107 results about "Postage Stamps" patented technology

A tamper indicating optical security device that operates to produce one or more synthetic images is provided. Any attempt to detach (e.g., forcibly remove) this device from an underlying base material will cause one or more layers of the security device to separate or delaminate, rending the device partially or totally inoperable. The inventive device is contemplated for use with, among other things, currency or banknotes, secure documents such as bonds, checks, travelers checks, identification cards, lottery tickets, passports, postage stamps, and stock certificates, as well as non-secure documents such as stationery items and labels. The inventive device is also contemplated for use with consumer goods as well as bags or packaging used with consumer goods.

The user can attach a stamp without a predetermined postage to an article to be mailed. The stamp has a top layer having a visual display, middle layer having an electronics layer, and a bottom layer having an adhesive layer. The stamp is encoded such that the visual display of the stamp is altered to indicate a state of the stamp. Postage of the article is determined by a postal authority worker and payment is authorized using the unique identifier. This eliminates the need for the sender to have any personal interaction with a postal worker to ship an article and eliminating the need for the sender to estimate postal cost prior to the article being received at the postal office. Altering the adhesive layer provides safe removal of the affixed stamp which can then be reused.

A system and method for postage payment utilizes passive RFID tags as postage “stamps”, with the amount of the postage automatically billed to a previously-established customer account. The tags are stored in a separate stamp database and are “enabled” by linking the individual tag to a customer account. The use of the RFID stamps eliminates the need for the customer to know the proper postage beforehand. The existence of a customer account with a proper return address reduces the likelihood of a dead letter. Also, a special category of stamps may be used for automatic reply mail. By virtue of using an RFID tag, the mailed item's progress through the postal delivery system may be tracked from dispatch to delivery.

A method of authorizing the making of images on a receiver such as postage stamps by a receiving agency includes electronically transmitting a digital image file over a channel to the receiving agency and the digital image file includes at least one digital image and authorization information for making images on a receiver. The method further includes receiving the digital image file at the receiving agency, displaying at least one received digital image and examining the displayed digital image to determine whether its contents are acceptable for making images and examining the authorization information and printing at a designated location accepted digital images on a receiver corresponding to the transmitted digital image when the authorization information is approved.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for creating computer-based postage that may be used on any date and with an undetermined addressee includes generating a request to print postage, determining the means for generating the request, determining the master serial number for label stock, tracking the master serial number and printing the postage. The present invention provides for the creation of computer-based postage that may be used in a manner similar to standard postage issued by the USPS. In a presently preferred embodiment, the intended address of the recipient need not be verified at the time the postage is created. Rather the postage may be used at any time in the future with any recipient.

3D light field display methods and apparatus with improved viewing angle, depth and resolution are introduced. The methods can be used to create a high quality 3D light field display of any size from smaller than a postage stamp to larger than a three story building.

A postage stamp providing an indication of successful completion of a sterilization process. The postage stamp is affixed to a mail article. The mail article is then collected by the postal service for processing. The mail article is subjected to sterilization by a sterilization apparatus to sterilize the mail article. Upon being successfully sterilized, the postage stamp turns color to indicate completion of the sterilization process.

In order to provide a mobile postage stamp, when mobile postage stamp application information is received from a terminal owned by a user, a mobile postage stamp providing system verifies a recipient mailing address included in the mobile postage stamp application information. After the verification of the recipient mailing address is completed, the mobile postage stamp providing system generates a serial number corresponding to the mobile postage stamp on the basis of the mobile postage stamp application information and provides the generated serial number to the terminal.

Abstract of Disclosure A would-be purchaser of postage stamps is required to provide information indicative of his or her identity, for example by means of an identity code. The identity code is then imprinted upon the stamps and the stamps are then provided to the purchaser. The imprint may be a bar code, and the imprinted information may be cryptographically signed. The imprinted information may be printed in such as way as to be invisible to the naked eye.

This apparatus is small, compact, and light-weight, relatively inexpensive in terms of manufacturing cost, and will substantially improve the quality of a stamped image, also used for repetitive printing on individual sheets of card stock or any flat printable surface, in the same pre-determined location, set be the user, which provides maximum flexibility in arrangement and adjustment to permit the apparatus to be used with various sizes of stamps, and various types of card stock and to be used to make a consistent inked impression at virtually any location on selected card stock.

In one embodiment, a donation computing device is configured to receive donations from donors and to allot to the donor a quantity of donation indications that may be included in electronic communications transmitted by the donor. The allotted number of donation indications may be based at least partly on a donation amount received from the donor and / or a denomination amount associated with the donation indications. The donation indications may comprise graphical images and / or text, for example, such as representations of postage stamps that may be inserted into emails. The recipients of the electronic communications may then make additional donations to the donee in response to viewing the donation indication in the received electronic communication. In one embodiment, the donees may access information about the donors, such as contact information, so that the donees may transmit thank you communications to the donors and encourage that further donations are made.

A tamper indicating optical security device that operates to produce one or more synthetic images is provided. Any attempt to detach (e.g., forcibly remove) this device from an underlying base material will cause one or more layers of the security device to separate or delaminate, rending the device partially or totally inoperable. The inventive device is contemplated for use with, among other things, currency or banknotes, secure documents such as bonds, checks, travelers checks, identification cards, lottery tickets, passports, postage stamps, and stock certificates, as well as non-secure documents such as stationery items and labels. The inventive device is also contemplated for use with consumer goods as well as bags or packaging used with consumer goods.

The invention provides a production method of special anti-counterfeiting rice paper for a postage stamp, which comprises the following steps: adopting wingceltis barks and straws from sand fields as raw materials, preparing pulp through soaking, beating and bleaching with calcium hypochlorite bleach solution; purifying the prepared pulp, fetching paper, drying, and cutting to manufacture raw rice paper; performing the alum dragging treatment of the raw rice paper in alum solution, and naturally drying the rice paper to obtain non-absorbent rice paper; and applying glue on the back of the non-absorbent rice paper, and drying and flattening to manufacture the special anti-counterfeiting rice paper for the postage stamp. Since the production method in the invention is an improvement based on the conventional production process, the produced rice paper not only preserves the properties of the conventional rice paper, but also has excellent printing applicability. Therefore, the rice paper can be used as the special anti-counterfeiting rice paper for stamps, stamped postcards and other postage stamps.

An easy-to-use apparatus for dispensing individual stamps from an elongated roll of adhesive-covered, paperbacked stamps. The apparatus has a hollow housing within which the roll of stamps is mounted and includes a novel roller mechanism that causes the stamps to be progressively dispensed from the housing with the paperbacking, which has been automatically separated therefrom, being rolled into a lower storage chamber provided in the housing. The roller of the roller mechanism is movable from a first, downward position to an upper engagement position wherein advancement of the paperbacked stamps is accomplished upon a rotational force being imparted to the roller by moving the housing of the device away from the article to which the stamp is to be affixed.

An image inputting device is provided which is capable of making reliable and speedy detection of an indicia even for an nonstandard size postal matter. The postal matter, when having passed by a proximity detecting section, is radiated with ultraviolet light at specified timing from light radiating unit. When a postal matter is radiated with ultraviolet light, fluorescence is emitted from a phosphor formed on an indicia after being pumped. In the case where the indicia is an meter, when the meter passes by a fluorescence field of view, red fluorescence enters a fluorescence light receiving optical system along a fluorescence detecting optical axis. If the indicia is a postage stamp containing a substance that emits phosphorescence, when the postage stamp passes by a phosphorescence detecting field of view where no ultraviolet light is not emitted, green fluorescence enters a phosphorescence light receiving optical system along a phosphorescence detecting optical axis.

The present application describes systems and methods for reliable transfer of information of value such as virtual postage stamps between a remote data center and a local device. An identifier that is unique over at least some time duration is assigned to each virtual postage stamp such that the identifier is associated with a specific index memory location or record storage location in the local virtual stamp-printing device. The local printing device permits only a single use of a virtual stamp using a secure state flag. The transfer protocol provides reliable transfer of virtual stamps between the remote data center and the local printing device that accommodates resend requests, that is not limited to serial transfer and that does not require end-to-end acknowledgements.

A method of using digital electronic paper in the form of a reusable stamp. The user can attach a stamp without a predetermined postage to an article to be mailed. The stamp has a top layer having a visual display, middle layer having an electronics layer, and a bottom layer having an adhesive layer. The stamp is encoded such that the visual display of the stamp is altered to indicate a state of the stamp. Postage of the article is determined by a postal authority worker and payment is authorized using the unique identifier. This eliminates the need for the sender to have any personal interaction with a postal worker to ship an article and eliminating the need for the sender to estimate postal cost prior to the article being received at the postal office. Altering the adhesive layer provides safe removal of the affixed stamp which can then be reused.

A method of paying for postage stamps, that involves offering a postage stamp for sale by a distributor to a consumer, wherein the stamp has a unique identification code and is initially inactive; distributing the postage stamp to the consumer; activating the stamp for use; and accounting with the distributor for postage associated with the stamp after the stamp has been distributed to the consumer.

This invention proposes the useful, non-obvious and novel steps of a polymer or wet paper based planchette containing an RFID fully integrated system on a chip transponder which can be attached to a collectible or reusable through the use of a substrate friendly adhesive. A collectible is defined herein as an individual piece of art work or an art collection, a stamp collection or an individual stamp, sports card collections or an individual card, sports memorabilia of any sort, currency collections or an individual piece of currency and items of a similar ilk plus designer label garments and accessories. As a collectable tracing and tracking system it is called “Collectable Cop”. A reusable is defined as packaging, containers, pallets or any other non consumable item utilized on the supply chain which reusable(s) requires tracking or tracing, referred to as the “Spot Chip” system. A planchette is defined herein as a small, oval or round shaped, wet paper or polymer based disk, smaller than a piece of dust, which can be randomly distributed on both sides of a collectible. A planchette is a flat piece of material designed for a special purpose. In this circumstance the purpose is to remotely track or trace collectible(s) or reusable(s) using this system and method.

A method and apparatus for visiting all productive stamp positions for a two-dimensional convex polygonal object. The object is visited with a stamp that has a stamp rectangle, and one or more discrete sample points. A productive location is one for which the object contains at least one of the stamp's sample points when the stamp is placed at that location. An unproductive location is one for which the object contains none of the stamp's sample points when the stamp is placed at that location. Stamp locations are discrete points that are separated vertically by the stamp rectangle's height, and horizontally by the stamp rectangle's width. The stamp may move to a nearby position, or to a previously saved position, as it traverses the object. The stamp moves in such a way as to visit all productive locations for an object while avoiding most of the unproductive locations.

A method and system are disclosed which regulate the electronic mail received by a subscriber or user by forcing the sender to pay a small amount for sending e-mail, making it uneconomic to send very large volumes of spam indiscriminately. The resulting permit or stamp can be reused by the receiver. A method and system for managing the response to unstamped e-mail is also disclosed.

The present application describes an electronically powered postage stamp or mailing label and including a radio frequency identification (RFID) device and system mounted between the opposing and facing major surfaces thereof. The RFID device and system includes an integrated circuit transceiver chip which is connected to and powered by a thin flat battery cell and is operated with a thin film RF antenna, all of which are mounted in side-by-side relationship on a thin base or support layer. These thin flat components are mounted in an essentially two dimensional planar configuration well suited for incorporation into the planar structure of a postage stamp or a mailing label. In addition, the RFID transceiver chip may be replaced with an electro-optically operated IC chip using, for example, LEDs or laser diodes for the propagation of light signals to an interrogator.

In one embodiment, a donation computing device is configured to receive donations from donors and to allot to the donor a quantity of donation indications that may be included in electronic communications transmitted by the donor. The allotted number of donation indications may be based at least partly on a donation amount received from the donor and / or a denomination amount associated with the donation indications. The donation indications may comprise graphical images and / or text, for example, such as representations of postage stamps that may be inserted into emails. The recipients of the electronic communications may then make additional donations to the donee in response to viewing the donation indication in the received electronic communication. In one embodiment, the donees may access information about the donors, such as contact information, so that the donees may transmit thank you communications to the donors and encourage that further donations are made.

A method of illuminating an item is disclosed. The method includes applying adhesive to the item, interspersing a taggant in the adhesive, illuminating the item with an excitation signal, sensing luminescence emitted by the taggant in response to illumination by the excitation signal, and determining the authenticity of the item based on the sensed emitted luminescence. The item can include any item benefited by authentication, and can include a postage stamp. A method of customizing an item is disclosed. This can include the steps of preparing a substrate, applying a security feature to the substrate, printing non-customized information on the substrate, receiving image information, and printing the image information on the substrate.

A self-inking hand stamp (1) with upper impact inking, comprising a stamp housing (2) in which a stamp aggregate (3) is arranged that is capable of moving from an inking position on an ink pad (4) into a stamping position, with an actuating frame (8) as well as a reversing mechanism being associated with the stamp aggregate for said purpose, whereby the actuating frame (8) is mounted like a cap on the top part of the stamp housing (2), and comprises two legs (9, 10) for actuating the stamp aggregate (3), said legs resting against the stamp housing (2), and can be depressed relative to the stamp housing (2) against spring force, and is provided with a receiving recess (17) for accommodating an information sheet (18), with a transparent cover (24) being associated with the receiving recess (17). The receiving recess (17) extends from the top side (16) of the actuating frame (8) to the broad sides (19, 20) of the frame, and the transparent cover (24) is correspondingly curved from the top side to the broad side and embodied in the form of one single piece.

The invention disclosed a kind of inflatable re-wet mastic the ingredient of which is cross-link copolymer (the solid content of the copolymer is 20-50%). The copolymer refers to the cross-link copolymer of non-ion metamer and positive ion metamer, the cross-link copolymer of non-ion metamer and negative ion metamer or the mixture of the two copolymers, the aqueous mediator and the oily mediator. The mastic in the invention has good gluing ability at low temperature; it also has strong initial cohesity, quick moistening back-glue speed; it takes less than 35 seconds to reach strong gluing ability; it has very good stability and expandibility, the volume can be expanded by 25 times so it can compensate the damage because of the coarse surface; it can be used in various aspects such as wall paper, ads, labels, stamps, envelop sealing and so on.

This invention relates to a printer that can feed, seal, and print an indicia (Postage Stamp) directly on a mailpiece or tapesheet using an inkjet printhead. Printer will be capable of feeding mailpieces either by hand, semi-automatically or a stack of mailpieces automatically; sealing each mailpiece if needed, and printing an indicia directly on the mailpiece using Internet-Based USPS approved software.