JPH1027272A5

JPH1027272A5 -

Info

Publication number: JPH1027272A5
Application number: JP1996359647A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 1996-12-19
Publication date: 2004-11-18

Description

【発明の名称】トランザクションの証明方法及びその実行方法[Title of Invention] Transaction verification method and execution method

【００１４】
ＰＣベースの計量システム１０のキー要素は、ＰＣベースの計量システム１０の好適な動作の記載につづいて、以下に記載される。ディジタルトークン発生プロセスについては、出願中の米国特許出願（代理人のドケット番号Ｅ−４１５及びＥ−４１９（日本国特許出願特願平８−３５９６４６に対応）に記載されている）。
本発明の好適な実施の形態において、ボールトは、ＰＣ１２のPCMCIA制御装置３２を介してアクセスされるPCMCIA I/0装置、あるいはカードに内蔵される。PCMCIAカードは、パーソナルコンピュータ・メモリカード国際協会(the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) の標準仕様と一致するクレジットカード大の周辺装置あるいはアダプターである。
図２と図３を参照すると、このPCMCIAカードは、マイクロプロッセサ４４、不揮発性メモリ（ＮＶＭ）４６、クロック４８、暗号モジュール５０及び会計モジュール５２を有する。暗号モジュール５０は、ＮＢＳデータ暗号標準(Data Encryption Standard:DES)或いは他の適当な暗号体系を具現化することができる。好適な実施の形態において、暗号モジュール５０は、ソフトウェアモジュールである。暗号モジュール５０は、マイクロプロセッサ４４に結合された個々のチップのような、個々の装置であってもよいことが理解されるであろう。会計モジュール５２は、創作ＺＩＰコード、ベンダー識別子、ＰＣベースの郵便料金計器１０を識別するデータ、ＰＣベースの郵便料金計器１０によって発生された郵便の歳入ブロックの連続個数のカウント、郵便料金の額および郵便局への送達の日付のような郵便データばかりでなく、昇順および降順レジスタ(ascending and descending register) を内蔵するEEPROMである。知られているように、計量ユニットにおける昇順レジスタは、全てのトランザクションにおいて消費された、即ちボールトによって出された郵便料金の額を記録し、降順レジスタは、計量ユニットに残っている値、即ち郵便料金の額を記録し、そして郵便料金としてどんな値が減少されたかが示される。[0014]
The key elements of the PC-based metering system 10 are described below, followed by a description of the preferred operation of the PC-based metering system 10. The digital token generation process is described in pending U.S. patent applications (Attorney Docket Nos. E-415 and E-419 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application No. 8-359646) ).
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vault is contained within a PCMCIA I/O device or card that is accessed via PCMCIA controller 32 of PC 12. A PCMCIA card is a credit card-sized peripheral device or adapter that conforms to the standard specifications of the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.
2 and 3, the PCMCIA card includes a microprocessor 44, a nonvolatile memory (NVM) 46, a clock 48, a cryptographic module 50, and an accounting module 52. The cryptographic module 50 may implement the NBS Data Encryption Standard (DES) or other suitable cryptography scheme. In a preferred embodiment, the cryptographic module 50 is a software module. It will be understood that the cryptographic module 50 may be a separate device, such as a separate chip, coupled to the microprocessor 44. The accounting module 52 is an EEPROM containing ascending and descending registers as well as postal data such as the origination ZIP code, a vendor identifier, data identifying the PC-based postage meter 10, a count of the number of consecutive postal revenue blocks generated by the PC-based postage meter 10, the amount of postage, and the date of delivery to the post office. As is known, the ascending register in the metering unit records the amount of postage consumed in every transaction, i.e., issued by the vault, and the descending register records the value, i.e., the amount of postage, remaining in the metering unit and indicates what value has been deducted as postage.

【００４０】
ディジタル・トークンの発生プロセスについては、関連米国特許出願（代理人ドケット番号Ｅ−４１６（日本国特許出願特願平８−３５９６４５に対応）、Ｅ−４１５およびＥ−４１４）のＰＣ計量システムに開示されている。ネットワークベースの計量システム１のためのディジタル・トークン発生プロセスは、顧客のアプリケーションプログラム３６’が図３に示されるようにディジタル・トークンに対する要求を顧客のＤＬＬ４０’とサーバーＤＬＬ４０を介してボールトに送ることを除いて、関連出願に記載されたものと同じである。発生されたトークンは、証印の発生において使用するためのサーバーＤＬＬ４０を介して顧客のＤＬＬ４０’に送られる。本発明において、トークンに対する要求が顧客からサーバー１０に送られると、例えばユーザーＩＤ、パスワード及び顧客のＰＣ識別子のような、顧客を識別するパラメータと同様にトークンを計算する必要がある全ての郵便情報は、多数の顧客がトークンを同時に要求しているかもしれないので、その要求を伴わなければならない。[0040]
The digital token generation process is disclosed in related U.S. patent applications (Attorney Docket Nos. E-416 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 8-359645) , E-415, and E-414) for PC metering systems. The digital token generation process for network-based metering system 1 is the same as that described in the related applications, except that customer application program 36' sends a request for a digital token to the vault via customer DLL 40' and server DLL 40, as shown in FIG. 3. The generated token is sent to customer DLL 40' via server DLL 40 for use in generating indicia. In the present invention, when a request for a token is sent from a customer to server 10, all postal information needed to calculate the token, as well as parameters identifying the customer, such as user ID, password, and customer PC identifier, must accompany the request, since multiple customers may be requesting tokens simultaneously.

Claims

1. A transaction evidencing system having a personal computer (PC), a non-secure printer and portable vault means removably coupled to said PC, and a user interface means,
the PC has a processor, a memory and a storage means;
the storage means having at least one non-metering application program selectively executed on the PC;
the unsecured printer is coupled to the PC for printing in accordance with the non-metering application program;
said portable vault means having digital token generating means and transaction accounting means;
The system comprises:
vault interface means within said PC for communicating between said portable vault means and said non-metered application programs and for performing metering functions other than those performed in said portable vault means;
an application interface module for interfacing with the non-metering application program;
a communications module for communicating with said portable vault means;
an indicium image creation and storage module for generating a bitmap of the indicium and storing the bitmap of the indicium in said storage means;
a transaction capture module for storing in said storage means a record of transactions generated on said portable vault means;
A transaction proof system comprising:

2. The transaction authentication system of claim 1, wherein said portable vault means comprises a vault card removably coupled to said PC, said PC having means for removably coupling said vault card to said PC.

3. The transaction verification system of claim 2, wherein the vault card is a PCMCIA card.

2. A transaction authentication system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said vault interface means is part of a dynamic link library in said PC.

2. The transaction authentication system of claim 1 , wherein a batch of digital tokens is generated before all indicia bitmaps corresponding to said batch of digital tokens are generated.

2. The transaction authentication system of claim 1 , wherein the transaction record is encrypted before being captured in the storage means.

2. The transaction proof system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of successive records of said transactions are stored in said storage means as a backup of the information stored in said portable vault means.

2. The transaction verification system of claim 1, wherein said storage means is a hard drive of said PC.

2. The transaction authentication system of claim 1, wherein the portable vault means has at least a default mode for normal user access and at least one restricted mode accessed by a password.

2. The transaction evidencing system of claim 1 further comprising means coupled to said PC for scanning payee information for selection by said non-metered application program upon requesting an indicia.

2. The transaction evidencing system of claim 1, wherein said vault interface means provides said non-metered application with a bitmap of said indicium for viewing an image of said bitmap of said indicium on a display coupled to said PC prior to printing said bitmap of said indicium.

2. The transaction evidencing system of claim 1, wherein said indicia image creation and storage module generates a postage indicia bitmap.

2. The transaction authentication system of claim 1, wherein the indicia bitmap generating means generates the indicia bitmap by combining indicia graphics stored in the storage means with the digital token and the predetermined information.

the application interface module issues a request for at least one digital token in response to a request for an indicia from the non-metered application program, the request for the digital token including predetermined information required by the token generating means; the communications module sends the request for the digital token and the predetermined information to the portable vault means, and receives a transaction record from the portable vault means including the digital token generated by the token generating means;
the indicium image creation and storage module generates an indicium bitmap from the digital token and stores the indicium bitmap;
the transaction capture module stores a record of the transaction;
2. The transaction evidencing system of claim 1, wherein the application interface module provides a bitmap of the indicia to the non-metered application program.

15. The transaction authentication system of claim 14 , wherein the communications module maintains the integrity of communication data with the portable vault means through the use of a period key for each transaction authentication communication period regarding requests and receipts of digital tokens.

15. The transaction evidencing system of claim 14 , wherein the communications module controls secure communications with a postal data center during refills of accounting registers in the transaction accounting means of the portable vault means.

said portable vault means including a plurality of portable vault devices, any one of which can be coupled to said PC for each transaction certification communication period;
said transaction capture module monitors communications between said vault devices and said communications module and stores in said storage means, for each of said vault devices, a record of all transactions and refill accounting information received by said communications module;
17. A transaction verification system according to claim 16 , whereby said storage means is a backup device for information stored in said vault device.

1. A method of implementing a transaction evidencing system on a personal computer (PC) having a display and a non-secure printer operatively coupled to the PC, comprising:
providing a portable vault removably coupled to said PC, said portable vault operating as a secure accounting module of a transaction evidencing system;
requesting a seal for a particular document being processed in an application program executing on said PC;
in response to the request for the indicia, securely transmitting from an application interface module in the PC at least one digital token to the ball along with a predetermined set of information regarding the particular document;
issuing at least one digital token at said vault and securely transmitting said digital token to an indicia generation module in a PC;
storing the digital token and the predetermined set of information in a transaction record;
generating an indicia bitmap using said transaction record;
providing said indicia bitmap to an application program when the application program is ready to print the indicia;
A method having the following.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of viewing on the PC display an image of at least a portion of the particular document with the indicia shown on the PC display before printing the particular document.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising storing a plurality of transaction records on a hard drive, each transaction record corresponding to a transaction occurring in the potable vault.

providing a dynamic link library (DLL) containing routines for controlling communication with the portable vault, stored transactions, stored indicia bitmaps, and application interfaces;
loading the DLL into memory of the PC when an indicia request is made from the application program;
accessing the DLL from the application program;
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

selecting recipient address information in an application program;
selecting in an application program the amount of postage to be printed;
including said recipient address information and said postage amount as part of said predetermined set of information;
printing said recipient address and said indicia on an envelope;
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

printing an indicium directly onto said document;
inserting the document into an envelope so that the indicia is visible through a window opening in the envelope;
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

1. A transaction evidencing system comprising a plurality of computer systems operatively configured to form a network with one of the computer systems acting as a server and the remaining computer systems acting as customers, each of the computer systems having a processor, memory, storage and user interface means, at least some of the storage including a plurality of non-metering application programs selectively executing on the customer computer systems, and at least one of the computer systems including a non-secure printer operatively coupled to the computer system for printing in accordance with the non-metering application programs;
The transaction proof system comprises:
a portable vault card removably coupled to said server's computer system, said vault card having digital token generating means and transaction accounting means, said server's computer system having means for removably coupling said vault card to a PC;
vault interface means for communicating between said portable vault means and said non-metered application programs and for performing metering functions other than metering functions performed in said portable vault means, said vault interface means comprising:
an application interface module in the customer's computer system for interfacing with the non-metered application program;
a communications module in said server computer system for communicating with said portable vault means;
an indicia image creation and storage module in said customer's computer system for generating an indicia bitmap and storing said indicia bitmap in said storage means;
a transaction capture module for storing in a storage means a record of transactions generated in said portable vault means;
Transaction proof system.

25. The transaction verification system of claim 24 , wherein said vault interface means is part of a dynamic link library module in said computer means.

25. The transaction authentication system of claim 24 , wherein the vault card is a PCMCIA card.

25. The transaction verification system of claim 24, wherein a batch of digital tokens is generated in a vault and stored in a required one of the customer's computer systems before all indicia bitmaps corresponding to the batch of digital tokens are generated.

25. A transaction verification system according to claim 24 , wherein the transaction record is encrypted before being stored in the storage means of the server computer system.

25. The transaction verification system of claim 24 , wherein a plurality of successive records of said transactions are stored in said storage means of said server computer system as a backup of the information stored on said vault card.

25. The transaction evidencing system of claim 24, wherein said vault interface means provides said one of said non-metering application programs for viewing an image of said indicium bitmap on a display coupled to said requesting customer's computer system before printing said indicium bitmap.

25. The transaction evidencing system of claim 24, wherein said indicia bitmap generating means generates a postal indicia bitmap by combining indicia graphics stored in said storage means of said requesting customer's computer system with said digital token and said predetermined information.

25. The transaction authentication system of claim 24, wherein the application interface module issues a request for at least one digital token in response to a request for an indicia from the non-metered application program, the request for the digital token including predetermined information required by the token generating means, the communications module sends the request for the digital token and the predetermined information to the portable vault means and receives from the portable vault means a transaction record including the digital token generated by the token generating means, the indicia image creation and storage module generates an indicia bitmap from the digital token and stores the indicia bitmap, the transaction capture module stores the transaction record, and the application interface module provides the indicia bitmap to the non - metered application program.

33. The transaction evidencing system of claim 32 , wherein the transaction capture module resides on the server and on a customer computer system.

25. The transaction verification system of claim 24 , wherein the transaction capture module resides on the server.

1. A method of implementing a transaction authentication system for a computer network having a plurality of computer systems operatively configured to form the computer network with a computer system acting as a server and the remaining computer systems as customers, comprising:
The method comprises:
providing a portable vault operatively coupled to a server, said vault operating as a secure accounting module of a transaction evidencing system;
requesting indicia at one of the clients for a particular document processed in a non-metering application program executing at said requesting client;
sending a request for said indicia from said requesting customer to a server along with a predetermined set of information regarding said particular document;
sending a request for at least one digital token from the server along with the predetermined set of information to a portable ball in response to the request for the indicia;
issuing at least one digital token at said portable ball and transmitting said digital token to a server as part of a transaction record;
storing a record of the transaction at the server;
transmitting from said server said digital token and a predetermined set of transaction record information to a requesting customer;
storing a record of the transaction to the customer;
generating, at the customer, a bitmap of an indicium using the digital token and a predetermined set of information;
providing a bitmap of said indicium to the non-metering application program when the non-metering application program is ready to print the indicium;
A method comprising:

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of viewing, on a display coupled to the requesting customer's computer system, an image of at least a portion of the particular document together with indicia shown on the display before printing the particular document.

36. The method of claim 35 , further comprising storing a record of a plurality of transactions in a file on a hard drive of the server.

selecting in the non-metered application program recipient address information for a user in the application program;
selecting in a non-metered application program an amount of postage to be printed in the application program;
including recipient address information and postage amount as part of the predetermined set of information;
printing said recipient address and said indicia on an envelope;
36. The method of claim 35 further comprising: