Method and system for secure delivery and printing of documents via a network device

• US 6,751,732 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Strobel, Kevin L., Norris, James R. Jr., John, Rojas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUA, LY
• Application Number:
  US09/904,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/155, 713/162, 713/186, 713/171, 713/193, 713/166, 713/179, 713/165, 713/176, 380/280, 380/260, 380/277, 380/255, 380/282, 380/259, 380/246, 380/30, 380/46, 380/51, 380/54, 380/55, 709/219, 709/239, 709/235, 709/238, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

Abstract

A system and method for providing secure, on-demand printing of documents delivered to a networked printing device is disclosed. A user logs onto a networked document delivery system using a mobile device and selects a document to be printed along with a networked destination printing device. The document server encrypts and stores the selected document and creates a key. The key is sent to the mobile device. The document server sends a pointer, indicating the location of the document, to the destination printing device. When the user is physically at the printing device, a connection is established between the mobile device and the printing device. The mobile device identifies to the printing device the document to be printed and sends the key to the printing device. The printing device, using the pointer, retrieves the document from the network, uses the key to decrypt the document, and then prints the document.

Claims

1. A method for a user to remotely retrieve and print an encrypted document stored in a remote data center via a networked destination device comprising:

establishing a communication between a mobile device carried by said user and said networked destination device;

receiving, at said mobile device, identifying information associated with said networked destination device;

sending said identifying information from said mobile device to said data center;

selecting, using said mobile device, said encrypted document for retrieval and printing;

receiving from said data center, at said mobile device, an associated key to decrypt said encrypted document;

sending said associated key from said mobile device to said networked destination device; and

receiving, at said networked destination device, a pointer indicating a location where said encrypted document is stored in said data center;

wherein said networked destination device retrieves said stored encrypted document from said network using said pointer, decrypts said document using said associated key, and prints said decrypted document.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending a confirmation of said printing to at least one of said mobile device and said data center.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said encrypted document is one of a plurality of documents stored in said data center, and said encrypted document is selected from said plurality of documents for printing utilizing said mobile device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing said encrypted document in said networked destination device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein if said associated key is not sent to said networked destination device within a predetermined period of time after said encrypted document is stored in said networked destination device, said method further comprises:

deleting said encrypted document from said networked destination device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said communication is a wireless communication.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said wireless communication is an infrared communication.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said wireless communication is a radio frequency communication.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said radio frequency communication is established automatically.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, at said mobile device, identifying information associated with said networked destination device further comprises:

manually inputting said identifying information to said mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending said associated key from said mobile device to said networked destination device further comprises:

sending said associated key from said mobile device to said networked destination device via a wireless communication.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said wireless communication is an infrared communication.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said wireless communication is a radio frequency communication.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said radio frequency communication is established automatically.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending said associated key from said mobile device to said networked destination device further comprises:

manually inputting said associated key to said networked device.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said encrypted document is provided with an associated identifier by said data center, said associated identifier being sent to said mobile device with said associated key and to said networked destination device with said pointer, and sending said associated key from said mobile device further comprises:

sending said associated identifier along with said associated key from said mobile device to said networked destination device,

wherein said networked destination device uses said associated identifier to identify said pointer to retrieve said encrypted document from said network.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a personal data assistant.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a cell phone.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a pager.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a laptop computer.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said networked destination device is a printer.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said associated identifying information includes an address of said printer.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending said pointer from said data center to said mobile device; and

sending said pointer from said mobile device to said networked destination device with said key.

24. A method for a user to retrieve and print an encrypted document stored in a server in a network using a printer coupled to said network, said method comprising:

establishing a communication between a mobile device carried by said user and said server;

selecting said document, utilizing said mobile device, for printing by said printer;

receiving from said server, at said mobile device, a key for decrypting said encrypted document;

receiving at said printer a pointer indicating a location of said stored encrypted document in said server; and

sending said key from said mobile device to said printer via a wireless communication when said mobile device is physically near said printer;

wherein said printer retrieves said stored encrypted document from said server using said pointers, decrypts said document using said key, and prints said decrypted document.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein an associated identifier is provided by said server for said encrypted document, said associated identifier being sent to said mobile device with said key and to said printer with said encrypted document, and sending said key from said mobile device further comprises:

sending said associated identifier along with said key from said mobile device to said printer,

wherein said printer uses said associated identifier to identify said pointer to retrieve said encrypted document from said server.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein said mobile device is a personal data assistant.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said step of selecting a document further comprises:

selecting a document using said mobile device.

28. A system for allowing a user to remotely retrieve and print an encrypted document stored in a data center coupled to a network, said system comprising:

a key to decrypt said encrypted document, said key being stored in said data center;

a printing device coupled to said network, said printing device being remote from said data center;

a mobile device carried by said user, said mobile device adapted to communicate wirelessly with said data center to allow said user to select said encrypted document and provide information to said data center identifying said printing device, said data center in response to said encrypted document being selected sending said key to said mobile device; and

a pointer to indicate a location of said encrypted document in said data center;

wherein said pointer is sent to said printing device by said data center, said printing device retrieves said encrypted document from said data center using said pointer, said mobile device sends said key to said printing device, and said printing device decrypts said encrypted document using said key and prints said document.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile device is a personal data assistant.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile device is a pager.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile device is a cell phone.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile device is a laptop computer.

33. The system according to claim 28, wherein said mobile device sends said key to said printing device via a wireless communication.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein said wireless communication is an infrared communication.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein said wireless communication is a radio frequency communication.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein said radio frequency communication is established automatically.

37. The system according to claim 33, wherein said wireless communication is a manual communication.

38. The system according to claim 28, further comprising:

a document identifier, said document identifier being sent to said printing device with said pointer and to said mobile device with said key,

wherein said mobile device sends said key and said document identifier to said printing device and said printing device uses said document identifier to identify said encrypted document to be decrypted with said key.

39. The system according to claim 28, wherein said data center sends said pointer to said mobile device with key, and said mobile device sends said pointer and said key to said printing device.

40. The system according to claim 28, wherein said document is selected from a plurality of documents stored in said data center.