Method and apparatus for verifying a value for a batch of items
US4888803A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 26, 1988 |
| Grant date | Dec 19, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 26, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07B2017/00741
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for verifying a total value for a batch of items, and particularly a total postage value for a batch of mail pieces. A batch of mail is prepared in a conventional manner in accordance with information generated by a data processing system. The information is also provided to a secure manifest system which generates an output to be marked on each item. The manifest system determines a particular value for each item and generates a message identifying the entire batch. The message is encrypted and expressed as k ordered numbers. The ordered numbers are taken as parameters of a function f(x)=a.sub.o +a.sub.1x +. . . a.sub.k-1 x.sup.k-1 mod p. A unique arbitrary value, x.sub.i, is selected for each item and a value f of x.sub.i is determined. Each item is then marked with indicia including the postage value v.sub.i, x.sub.i, and f(x.sub.i). A party may then sample the batch to obtain k items, determine the parameters, a, from k ordered pairs x.sub.i, f(x.sub.i), decrypt the message and verify the postage value, V. Where the batch includes a number of classes the values, x.sub.i, for each class may be chosen to be members of the same class of congruent residues. A…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.