Use of Resource Up to Extension Value by Subscription Device

• US 20140215584A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Jefferson P., Webb, Rowdy K., Pizot, Laurent, Kennedy, Shawn C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,183,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A pin associated with an identification number (ID) of a subscription device and a sequence number of a credit is output to a user. The pin is inputted to the subscription device. The subscription device is to allow the user to use a resource up to an extension value stored in the subscription device, if the entered pin correlates to a stored pin of the subscription device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a user unit to receive an identification number (ID) and a sequence number from a user, the ID number to correspond to a subscription device of the user and the sequence number to correspond to a credit last received by the subscription device via a network connection; and

a search unit to search a database for a pin associated with the ID number and the sequence number, wherein

the user unit is to output the pin to the user, the user to enter the pin into the subscription device,

the subscription device is to compare the entered pin with a pin stored in the subscription device, where the stored pin is retrieved from a pin field included in the credit, and

the subscription device is to allow the user to use a resource up to an extension value stored in the subscription device, if the entered pin correlates to the stored pin.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the resource relates to at least one of pages, ink, time and accesses,

the credit includes a resource field indicating a subscription total, the subscription total to increase over a life of a subscription,

the subscription device includes a counter to add an amount of the resource used by the subscription device to a device total, where the device total is not resettable by the user, and

the subscription device is only allowed to use the resource if the subscription total is greater than the device total.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein,

the extension value defines an amount of the resource that the subscription device can use after the device total reaches the subscription total,

the subscription device cannot use the resource after the extension value is reached and the device total reaches the subscription total, and

the subscription total and the extension value included in the credit are encrypted via an asymmetric key algorithm.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein,

the sequence number is locally retrieved by the user from the subscription device, and

the extension value is retrieved by the subscription device from an extension field included in the credit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein,

the user unit is to output the pin to the user via a different connection than the network connection of the subscription device, and

the user unit is to receive the ID number and sequence number via the different connection if the subscription device is out of credits and unable to receive additional credits from the output unit via the network connection.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein,

the output unit is to provide a plurality of the credits over a time period to the subscription device via the network connection according to a subscription plan of the user, and

the output unit is to calculate the extension value to vary throughout the plurality of credits based on a factor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the factor includes at least one of a number of resource units of the subscription plan, a number of months the user has maintained an active and paid subscription, a number of times the user has lost a connection with the output unit, a use history of the user, and a device total at the subscription device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the output unit is to at least one of reduce the extension value, lockout the user, and cancel the subscription plan if at least one of the user enters the pin incorrectly beyond a first threshold number of times, invokes use of the resource via the extension value beyond a second threshold number of times, and the user submits ID numbers and sequence numbers to the user unit that do not match beyond a third threshold number of times.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein,

the output unit is to calculate the sequence number to be different for each of the plurality of credits, and

the subscription device is to store the pin value, the extension value and the sequence number of the last received credit of the plurality of credits.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an output unit to output the credits to the subscription device via the network connection, wherein

the subscription device is to output the device total to the user unit via the network connection, and

the subscription device only receives the credits via the network connection.

11. A method, comprising:

reading a sequence number output by a subscription device, the sequence number retrieved from a last credit received by the subscription device over a network connection from a provider, the credit to allow the subscription device to consume a finite amount of resources;

providing the sequence number and an identification (ID) number of the subscription device to the provider via a different connection than the network connection of the subscription device;

receiving a pin from the provider via the different connection based on the sequence number and the ID number of the subscription device; and

inputting the received pin to the subscription device, the subscription device to allow a user to consume up to an extension amount of the resources beyond the finite amount allocated by the credit, if the inputted pin correlates to a stored pin of the subscription device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein,

the subscription device is to receive a plurality of the credits from the provider,

the stored pin and the extension amount is retrieved by the subscription device from the last credit of the plurality of credits received by the subscription device, and

the stored pin, the extension amount and the sequence number are to vary throughout the plurality of credits.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein,

the subscription device maintains a device total indicating a total amount of the resources used over a life of the subscription, the finite amount indicated by the credit to increase over the life of the subscription,

the subscription device is allowed to consume the resources if the finite amount indicated by the credit is greater than the device total, and

the extension amount of the resources is available to consume only after the device total equals the finite amount indicated by the credit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, if executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to:

receive, at a subscription device, a credit over a network connection from a provider;

store, at the subscription device, a sequence number, an extension value, a subscription total and a pin retrieved from the credit,

add to a device total, stored at the subscription device, an amount of resources the subscription device consumes;

output the sequence number only to a local user, the user to use the sequence number to retrieve a pin from the provider via a connection different than the network connection of the subscription device; and

allow the user to use up to the extension value amount of the resources, if the device total reaches the subscription total and the received pin matches the stored pin.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the user cannot further use the resources after the device total reaches the subscription total and the extension value amount of the resources is consumed.