REMOTE AND SECURE FEATURE ENABLING FOR AN ELECTRONIC POSTAGEMETER

摘要

The postage metering system includes a postage meter in bus communication with an external interface unit. The postage meter operates under the control of a programmable micro control system which is responsive to a number of postage meter program routines stored in the program memory of the meter micro control system. The postage meter also includes a principal communication port in bus communication with the micro control system and a keyboard also in bus communication with the meter micro control system for providing operator instruction to the micro control system. An external interface unit which includes a micro control system responsive to one or more of a program routines stored in the program memory of the external interface unit. The external interface further includ es a postage meter port and a plurality communication ports. The postage meter port of the external interface unit is in bus communication with the principal communication port of the postage meter. The postage meter is programmed to be responsive to encrypted operator instructions inputted through the keyboard to enabling one or more of the postage meter program routines, and generating external interface unit instruction messages in response to the operator instruction. The external interface unit is programmed to be responsive to the instruction messaged from the postage meter to enable one or more of the external interface unit program routines.