Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

William Zhang

Royce Earle Slick

Joseph W Yang

Don Francis Purpura

Neil Y Iwamoto

Craig Mazzagatte

Attaullah Seikh

Christopher John Carcerano

Yeongtau Louis Tsao

Richard Krikor Yardumian

A device includes a software agent that discovers a controller. Current state information indicating upgradeable files currently installed on the device is maintained. The agent sends the current state information to the controller, and the controller sends the current state information to a repository, via the Internet. The repository determines upgradeable files currently installed on the device based on the current state information, and checks for file updates for the upgradeable files. The repository sends file update information to the controller. The file update information includes file update locations. The controller sends the file update information to the agent, and the agent requests the controller to retrieve file updates. The controller retrieves each file update from its file update location on the Internet. The controller sends a notification to the agent when the file updates are retrieved, and the agent retrieves the file updates from the controller.

Method for retrieving updates via the internet

Securely storing a public key for encryption of data in a computing device by using a user-specific key pair which is securely stored in the computing device, including receiving a target public key corresponding to a target device, obtaining a user-specific key pair from a secure registry, using a user-specific private key from the user-specific key pair to create a target key verifier based on the target public key, storing the target key verifier and the target public key in a storage area, retrieving the target key verifier and the target public key from the storage area, applying a user-specific public key from the user-specific key pair to the target key verifier for verifying the authenticity of the target public key, and encrypting data with the target public key, if authenticity of the target public key is verified, thereby creating encrypted data for transmission to the target device.

Secure printing with authenticated printer key

A device (such as a printer or a network device that may be connected to the printer) that is connected to a network and which performs secure operations using an existing encryption keypair maintained within the device, generates a new encryption keypair within the device by receiving a request from another device on the network to provide an encryption key of the existing encryption keypair to the another device. In response to the request, the device determines whether an encryption key of the existing encryption keypair within the device is valid. In a case where it is determined that the encryption key of the existing encryption keypair is invalid, the device automatically deletes each key of the existing encryption keypair from the device, generates a new encryption keypair within the device and stores the new encryption keypair in the device. The device then provides a new encryption key corresponding to the requested encryption key of the new encryption keypair to another device.

Automatic generation of a new encryption key

The present invention addresses the foregoing problems and concerns a print driver executable on a user's personal computer and responsive to a print option selection from any application program, generates output that conforms to a standardized markup language format.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

William Zhang