(19)
(11) EP 1 533 758 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
28.02.2007 Bulletin 2007/09

(43) Date of publication A2:
25.05.2005 Bulletin 2005/21

(21) Application number: 04027313.8

(22) Date of filing: 17.11.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G07B 17/04(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL HR LT LV MK YU

(30) Priority: 24.11.2003 US 719061

(71) Applicant: PITNEY BOWES INC.
Stamford, CT 06926-0700 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Pintsov, Leon A.
    West Hartford Connecticut 06117 (US)
  • Campagna, Matthew J.
    Ridgefield Connecticut 06877 (US)
  • Lelli, Danny
    Kanta Ontario K2M1EB (CA)

(74) Representative: HOFFMANN EITLE 
Patent- und Rechtsanwälte Arabellastrasse 4
81925 München
81925 München (DE)

   


(54) Method and system for generating characterizing information descriptive of printed material such as address blocks and generating postal indicia or the like incorporating such characterizing information


(57) A method and system for generating and printing an indicium, such as a postal indicium, on an object such as a mail piece. A digital image of other printed material, such as an address block, on the object is obtained, and the image is processed to abstract characterizing information descriptive aspects of the other printed material. The characterizing information is combined with other information, such as postal information, and the combined information is then cryptographically authenticated with a digital signature or the like. An indicium representative of the authenticated information is then printed on the object. The object's relationship to the indicium can be verified by regenerating the characterizing information from the other printed material and comparing the regenerated characterizing information with characterizing information recovered from the indicium.







Search report