A method and apparatus for generating a Value Bearing Indicium (VBI) for on-line ticketing applications. A VBI may be generated by hashing user information to create a message digest that is used to create a digital signature. The digital signature is combined with the user information to create a VBI that can be validated by a variety of stand-alone or on-line methods. An on-line ticketing application using the VBI is described.

Systems and techniques for compressing shipping data are provided. Origin/destination location code pairs are arranged, compressed, and de-duplicated to provide data files that can be processed and updated efficiently regardless of the number of location codes used or updated.

In certain embodiments, reduction of delay related to postage indicia dispensing may be facilitated. In some embodiments, a postage distributor system may retrieve indicia data representing postage indicia from a postage provider system associated with a postage provider. The postage distributor system may store the indicia data representing the postage indicia at a storage system of the postage distributor system. The postage distributor system may receive, via a user device, a request to purchase one or more indicia subsequent to the storage of the indicia data representing the postage indicia at the storage system. The postage distributor system may provide indicia data representing the requested indicia to the user device from the indicia data representing the postage indicia. In some embodiments, the postage distributor system's receipt of the request and providing of the indicia data representing the requested indicia occur during a downtime period of the postage provider system.

A goods processing apparatus includes a controller including a program memory, a security module, a first communication interface that is configured to, in cooperation with the security module, securely communicate with a remote server, and an acoustic output device electrically connected with the controller and configured to output audio files or sound files. The security module and the first communication interface can be electrically connected with the controller. The program memory may store a program to control the acoustic output via the acoustic output device. The program can facilitate external commands being transmitted from the remote server, or from one or more other internet sources, to the controller. Via security measures, operational security of the goods processing apparatus is prevented from being negatively affected, or harmful code is prevented from being transmitted to controller.

A system and method for retrieving a plurality of indicia are described. The method includes receiving, by a computer system associated with a postage provider a request from a user, the request including a number of the plurality of indicia, and a monetary value of each of the plurality of indicia; and authenticating the request. The method further includes verifying whether sufficient funds exist in an account of the user for the number and monetary value of the plurality of requested indicia. If the request is found authentic and the computer system determines that sufficient funds exist in the account of the user for the number and monetary value of the requested indicia, extracting the plurality of indicia. The method further includes assembling in a return message the plurality of indicia as at least one binary data message; and transmitting the message to a computer associated with the user.

The invention disclosed a password-sending-and-receiving device for logistics delivery and distribution by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the technical scheme being the password-sending-and-receiving device. The device comes in two forms, the first form being the receiving end directly carries the authentication information for authentication, and the second form being that the receiving end obtains the authentication information through the network. In the first form, a password-sending-and-receiving device comprises three components: a Transmitter (10), an Authentication Service Information Server (20) and a Receiver (30) containing a Memory Module (31). In the second form, a Second Authentication Information Receiving Module (35) replaces the Memory Module (31). The Second Authentication Information Receiving Module (35) is connected to an Authentication Module (33), and is a wireless receiving module through wireless or wired network and can be used to receive authentication information sent by an Authentication Information Sending Module (22).

A system and method for mobile devices that do not have hardware interfaces to be able to control shipping peripheral devices that are not connected directly thereto are provided. Intermediary hardware devices are utilized that are connected to a local area network. A first device communicates with the user's mobile device using very-short range communication protocols. A second device has the peripheral devices directly coupled thereto, and includes preinstalled drivers and application software for the peripheral devices. The devices allow the mobile device and peripheral devices to communicate with each other over the local area network. Thus, the mobile device can be used to control the peripheral devices even though the peripheral devices are not directly connected to the mobile device.

A method and apparatus for generating a Value Bearing Indicium (VBI) for on-line ticketing applications. A VBI may be generated by hashing user information to create a message digest that is used to create a digital signature. The digital signature is combined with the user information to create a VBI that can be validated by a variety of stand-alone or on-line methods. An on-line ticketing application using the VBI is described.

Methods and systems using a single centralized database to manage postal accounting data are provided. The central database may interface with remote postal meters by way of one or more transient data collectors, which cache data from associated meters and transmit the data to the central database. The data collectors also validate postage accounts to the associated meters. The use of local transient data collectors allows for a single centralized database to be used without requiring data replication among databases local to each computer that manages postal meters.

Systems and methods which implement localized functionality in a client server system using a technique of caching one or more functional objects for access in response to an appropriate server call are shown. Embodiments provide a browser based postage indicia generation and printing solution in which a browser upon which a postage client is operable is controlled to cache one or more functional objects in the form of script files. Various functional objects may be optimized for caching by clients such as postal rating scripts, postal insurance rating scripts, address verification scripts, etc. Security and/or accuracy verification may be implemented by a server to independently verify the results of the use of functional objects by a client.