Authentication chaining by connected devices

• US 10,382,214 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WISeKey Semiconductors SAS (WISeKey International Holding Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Inside Secure SA
• Inventors: Decugis, Sebastien
• Primary Examiner(s): Feggins, Kristal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Kendrick X
• Application Number:
  US15/710,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17543 Cartridge presence detection or type identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32598 Bus based systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence

Abstract

In a general aspect, a method for authenticating a plurality of slave devices connected to a master device can include: generating and sending by the master device a respective challenge to each slave device; in each slave device, generating a response to the respective challenge and transmitting it to the master device; verifying by the master device the response of one of the slave devices; returning by the master device the remaining responses to respective slave devices distinct from those that generated the responses; and verifying by each slave device the response returned thereto by the master device and transmitting the result of the verification to the master device.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a plurality of slave devices connected to a master device, the method comprising:

generating and sending, by the master device, a respective challenge to each slave device of the plurality of slave devices;

in each slave device of the plurality of slave devices, generating a respective response to the respective challenge and transmitting the respective response to the master device;

for each slave device of rank i, where i varies from 1 to N−

1, N being a number of slave devices, sending, by the master device, a respective response of a slave device of rank i to a slave device of rank i+1;

verifying, by the master device, the respective response of a slave device of rank N;

if the respective response verified by the master device is valid, authenticating the slave device of rank N; and

if a result of the verification of the respective response verified by a slave device of rank j is valid, authenticating a slave device of rank j−

1, where j decreases from N to 2.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the master device is a printer and the slave devices are ink cartridges.

3. A method for authenticating a plurality of ink cartridges connected to a printer, the method comprising:

generating and sending, by the printer, a respective challenge to each ink cartridge of the plurality of ink cartridges;

in each ink cartridge of the plurality of ink cartridges, generating a respective response to the respective challenge and transmitting the respective response to the printer;

verifying, by the printer, the respective response of one of the ink cartridges;

for each of the respective responses other than the respective response verified by the printer, sending, by the printer, the respective response of a respective ink cartridge to an ink cartridge distinct from the respective ink cartridge that generated the respective response; and

verifying, by each ink cartridge, the respective response sent thereto by the printer and transmitting a result of the verification to the printer.

4. A method for authenticating a plurality of consumable devices connected to an apparatus, the method comprising:

generating and sending, by the apparatus, a respective challenge to each consumable device of the plurality of consumable devices;

in each consumable device of the plurality of consumable devices, generating a respective response to the respective challenge and transmitting the respective response to the apparatus;

verifying, by the apparatus, the respective response of one of the consumable devices;

for each of the respective responses other than the respective response verified by the apparatus, sending, by the apparatus, the respective response of a respective consumable device to a consumable device distinct from the respective consumable device that generated the respective response; and

verifying, by each consumable device, the respective response returned sent thereto by the apparatus and transmitting a result of the verification to the apparatus.