Lexmark International, Inc.

Jennifer Topmiller Williams

Timothy John Rademacher

Nathan Wayne Foley

Gregory Scott Woods

Zachary Nathan Fister

Stephen Porter Bush

Jimmy Daniel Moore, Jr

Christopher Alan Adkins

James Howard Ellis

Samuel Davidson

Jimmy Daniel Moore

Jr Jimmy Daniel Moore

A method of determining trust in a supply item in an imaging device for verifying other supply items installed in the imaging device via an algorithm, wherein the imaging device has a plurality of installed supply items. The method comprises: sending challenge data and an indication of the algorithm to a candidate supply item, receiving a challenge response from the candidate supply item, and determining, by the controller, a status of the challenge response, the status being verified or unverified. When the controller determines that the received challenge response is a correct output of the algorithm when the challenge data is input to the algorithm, the status is determined as verified. Further, an imaging device configured to determine trust in a supply item installed in the imaging device for verifying other supply items installed in the imaging device via an algorithm.

Methods and systems for determining the authenticity of a component

Determining authenticity of a component in an imaging device includes generating an analog signal as an authentication challenge to the component. The component then generates a response to the authentication challenge by converting the analog signal into one or more digital values and capturing a derivative of the one or more digital values as the response. Authenticity of the component is determined by comparing the response with an expected response.

Authentication using analog signal challenge

A method for determining the authenticity of a component in an electronic device, the method comprising: receiving a seed by a component in the electronic device; storing the seed in a block of non-volatile memory in the component; calculating, by the component, the output of a cryptographic function with the input based on the seed and storing the output in the block of non-volatile memory; iteratively calculating, by the component, the outputs of the cryptographic function wherein for each iteration the input for the cryptographic function is based on the seed and all previous outputs, and for each iteration storing the output in the block of non-volatile memory; and determining the authenticity of the component based on a selected output of the cryptographic function F, the selected output being one of the outputs stored in the block of non-volatile memory.

A method for determining authenticity of a supply item for an imaging system, the method comprising: performing a cryptographic algorithm on the imaging system, starting with a first algorithm input, performing the cryptographic algorithm on the supply item, starting with the first algorithm input, determining authenticity of the supply item based on an imaging system run time and a supply item run time, wherein the imaging system run time is a run time of the cryptographic algorithm on the imaging system from input of the first algorithm input until a result output is generated, and the supply item run time is a run time of the cryptographic algorithm on the supply item from input of the first algorithm input until the result output is generated.

Security device computation matching

An imaging device supply item comprising a memory, the memory storing a supply item manufacturing time stamp. The supply item is configured to send the supply item manufacturing time stamp to an imaging device. A method performed by an imaging device supply item, the method comprising: storing a supply item manufacturing time stamp on a memory of the supply item, and sending the supply item manufacturing time stamp to an imaging device. An imaging device comprising: a memory, the memory storing a time measurement, wherein the imaging device is configured to maintain the time measurement by: updating the time measurement of the imaging device, based on a supply item manufacturing time stamp indicative of a manufacturing time of a supply item installed in the imaging device.

Methods and systems for maintaining a time measurement on an electronic device

A method for updating an imaging device is described comprising, receiving update information comprising a compatibility update filter indicating which generations of supply item are compatible with the imaging device, and updating a compatibility filter of the imaging device based on the update information, the compatibility filter configured to control which generations of supply item are classified as compatible with the imaging device. An imaging device is also described that comprises firmware and a memory, the memory storing a compatibility filter configured to control which generations of supply item are classified as compatible, wherein the firmware is configured to read the compatibility filter, and the imaging device is configured to update the compatibility filter. Finally, an imaging device supply item is also described.

Methods for updating an electronic device

A method of maintaining a time measurement stored on an electronic device. The method comprises: receiving, by the electronic device, a supply item manufacturing time stamp from a supply item connected to the electronic device, comparing the supply item manufacturing time stamp with the time measurement of the electronic device, and updating, by the electronic device, the time measurement of the electronic device, based on the supply item manufacturing time stamp. An electronic device comprising a memory, the memory storing a time measurement, wherein the electronic device is configured to maintain the time measurement by: receiving a supply item manufacturing time stamp from a supply item connected to the electronic device, and updating the time measurement of the electronic device, based on the supply item manufacturing time stamp. An electronic device supply item, the supply item comprising a memory, the memory storing a supply item manufacturing time stamp, and the supply item being configured to send the supply item manufacturing time stamp to an electronic device.

A method for determining the authenticity of an item, the method comprising: receiving, by an item, a seed; storing the seed in a block of non-volatile memory in the supply item follower component; calculating, by the item follower component, an output of a cryptographic function with the input based on the seed and storing the output in the block of non-volatile memory; iteratively calculating, by the item, the outputs of the cryptographic function wherein for each iteration the input for the cryptographic function is based on the seed and all previous outputs, and for each iteration storing the output in the block of non-volatile memory; and determining the authenticity of the item based on a selected output of the cryptographic function of the item, the selected output being one of the outputs stored in the block of non-volatile memory.

A method of maintaining a time measurement stored on an imaging device. The method comprises: receiving, by the imaging device, a supply item manufacturing time stamp from a supply item connected to the imaging device, comparing the supply item manufacturing time stamp with the time measurement of the imaging device, and updating, by the imaging device, the time measurement of the imaging device, based on the supply item manufacturing time stamp. An imaging device comprising a memory, the memory storing a time measurement, wherein the imaging device is configured to maintain the time measurement by: receiving a supply item manufacturing time stamp from a supply item connected to the imaging device, and updating the time measurement of the imaging device, based on the supply item manufacturing time stamp. An imaging device supply item, the supply item comprising a memory, the memory storing a supply item manufacturing time stamp, and the supply item being configured to send the supply item manufacturing time stamp to an imaging device.

An example method for restricting read access to content in the component circuitry and securing data in the supply item is disclosed. The method identifies the status of a read command, and depending upon whether the status disabled or enabled, either blocks the accessing of encrypted data stored in the supply chip, or allows the accessing of the encrypted data stored in the supply chip.

Methods for restricting read access to supply chips

A toner container installable in an image forming device having a controller according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A chip is positioned on the housing and configured to, after sending a first busy response to the controller of the image forming device, receive a second write command from the controller of the image forming device that is abbreviated relative to a first write command received from the controller of the image forming device and that requests the chip to send a response to the first write command. The chip is further configured to send a response to the first write command to the controller of the image forming device if upon receiving a read command corresponding to the second write command the chip has completed processing the first write command.

Communication between an image forming device and a replaceable supply item

A toner container installable in an image forming device having a controller according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A chip is positioned on the housing and configured to receive a first write command from the controller of the image forming device. The chip is further configured to determine whether a transmission cycle bit of the first write command matches a transmission cycle bit of a second write command received by the chip from the controller of the image forming device previous to the first write command. The chip is further configured to resend to the controller of the image forming device a response to the second write command if the transmission cycle bit of the first write command matches the transmission cycle bit of the second write command.

A supply item has toner for use in an imaging device. A chip has memory storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over its lifetime and a multiplier correlating the quanta to toner mass. The imaging device requires quanta to conduct imaging operations and loads the quanta and multiplier by way of a certificate stored in the memory. The imaging device retrieves quanta from the chip over time and both devices keep tally. Initialization between the supply item and imaging device includes providing encrypted and unencrypted instances of firmware versions and certificates from the supply item that the imaging device can compare for security. Alternatively, the supply item defines a fuser assembly, imaging unit, intermediate transfer member, or other component installed for use in the imaging device.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Jennifer Topmiller Williams