Zebra Technologies Corporation

Zih Corporation

James P Van Huis

Andrew J Pekarske

Ryan E Brock

Gordon E Molek

Jared Coy Roundy

Bret M Anno

Michael Cranston

Scott Lane

Sean Patrick Winterberger

Robin West

Andy Pekarske

Jeffrey Henningson

A method, in a provisioning server, of provisioning a printer, includes: receiving a provisioning request from the printer, the provisioning request containing (i) a printer identifier, and (ii) an account identifier associated with the printer; obtaining, from a digital certificate issuer, a unique string; sending the unique string to the printer; receiving from the printer, in response to sending the unique string, a certificate signing request containing (i) the printer identifier, (ii) the account identifier, and (iii) an authentication token including the unique string signed with a private key of the printer; validating the certificate signing request; passing the validated certificate signing request to the digital certificate issuer; receiving, from the digital certificate issuer, a digital certificate encoding the printer identifier and the account identifier; and providing the digital certificate to the printer for storage.

Provisioning system for cloud-connected printers

In some implementations, a device may transmit, to an authentication server, a certificate signing request (CSR) based on a private key stored on a data logger, wherein the data logger is integrated with a sensor within the device. The device may receive, via the data logger and from the authentication server, a signed device certificate based on the CSR. Additionally, the device may receive, via the data logger and from the authentication server, a signed owner certificate associated with a controller. The device may receive, via the data logger and from the controller, a command signed using the owner certificate. Accordingly, the device may store, in the data logger, measurements from the sensor based on the command. The device may generate a data structure including the stored measurements, wherein the data structure is signed using the signed device certificate. The device may transmit, to the authentication server, the data structure.

Sensor data authentication

A disclosed example is a server residing on a first network. The server has an observer. The observer receives observational data from a media processing device residing on a second network via a first persistent connection between the media processing device and the server. The observer provides, via the first persistent connection, a configuration file to the media processing device that defines a type of the observational data to be collected by the media processing device. The observer is prevented from communicating an operational instruction to the media processing device. The operational instruction is to control media processing hardware of the media processing device.

Method and apparatus to communicate data associated with media processing devices

Methods and apparatus to communicate data associated with media processing devices are disclosed. An example media processing device residing on a network includes a monitor configured to collect observational data associated with the media processing device in accordance with a configuration file stored on the media processing device; and communicate the observational data to a first device external to the network via a first persistent connection between the media processing device and the first external device; and a controller configured to receive an operational instruction from a second external device via a second persistent connection between the media processing device and the second external device, wherein the second persistent connection is independent of the first persistent connection; and implement the operational instruction on the media processing device, wherein the operation instruction controls media processing hardware of the media processing device.

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided to facilitate connections between devices, such as a printer and a cloud-based server, and to implement an adaptive application framework. In the context of an apparatus, a printer is provided comprising communications circuitry configured to facilitate communications with a network; and processing circuitry configured to transmit a connection request to the network; receive requested connection parameters from the network; transmit printer connection parameters to the network; and establish a first secure connection between the printer and the network. The printer comprising processing circuitry further configured to receive requested connection parameters comprising at least a signed security certificate and a DNS name for a server on the network and to verify the signed security certificate and the DNS name for the server. The printer comprising processing circuitry further configured to transmit printer connection parameters comprising at least a signed security certificate for the printer. The printer comprising processing circuitry further configured to receive a request from the network to establish one or more communication channels over the first secure connection.

Growing community of inventors

Des Plaines, IL, United States of America

James P Van Huis