Abstract: A tamper protected printed circuit board assembly including a printed circuit board and a partially enveloping tamper wrap covering the entirety of the top surface of the printed circuit board and a first portion of the bottom surface of the printed circuit board, wherein a second portion of the bottom surface of the printed circuit board is not covered by the tamper wrap is provided. The printed circuit board includes two security trace layers each having two security traces thereon, preferably in a serpentine pattern. The tamper wrap and the security traces together cover and prevent tampering with the electronic circuitry of the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A weight estimating system for estimating the weight of a mailpiece and a postage metering system including such a weight estimating system. The weight estimating system includes a measuring system, a diverter mechanism and a microprocessor system. The measuring system includes a transport, a first plurality of detectors for measuring the dimensions of the mailpiece and a second plurality of detectors for measuring values of other characteristics of the mailpiece which are indicative of the presence of non-paper materials in the mailpiece as the mailpiece is transported. The microprocessor is responsive to the second detectors to determine if non-paper materials are included in the mailpiece and, if not, determines the volume from the dimensional measurements and estimates the weight as the product of the volume and a density for paper output an appropriate postage amount to the meter and the mailpiece to the printer.

Abstract: A tamper protected printed circuit board assembly including a printed circuit board and a tamper wrap attached to the printed circuit board. The tamper wrap includes a plurality of side tabs extending from a main body portion and a plurality of corner protection flaps extending from the side tabs. The tamper wrap covers the entirety of a first surface of the printed circuit board and at least a portion of a second surface opposite the first surface of the printed circuit board. Each of the side tabs covers at least a portion of one of the side walls of the printed circuit board and each of the corner flaps is folded around and covers a respective one of the corner edges of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may have a plurality of corner sentinels mounted adjacent to the corners of a surface thereof for protecting such corners.

Abstract: A method and system for a virtual stamp dispensing metering system is provided wherein indicia of varying values are calculated at a data center and downloaded to a mailing machine on a periodic basis. The mailing machine securely stores the indicia and dispenses the indicia as needed. At the end of the period, any unused indicia are returned to the data center, the user's account is credited, and a new set of indicia are downloaded to the mailing machine. Accordingly, the processing requirements of the meter are reduced, as there is no longer any need to generate digital signatures, an attacker is prevented from generating indicia indefinitely if the security of the meter is compromised, as the cryptographic key is not resident at the meter, and tracking requirements of the meter are reduced, as the meter alone can not be used to generate postage funds.

Abstract: A printing system is provided that dynamically adjusts the method of printing an image based on the lightness or darkness of the medium upon which the image will be printed. The reflectivity of the medium upon which an image is to be printed is determined, and the way in which the image will be printed is adjusted based on the determined reflectivity of the medium. For lighter colored mediums, on which sufficient contrast will be provided, the image can be printed directly onto the medium. For darker colored mediums, on which the ink used to print the image will not provide enough contrast with respect to the medium to produce a reliably readable image, the method of printing the image is modified to ensure that sufficient contrast is always provided to produce a reliably readable image.

Abstract: A system and method for providing secure, on-demand delivery and retrieval of documents, messages and the like utilizing an adaptor coupled to a facsimile machine. An adaptor is coupled between a facsimile machine and a telephone line. A mobile device communicates with the adaptor to allow a user to log onto a document delivery system, via the telephone line, and select a document, message or the like to be printed. The telephone number of the facsimile machine is provided to the data center by the adaptor or mobile device, and the data center then sends the selected documents to the facsimile machine through the adaptor. Alternatively, the data center can encrypt the documents before sending, and a key is used by the adaptor to decrypt the documents prior to sending to the facsimile machine.

Abstract: A device for moistening an envelope flap includes a reservoir for holding a moistening fluid and an applicator mounted above the reservoir for applying the moistening fluid to the envelope flap. The moistening device also includes a fluid transfer member that is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis to transfer moistening fluid from the reservoir to the applicator while the transfer member rotates.

Abstract: A method and system that improves the security of the printing process of postage evidencing on tape media in high speed mail processing systems having multiple print heads is provided. When the mailing machine is operating in the tape mode, printing of indicia is performed using only one print head. A record of which print head will print the indicium is maintained, and the print process is started when the tape is properly positioned under the correct print head. The tape media is moved past the print head at a speed slow enough to allow the single print head to print the complete indicium with sufficient resolution. Since only a single print head will be used to print an indicium on a tape, it is not possible to manipulate the tape to obtain two separate images of the same indicium.

Abstract: A method and system for validating the creation and submission of absentee ballots is provided. An authentication/validation mark is generated and printed on an absentee ballot and/or the envelope that contains the absentee ballot. The authentication/validation marks include information such as, for example, the date and time of printing, an identification and location of the vote validator that generated and printed the mark, a unique identifier of the mark, and a digital signature of the authentication/validation data. Upon receipt of the absentee ballot by election officials, the authentication/validation marks printed on the absentee ballot and/or envelope containing the ballot can be verified by authenticating the digital signature and verifying the validity of the data in the mark. If the mark is verified, the authenticity and creation/submission dates of the absentee ballot are guaranteed and the absentee ballot can be accepted as a valid absentee ballot for election purposes.

Abstract: A closed system meter that secures the link between the accounting device and printer utilizing a Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) based stream encryption is provided. The accounting device includes an LFSR that comprises a plurality of stages, with one or more taps that are passed through a logic gate to provide a “feedback” signal to the input of the LFSR, to generate a pseudo-random pattern output. Preferably, a Shrinking Key Generator (SKG) is utilized to further ensure privacy of the data. The output data from the accounting unit is encrypted utilizing the output from the LFSR and sent to the printing device. The printing device includes a similar LFSR, which is utilized to decrypt the output data from the accounting unit and enable printing.

Abstract: A method and system to identify mail pieces that have similar attributes to mail pieces suspected of being contaminated are provided. A data center communicates with each postal unit where mail enters into the postal system. When a postal unit detects a mail piece that may be contaminated, a record of the mail piece is made and sent to the data center. The data center archives the record of the suspect mail pieces in a database, and provides each record to all postal units on a real-time basis. As mail is inducted by each of the postal units, an image is taken of each mail piece and the image is compared to the records of suspect mail pieces stored in the data center. If a mail piece has similar attributes to a suspect mail piece, it will be immediately identified, regardless of the postal unit where it is entering the postal system.

Abstract: A platter for a weighing scale includes a base and a plurality of legs which extend downwardly from the base. The platter also includes at least one hinged member mounted on the base and movable between a horizontal position and an unfolded position in which the hinged member extends upwardly from the base. When unfolded, the hinged member may aid in supporting a stack of letters on the weighing scale.

Abstract: A method of attaching a tamper wrap to a printed circuit board using an installation tool that is placed over the main body portion of the tamper wrap. The side tabs of the tamper wrap are folded up against the side walls of the installation tool, and the tamper wrap and the installation tool are inserted into an enclosing case. The installation tool is then removed, the printed circuit board to be wrapped is placed into the enclosing case, and the side tabs are folded and adhered down onto the top surface of the printed circuit board. Also, a printed circuit board assembly having improved heat sinking capabilities including a thermally conductive material located between a printed circuit board and a tamper wrap such that the electronic components are in thermal contact with an enclosing case for enclosing the printed circuit board and the tamper wrap.

Abstract: A system and method for providing secure, on-demand delivery and retrieval of documents, messages and the like utilizing an adaptor and a printer coupled to the Internet. An adaptor is coupled between a network based printing protocol enabled device, such as, for example, an Internet Printing Protocol enabled printer, and the Internet. A mobile device communicates with the adaptor to allow a user to log onto a document delivery system, via the Internet, and select a document, message or the like to be printed. The adaptor or mobile device provides the Internet address of the printer to the data center, which then sends the selected documents to the printer through the adaptor using the network based printing protocol. Alternatively, the data center can encrypt the documents before sending. A corresponding decryption key is used by the adaptor to decrypt the documents prior to sending to the printer.

Abstract: An adjustable stripper/moistener system for a mailing system is provided. The stripper blade and moistening assembly are adjustable in a direction transverse to the movement of a mail piece being passed through the mailing machine. By allowing the stripper blade to move with respect to the feed deck, the position of the stripper blade can be optimally set to reliably strip different size and shape flaps from different types of envelopes. Additionally, by allowing the moistening assembly to move in conjunction with the stripper blade, there is better control of the amount and location of deposition of the moistening fluid on the envelope flap, thereby preventing possible damage to the envelope or its contents. The position of the stripper blade and moistening assembly may be manually adjustable by an operator, or automatically adjusted based on an input or sensed profile of the envelope flap.

Abstract: A system and method include means for processing a cryptographic certificate adapted to provide security functionality. A register means is provided and means for adjusting the register means to account for services when the cryptographic certificate is processed. In accordance with anther aspect, a system and method include a register means for storing funds. Means are provided for processing a digital token providing proof of postage payment and means are also provided for processing a cryptographic certificate adapted to provide security functionality. Means debit funds stored in the register means when the digital token is processed and when the cryptographic certificate is processed. Processing the cryptographic certificate may involve many functions such as providing security services and/or certificate management functions (including generating and verifying cryptographic certificates) and/or key management functions and/or access to any needed private keys to perform security services.

Abstract: A tracking system and method uses a multi-threaded controller to automatically and periodically generate tracking objects that are presented to carrier tracking websites. The tracking objects are retrieved from input queues that receive tracking requests from a scheduler. The carrier tracking website updates the status of package delivery which in turn updates the data in the shipping system server with respect to tracking information. This updated information can be used to automatically generate E-mail notification of package delivery as well as for updated purposes. An instant track component allows a user to obtain prioritized tracking information from the associated carrier tracking website.

Abstract: A planning engine for use in a planning system which is in turn used to plan shipment of a parcel of at least one item, the planning including routing and rating the shipment. The planning system, of which the planning engine is a component, includes a router for determining possible routes for the shipment (each route a carrier and a service), a rater for rating each possible route, a consolidator for attempting to consolidate a list of shipments, and a prorater for allocating costs of a consolidation among the consolidated shipments, and also has read and write access to a shipping database.

Abstract: A dynamic registration device for a mailing system that reduces the problems of dust generation, ink smearing, and print head contact is provided. The biasing force normally applied to the back panel of a mail piece, such that the front panel maintains contact with a registration plate, is controlled by an actuator such that the force can be removed when the printing module is not performing the actual printing process. Thus, the biasing force can be applied only when the print head is actually printing and the biasing force can be removed once printing has been completed. In other embodiments utilizing multiple printing modules, when one of the printing modules is inactivated, the biasing force can be removed, and the mail pieces pass through the inactive printing module without being registered against the top registration plate.