Facilitating remote access of devices in a secure environment

• US 10,142,368 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dick, Brian, Schabb, Marc Alan, Van Beek, Andrew J., Davidson, Daphne, Hirokawa, Maureen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lynch, Sharon S
• Application Number:
  US14/842,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20170063806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4095 Secure printing computer driven secure printing G06F3/1238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for facilitating remote access of customer computing entities in a secure environment. In one embodiment a method is provided comprising providing, by a first user computer entity and through a first window displaying a first webpage in a browser, a request for instruction for a particular device, the instructions being in a native command language of the particular device, wherein the request is provided over a first secure encrypted connection using a first protocol, receiving, the instructions over the first secure encrypted connection using the first protocol, initiating a bridge webpage, the bridge webpage being initiated in a second window in the browser, wherein the first window and the second window are in communication, and wherein the first page belongs to a first domain different from a second domain to which the second page belongs.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, operated via a computer memory, comprising:

receiving via a first encrypted connection using a first protocol, at a computing device running an application belonging to a first domain, cross-domain communication comprising a request for instructions for a peripheral device belonging to a second domain distinct from the first domain, the instructions comprising instructions for printing that include a native command language of the peripheral device, wherein the peripheral device is connected to a user computing entity and comprises a printer, scanner or a scale;

providing, from the application to a server outside of the second domain, the request for instructions over a second connection using a second protocol, wherein the server is located in a third domain distinct from the first and second domain, the first protocol is Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure and the second protocol is a remote method invocation (RMI);

responsive to receiving the request at the server, providing, from the server to the application, shipping or labeling information comprising the instructions over the second connection using the second protocol; and

providing, to the user computing entity, the shipping or labeling information comprising the instructions over the first encrypted connection using the first protocol for facilitating package shipping and remote control of the peripheral device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is connected to the user computing entity via a wired or wireless network.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a web server, and the application is a web application at the web server.

4. A system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a computer memory apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus and storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving via a first secure encrypted connection using a first protocol, at a computing device running an application belonging to a first domain, cross-domain communication comprising a request for instructions for a peripheral device belonging to a second domain distinct from the first domain, the instructions comprising instructions for printing that include a native command language of the peripheral device, wherein the peripheral device connected to a user computing entity and comprises a printer, scanner or a scale;

providing, to a server outside of the second domain, the request for instructions over a connection using a second protocol, wherein the server is located in a third domain distinct from the first and second domain, the first protocol is Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) and the second protocol is a remote method invocation (RMI);

responsive to receiving the request at the server, providing, from the server o the application, shipping or labeling information comprising the instructions over the connection using the second protocol; and

providing, to the user computing entity, the shipping or labeling information comprising the instructions over the first secure encrypted connection using the first protocol for facilitating package shipping and remote control of the peripheral device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is a web server, and the application is a web application at the web server.

6. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

receiving via a first secure encrypted connection using a first protocol, at a computing device running an application belonging to a first domain, cross-domain communication comprising a request for instructions for a peripheral device belonging to a second domain distinct from the first domain, the instructions comprising instructions for printing that include a native command language of the peripheral device, wherein the peripheral device is connected to a user computing entity and comprises a printer, scanner or a scale;

providing, to a server outside of the second domain, the request for instructions over a second connection using a second protocol, wherein the server is located in a third domain distinct from the first and second domain, the first protocol is Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) and the second protocol is a remote method invocation(RMI);

responsive to receiving the request at the server, providing, from the server to the application, shipping or labeling information comprising the instructions over the second connection using the second protocol; and

providing, to the user computing entity, the shipping or labeling information comprising the instructions over the first secure encrypted connection using the first protocol for facilitating package shipping and remote control of the peripheral device.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computing device is a web server, and the application is a web application at the web server.