Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8160974 | Multiple carrier mailing machine Systems and methods including mailing machines having postage meters including multiple postal security devices are described. In one illustrative configuration, a postage meter having multiple postal security devices for use with different postal carriers is descri... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8126822 | Virtual post office box A method that enables the post to deliver letters, flats, post cards and packages (mail) addressed to a recipient's virtual post office box and then to be delivered directly to the recipient. The process enables individuals or entities to rent a virtual post office ... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8108322 | PC postage™ service indicia design for shipping label Systems and methods of insuring payment of a proper amount of postage, comprise receiving payment for an amount of postage, affixing a postage indicia to a piece of mail, wherein the postage indicia includes the postage amount in a format readable only by machine, a... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8103518 | Systems and methods for new address validation Systems and methods are provided for validating an address associated with a delivery item. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method validates addresses associated with a delivery item. The method includes the steps of electronically receiving a data file fr... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8086546 | Method and system for anticipatory package shipping A method and system for anticipatory package shipping are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method may include packaging one or more items as a package for eventual shipment to a delivery address, selecting a destination geographical area to which to ship th... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8078548 | System and method for controlling postage usage independent of meter balance A postage evidencing meter system is disclosed. The system comprises an authorization database for storing parameters for at least one user, wherein the parameters limit the at least one user's ability to evidence postage using the meter. The parameters include a ma... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8073787 | System and method for mail verification A system and method is provided for transmitting mail verification data over a wide area network, such as the Internet, in response to receiving and authenticating at least a portion of mail identification (ID) data. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mai... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8069123 | Secure franking machine A franking machine is described including a unit for generating franking data and a unit for printing data connected to the data generating unit and adapted to receive franking data therefrom, the printer unit including at least one member for printing data, wherein... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8065239 | Customized computer-based value-bearing item quality assurance The exemplary embodiment of the present invention will provide methods and a computer system for managing image content review for image customization of computer-based value-bearing items such as, for example, an exemplary image-customized computer-based postage la... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8060453 | System and method for funds recovery from an integrated postal security device Systems and methods for providing funds recovery for mailing machines including integrated circuits such as those used in postal security devices are described, and in certain configurations, systems and methods for recovering data such as postal funds records from ... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8046308 | Method of processing postal items with account being taken of extra expense due to wrong delivery A method of processing postal items in which an image is formed of each item, the image including address information (1), and on the basis of the image of the item and a reference address base (6), OCR is used to perform automatic recognition of the d... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8046311 | Postal indicia generating system and method A method for generating a postal indicia associated with a mailpiece is disclosed. The method includes generating an indicia data stream including a postal information segment and a security segment that is based upon the postal information segment and modifying a p... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8027844 | System and method for processing mail A method and system for processing postage payments is described. In one configuration a digital pen is utilized to provide an indication of authorization for payment of postage, while the rest of the mail handling is done using existing technology independent of th... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8027935 | Systems and methods for value bearing indicia balance reservation Systems and methods which operate to reserve an amount of value associated with a value bearing indicia (VBI) request or requests are shown. Embodiments facilitate completion of a multiple VBI session without failing due to insufficient value balance once the sessio... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8027934 | Method and system for paying for a service A system of paying for a service that is delivered to a user by a provider of said service, the system including print means for printing out a docket issued by the service provider and bearing the amount to be paid for the requested service, and franking means for ... | 09/27/2011 |
| 8019696 | Method and system to protect and track data from multiple meters on a removable storage medium A system and method for allowing multiple postage meters to utilize removable storage media to accurately track and protect data generated during use is provided. A unique identifier is provided for each removable storage medium, and the removable storage medium is ... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8015121 | System for franking mail items with data document or file associated therewith This invention relates to a machine for franking mail items, comprising means for printing postal indicia on a mail item and means for also printing on this mail item a unique identification number for this mail item, means for creating at least one data document or... | 09/06/2011 |
| 8005762 | Automated handling of computer-based postage system printing errors The exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for handling printing errors in a computer-based postage system, the method comprising: assigning an identifier to a particular mail piece wherein said identifier uniquely identifies the particular ... | 08/23/2011 |
| 7991707 | Systems and methods for the provision of postage Systems and methods for providing postal services which allow customers to flexibly obtain postal services while also allowing customers to defer the payment of postage until the time of mailing or later. Information provided by a postal service is used to identify ... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7991706 | Virtual mailing system A virtual mailing system includes a virtual post office disposed in a virtual environment. A user in the virtual environment can request for the delivery of an electronic asset. A postage metering device, associated with the virtual post office, is operative to revi... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7979358 | Quality assurance of image-customization of computer-based value-bearing items The exemplary embodiment of the present invention will provide methods and a computer system for managing image content review for image customization of computer-based value-bearing items such as, for example, an exemplary image-customized computer-based postage la... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7970714 | System and method for producing a mailpiece including value added services A system for producing a mailpiece for delivery in accordance with a Value Added (VA) service. The system comprises a computer processor having Value Added Services (VAS) program code adapted to operate in combination with the processor's print driver code. Further,... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7962423 | Method and system for dispensing virtual stamps A method and system for a virtual stamp dispensing metering system is provided wherein indicia of varying values are calculated at a data center and downloaded to a mailing machine on a periodic basis. The mailing machine securely stores the indicia and dispenses th... | 06/14/2011 |
| 7937332 | Automatic verification of postal indicia products A method for verifying uniquely identifiable postal indicia in a closed loop system is provided. An embodiment of the method may include scanning a mail piece for human-readable and machine-readable images in a single image, including a postal indicium representing ... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7933845 | Image-customization of computer-based value-bearing items The exemplary embodiment of the present invention will provide computer systems and methods for customizing computer-based value-bearing items, such as, for example, customizing a computer-based postage-indicia-bearing item such as exemplary image-customized compute... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7921062 | Dynamic allocation of postal security devices A system for dynamically allocating one or more postal security devices (PSDs), includes an indicia pool utilizing PSDs for generating indicia, a download pool for refreshing PSD funds, and a means for allocating the one or more PSDs among the indicia pool and downl... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7917453 | Mail franking system with a secure external printing mode To print a postal imprint by an external imprint label dispenser connected via a communications link to a postage meter, during an initialization step for initializing the communications link, the postage meter authenticates the imprint label dispenser by exchanging... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7917454 | System and method for instant online postage metering A system and method for instantly printing PC postage before establishing a postage meter account. The method includes the steps of a meter vendor obtaining a first meter license from the Post for a first meter; loaning the use of a first meter licensed in the custo... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7853537 | Letter flow control A modular franking system including at least one module and a module sensor adapted to sense objects fed to the module. The module can include information on the distance between a position of the sensor and at least one edge of the module, and a location of at leas... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7818268 | System and method for mail verification A system and method is provided for transmitting mail verification data over a wide area network, such as the Internet, in response to receiving and authenticating at least a portion of mail identification (ID) data. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mai... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7814032 | System and method for mail verification A system and method is provided for transmitting mail verification data over a wide area network, such as the Internet, in response to receiving and authenticating at least a portion of mail identification (ID) data. In one embodiment of the present invention, a mai... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7809654 | Universal modular mail handling system This invention relates to a mail handling system intended for printing postal indicia on a mail item, comprising a franked label dispenser allowing the print of postal indicia on a label intended thereafter to be stuck on the mail item, and a control computer termin... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7805384 | Postal printer driver system and method There is disclosed a printer control system and method for abstracting the data flow to a printer, or other device, and for using the abstracted information for controlling additional processes with respect to the printer. In one embodiment, the abstracted informati... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7769700 | Method and apparatus for transferring post meter data A method and a system for collecting, segregating, and transmitting data relating to the use of a value metering system are described. A system and a method for dynamically updating collection, segregation, and/or transmission rules are also described. ... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7765168 | Method and apparatus for the control and distribution of value bearing items in a PC postage system A system and method for the control and distribution of expiring free postage in a PC postage system is disclosed. According to the invention, a predetermined portion of the expiring free postage is transferred to a postage meter and the remainder of the expiring fr... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7707123 | Method and arrangement for compensating a postage machine user for printed and billed, but unusable franking imprints In a method for compensation of the first postage value of an unusable printed franking imprint billed in a billing module of a franking arrangement, the occurrence of the unusable franking imprint is detected as a first error event, error information associated wit... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7698232 | Method and system for controlling processing performed by a mailing machine A mailing machine is provided that determines if entry into a disabled state is coupled with the need for auxiliary information to be entered by the user. If auxiliary information is required to be entered by the user, the print head will not move to the capped posi... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7689518 | System and method for instant online postage metering A system and method for instantly printing PC postage before establishing a postage meter account. The method includes the steps of a meter vendor obtaining a first meter license from the Post for a first meter; loaning the use of a first meter licensed in the custo... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7689519 | Method of delivering a franking service via a communications network Method of delivering a franking service including the following operations: connection via a communications network of a user's communications device (10, 12) with a server system (18) operated by a franking services provider, entry via the communicati... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7672907 | Postage meter having a vertical path In a postage meter including a print module for printing on mail items, a feed tray for feeding in mail items to said print module, and a collection tray for receiving the mail items once they have been franked by the print module, said feed tray is inclined in two ... | 03/02/2010 |
