, there is a relationship between authentication and the mail piece thal:
is uni~ue for each mail piece. In accordance with one aspect of the instant invention, the postage information and encryption are placed in the address field of the mail piece along with address information. With the encryption in the address field, authentication can be made on the fly by an automatic mail scanning/sorting machine quickly and efficiently.

~2 -3a-Various aspects of the invention are as follows:
A system including a computer for providing self authen-tication on a mail piece, comprising:
a card means for providing communication between said card and the computer encryption means supported by said card and operative to derive an encrypted message based upon recipient address inFormation, means for communicating recipient address information to said encryption means, and means for placing onto a mail piece an encrypted message derived from said recipient address information by . said encryption means such that a relationship between said recipient address information and said encrypted informa-tion can be used to authenticate said mail piece.
- In a method of placing an encryption message upon a mail piece, the steps comprising:
inserting a card into a computer communicatin~ recipient address information to an encryptor supported by the card, deriving an encryption message based upon the com-municated recipient address inFormation, and placing the encrypted message on the mail piece such that a relationship between said recipien-t address informa-tion and said encrypted information can be used to authenti-cate said mail piece.

s~o ~rief Description of the Drawing~
Fig. 1 show~ a block diagrarn of a system that utilizes the in~tant invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of an envelope having postage information printed thereon in the address field in accordance with the instant invention;
Fig. 3a is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with bar codes instead of alpha n~merics in a portion of the address field;
Fig. 3b is a view ~imilar to Fig. 3a but ~howing a 1~ different format;
Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a mail scanning/sorting machine that would have applicatio~ in the in~tant invention; and Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing cooperatio~ between two component5 shown in Fig. 2.
Fi~. 6 i~ a block diag~am of an alternative embodiment of the instant inventio~.

Detailed Desc ~ the Pre~erred Embodiment Referring initially to Fig. 1, a postage and mailing information applying system is shown generally at 10 and includes a control center 12 and an accounting unit 14 that are in communication with one another throu~h a communicating device such as a telephone 16, facsimile machine, telex machine, and the like.
Located within the accounting unit 14 is a modem or converter 18 which provides communication between the telephone 16 and a control module 20 of the accounting unit, which control module may be a CPU such as an Intel~8085 microprocessor available from Intel Corporation, Santa Clara~ Califoxnia. The control module 20 has a memory 19 and a clook 21 either integral or in connection therewith.
The memory 19 would store the tra~saction number, i.e., a number assigned to the accounting unit of the occasion of clarifying postage to the system 10, the customer number and the like. In communication with the control module 20 is an encryption module 22 as well as an accounting module 24.
The encryption module would be any of a readily available ~2S'~ O

encryption device which may, for example, encrypt in accordance with the NBS Data Encryption Standard (DES) pursuant to a pres~t secure key. An example of a suitable encryption module 22 would be an Intel ~294 encryptor. The S accounting module 24 may be a battery augmented RAM that incorporate~ the ascending and descending regiqters. As is known from previous postage metering device~, the ascending register is the register that rec:ords the a~ount of postage that is dispensed or printed on each transaction and the descending register is the regist:er that records the value, or amount, of postage that may be~ dispensed and decreases from an original or charged amount a~ postage is printed.
Another modem 26 within the accounking unit 14 provide~
coMmunication between the control module 20 and a user computer 28. The user computer may be any typic~l computer that ha~ input, logic and output for example, a personal computer such as the IBM AT~available from IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y. Connected to the user computer 28 i3 a user printer 30. Although the user printer may be of any type that is capable of printing individual alpha numerics, a dot matrix printer is preferable since a dot matxix printer is capable of printing any configuration including bar codes.
In the block diagram shown in Fig. 1, the control center 12 may be a Post Office which serves as a source of posta~e value. Systems are known whereby a postage meter may be charged remotely upon a user providing his assigned customer number to the Post Offiee, see for example U.S.
Pat. No. 4,097,923. ~he Post Office, in turn, will provide postage value that is automatically input to the customer' 5 ~ postage meter, in this case the accounting unit 14. The postage value will be received within the descending re~ister portion of the accounting module 24 to increase the amount to a figure that is the sum of that amount being charged and the unused amount from previous charging. In the system of Fi~. 1, the secure portion of the po~tage meter is replaced by the accou~ting unit 14 that is a secure unit such that tampering by physical; electronic or magnetic means is inhihited. Security feature~ such as shields, ~:z 55~3~01 .

break away bolts and the like are well known and the means for securing the accounting unit 14 will not be further described. In a preferred embodiment, the accounting unit 14 would have no display and would only be accessible by the user computer 2~ upon an assigned code word being received by the control module 20 of this accounting unit 14 from the user computer. It will be understood that the user printer 30 is not a secure printer nor are the links between the user computer 28 and the accounting unit 14 and the user computer and the user printer. The postage information to be printed by the user printer 30 would include an encryption number that is generated by the encryption module 22. Encryption may be based upon any recognized code such as DES, supra, National Security Agency (NSA) cipher or Rivest, Shamir and Adleman (RSA) cipher. Upon the appropriate information being supplied to the accounting unit 14 from the user computer 28, the encryption module 22 would generate an encryption number which would then be communicated through the user computer 28 and printed by the user printer 30. This supplied information could include, the customer number, the value of postage and the like. In a particular embodiment of this invention, the street address, zip code and the like of the recipient is included in the encryption for the purposes of authentication. As used in this disclosure, authentication is defined as the determining of the genuineness of postage printed upon a mail piece.
Referring now to Fig. 2, a format is shown for applying postage information and mailing information to the address field of a mail piece such as an envelope 34. By postage information is meant postage amount, date of mailingl meter or customer number, transaction number, class of mail and the li~e. By address information is meant the house number, name, city, state, zip code and the like of the mail recipient. In this particular configuration, an envelope 3 is shown with a label 36 attached in the address field portion of the envelope. As used in this specification and claims, the term address field has the meaning as defined in ~:5~

U.S. Postal Service regulations. Such definition may be found in the U.S. Postal Service's pamphlet "Guide to Business Mail Properties", page 20, September, 1984.
Although this embodiment is described with the combination '-~ of a label 36 and envelope 34, it will be appreciated that the characters may be printed directly upon the envelope or upon an insert that would be placed within a window type envelope. It will be understood that this label 36 replaces and eliminates the need for the normal indicia that is applied to the upper right hand corner of a mailpiece. One of the features of the instant invention is that a standard indicia is no lon~er required because the security features provided by such standard indicia are replaced by the security offered by encryption.
In a preferred embodiment, the first line 38 of the label would have information relative to the amount of postage and the customer number. The second line 40 contain~ the date of the mailing, the time the postage is imprinted and the class of mailO The third line 42 contains an encryption message in the form of numbers and letters that may be derived from the information on the first two lines as well as information from the address of the recipient of the mail piece that follows this third line.
As shown, the printed lines are parallel to one another to facilitate automatic reading. It will be appreciated that other conventional machine readable configurations may be used rather than parallel lines.
The postage amount, customer number, date and class of mail are lnput through the keyboard of the user computer 28 to the control module 20. The encryptins module 22 then generates an encryption number or message and upon the print command being given by the computer operator, the time is determined and an encrypted message is obtained. This encryption message 42, is then printed by the user printer 30 on line 3 of the label 36. With this information, a Postal Service representative would be able to input the encryption message into a suitable computer and determine wnether the postage is genuine by decrypting the information.

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Although the system has been shown using alpha-numerics in the address field, it will be appreciated that bar code may be used to print the first three lines as shown in Fig.
3. This bar code may be of any form including the bar-half bar configuration used presently by the Postal Service. The bar codes could be combined in an indicia for aesthetic purposes and placed within the address field as shown in Fig. 3b or in the upper right hand corner of the en~elope 34. ~lthough the bar code is shown extending parallel to the alpha-numerics, it will be appreciated that the bar codes could extend parallel thereto. The bar code also may appear on the bottom edge of the envelope as shown at 4~ so as to be read by present Postal Service e~uipment.
The advanta~e of the system shown and described is that one is able to eliminate the standard postage indicia that has been in practice ~or decades and still provide the assurance associated therewith. In addition, by having all the information in the address field, authentication may be obtained ~uickly from information appearing on the envelope.
Because of the presence of the recipient's zip code, the encryption message 42 that appears on the label 36 is unique for that mail piece. More specifically, there is a connection between the mail piece and the encryption message. In prior systems, there was no relationship between the code or encryption and the mail piece, but rather a seed number or the like was used in conjunction with sendeY information such as the sender's zip code, meter number, and the like. Present high speed automatic scanning/sorting machines incorporate OCR readers capable of reading the information in the address field of an envelope 34 and sorting in accordance therewith. An example of such an automatic scanning/sorting machine is the Pitney Bowes Optical Character Reader described in publication 150 of the - United States Postal Service entitled "Automatic Mechanization for Mail Processing Systems", page 14, May, 1985. A decryption module could be added to such an automatic sorting machine by which the encrypted line 42 would be read as well as the address line by the OCR reader.

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_9_ This encryption module would determine the authenticity of the postage not onl~ on the basis of the visual tests, postage, date, meter number and the like, but on the basis of the recipient address. In this manner, not only is a check made for authenticity of the postage but al50 for the fact that the encrypted line b~longs to that particular piece of mail and only that piece because of the recipient address. More specifically, what is contemplated is a two way encryption scheme ~7h~re the decryptor has a "key" to determine authenticity based upon information on the face of , the envelope 3~. This is in contrast to a two way scheme where seed numbers are used and encryption is performed twice and compared.
Referring now to Fig. 4, such an automatic scanning/sorting machine with decipheriny capability is shown. The machine includes a mechanical transport unit 48 that singulates batches of mail into a stream of mail pieces that are conveyed with a predetermined separation past the - various stations of the machine including a scanner 50, a line finder 54, a segmentation block 56, a norma~izer 5~, a simularity measurer 60 and a contextual analysis block 62.
Each envelope 34 is conveyed past the scanner 50 which produces digitized binary images of the address field consisting of black and white pixels. The line finder 54 finds the lines in the address field which are to be read.
The segmentation module 56 separates the lines into characters. The normalization block 58 transforms the segmented characters into a predetermined size. The standardized character images are then transferred to a similarity measurement block 60 where they are compared against stored known character templats to obtain character recognition. The results of these comparisons are sent to the contextual analysis unit 62 where the final decision is made for the address portion of the information while the encryption portion passes through. An ASCIl code representation of the recognized characters is then sent to both a buffer 64 that simply stores the address information and to a decipher 66 that decrypts the encryption line 42.

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The info~atlon from the ~uffer 6~ and decipher 66 is then sent to a computer 68 where the information from each i5 compared. The results of the comparison are sent to a censor 70 where a determination is made as to the authenticity of the postage on the mail piece. If it is found to be authentic, the envelope 3~ is routed to a sorting stack module 72, but lf it is deemed to be fraudulent, this envelope is sent to a rejection bin 74. In this way, genuineness of the postage on an envelope can be lQ determined on the fl~. Obviously, this process is enhanced bec~use the printed information on the envelope 32 is applied in a parallel fashion thereby facilitating fast, automatic processing. If authentication i5 made, the encryption message may be printed in bar code form at the ]-5 bottom edge of the envelope 32 as is now done with the address information by a bar code printer 76 of an automatic mail sorter. It will be understood that this bottom edge bar printing of the encrypted message may be performed alternatively by the user' 5 printer 30 upon it's being programmed to do so.
Referring now to Fig. 5, a flow chart is shown wherein the cooperation between the accounting unit 14 and the user computer 28 is shown. The system is initialized 76 and a request is made 78 by the accounting unit 14 as to whether the user is properly identified. If the user is identified, a request is made by the accounting unit 14 for address and postage information 80 for the purpose of generating the encryption message. The information is received 82 and a check for funds is requested 84. A determination is made if funds are available 86 and if sufficient funds are availabe, the information is combined 88 ~ith the internal time, date, ascending registers and the other information in the accounting unit 14. The encryption message is generated 90 and the plain text and encrypted text are sent 92 to the user computer 28. As the plain text and encrypted text are - sent, the transaction is accounted for 94 and the system is returned to its starting point. On the other hand, if funds are not available 86, then a message is sent to the user computer 28 that there are insufficient funds.

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--ll--The user computer 28 initially receives the request from the accounting module 14 for the address and postage information 10. With this request, th~ user would enter the appropriate address and postage information 102 and this would be sent 104 to the ~ccounting unit 14. After the address and postage information are conveyed, the question is asked whether sufficient funds were received 106. If sufficient funds were received, then the plain text and encrypted text are received 108 from the accounting unit 14 and the command is gi~en 110 to print the information on a mail piece 34.
The instant invention has thus far been described with reference to an accounting unit 14 that communicates with a control center 12 through a telephone 16 and with a user computer 28. An alternative embodiment of the invention includes the use of a portable or removable data device in place of the accounting unit 14.
: Reference is now made to Fig. 6 wherein a system is described in which data may be input into the user computer 28 without contacting the central station 12 or accounting unit 14. In this system, the user computer includes an input port 78 adapted to received and provide communication with a removable data device 80. The removable data device 80 can be in the format of a "smart credit card" or a larger enclosed structure such as a cartridge or vault, and the like, which for purposes of this description and accompanying claims will be referred to collectively as a "card". The card 80, which appears enlarged in Fig. 6 for descriptive purposes, provides physical support for and protection of a microcomputer 82 which is connected by a private bus 84 to a plurality of internal components. The microcomputer 82 is connected via the bus 84 to a read only memory (ROM) 86 which contains the operating program for the microcomputer 82. The program resident in the ROM 86 not - 35 only controls the operation of the microcomputer 82 but also provides operating instructions by which the microcomputer 82 communicates with the user computer 28.

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The microcomputer 82 also is connected via che bus 84 to a random access memory (RAM) 88, or other operating memory, to provide dynamic data storage during operation.
nonvolatile memory (NVM) 80 such as an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) provides nonvolatile storage for encryption data. The NVM 80 may i~clude descending register value, the ascending register value, piece count value and the like as well as address information. An~ accounting or other data desired to be lQ retained during power Eailure, such as during servicing, can also be fil~d in the nonvolatile memory ~0. The nonvolatile memory 90 also may contain a user identification number, as well as various configuration data so that the user computer 28 is operable in various countries which have different requirements and in various systems which have different configurations. The microcomputer 82 is connected via the bus 84 to an encryption module 92 that performs the same functions as those described in connection with the encryption module 22.
2Q In-contrast to the private bus 94, which is not accessible by any user or by equipment external to the card 80, a public bus 94 is provided for communication with the user computer 28 and the card 80. It should be recognized that other devices peripheral to the user computer 28 can be connected to the public bus 94 such as additional prlnters, displays, communications devices and the like. The public bus 94 is a general purpose bus to allow communications between the user computer 28 and the components within the card 80 and between the card 80 and the central station 14 when the card is inserted within to input port 78~.
It should be recognized that the user computer 28 is powered by an external source of power, not shown, and during normal operation provides the power to energize the microcomputer 82 as well as the various components of the 3~ card 80 including the ROM 86, RAM 88~ NVM 90, and encryption module 92 via the bus 94. Power sensing circuitry, not shown, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,050 for ELECTRONIC POSTAGE METER OPERATING VOLTAGE VARIATION SENSING

~2 SYSTEM, can sense the presence o~ falling power and cause the microcomputer 82 to invoke a power down subroutine stored in the ROM 86 to complete operations in progress and store accounting data into the NVM 90O
In essence, upon insertion within the input port 78, the card 80 would replace the accounting unit 14 to perform the same functions as requirecl. Postage value may be supplied to the NVM 90 of the card through communication with the control center 12. This communication would be through the public bus 94. Under command of the microprocessor 52, information may be provided by the user computer 2~ through the CRT and keyboard of the user computer. With the card 80 inserted into the port 78, all functions to the accounting unit 14 would be carried out by the card 80.
The address information, postage amount, user identification number, date and class of mail are input through the keyboard of the user computer 28 to the - microcomputer 82. The encryption module 90 then generates an encryption number or message based upon such input and stored encrypted routines and upon the print command being given by the computer operator, an encrypted message i.s transmitted to the user computer 28. This encryption message 42 r is then printed by the user printer 30 on line 3 of the label 36. With this informatlon, a Postal Service representative would be able to input the encryption message into a suitble computer and determine whether the postage is genuine by decrypting the information as discussed previously.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS

1. A system including a computer for providing self authentication on a mail piece, comprising:
a card means for providing communication between said card and the computer encryption means supported by said card and operative to derive an encrypted message based upon recipient address information means for communicating recipient address information to said encryption means, and means for placing onto a mail piece an encrypted message derived from said recipient address information by said encryption means such that a relationship between said recipient address information and said encrypted informa-tion can be used to authenticate said mail piece.

2. The system of claim 1 including mail piece authen-tication means comprising:
means for decrypting said encrypted message, and means for comparing the descryption with said address information to determine the authenticity of said mail piece such that a relationship between said recipient address information and said encrypted information can be used to authenticate said mail piece.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said address infor-mation includes the zip code of the mail piece recipient.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said recipient address information includes the street address of the mail piece recipient.

5. In a method of placing an encryption message upon a mail piece, the steps comprising:

inserting a card into a computer communicating recipient address information to an encryptor supported by the card, deriving an encryption message based upon the com-municated recipient address information, and placing the encrypted message on the mail piece such that a relationship between said recipient address informa-tion and said encrypted information can be used to authenti-cate said mail piece.

6. The method of claim 5 including communicating the mail address zip code to the encryptor.

7. The method of claim 5 including communicating a street address of the recipient to the encryptor.

8. The method of claim 5 including printing the encryp-tion message in dot matrix form onto a label and attach-ing the label to a mail piece.