Abstract: A system for determining whether a mail piece has been opened including mail pieces that have the ability indicate a previously opened and never opened state, such as with a state change element, an interrogator unit, such as an RFID reader, for receiving state information, and a data center that receives the state information from the interrogator unit. Also, a method for determining whether a mail piece has been opened including receiving mail pieces at a recipient location, receiving at an interrogator unit, such as an RFID reader, state information from the mail pieces, and transmitting the state information from the interrogator unit to a data center. In either the system or method, each mail piece may have an RFID tag that communicates with the state change element and transmits the state information to the RFID reader. Bar code or other technologies may be substituted for RFID technology.

Abstract: An envelope insertion station having a plurality of actuating arms affixed to a rotatable shaft and a plurality of fingers pivotably mounted on the actuating arms for opening the throat of an envelope placed at an insertion area. The actuating arms are movable from a first position to a second position and then to a third position. When the actuating arms are in the first position, the fingers are freely pivotable so as to allow the envelope to be moved into the insertion area. When the actuating arms are in the second position, the fingers are caused to move along a defined path into the throat of the envelope placed at the insertion area. When the actuating arms are in the third position, the fingers are freely pivotable so as to allow enclosure material to move into the envelope through the throat.

Abstract: A postage system includes a data center, a population of postage metering systems and a control system that is in operative communication with the data center and the population of postage metering systems. The population of postage metering systems are located remote from the data center and are geographically distributed. The control system receives an incoming telephone call at one postage metering system of the population of postage metering system, stores a voice message associated with the telephone call and retrieves the voice message from another postage metering system of the population of postage metering systems.

Abstract: A postage meter includes a print head, a purge unit for removing waste ink from the print head, and an ink tray assembly for receiving the waste ink. The ink tray assembly includes a tray and a vapor-permeable, liquid-impermeable cover membrane across the opening of the tray.