Patents by Inventor Elise R. Debois

Elise R. Debois 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).

  • Remote postage meter resetting system having alternate postage funding sources
    Patent number: 6381590
    Abstract: A remote postage meter resetting system includes apparatus for sending a request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount together with first data indicative of a first user prepaid postage account resident in a prepaid postage account data base having a plurality of prepaid postage accounts; and a data center including apparatus for receiving from the sending apparatus the first data together with the request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount; a line of credit database having a plurality of lines of credit each of which is associated with at least one of the plurality of prepaid postage accounts; a computer, in communication with the receiving apparatus, which is programmed to 1 ) obtain the first data and the postage recharge amount from the receiving apparatus, and 2) communicate with the prepaid postage account data base to determine if sufficient funds are in the first user prepaid postage account to cover the cost of the postage recharge amount, wherein at
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Elise R. Debois
  • Remote postage meter resetting system having alternate funding sources
    Patent number: 6010069
    Abstract: A remote postage meter resetting system includes apparatus for sending a request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount together with first data indicative of a first user prepaid postage account resident in a prepaid postage account data base having a plurality of prepaid postage accounts; and a data center including apparatus for receiving from the sending apparatus the first data together with the request to recharge the postage meter by the postage recharge amount; a line of credit database having a plurality of lines of credit each of which is associated with at least one of the plurality of prepaid postage accounts; a computer, in communication with the receiving apparatus, wherein at times when the computer determines that sufficient funds are not available in the first user account to cover the cost of the postage recharge amount the computer is programmed to automatically 1) communicate with the line of credit data base to determine if one of the plurality of lines of credit is
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Elise R. Debois