Patent Publication Number: US-2006004677-A1

Title: System for portable franking services

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/584,435, filed Jun. 30, 2004, U.S. Provisional Application 60/588,424, filed Jul. 16, 2004, and U.S. Provisional Application 60/588,425, filed Jul. 16, 2004, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND  
      The disclosed embodiments relate to a multifunctional franking system that provides portable indicia services.  
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RELATED DEVELOPMENTS  
      A high volume postal customer may use a meter which incorporates a Postal Security Device (PSD) to secure the proof of payment of postal indicia. In an exemplary application, indicia may be applied to mailing items that identifies the value of the postage applied and other information. A customer may purchase postage and the purchased value may be stored in the PSD. As the postage indicia is applied to items, the value applied may be deducted from the stored value. Once postage indicia is applied, the item may then be dropped into the collection stream of the particular postal system and subsequently processed for delivery.  
      It would be advantageous to provide one or more portable franking devices that may communicate with a meter that in turn may communicate with a postal service infrastructure for providing a variety of indicia services.  
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS  
      A system for providing portable franking services includes one or more portable franking devices, a network, and a postage meter connected to the one or more portable franking devices through the network. The postage meter includes a communication port for detecting the portable franking device and for loading fund information into the portable franking device. The system may also include one or more postal infrastructure data centers, where the meter establishes a connection with one of the postal infrastructure data centers depending on the location of the meter. The one or more portable franking devices and the meter may include location determination circuitry and may provides location specific indicia based on their respective locations. The one or more portable franking devices and the meter may also provide location specific indicia based on a particular collection point. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The foregoing aspects and other features of the disclosed embodiments are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a system suitable for practicing the disclosed embodiments;  
       FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of meter according to the disclosed embodiments;  
       FIG. 3  shows a diagram of a portable franking device according to the disclosed embodiments; and  
       FIG. 4  shows a diagram of a postage infrastructure data center. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a system  100  suitable for practicing the disclosed embodiments disclosed herein. Although the disclosed embodiments will be described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments can be embodied in many alternate forms of embodiments. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.  
      System  100  includes one or more portable franking devices  1101  . . .  110   n  and a funding device, shown in  FIG. 1  as a meter  115 , connected through one or more first networks  1201  . . .  120   n.  System  100  also includes one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  connected to the meter  115  through one or more second networks  125   1  . . .  125   n .  
      It is a feature of the disclosed embodiments to allow the one or more portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  to access meter  115  for funding. Portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  may provide any indicia that has value, for example, postage, tickets allowing admission to an event or allowing the use of a service, and the like.  
      In one embodiment individual portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  may initiate communication with meter  115 . In another embodiment, meter  115  may identify that one or more portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  are capable of communicating with meter  115  and may initiate a connection.  
      In one embodiment, portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  may connect to meter  115  wirelessly. In another embodiment, the connection may be a wired connection.  
       FIG. 2  shows a general block diagram of meter  115 . Meter  115  may include a communications port  117  and a microprocessor  118  for performing electronic accounting functions, control functions, and franking functions according to programs stored in a storage device  119 . Some of these functions or subsets of these functions may be grouped within a secure perimeter as what is commonly referred to as a Postal Security Device (PSD).  
      Storage device  119  generally stores machine readable program code which is adapted to cause microprocessor  118  to perform the functions of the disclosed embodiments. Storage device  119  may utilize optical, magnetic, semiconductor, electronic, or other types of suitable devices to store the program code.  
      Microprocessor  118  typically performs the electronic accounting functions in relation to franking items. Data associated with the accounting functions may include an accumulated total value of credit entered into the PSD, an accumulated total value of charges dispensed by the PSD by franking items, a count of the number of items franked, and a count of the number of items franked with a charge in excess of a predetermined value. The accumulated total value of credit may be stored in an ascending credit register  160 , the accumulated total value of postage charges dispensed may be stored in a descending register  165 , and the count of items may be stored in an items count register  170 . The various registers may be located in storage device  119 .  
      The franking functions performed by microprocessor  118  typically include providing portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  with an indication, funds, or other authorization to produce indicia, and reporting the number of items, value marked and other parameters to the accounting functions. Such indication, funds, or other authorization are referred to herein as indicia services.  
      The meter  115  may also provide indicia services locally utilizing a printer  140  and may be capable of franking a label, directly franking a mail piece, or franking any other suitable substrate. Meter  115  is advantageous in that a user may place meter  115  in a specific location on or over a substrate and frank or print an object. Meter  115  may be capable of printing stamps, barcodes, addresses, planet codes, images, text, indicia, logos, graphics, or any other printable item in any desired order. For example, the user may be able to position meter  115  to print a return address, and then position meter  115  to print a mailing address, and then to print postage.  
      The printer  140  may be capable of printing on any suitable substrate or media, including an adhesive or tacky substrate, and may also be capable of applying a covering over the printed items. For example, the printer  140  may be capable of applying a film or coating over a printed item for protection or to prevent tampering.  
      The printer  140  may be an inkjet, dye sublimation, thermal wax, laser, electrostatic, xerographic, thermal, RF, or any suitable type of printer. In one embodiment, printer  140  may utilize energy beams, having high or low power, for example, RF beams, to print directly onto a substrate.  
      The control functions performed by microprocessor  118  may include utilizing communications port  117  to communicate with and provide indicia services to the one or more portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n . Communications port  117  generally includes an antenna  190  and support circuitry  195  or other signaling devices  200  for communicating with the portable franking devices  110   1  . . . 110   n . The signaling devices  200  may utilize first networks  120   1  . . .  120   n  to provide an air interface, a wired interface, a wireless interface, or an electrical, electromagnetic, radio, infrared, or other suitable facility for communicating with portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n . The support circuitry  195  may also include location determining circuitry, for example, a GPS facility for determining the location of the meter  115 .  
      The control functions may further include utilizing communications port  117  for communication with the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  through the one or more second communication networks  125   1  . . .  125   n . The antenna  190  and support circuitry  195 , as well as the other signaling devices  200  may support such communication in a manner similar to the communication provided with portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  through first networks  120   1  . . .  120   n , and may also provide a direct communication path to the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n .  
      The provision of indicia services is performed by microprocessor  118  under the control of programs located in storage device  119 .  
      The one or more of the portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  may access the meter  115  by establishing a connection to the meter  115 , either directly or through the one or more networks  120   1  . . .  120   n  ( FIG. 1 ).  
      As another feature of the disclosed embodiments, meter  115  may identify that one or more of the portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  is capable of communicating with meter  115 . For example, meter  115  may attempt to identify any portable franking device  110   1  . . .  110   n  directly connected or connected to network  120 , for example by polling network addresses or other identification techniques. Meter  115  may also attempt to identify portable franking devices by broadcasting a paging signal or other type of signal that requests a response. This signal may be broadcast to portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  that are directly connected or broadcast through first networks  120   1  . . .  120   n  ( FIG. 1 ).  
      First networks  120   1  . . .  120   n  may include any suitable communications network, for example, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a wireless network, a wired network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), virtual private network (VPN), air interface, etc. The air interface may include any suitable wireless communication protocol or signaling techniques or standards, for example TDMA, CDMA, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, close range RF, optical, any appropriate satellite communication standards, etc.  
      After a connection has been established, one or more of the portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  may utilize meter  115  for indicia services. These functions and selections may include purchasing postage, purchasing admission to one or more events, purchasing merchandise or services, or otherwise producing indicia that has value.  
      In addition, indicia services may also include providing accounting functions for the portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  individually or as groups of portable franking devices, which may include reporting funds that have been expended or that are remaining, categorizing funds that have been expended using predefined criteria, etc. For example, each portable franking device or group of devices may be assigned an account where accounting and reporting functions may be keyed to the account.  
      As another feature of the disclosed embodiments, meter  115  may have the capability to access one or more of the postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  to download updates or additional service capability as desired. For example, meter  115  may access one or more of the postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  to provide delivery confirmation for specific mail pieces.  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , a portable franking device  110  may generally include a microprocessor  300 , on-board memory  310 , an analog to digital converter  315 , a real time clock interrupt controller  320 , a power source  325 , for example, a battery, and communication circuitry  330 . Communication circuitry  330  may include an antenna  345  and other circuitry and devices  340  for wireless communication with meter  115 . In other embodiments, devices  340  may include suitable circuitry, programs, transmitters and receivers for any appropriate type of wireless communication utilizing radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), optical, acoustical, any type of electromagnetic based technology, or any other type of wireless communication. The devices  340  may also include location determining circuitry, for example a GPS facility, for determining the location of the portable franking device  110 .  
      The microprocessor  300  may operate under the control of programs found in the on board memory  310 . The on board memory  310  may provide storage information associated with the operation of the portable franking device. The on board memory  310  may be configured as a non-volatile memory which retains its contents in the event of a power loss.  
      The portable franking device  110  generally includes a user interface  335  which may include a keyboard, display, touch screen, etc.  
      In one embodiment, portable franking device  110  may be a portable digital assistant (PDA). In other embodiments portable franking device  110  may be a laptop or notebook computer, an MP3 player, a mobile telephone, a pager, a portable communications device, a portable appliance, or any device having suitable facilities for computing, communication, and applying indicia.  
      Fund information may be loaded and transactions may be reported each time a franking operation is to occur. Each time a user initiates a franking operation, the portable franking device  110  may attempt to connect to meter  115 , download fund information for the operation, and then report the transaction.  
      In another embodiment, the portable franking device  110  may always be connected to the meter  115 , and may initiate a request for additional funds and report the transaction.  
      In still another embodiment, fund downloading and reporting may be exchanged in batch, that is, upon reaching a threshold or satisfying a particular criteria, the portable franking device  110  may connect to the remote device and exchange funds and reporting data.  
      In yet another embodiment, fund downloading and reporting may be accomplished using a polling routine. In one example, polling may be initiated by the meter  115 , where upon request, the portable franking device  110  begins an information exchange.  
      The type of fund information may include postage, tickets, credit, or any representation of value. The information may include fund information for a specific amount of a particular type, for example, the device may always download $50.00 of postage upon reaching a threshold. Other fund information configurations may include a download that includes funds distributed over a number of types, for example, $30.00 of postage, $40.00 of tickets to an event, and $100.00 of rental car credits.  
      In a further embodiment, the fund information provided may be limited to an amount required for a particular time period or to an amount determined using a loss calculation, that is, a an amount that the provider can afford to lose before detection.  
      Like the meter  115 , the portable franking device  110  may include a printer  350  and may be capable of franking a label, directly franking a mail piece, or franking any other suitable substrate. The portable franking device  110  may be placed in a specific location on or over the substrate and may frank or print an object. The portable franking device  110  may be capable of printing stamps, barcodes, addresses, planet codes, images, text, indicia, logos, graphics, or any other printable item in any desired order. For example, similar to the meter  115 , a user may be able to position the portable franking device  110  to print a return address, and then position the portable franking device  110  to print a mailing address, and then to print postage.  
      The printer  350  may be similar to printer  140  ( FIG. 2 ) in that it may be capable of printing on any suitable substrate or media, including an adhesive or tacky substrate, and may also be capable of applying a covering over the printed items. As another example, the printer  350  may be capable of applying a film or coating over a printed item for protection or to prevent tampering.  
      The printer  350  may be an inkjet, dye sublimation, thermal wax, laser, electrostatic, xerographic, thermal, RF, or any suitable type of printer. In one embodiment, printer  350  may utilize energy beams, having high or low power, for example, RF beams, to print directly onto a substrate.  
      Returning to  FIG. 1 , as yet another feature of the disclosed embodiments, meter  115  may optionally be portable and may initiate communication with the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  that may be available while meter  115  is mobile. The one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  generally provide postal infrastructure services, for example, funds replenishment, data table updates, additional or updated features, data collection from meter  115 , and other types of data communication with meter  115 . Such data communication is referred to herein as a data exchange.  
      The availability of one or more of the postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  may depend on the relative geographical location of the meter  115  with respect to the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n .  
      In one embodiment, communication between meter  115  and the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  may be wireless. In other embodiments, the communication may occur through a combination of wireless and wired connections, or only wired connections.  
      Meter  115  initiates a data exchange by initially detecting one or more second communications networks  125   1  . . .  125   n  suitable for the data exchange. Meter  115  may logon or establish a connection to a particular second communications network  125  by addressing a message specifically to that communications network. Alternately, meter  115  may identify that one or more second communications networks  125   1  . . .  125   n  are available for providing communications and may perform a selection process among the available second communications networks  125   1  . . .  125   n . For example, meter  115  may broadcast polling or paging signals in attempt to receive a response from a second communication network. In the event that more than one second communication network responds, meter  115  may select a responding second network based on any combination of signal strength, quality of service, connection speed, cost, etc.  
      Second communication networks  125   1  . . .  125   n  may include any suitable communications network, for example, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a wireless network, a wired network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), virtual private network (VPN), an air interface, etc. The air interface may include any suitable wireless communication protocols or signaling techniques or standards, for example TDMA, CDMA, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, close range RF, optical, any appropriate satellite communication standards, etc. In one embodiment, one or more of the first communication networks  120   1  . . .  120   n  may be the same as one or more of the second communication networks  125   1  . . .  125   n .  
      In one embodiment, meter  115  may utilize cell communication technology and identify a cellular communication network from the one or more second networks  125   1  . . .  125   n  using roaming techniques.  
      After meter  115  has established a connection with an appropriate second communication network  125 , meter  115  then attempts to logon or establish a connection to one or more data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n . Meter  115  may attempt to connect to an individual data center  130  by addressing a message specifically to that data center  130 . Alternately, meter  115  may identify that one or more data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  are available for providing services to meter  115 . For example, meter  115  may attempt to identify any data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  directly connected to meter  115  or connected to second networks  125   1  . . .  125   n , for example by polling network addresses or other identification techniques. Meter  115  may also attempt to identify data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  by broadcasting a paging signal or other type of signal that requests a response. This signal may be broadcast to data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  that are connected to second networks  125   1  . . .  125   n , including those that may be connected through an appropriate air interface.  
      In an embodiment using cell communication technology, meter  115  may place a call to one or more data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n .  
      Meter  115  may be capable of establishing more that one connection to a particular data center  130  and may be capable of establishing a connection to more than one data center  130   1  . . .  130   n  simultaneously. For example, meter  115  may establish a first connection to a first data center  130   1  for fund replenishment and, during the first connection, may establish a second connection to the first data center  130   1  to download data tables. As another example, meter  115  may establish a first connection to a first data center  130   1  for fund replenishment and, during the first connection, may establish a second connection to a second data center  130   2  to download data tables.  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , a postal infrastructure data center  130  may generally include a server  400 , several data bases  410 ,  415 ,  420 , a power facility  425 , for example, a power distribution network, and communication circuitry  430 . Communication circuitry  430  may include an antenna  440  and other circuitry and devices  435  for communication with meter  115  through the one or more second networks  125   1  . . .  125   n  and directly with meter  115 .  
      In other embodiments, devices  435  may include suitable circuitry, programs, transmitters and receivers for any appropriate type of wireless communication utilizing radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), optical, acoustical, any type of electromagnetic based technology, or any other type of wireless communication. The postal infrastructure data center  130  may also include a user interface facility  445  which may provide local users with access to postal infrastructure data center services.  
      Each time a user initiates a franking operation through meter  115  or through portable franking device  110  ( FIG. 1 ) meter  115  may attempt to connect to the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  to download fund information or for other data exchange operations, and then report the transaction.  
      In another embodiment, meter  115  may always be connected to the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n , and may initiate a request for additional funds, generate a report for each transaction, and otherwise exchange data.  
      In still another embodiment, fund downloading, reporting, and other data may be exchanged in batch, that is, upon reaching a threshold or satisfying a particular criteria, meter  115  may connect to the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  and exchange funds and data.  
      As another feature of the disclosed embodiments, meter  115  may print indicia specific to its location, or specific to a location from which a mail piece is to be placed into a postal service collection point.  
      In this aspect of the disclosed embodiments, when indicia services are required by the one or more portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n , or by the meter  115 , the meter  115  may initiate communication with at least one of the postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  that may be available. As part of this feature, the at least one postal infrastructure data center  130  provides location information for use when printing the indicia as part of the data exchange.  
      The availability of one or more of the postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n  may depend on the relative geographical location of one or more portable franking devices.  110   1  . . .  110   n  or the meter  115 , with respect to the one or more postal infrastructure data centers  130   1  . . .  130   n    
      According to the disclosed embodiments, when a user initiates a franking operation through at least one of the portable franking devices  110   1  . . .  110   n  or through the meter.  115 , the meter  115  may attempt to connect to at least one postal infrastructure data center  130  to receive location information to be incorporated into the indicia.  
      For example, a user in the vicinity of a postal service collection point operates a portable franking device  110  or meter  115  to apply indicia to a mail piece for deposit at the collection point. Connections are established among the portable franking device  110 , meter  115 , and postal infrastructure data center  130  using any of the methods described above. The postal infrastructure data center  130  determines the location of portable franking device  110  or the meter  115  using any suitable technique, including posing a question to the user, triangulation, relative signal strength, location within one of the first or second networks, etc.  
      In some embodiments, postal infrastructure data center  130  may determine the location of the portable franking device  110  using the GPS capability of the devices  340  ( FIG. 3 ). Postal infrastructure data center  130  may determine the location of the meter  115  using the GPS capabilities of support circuitry  195  ( FIG. 2 ).  
      Once the location of the device requesting indicia, portable franking device  110  or meter  115 , has been determined, data center  130  may determine which post office or postal system services that location, and may provide appropriate location information to the portable franking device  110  or the meter  115  for incorporation into the indicia. Data center  130  may also provide billing capabilities and debit the user&#39;s account for the indicia cost, while correspondingly crediting the post office or postal system.  
      In another embodiment, meter  115  may periodically poll data center  130  and download related location information to be included with indicia. In this manner, portable franking device  110  or meter  115  may print indicia without waiting for a connection to data center  130 .  
      In yet another embodiment, portable franking device  110  or meter  115  may provide indicia for a mail piece that is to be deposited in another location. For example, a user may desire to frank a mail piece while traveling and then deposit it at a collection point upon arrival at a destination. In this embodiment, a user may specify a particular location when requesting indicia through portable franking device  110  or meter  115 , meter  115  may connect to data center  130  and request indicia information for the particular location. Alternately, data center  130  may provide meter  115  with a list of locations from which to choose. Meter  115  may then download the list to the portable franking device  110  for display or display the list on its user interface as appropriate.  
      It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the disclosed embodiments. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.