SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENTERPRISE SHARING OF A PRINTING DEVICE

• US 20130222839A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Charles Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1231 Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

Systems and methods for sharing a printing device in an enterprise read information from a tag, wherein the information includes a printing device identifier and a refresh token, the printing device identifier is associated with a printing device, and the refresh token was issued to the printing device by a printing service; retrieve a printing service user identifier from a computer-readable medium; send the refresh token to the printing service; receive an access token from the printing service; send the access token, the printing device identifier, and the printing service user identifier to the printing service; receive an invitation associated with the printing service user identifier to access the printing device via the printing service; and send an acceptance of invitation associated with the printing service user identifier and a credential associated with the printing service user identifier to the printing service.

Claims

1. A method for sharing a printing device in an enterprise, the method comprising:

reading information from a tag, wherein the information includes a printing device identifier and a refresh token, wherein the printing device identifier is associated with a printing device, and wherein the refresh token was issued to the printing device by a printing service;

retrieving a printing service user identifier from a computer-readable medium;

sending the refresh token to the printing service;

receiving an access token from the printing service;

sending the access token, the printing device identifier, and the printing service user identifier to the printing service;

receiving an invitation associated with the printing service user identifier to access the printing device via the printing service; and

sending an acceptance of invitation associated with the printing service user identifier and sending a credential associated with the printing service user identifier to the printing service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a refresh token and the printing device identifier from the printing device; and

generating the tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag includes one or more of a QR code, a barcode, and a near-field communication tag.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving an enterprise user identifier from a computer-readable medium; and

sending the printing device identifier and the enterprise user identifier to an enterprise service device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending the printing service user identifier to the enterprise service device, wherein the enterprise service device associates the printing service user identifier with the enterprise user identifier.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an enterprise token from the enterprise service device, wherein the sending of the access token, the printing device identifier, and the printing service user identifier to the printing service is performed in response to receiving the enterprise token.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing device is configured to self-register with the printing service, and wherein the printing service is a distributed printing service.

8. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing device, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

reading information from a tag, wherein the information includes a printing device identifier and a first credential, wherein the printing device identifier is associated with a printing device;

sending the first credential to the printing service;

receiving a second credential from the printing service;

retrieving a printing service user identifier from a computer-readable medium; and

sending the second credential, the printing device identifier, and the printing service user identifier to the printing service.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

polling the printing service for an invitation associated with the printing service user identifier to access the printing device via the printing service; and

sending an acceptance of invitation associated with the printing service user identifier and sending a credential associated with the printing service user identifier to the printing service.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a third credential and an enterprise identifier to an enterprise device associated with the printing device; and

receiving a fourth credential from the enterprise device,

wherein the first credential is sent to the printing service in response to receiving the fourth credential.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the first credential and the printing device identifier from the printing device; and

generating the tag based on the first credential and the printing device identifier.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending the tag to the printing device.

13. A system for sharing a printing device in an enterprise, the system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

a tag reader;

a network interface configured to allow communication with one or more other systems and devices;

one or more processors configured to cause the system to read tag information from a tag;

extract a first credential from the tag information;

send the first credential to an enterprise device;

receive a second credential from the enterprise device;

send the second credential to a printing service;

receive a third credential from the printing service; and

send the third credential, a share request, and a printing service user identifier to the printing service.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the tag reader is one or more of a camera, a bar code reader, and a near-field communicator.