Abstract: An electronic scale integrally formed within the housing of a piece of office equipment increases a user's work space in a home or business environment. The piece of equipment may be a personal computer or one of its peripheral devices. A mailing system automatically computes postal and/or private carrier rates for items of mail based on weight signals derived from the electronic scale. Since the scale is integrated into the computer, all mailing tasks are performed at a user's desk using the least space possible. The system is performed in accordance with a computer program which steps a user through the postage-computing method using one or more interactive display screens.

Abstract: An electronic scale integrally formed within the housing of a piece of office equipment increases a user's work space in a home or business environment. The piece of equipment may be a personal computer or one of its peripheral devices. A mailing system automatically computes postal and/or private carrier rates for items of mail based on weight signals derived from the electronic scale. Since the scale is integrated into the computer, all mailing tasks are performed at a user's desk using the least space possible. The system is performed in accordance with a computer program which steps a user through the postage-computing method using one or more interactive display screens.

Abstract: A system for remotely modifying a mailing/shipping program at a customer terminal includes a mailing/shipping service provider terminal which communicates with the customer terminal over a communications path. The method includes selecting a feature of the mailing/shipping program to be modified, communicating a request for modification of the feature to the service provider terminal, and then communicating activation information to the customer terminal over a secure link to perform the requested modification. The modification may be the activation or de-activation of the program feature. According to another method, a data base of customer information at the service provider terminal is searched to identify customers who might be interested in a newly developed program feature or who have pre-purchased a rate table update service. An electronic mail message embodying the new feature or rate table is then automatically communicated to the terminals of the identified customers for installation.