Patent Publication Number: US-2011071944-A1

Title: System and method for dispensing postage without printing

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the dispensing of postage for a mailpiece, and in particular, to a system and method for dispensing and providing postage for a mailpiece that does not require a printer to print evidence of postage payment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Postage metering systems are well known in the art, and are often incorporated into mail processing systems, such as mailing machines. A typical postage meter applies evidence of postage, commonly referred to as postal indicia, to envelopes or other mailpieces and accounts for the value of the postage dispensed. As is well known, postage meters include an ascending register that stores a running total of all postage dispensed by the meter, and a descending register that holds the remaining amount of postage credited to the meter and that is reduced by the amount of postage dispensed during a transaction. The postage meter generally also includes a control sum register which provides a check upon the descending and ascending registers. The control sum register has a running account of the total funds being added into the meter. The control sum register must always correspond with the summed readings of the ascending and descending registers. The control sum register is the total amount of postage ever put into the machine and it is alterable only when adding funds to the meter. In this manner, by inspecting the various registers and securing them from tampering, the dispensing of postal funds may be accurately recorded, tracked and accounted for. 
     More recently, postage metering systems have been developed where the accounting structure described above is no longer resident with the user. Sometimes referred to as a “virtual postage meter,” these types of postage metering/printing systems dispense postage electronically over suitable communication channels (LAN, WAN, telephone lines, Internet, etc.). The user maintains an account with a remotely located data center (typically maintained by an authorized postage meter manufacturer) and receives postage in the form of a postal indicium securely using appropriate electronic data interchange techniques. At a later time, the user is invoiced for the amount of postage dispensed and any other fees associated with maintaining the account with the data center. Typically, a secret code or token is derived from information particular to the mailpiece (the indicated postage amount, date, recipient address information, etc.) and is incorporated or embedded into the postal indicium (e.g., in the form of an encrypted barcode) for later use by a postal authority in verifying the integrity of the postal indicium. Examples of such systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,718 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,038. 
     In current virtual systems as just described, the received postal indicium must be printed on either the mailpiece itself or a label applied to the mailpiece. When a user is using a PC to dispense postage in this manner, such printing is not an issue as an appropriate printer is typically readily available. However, if the user wishes to use a mobile electronic device, such as a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA), to provide evidence of postage payment, printing an indicium may be an issue as an appropriate printer is often times not readily available. 
     Thus, there is a need for a system and method for dispensing and providing postage for a mailpiece that does not require a printer to be readily available to print evidence of postage payment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of dispensing evidence of postage payment that includes providing a machine readable mechanism, such as a pre-printed barcode, for being associated with a mailpiece to a customer, wherein the machine readable mechanism includes a first identifier and wherein the customer has a customer identifier. The method further includes receiving first information from a mobile electronic device associated with the customer, the first information including: (i) the first identifier, (ii) the customer identifier, and (iii) mailpiece information relating to the mailpiece, the first identifier included in the first information having been obtained from the machine readable mechanism captured by the mobile electronic device, deducting a postage amount based on the mailpiece information from a postage account associated with the customer identifier, and transmitting the first identifier and verification of payment for postage to a carrier. In one particular embodiment, the mailpiece information includes the postage amount. The mailpiece information may further include recipient address information, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the recipient address information to the carrier. 
     The machine readable mechanism preferably comprises a pre-printed barcode (e.g., a 2-D barcode), and may be provided on a label structured to be affixed to a mailing device, such as an envelop or a box, of the mailpiece, or, alternatively, may be pre-printed on the mailing device itself. Alternatively, the machine readable mechanism comprises an RFID tag. 
     In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of providing evidence of postage payment for a mailpiece that includes obtaining information from a machine readable mechanism using a mobile electronic device associated with a customer, wherein the customer has a customer identifier and the machine readable mechanism includes a first identifier, obtaining the first identifier from the machine readable mechanism, and transmitting first information from the mobile electronic device to a provider maintaining a postage account for the customer, the first information including: (i) the first identifier, (ii) the customer identifier, and (iii) mailpiece information relating to the mailpiece. Preferably, the mailpiece information includes a postage amount for the mailpiece. The mailpiece information may further include recipient address information, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the recipient address information to the carrier. 
     The method may further includes steps of obtaining the machine readable mechanism prior to the capturing, and physically associating the machine readable mechanism with the mailpiece and depositing the mailpiece with a carrier for delivery. In one specific embodiment, a barcode is provided on a label, and the physically associating step comprises affixing the label to a mailing device of the mailpiece. In another embodiment, a barcode is pre-printed on a mailing device to be used with the mailpiece, and the physically associating comprises inserting one or more items into the mailing device. 
     In addition, the invention also provides a mobile electronic device having a processor, a memory, and an information capturing device, wherein the memory has one or more routines executable by the processor, the one or more routines having instructions for causing the mobile electronic device to perform the method described above. 
     In another embodiment, the invention provides a postal software application for a mobile electronic device, wherein the mobile electronic device is associated with a customer having a customer identifier. The postal software application is stored on a computer readable medium and has a plurality of instructions for causing the mobile electronic device to obtain information from a machine readable mechanism using, for example, an electronic image capture device, the machine readable mechanism including a first identifier, the information obtained including the first identifier, and transmit first information from the mobile electronic device to a provider maintaining a postage account for the customer, the first information including: (i) the first identifier, (ii) the customer identifier, and (iii) mailpiece information relating to the mailpiece. Preferably, the mailpiece information includes a postage amount for the mailpiece. The mailpiece information may further include recipient address information, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the recipient address information to the carrier. 
     Therefore, it should now be apparent that the invention substantially achieves all the above aspects and advantages. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Moreover, the aspects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of postage dispensing system according to one particular embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile electronic device that may be employed in the postage dispensing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing a method of dispensing and providing postage using the postage dispensing system according to one particular embodiment of the invention from the perspective of a user of a mobile electronic device wishing to provide evidence of postage payment for a mailpiece; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing the method of dispensing and providing postage of the present invention from the perspective of the provider data center of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Directional phrases used herein, such as, for example and without limitation, top, bottom, left, right, upper, lower, front, back, and derivatives thereof, relate to the orientation of the elements shown in the drawings and are not limiting upon the claims unless expressly recited therein. 
     As employed, herein, the statement that two or more parts or components are “coupled” together shall mean that the parts are joined or operate together either directly or through one or more intermediate parts or components. As employed herein, the statement that two or more parts or components “engage” one another shall mean that the parts exert a force against one another either directly or through one or more intermediate parts or components. As employed herein, the term “number” shall mean one or an integer greater than one (i.e., a plurality). 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a postage dispensing system  5  according to one particular embodiment of the present invention. As described in greater detail below, the postage dispensing system  5  enables a user to receive and provide evidence of postage payment for a mailpiece without requiring a printer to print the evidence of postage payment at time the postage is dispensed (or thereafter). It should be understood that the postage dispensing system  5  is just one particular embodiment of a postage dispensing system in which the present invention may be implemented, and that the invention as described herein may also be implemented in other configurations and/or embodiments 
     The postage dispensing system  5  includes a provider data center  10  that includes a suitable processing system having a computing device such as a server computer and one or more memory components for data storage. The provider data center  10  is maintained and operated by a service provider such as an authorized postage meter manufacturer or some other agency or entity authorized to dispense postage. The provider data center  10  is in electronic communication with one or more remotely located mobile electronic devices  15  (only one mobile electronic device  15  is shown in  FIG. 1  for purposes of clarity of description) over any suitable communication network  20  such as the Internet. Each mobile electronic device  15  may be, for example and without limitation, a personal data assistant (PDA), a handheld computer, a two-way pager, a cellular telephone, and the like. The postage dispensing system  5  also includes a carrier data center  25  that is operated by the postal carrier for which the provider data center  10  is authorized to dispense postage. The carrier data center  25  includes a suitable processing system having a computing device such as a server computer and one or more memory components for data storage. The carrier data center  25  is operatively coupled to the communication network  20  to enable electronic communication between the provider data center  10  and the carrier data center  25 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , the postage dispensing system  5  of the preferred embodiment contemplates the use of one or more machine readable mechanisms  30  that are provided to the user of the mobile electronic device  15  by the provider operating the provider data center  10 . Each machine readable mechanism  30  includes a unique identifier, such as a unique identification number, that allows it to be uniquely identified by the provider. In the preferred embodiment described herein, the machine readable mechanisms  30  comprise pre-printed barcodes in the form of a two-dimensional barcode, such as a standard Datamatrix barcode, and are provided on a label that may be affixed to a mailpiece by the user for use as evidence of postage payment. Alternatively, each pre-printed barcode may be provided on a mailing device, such as an envelope or a box, into which an item to be mailed may be inserted. Also, the pre-printed barcodes may have other formats, such as a one dimensional barcode or another 2-D barcode format. Also, another type of pre-printed machine readable element may be substituted for the pre-printed barcodes within the scope of the present invention. In the case where the pre-printed barcode is provided on a mailing device, the barcode could also include information that identifies the specific mail piece type. In other embodiments, the machine readable mechanisms  30  can comprise Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that include a unique identifier, such as a unique identification number, that allow each to be uniquely identified by the provider. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile electronic device  15  that may be employed in the postage dispensing system  5 . The mobile electronic device  15  includes a processor  35 , an input apparatus  40 , such as a keyboard, an output apparatus  45 , such as an LCD display, and a memory  50 . The processor  35  may be, for instance, and without limitation, a microprocessor (μP), and is responsive to inputs from the input apparatus  40  and provides output signals to the output apparatus  45 . The processor  35  also interfaces with the memory  50 . The memory  50  can be any of a variety of types of internal and/or external storage media such as, without limitation, RAM, ROM, EPROM(s), EEPROM(s), and the like that provide a storage register for data storage such as in the fashion of an internal storage area of a computer, and can be volatile memory or nonvolatile memory. The memory  50  additionally may include a number of routines executable by the processor  35  for implementing the invention as described herein and for the processing of data in accordance with the invention as described herein. The routines can be in any of a variety of forms such as, without limitation, software, firmware, and the like. The routines which implement the invention as described herein shall, for convenience, be referred to as the mobile electronic device postal application. As is known, the mobile electronic device postal application, if stored in the memory  50 , may be provided thereto in a number of ways, such as, without limitation, by being downloaded from the provider data center  10  to the mobile electronic device  15  through the communication network  20 , or by being transferred from a computer readable storage medium on which it is stored, such as a flash drive (e.g., a USB drive) or a compact disc, provided to a user of the mobile electronic device  15 . Alternatively, the postal application may be a web service that is accessed by web pages using the mobile electronic device  15 . 
     The mobile electronic device  15  also includes an electronic image capture device, preferably in the form of digital camera  55 , for capturing digital images via an electronic image sensor, such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS active-pixel sensor. The digital camera  55  is in electronic communication with the processor  35  for providing the captured digital images to the processor  35  for processing in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment where the machine readable mechanism is an RFID tag, the mobile electronic device  15  also includes an RFID reading device  57  to enable reading of the information maintained in the RFID tag. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing a method of dispensing and providing postage using the postage dispensing system  5  according to one particular embodiment of the invention from the perspective of a user of a mobile electronic device  15  wishing to provide evidence of postage payment for a mailpiece. The method begins at steps  60 , wherein the user of the mobile electronic device  15  obtains a mailing label having a machine readable mechanism  30 , e.g., a pre-printed barcode or RFID tag. Next, at step  65 , the user initiates the mobile electronic device postal application of the mobile electronic device  15  (or the postal application of a web service via web pages accessed by the mobile electronic device  15 ) and causes it to run. At step  70 , the user then enters certain mailpiece information relating to the mailpiece to be mailed into the mobile electronic device  15  using the input apparatus  40 . Such mailpiece information may include the type of mailpiece being mailed, e.g., letter or package, the amount of postage needed, the current date, the address of the recipient of the mailpiece, or any combination thereof. Alternatively, the amount of postage needed may be determined by the mobile electronic device postal application automatically from the mailpiece information entered thus far. The determined postage amount may then be included in the mailpiece information for the mailpiece. In one particular embodiment, the mobile electronic device  15  includes a GPS device for determining the current GPS coordinates of the mobile electronic device  15 . Those coordinates, along with other mailpiece information such as the type of service desired (e.g., first class) and the recipient address, may be used by the mobile electronic device postal application to automatically determine the needed postage amount. In still another alternative embodiment, rather than manually entering the mailpiece recipient address information, the user may select that information from an address book application provided as part of the mobile electronic device  15 , with the selected information being included in the mailpiece information. 
     Next, at step  75 , the user obtains the identifier from the machine readable mechanism  30 . In the case of a pre-printed barcode, the user captures a digital image of the pre-printed barcode obtained in step  60  using the digital camera  25 . The captured image is saved in the memory  50 . The mobile electronic device postal application then, using well known techniques, reads the pre-printed barcode  30  using the captured image thereof in order to obtain the barcode identifier provided therein. Alternatively, if the machine readable mechanism  30  is an RFID tag, the mobile electronic device is used to obtain the identifier provided therein using the RFID reading device  57 . Then, at step  80 , the mailpiece information entered and/or generated at step  70 , and the barcode or RFID tag identifier obtained at step  75  are electronically uploaded to the provider data center  10  over the communication network  20 . Also, unique customer identification information, such as a customer number assigned to the user by the provider, is uploaded to the provider data center  10  along with the mailpiece information and the barcode identifier so that the provider is able to determine the particular customer account that is associated with the current transaction. Then, at step  85 , the user applies the mailing label containing the now “activated” machine readable mechanism  30 , e.g., pre-printed barcode or RFID tag, to the mailpiece and places the mailpiece in the mail stream with the carrier. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart is provided that shows the method of the present invention from the perspective of the provider data center  10 . The method begins at step  100 , wherein the provider operating the data center  10  provides machine readable mechanisms  30 , such as pre-printed barcodes (e.g., as part of labels or mailing devices) or RFID tags, to be available to a number of its customers. The provider data center  10  then, at step  105 , receives customer identification information, a barcode or RFID tag identifier and mailpiece information (as described elsewhere herein) from the mobile electronic device  15  of a particular customer/user wishing to obtain evidence of postage payment through the communication network  20  (see step  85  of  FIG. 3 ). Next, at step  110 , the provider data center  10  deducts the postage amount indicated in the mailpiece information from the customer&#39;s account (using the customer identification information to determine the appropriate account) generates verification of payment information, which may be, for example, a simple acknowledgement of payment or digital signature obtained using the identifier and customer identification information, or any other type of unique information, and stores the verification of payment information, barcode (or RFID tag) identifier and mailpiece information in association with the customer identification information in a database operated by the provider data center  10 . Finally, at step  115 , the provider data center  10  transmits the verification of payment information, the amount of postage paid, and the barcode (or RFID tag) identifier to the carrier data center  25  through the communication network  20 . In one particular embodiment, the provider data center  10  also transmits some or all of the mailpiece information (e.g., the recipient address information) to the carrier data center  25  through the communication network  20 . The carrier data center  25  stores the received information for later use in validating payment for postage for the mailpiece in question (during mail audit procedures) and/or tracking the mailpiece in question when it enters the mail stream. Specifically, the barcode (or RFID tag) identifier can be read from a mailpiece by the carrier and the carrier data center  25  can check and verify that payment verification has been received for that barcode (or RFID tag) identifier. In addition, once verified, the carrier data center  25  can indicate in its memory that the specific barcode (or RFID tag) identifier has been used so that it or a copy thereof cannot later be fraudulently reused on a different mailpiece. Also, in the embodiment where the carrier data center  25  also receives recipient address information from the provider data center  10  in connection with the barcode identifier, in order to prevent fraud, the carrier can read the recipient address information from the mailpiece along with the barcode identifier and check to see whether the recipient address information that is read matches what is stored by the carrier data center  25  in association with the barcode identifier. 
     Thus, the present invention provides various embodiments of a system and method for dispensing and providing postage for a mailpiece that does not require a printer to be readily available to print evidence of postage payment. As a result, a user of a mobile electronic device that does not have ready access to a printer can easily obtain evidence of postage payment for a mailpiece as desired so that the mailpiece can be entered in the mail stream for delivery by a carrier. 
     While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.