EP 1035515 A3 20001220 - Postal stamp and method of vertying the validity thereof
Title (en)
Postal stamp and method of vertying the validity thereof
Title (de)
Briefmarke und Methode zum Überprüfen ihrer Gültigkeit
Title (fr)
Timbre postal et procédé pour vérifier sa validation
Publication
Application
Priority
US 26630499 A 19990311
Abstract (en)
[origin: EP1035515A2] A method of verifying the validity of a postal stamp to determine whether the stamp is produced legitimately and whether it has been canceled in a previous use. The method includes the steps of producing a special code on the stamp of interest and creating a record relating to the special code in a database. When the mailpiece collected by a post office has a stamp bearing a special code, the special code is reported to the database for verification. If the records in the database indicate that the reported special code does exist, then the stamp is considered legitimate. The mailpiece is accepted and the stamp is canceled before delivery, and a request is sent to the database to effect the alteration of the record relating to the "canceled" special code. An altered record will no longer provide a proof of validity if the database is later consulted with respect to the specific special code. <IMAGE>
IPC 1-7
IPC 8 full level
G07B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC (source: EP)
G07B 17/00435 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00443 (2013.01); G07B 2017/0058 (2013.01); G07B 2017/00709 (2013.01)
Citation (search report)
- [X] DE 19737232 A1 19990304 - OBERLAENDER MATTHIAS [DE]
- [A] US 5768384 A 19980616 - BERSON WILLIAM [US]
Designated contracting state (EPC)
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
DOCDB simple family (publication)
EP 1035515 A2 20000913; EP 1035515 A3 20001220; CA 2300621 A1 20000911
DOCDB simple family (application)
EP 00104519 A 20000310; CA 2300621 A 20000310