EP0440021B1 - Identification method for franking and post-marking machines - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1.

Franking and stamping machines have printing devices that print franking or value prints on mail items, receipts, documents, etc. as proof of the payment of fees. For many applications, it is necessary to be able to identify the machines on the basis of the impression, for example to identify counterfeits.

In order to avoid such counterfeits, it is known to also print markings which are not visually recognizable and which only become clear during a copying process (DE-OS 34 19 859). Furthermore, it is known to use security paper for the original print, the color density of the security markings being below the reproductive limit (DE-PS 28 05 146).

However, such methods are complex and sometimes not applicable when direct prints on different templates are required, such as. B. Letters or various forms. In addition, they only guarantee protection against copying, but not against imitation by another machine.

It is already known from EP 154 972 B1 to produce an encrypted marking which is part of an applied alpanumeric franking, but this one digit is the only encryption of the franking which is not a particular difficulty for a skillful manipulator make a fake.

A postal payment system using a completely different type of encryption technology, with billing taking place in another device, is known from GB 2 173741. The customer identification number and the invoiced postage value are both encrypted and printed on the item of mail together with the plain text information. Be included the sender and recipient address, name and postcode. For franking machines in which billing takes place directly, but where the sender or recipient address data cannot be entered, the security achieved with this is not yet sufficient. Also, no print pattern is created for a franking stamp, but is printed in an address field as encrypted text or barcode.

In EP 331 352, a barcode is printed as an identification feature in a separate field in front of the actual franking stamp. A machine parameter is generated in EP 331 352 to increase security and is encrypted together with the data block. Another machine parameter (license number) and the determination data are not encoded in the data block, but only shown in a separate field as a barcode. The display as a barcode together with the print quality even has an adverse effect.

If the identification feature is so poor that it is recognized as wrong in a reader, the item of mail would not be forwarded. Although a supervisor should assess the misprints that have been eliminated, a subjective judgment cannot be ruled out. No further information has been given on how to proceed with such misprints in order to avoid attempts to defraud. In practice, this offers many opportunities for fraud with the misprints. Increased security could only be achieved by generally avoiding misprints. A second disadvantage is the difficulty of visually evaluating a bar code, so that the print can obviously only be checked by machine. A third disadvantage is that a large separate field is required, which limits the space for the postal data, because the identification feature cannot be printed out in one line for a large number of data involved in the encryption. Rather, what is required is a high level of security against forgery with a small footprint.

The invention had for its object to provide a method for identifying franking and stamping machines using microprocessor-controlled printing methods, such as laser, matrix or thermal printing, which is falsifiable, i.e. cannot be imitated by another machine, by an increased Ensure security for billing purposes.

This object was achieved by the invention as set out in the first claim.

• Fig. 1 eine Übersicht zur Erzeugung eines Idenfikationsmerkmales und die
• Fig. 2 ein Ablaufdiagramm für ein Drucksteuerung.

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a drawing consisting of two figures. In it shows the

• Fig. 1 shows an overview of the generation of an identification feature and
• Fig. 2 is a flowchart for a pressure control.

In microprocessor-controlled printing processes in franking and stamp machines, the stamp impressions are generated by microprocessors as well as memories and registers. The print pattern or print image is only generated immediately before printing, e.g. B. from fixed dates, such as a cliché pattern, and current dates, such as date and fee value. In addition to such a print pattern, an identification feature is printed according to the invention. In order to make this identification feature falsifiable, parameters of the respective machine with parts of the fee values to be printed and the date are ver ties. As shown in Figure 1, for example, machine parameters MP, such as serial number or factory number and number of prints with the date DT and the value setting WE and possibly digits of the advertising clichés are linked using a cryptographic algorithm KA, and the encrypted, multi-digit crypto number obtained therefrom is additionally linked via the Printer control DS inserted in the print pattern.

Figure 2 shows the sequence diagram for the combined printing of value, date, plate printing and multi-digit crypto number. After starting the machine, the date and value, e.g. B. the postage value, and the cliché a buffer for the pressure control ZWD. In parallel, the crypto number is formed from the data DT, the value input WE and the machine parameters MP, which is stored in a buffer ZWK. The contents of the intermediate memories ZWD, ZWK are put into the print controller DS, which generates the final print pattern.

The printing itself is triggered by placing an envelope, a franking strip, a document, a receipt, etc. on the printing drum of the machine.

This additional open imprint of an encrypted multi-digit number, which is different for each imprint, can only be decrypted by a monitoring agency, which has the same encryption algorithm. The monitoring point is thus able to assign individual prints to the respective machines. Neither the operator of the machine nor anyone else can understand the crypto number, so that there is additional security for billing purposes.

Claims (3)

1. Process for marking of postal consignments for the identification of franking and value imprinting machines by means of their printing patterns; these machines disposing of microprocessor-controlled printing processes where the printing pattern is only composed just immediately before printing from fixed and current data and held in temporary storage until an identification mark is printed upon the postal consignment, together with the other data of the stereotype advertising plate, the franking and the data stamp; the identification mark to embody at least such openly printed information as the value, the date, and the machine number in code, and the temporarily stored printing pattern and the identification mark are jointly passed on to a printer control for the production of the final printing pattern.
characterized by the feat
- that the identification mark is also produced with the inclusion of numerical values of the stereotype print or numbers of each advertising stereotype plate by way of a cryptographic algorithm that is also imprinted at the same time with the openly imprinted information in the printing pattern as an encrypted number of various digits.

2. Process in accordance with claim No. 1 which is characterized by the feat that the identification mark embodying also numerical values of the stereotype print or numbers of each advertising stereotype plate, the numerical values of the date and value imprint, and the machine parameters and number of prints produces a cryptographical algorithm, temporarily stores it as an encrypted number pending the printing which is then at the same time imprinted together with the openly printed information.

3. Procedure in accordance with the claims 1 to 2, characterized by the printout of en encrypted number of various digits within a stamp within the printing pattern or together with a stamp within the printing pattern as an identification mark.

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