Method and apparatus for operating a secure metering device
US6341274B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 21, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jan 22, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 21, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07B2017/00967
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A postage metering system includes a computer, a docking station, and a postage metering device. The computer includes an interface to receive postage information (i.e., from a user). The docking station couples to the computer, and the postage metering device operatively couples to the computer via the docking station (i.e., the postage metering device is removably coupled to the docking station). The postage metering device includes a secure metering device (SMD) that stores accounting information and, in some implementations, circuitry that performs secure processing. In some implementations, the postage metering device further includes a printer that couples to the SMD and prints indicia. In some implementations, the postage metering device is characterized at least by a “docked” operating mode and an “undocked” operating mode. The docked operating mode corresponds to the postage metering device being coupled to the computer, and the undocked operating mode corresponds to the postage metering device being uncoupled from the computer. Each operating mode is defined by a set of operating characteristics relating to, for example, funding of the metering dev…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.