Postage meter device and system and method for communications with postage meters

摘要

In a communications system (10), a host computer (103) in a data center (15) communicates with a multiplicity of electronic postage meters (101-1....101-P) via telephone dial-up lines to conduct tele-meter setting (TMS) transactions. Through the communications, the host computer (103) may collect statistical data from each meter (101-N), and may impose a cumulative postage amount limit, a time limit and/or a piece limit on the meter (101-N). The ensure security and data integrity, the communicated data between the meters (101-N) and the host computer (103) is selectively encrypted and/or authenticated.