System and method for generating personalized postage indicia

Abstract

A system and method for printing a postage meter stamp, including a desired postage amount and a personalized postage indicia, onto a piece of mail. A user takes a postal storage device to the Post Office in order to obtain a replenishment of the amount of postage stored within the postage storage device. A desired amount of postage is entered into the storage device by a postal employee through a processor-based system. The user is then able to access this stored postage at the user's location through a complementary processor-based system. The user is also able to create or to select one of a variety of graphical configurations of postage indicia to be imprinted as the postage meter stamp on a piece of mail.

1 . A method comprising: 
 importing an image into a postage indicia printing system from a remote device;    allowing a user to modify said imported image; and    printing, by said postage indicia printing system, a postage indicia including at least a portion of said image.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said image comprises a scanned image.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said image is user generated.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user modifies said imported image by adding a user selected item to said image.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user modifies said imported image by adding information to said image.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user modifies said imported image by adding an individual's name to said image.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user modifies said imported image by adding a personalized greeting to said image.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user modifies said imported image using a graphics program.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 saving, by said postage indicia printing system, at least a portion of said image.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 presenting a plurality of saved imported images for selection of a particular imported image to be included in a postage indicia by a user.    
   
   
       11 . A method for generating personalized postage indicia, said method comprising: 
 importing a user generated graphic into a postage indicia printing system;    generating, by said postage indicia printing system, a valid postage indicia including at least a portion of said user generated graphic; and    printing said valid postage indicia.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said importing said user generated graphic comprises importing said user generated graphic from a device disposed remotely with respect to said postage indicia printing system.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said user generated graphic is imported from said remotely disposed device using a modem.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 changing the imported user generated graphic under control of a user.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said changing the imported user generated graphic comprises using a graphics program.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 adding a user selected item to said user generated graphic.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said user selected item comprises information.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said user selected item comprises a personalized message.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said user selected item comprises an individual's name.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 saving, by said postage indicia printing system, said imported user generated graphic.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 presenting a plurality of different imported user generated graphics saved by said postage indicia printing system for selection of a particular graphic to be printed in a valid postage indicia.    
   
   
       22 . A postage indicia generating system operable to print postage indicia acceptable to a postal authority, said system comprising: 
 an interface for interaction with users to import user generated graphics; and    a postage generation program generating a postage indicia including at least a portion of one of said user generated graphics.    
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said interface comprises a graphical user interface.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said interface allows a user to select a graphic from a plurality of stored graphics for inclusion in a postage indicia.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said interface allows a user to change an imported user generated graphic.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said interface communicates with a remote device to import at least one of said user generated graphics.