Method for matching the database between an electronic postage meter machine and a data center

US5699415A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Francotyp-Postalia GmbH · DE

Inventor

• Andreas Wagner · Eppelheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 21, 1995
• Grant date: Dec 16, 1997
• Expiry date: Jun 21, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/00935
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In a method for matching the data base in an electronic postage meter to the database in a data center with which the postage meter is in communication, a transaction for adding credit to the postage meter machine takes place in two transaction procedures. In a first transaction procedure, code words are exchanged between the postage meter machine and the data center, and upon mutual verification of the code words at the data center and at the postage meter machine, a requested amount of credit is stored in a selected value memory in the postage meter machine and the same amount is stored in a selected value memory at the data center. In a second transaction procedure, code words are again exchanged between the data center and the postage meter machine and upon verification of these further code words, the selected value stored at the selected value memory at the data center is used to debit the debit memory at the data center, and this same value, stored in the selected value memory at the postage meter machine, is used to credit the credit memory at the postage meter machine. A method for ensuring the integrity of data predominantly stored in two data sets is also disclosed.