ACCESSING A SERVICE, SUCH AS A PRINTING SERVICE, VIA A SCANNABLE CODE

• US 20190332340A1
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Somaiah, Chetan P., Durairaj, Arockiaraj
• Granted Patent: US 10,768,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• 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 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1289 in server-client-printer device configuration, e.g. the server does not see the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1297 Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity

Abstract

A method includes receiving from a server, by one or more processors, account information associated with a device. The account information specifies an identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the device, where the identifier uniquely identifies the device. The method also includes initiating a wireless connection with the device, and authenticating the device based at least in part on the identifier. The method includes receiving a document to print, printing the document, and modifying the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount. The method also includes receiving an additional document for printing, translating the additional document to a format that the printer is capable of printing. The method includes printing the additional document and modifying the updated credit amount. In the method, the device lacks a printer driver associated with the printer.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A service device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving from a server, account information associated with a user device, the account information comprising a device identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the user device, wherein the device identifier uniquely identifies the user device;

initiating a process to discover the user device;

discovering the user device using a wireless communications protocol;

establishing wireless communications with the user device;

authenticating the user device based at least in part on the device identifier;

receiving, by the wireless communications, digital data from the user device;

performing an action based at least in part on the digital data; and

modifying, based at least in part in the action and the digital data, the amount of credit in an account to create an updated credit amount.

10. The service device of claim 9, wherein performing the action based at least in part on the digital data comprises:

receiving a document to print;

translating the document to a document format that a printer is capable of printing;

determining printing parameters associated with the document; and

printing the document in the document format according to the printing parameters.

11. The service device of claim 10, wherein modifying the amount of credit in the account comprises:

determining a number of pages of the document that were printed by the printer;

determining, based on the number of pages of the document that were printed, a debit amount by which to reduce the amount of credit;

reducing the amount of credit in the account based on the debit amount, to create the updated credit amount; and

transmitting the updated credit amount to the server.

12. The service device of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving an additional document for printing;

translating the additional document to a format that the printer is capable of printing;

printing the additional document; and

modifying the updated credit amount.

13. The service device of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

displaying a machine-readable label associated with the service device,

wherein the user device sends a request to the server after the user device scans the machine-readable label, the request comprising the device identifier.

14. The service device of claim 9, wherein the device identifier comprises an International Mobile Equipment Identify (IMEI) number.

15. The service device of claim 9, wherein:

the service device comprises a router, and

the action comprises enabling the user device to access a wireless network.

16. The service device of claim 9, wherein:

the service device comprises a Wi-Fi enabled vending machine;

the action comprises;

determining an item in the vending machine identified by the digital data; and

dispensing the item; and

modifying the amount of credit comprises;

determining a cost of the item;

reducing the amount of credit in the account by the cost of the item to create the updated credit amount; and

transmitting the updated credit amount to the server.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. A method comprising:

receiving from a server, by one or more processors of a service device, account information associated with a user device, the account information comprising a device identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the user device, wherein the device identifier uniquely identifies the user device;

initiating, by the one or more processors, a process to discover the user device;

discovering, by the one or more processors, the user device using a wireless communications protocol;

initiating, by the one or more processors, wireless communications between the service device and the user device;

authenticating, by the one or more processors, the user device based at least in part on the device identifier;

receiving using the wireless communications, by the one or more processors, digital data from the user device;

performing an action, by the one or more processors, based at least in part on the digital data; and

modifying, by the one or more processors and based at least in part in the action and the digital data, the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein performing the action based at least in part on the digital data comprises:

receiving a document to print;

translating the document to a format that a printer associated with the service device is capable of printing;

determining printing parameters associated with the document; and

printing the document using the printer according to the printing parameters.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein modifying the amount of credit in an account comprises:

determining a number of pages of the document that were printed by the printer;

determining, based on the number of pages of the document that were printed, a debit amount by which to reduce the amount of credit;

reducing the amount of credit in the account based on the debit amount, to create the updated credit amount; and

transmitting to the server a result of printing the document, the result comprising the number of pages that were printed and the updated credit amount.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying a machine-readable label associated with the action,

wherein the user device sends a request to the server after the user device scans the machine-readable label, the request comprising the device identifier.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the device identifier comprises an International Mobile Equipment Identify (IMEI) number;

the service device comprises a router connected to a wireless network; and

the action comprises enabling the user device to access the wireless network using the service device.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the service device comprises a vending machine that is enabled to receive instructions wirelessly;

the action comprises;

determining an item in the vending machine identified by the digital data; and

dispensing the item; and

modifying the amount of credit comprises;

determining a cost of the item;

reducing the amount of credit in the account by the cost of the item to create the updated credit amount; and

transmitting the updated credit amount to the server.

27. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a service device to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a server, by the service device, account information associated with a user device, the account information comprising a device identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the user device, wherein the device identifier uniquely identifies the user device;

initiating, by the service device, a process to discover the user device;

discovering, by the service device, the user device using a wireless communications protocol;

initiating, by the service device, wireless communications with the user device;

authenticating, by the service device, the user device based at least in part on the device identifier;

receiving, by the service device, using the wireless communications, by the one or more processors, digital data from the user device;

performing an action, by the service device, based at least in part on the digital data; and

modifying, by the service device and based at least in part in the action and the digital data, the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 27, wherein performing the action based at least in part on the digital data comprises:

receiving a document to print;

translating the document to a format that a printer connected to the service device is capable of printing;

determining printing parameters associated with the document; and

printing the document according to the printing parameters.

29. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 28, wherein modifying the amount of credit in an account comprises:

determining a number of pages of the document that were printed by the printer;

determining, based on the number of pages of the document that were printed, a debit amount by which to reduce the amount of credit;

reducing the amount of credit in the account based on the debit amount, to create the updated credit amount; and

transmitting to the server a result of printing the document, the result comprising the number of pages that were printed and the updated credit amount.

30. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 27, the operations further comprising:

displaying a machine-readable label associated with the action,

wherein the user device sends a request to the server after the user device has scanned the machine-readable label, the request comprising the device identifier associated with the user device.

31. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 27, wherein:

the device identifier comprises an International Mobile Equipment Identify (IMEI) number;

the service device comprises a router; and

the action comprises enabling the user device to access a wireless network using the service device.

32. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 27, wherein:

the service device comprises a vending machine that is enabled to receive instructions wirelessly;

the action comprises;

determining an item in the vending machine identified by the digital data; and

dispensing the item; and

modifying the amount of credit comprises;

determining a cost of the item;

reducing the amount of credit in the account by the cost of the item to create the updated credit amount; and

transmitting the updated credit amount to the server.