Patent · US Expired

Method for controlling a printer in order to obtain postages

US5688056A · kind A · utility

124Cited by
4References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 8, 1995
Grant dateNov 18, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 8, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07B2017/00588
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods enabling the use of an office printer connected to a microcomputer in order to print legitimate postal marks. It uses a cartridge of special fonts in which there are stored the franking marks according to the standards laid down for the printer. A known security component is provided, on the one hand to protect access to the memory contained in the cartridge and, on the other hand, to perform the computation, for each printing of a franking mark, of a security mark that contains encrypted information elements that are readable by the postal authority, enabling the franking mark to be authenticated. It provides for the elimination of specific franking machines and limits the handling operations to the handling of a small-sized cartridge.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.