Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080300938 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROL AND ADAPTATION OF CARRIER INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROCESS USING FORMAL CARRIER PRODUCT DEFINITION - An automated process that allows the posts to obtain a computer description of mailer's requirements for new carrier products and a description of available carrier operational constraints and capabilities in computer processable format; translating the mailer's requirements for the new carrier products into a sequence of computer actionable instructions that may be exercisable by carrier operations; and comparing by the computer the sequence of computer actionable instructions and the carrier operational constraints and capabilities to determine feasibility of the mailers requirements. | 12-04-2008 |
20080306885 | System and method for authenticating indicia using identity-based signature scheme - Methods and systems for verification of indicia that do not require key management systems, and in which revocation of key pairs is easily performed without adding costs to the verification process are provided. Indicia are generated and authenticated utilizing an identity-based encryption (IBE) scheme. A key generating authority generates a private key for a PSD, distributes the private key securely to the PSD, and provides public information for use by a verification service when verifying cryptographic digital signatures generated with the private key. The corresponding public key is a string consisting of PSD information that is provided as part of the indicium. The verification service can verify the signature of each indicium by obtaining the public key string from the indicium, and utilizing the key generating authority's public information. | 12-11-2008 |
20080313104 | System and method for printing correct postage for batches of mail with presort discounts - A method and system of providing postage wherein delivery fee discounts are provided based on one or more sorting levels in which mail pieces are run through the system twice. In the first run, postal codes are obtained from the mail pieces, a running tally for each participating sorting level code in each sorting level is kept, and for each code in the highest sorting level that has a tally that reaches a predetermined minimum, an indicium reflecting the highest discount is printed on: (i) the mail piece whose postal code caused the tally to reach the minimum, and (ii) any mail pieces to that postal code that are processed thereafter. In the second run, for each mail piece not having a printed indicium, an indicium is printed which reflects a proper sorting level discount, if any, based on the postal code obtained therefrom and one or more of the tallies. | 12-18-2008 |
20090103734 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURING ROUTING INFORMATION OF A COMMUNICATION USING IDENTITY-BASED ENCRYPTION SCHEME - Methods and systems for providing confidentiality of communications sent via a network that is efficient, easy to implement, and does not require significant key management. The identity of each node of the routing path of a communication is encrypted utilizing an identity-based encryption scheme. This allows each node of the routing path to decrypt only those portions of the routing path necessary to send the communication to the next node. Thus, each node will only know the immediate previous node from which the communication came, and the next node to which the communication is to be sent. The remainder of the routing path of the communication, along with the original sender and intended recipient, remain confidential from any intermediate nodes in the routing path. Use of the identity-based encryption scheme removes the need for significant key management to maintain the encryption/decryption keys. | 04-23-2009 |
20090192850 | METHOD FOR SELECTING POSTAL PRODUCTS USING FORMAL POSTAL PRODUCT DEFINITIONS - A computerized method that allows the posts to determine what new products and services their customers want. The foregoing is accomplished by creating an automated process that: collects from mailers a description of new products and services the mailers would like to have and summarizes the description of new products and services in terms of postal products and services that would have a broad appeal. | 07-30-2009 |
20090248470 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE OF A CARRIER NETWORK - System and methods for determining time-for-delivery for a mail piece based on the origin and destination of the mail piece are provided. A mail processing system is utilized by recipients of mail pieces to scan each incoming mail piece. The mail processing system extracts information from the mail piece that indicates the origin location of the mail piece as well as the date the mail piece was sent. The mail processing system establishes a record of the time-for-delivery between the origin location for each mail piece and the destination location. A data center aggregates the records from a plurality of different mail processing systems to establish a database that includes an actual value of time-for-delivery based on specific origin and destination locations. Mailers can then obtain information from the data center concerning actual time-for-delivery statistics based on the specific origin and destination of a mail piece. | 10-01-2009 |
20090248654 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING MAIL USING SENDER AND RECIPIENT NETWORKED MAIL PROCESSING SYSTEMS - Systems and methods for allowing the sender of a mail piece to obtain an accurate recipient address for the mail piece when the mail piece is being prepared are provided. The mail processing systems of the sender and recipient businesses are networked such that communication can occur between them. When the sender is preparing a mail piece for delivery to a recipient, the sender can participate in an interactive session with the recipient's mail room, utilizing the networked mail processing systems, to obtain a correct recipient address for a mail piece based on a database of recipient addresses maintained by the recipient's mail processing system. Since the mail piece is provided with an accurate recipient address, upon receipt of the mail piece by the recipient's mail room the mail piece can be properly delivered without requiring significant work by the recipient's mailroom to determine the appropriate intended recipient. | 10-01-2009 |
20090288997 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERNAL PROCESSING OF MAIL USING SENDER AND RECIPIENT NETWORKED MAIL PROCESSING SYSTEMS - Systems and methods for authenticating the mailer of a mail piece in a manner that is trustworthy and not easily susceptible to fraudulent manipulation are provided. A mail processing system is utilized by recipients of mail pieces to scan each incoming mail piece. The mail processing system obtains information from the mail piece, which can include an identification of the postage meter that was used to generate the indicium. Based on the identification of the postage meter or other unique information, the recipient's mail processing system can obtain an identification of the mailer. Once the identification of the mailer is ascertained based on this information, the recipient can utilize one or more business rules for internal delivery of the mail piece. | 11-26-2009 |
20100131759 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATING SENDERS AND RECIPIENTS IN A CARRIER SYSTEM AND PROVIDING RECEIPT OF SPECIFIED CONTENT BY A RECIPIENT - Methods and systems for authenticating senders and recipients in a carrier system and providing receipt of specified content by a recipient are provided. A one-time recipient identification code is generated that can be entered into the delivery agent's portable terminal. Data is protected against eavesdropping by encryption and by splitting cipher text and an encryption key into two parts that are not accessible to any single party except at the moment of the mail unit delivery. | 05-27-2010 |
20100169242 | MULTIPLE CARRIER MAIL SORTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods including mailing machines configured to selecting a route and carrier or carriers for delivery of the mail and for finishing the mail according the selection are described. In one illustrative configuration, the mailing machine tags mail pieces according to the result of a carrier selection process and sorts the outgoing mail by carrier. | 07-01-2010 |
20100274608 | METHOD FOR CREATING AND DELIVERING NEW CARRIER PRODUCTS - The invention creates new carrier products under control of a computer. This is achieved via formal representations of postal and carrier products. It should be understood that the term new product applies to both a completely new product containing an entirely new set of features as well as an update to an existing product with possibly only a few new features or modifications are added. | 10-28-2010 |
20120233469 | HYBRID SIGNATURE SCHEME - A signature scheme is provided in which a message is divided in to a first portion which is hidden and is recovered during verification, and a second portion which is visible and is required as input to the verification algorithm. A first signature component is generated by encrypting the first portion alone. An intermediate component is formed by combining the first component and the visible portion and cryptographically hashing them. A second signature component is then formed using the intermediate component and the signature comprises the first and second components with the visible portion. A verification of the signature combines a first component derived only from the hidden portion of the message with the visible portion and produces a hash of the combination. | 09-13-2012 |
20140298033 | HYBRID SIGNATURE SCHEME - A signature scheme is provided in which a message is divided in to a first portion which is hidden and is recovered during verification, and a second portion which is visible and is required as input to the verification algorithm. A first signature component is generated by encrypting the first portion alone. An intermediate component is formed by combining the first component and the visible portion and cryptographically hashing them. A second signature component is then formed using the intermediate component and the signature comprises the first and second components with the visible portion. A verification of the signature combines a first component derived only from the hidden portion of the message with the visible portion and produces a hash of the combination. The computed hash is used together with publicly available information to generate a bit string corresponding to the hidden portion. | 10-02-2014 |