Patents by Inventor Cynthia Price KILLIAN

Cynthia Price KILLIAN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9256844
    Abstract: A system and method for postage payment utilizes passive RFID tags as postage “stamps”, with the amount of the postage automatically billed to a previously-established customer account. The tags are stored in a separate stamp database and are “enabled” by linking the individual tag to a customer account. The use of the RFID stamps eliminates the need for the customer to know the proper postage beforehand. The existence of a customer account with a proper return address reduces the likelihood of a dead letter. Also, a special category of stamps may be used for automatic reply mail. By virtue of using an RFID tag, the mailed item's progress through the postal delivery system may be tracked from dispatch to delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Killian, Cynthia Price Killian
  • Publication number: 20140324652
    Abstract: A system and method for postage payment utilizes passive RFID tags as postage “stamps”, with the amount of the postage automatically billed to a previously-established customer account. The tags are stored in a separate stamp database and are “enabled” by linking the individual tag to a customer account. The use of the RFID stamps eliminates the need for the customer to know the proper postage beforehand. The existence of a customer account with a proper return address reduces the likelihood of a dead letter. Also, a special category of stamps may be used for automatic reply mail. By virtue of using an RFID tag, the mailed item's progress through the postal delivery system may be tracked from dispatch to delivery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas KILLIAN, Cynthia Price KILLIAN
  • Patent number: 8781927
    Abstract: A system and method for postage payment utilizes passive RFID tags as postage “stamps”, with the amount of the postage automatically billed to a previously-established customer account. The tags are stored in a separate stamp database and are “enabled” by linking the individual tag to a customer account. The use of the RFID stamps eliminates the need for the customer to know the proper postage beforehand. The existence of a customer account with a proper return address reduces the likelihood of a dead letter. Also, a special category of stamps may be used for automatic reply mail. By virtue of using an RFID tag, the mailed item's progress through the postal delivery system may be tracked from dispatch to delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas Killian, Cynthia Price Killian
  • Publication number: 20110137775
    Abstract: A system and method for postage payment utilizes passive RFID tags as postage “stamps”, with the amount of the postage automatically billed to a previously-established customer account. The tags are stored in a separate stamp database and are “enabled” by linking the individual tag to a customer account. The use of the RFID stamps eliminates the need for the customer to know the proper postage beforehand. The existence of a customer account with a proper return address reduces the likelihood of a dead letter. Also, a special category of stamps may be used for automatic reply mail. By virtue of using an RFID tag, the mailed item's progress through the postal delivery system may be tracked from dispatch to delivery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas KILLIAN, Cynthia Price KILLIAN