EP 0811955 A2 19971210 - Secure apparatus and method for printing value with a value printer
Title (en)
Secure apparatus and method for printing value with a value printer
Title (de)
Sicheres Gerät und Verfahren zum Drucken von Werten mit einem Wertedrucker
Title (fr)
Appareil sécurisé et procédé pour imprimer des valeurs avec une imprimante de valeur
Publication
Application
Priority
US 66002796 A 19960606
Abstract (en)
A system and method of printing value such as postage using a value meter (10) connectable to communicate with a host terminal (12) which includes a printer (24). The postage meter (10), sometimes referred to as a vault, includes a processor (14) and storage (16) and the host terminal includes a processor (22) and storage (30). The printer (24) is provided with a secure non-volatile random access storage (30) and a processor (28) and a key is stored in the non-volatile random access storage (30). The key is changed for every print cycle so that it is impossible to print unauthorized postage on the basis of possession of the key used to print the last postage. A change of key is effected by reading the key from the non-volatile random access storage (30) in the printer (24) and changing the key, such as by a pseudo-random number generator, to provide a second key. The second key is stored in the non-volatile random access storage (30) and then encrypted by an encryption scheme known to an authorized postage meter. The encrypted second key is transmitted to an authorized postage meter wherein it is decrypted pursuant to the decryption scheme known to the authorized postage meter. Print data may be securely transmitted to the host (12) and printer (24) by using the decrypted second key to convert the data to be printed. This is then sent to the printer where it is deconverted using the second key to recover the data to be printed. <IMAGE>
IPC 1-7
IPC 8 full level
G07B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC (source: EP)
G07B 17/00314 (2013.01); G07B 17/00733 (2013.01); G07B 17/00508 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00322 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00806 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00854 (2013.01); G07B 2017/0087 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00919 (2013.01)
Designated contracting state (EPC)
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
DOCDB simple family (publication)
DOCDB simple family (application)
EP 97109204 A 19970606; CA 2206937 A 19970602