Postage Prepayment Using Unique ID and Distributed Database
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current franking methods through telecommunications networks are limited to a small user base due to the inability to guarantee real-time access to postal data across all mail reception offices, making it difficult to extend the service to a mass market.
Innovation Solution
Associating each mail item with a unique identification code that includes the post office box identifier, allowing only the relevant postal data to be accessed for validity checks, using a portable communication device for data entry and transfer, and employing two-dimensional bar codes for efficient data storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized database is used to store postal data of all users, then real-time validity checks can be performed, but network access time and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized database is segmented into multiple distributed regional databases, each serving a specific geographic area. The system divides the user base and postal data across these distributed nodes, eliminating the need for a single large centralized database while maintaining real-time access capabilities through local data storage.
Solution Approach 2:
Each regional database is optimized to store and process postal data locally for its specific region. This allows mail reception offices to access relevant data quickly without querying a centralized system, improving response time while reducing network dependency and system complexity.
2Reliability
If all mail reception offices access a centralized database in real-time, then franking validity can be verified, but network communication reliability and response time cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the centralized database access model into multiple independent regional database nodes. Each office accesses its local regional database directly, eliminating network communication delays and reliability issues associated with centralized access while maintaining verification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Regional databases act as intermediaries between mail reception offices and the central system. These intermediary databases store local postal data and handle verification requests locally, reducing direct communication requirements with the central system while ensuring verification reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a unique identification code system is implemented for each mail item, then franking control is simplified, but data storage and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing complete postal data for every user in every database, the system uses unique identification codes that reference master records. Each mail item carries a compact unique ID that links to detailed postal information stored once in the distributed database system, reducing overall data storage requirements while maintaining full functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves inputting an identifier (10A) of a post office box (10) at the level of a portable communication device (14) of a mailer of a post article (12), where the identifier is constituted in the form of a high capacity alphanumeric or digital data coding code, error corrections and two dimensional bar codes such as Aztec codes. The identifier is transmitted with postal data to a stamping service server (16) that is charged to provide stamping authorization for the mailer, where the data has a stamping value and a unique identification code (12B) related to the article. An independent claim is also included for a computer program comprising a set of instructions for performing a post article stamping method.