Abstract: A system and method for remote postage metering of postage indicia, including demanding a desired postage amount and subsequently printing the postage indicia onto a piece of mail. A user inputs certain necessary information, as well as additional desired information, into a local processor-based system. The local system then assembles a postage demand in suitable format and transmits the same to a remote postage metering device. The remote postage metering device then verifies the demand for authority to demand and valid funding. Upon verification, the remote postage meter serves the transaction by configuring a shared device using virtual user device data structures and assembles a data packet representing an authorized postage indicia. The data packet is transmitted to the local system for printing. Printing of the postage indicia may be unaccompanied, or may include additional information.

Abstract: A system and method for remote postage metering of postage indicia, including demanding a desired postage amount and subsequently printing the postage indicia onto a piece of mail. A user inputs certain necessary information, as well as additional desired information, into a local processor-based system. The local system then assembles a postage demand in suitable format and transmits the same to a remote postage metering device. The remote postage metering device then verifies the demand for authority to demand and valid funding. Upon verification, the remote postage meter serves the transaction by configuring a shared device using virtual user device data structures and assembles a data packet representing an authorized postage indicia. The data packet is transmitted to the local system for printing. Printing of the postage indicia may be unaccompanied, or may include additional information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for displaying nested rectangles which graphically illustrate the directories and files located in a storage medium such a computer hard disk drive or the nodes of a tree data structure. The sizes of the rectangles are proportional to the size of the directory or file they represent, and the rectangles are nested in a recursive manner in accordance with the branch structure of the directories and files on the storage media. Preferably, the dimensions of the rectangles are chosen to maximize the number of rectangles, especially those capable of displaying the names of the directories and files. Yet further, the invention preferably assigns colors to the rectangles based upon certain criteria and suppresses directories or files from being shown if their rectangles will be too small to be accurately perceived.