Secure printing over cable network to home printer

• US 6,930,788 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1999
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Koppich, George, Iwamoto, Neil Y., Purpura, Don Francis, Gacek, Paul Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHIMI, IRAJ A
• Application Number:
  US09/357,593
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 713/151, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 713/193, 713/176, 725 86-153, 725/60, 380/49, 370/235
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to a set top box which has a printer, the set top box residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing the digital cable network to the data network, wherein print data is generated in the client application after which it is determined whether a secure communication path exists between the client application and the set top box. If the secure communication path exists, the print data is transmitted from the client application to the set top box. The print data is then sent from the set top box to the printer for printing.

Claims

1. A method for the secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to an interface device which has a printer, said interface device residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing said digital cable network to said data network, said method comprising the steps of:

generating print data in said client application;

determining whether a first secure communication path is established between said client application and said cable head end, and whether a second secure communication path is established between said cable head end and said interface device; and

transmitting, in response to a determination that said first and second secure communication paths are established, said print data from said client application to said interface device, wherein said print data is sent to said printer from said interface device for printing,

client application and said cable head end, and between said cable head end and said interface device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step for determining whether said first and second secure communication paths are established between said client application and said cable head end, and between said cable head end and said interface device comprises the use of a secure protocol between said client application and said cable head end, and between said cable head end and said interface device.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step for determining whether said first and second secure communication paths are established between said client application and said cable head end, and between said cable head end and said interface device further comprises a confirmation through said secure protocol, that said cable head end is a secure location, and a confirmation, through said secure protocol, that said interface device is a secure location.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step for transmitting, in response to a determination that said first and second secure communication paths are established, said print data from said client application to said interface device comprises sending said print data from said client application to said cable head end in a device-independent format, transforming in said cable head end said print data from said device-independent format to a rasterized format which corresponds to said printer, and then sending said print data in said rasterized format from said cable head end to said interface device for printing by said printer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step for transmitting, in response to a determination that said first and second secure communication paths are established, said print data from said client application to said interface device comprises encrypting said print data by said client application, sending said encrypted print data from said client application to said cable head end, sending said encrypted print data from said cable head end to said interface device, decrypting said print data in said interface device, and sending the decrypted print data to said printer for printing.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein said confirmation that said interface device is a secure location is sent from said interface device to said cable head end.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein said confirmation that said cable head end is a secure location is sent from said cable head end to said client application.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step for transmitting, in response to a determination that said first and second secure communication paths are established, said print data from said client application to said interface device comprises transforming, by said client application, said print data from a device-independent format to a rasterized format which corresponds to said printer, sending said print data in said rasterized format from said client application to said cable head end, and then sending said print data in said rasterized format from said cable head end to said interface device for printing by said printer.

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein said secure protocol is a secure sockets layer protocol.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step for determining whether said first and second secure communication paths are established between said client application and said cable head end, and between said cable head end and said interface device comprises transmission of at least one certificate from said interface device to said cable head end and transmission of at least one certificate from said cable head end to said client application.

13. An apparatus for the secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to an interface device which has a printer, said interface device residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing said digital cable network to said data network, comprising:

a program memory for storing process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 12; and

a processor for executing the process steps stored in said program memory.

14. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, said computer-executable process steps for the secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to an interface device which has a printer, said interface device residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing said digital cable network to said data network, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 12.

15. A computer-readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps to achieve the secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to an interface device which has a printer, said interface device residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing said digital cable network to said data network, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 12.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said interface device is a set top box.

19. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said interface device is a set top box.

20. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 14, wherein said interlace device is a set top box.

21. A computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said interface device is a set top box.

11. A method for the secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to an interface device which has a printer, said interface device residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing said digital cable network to said data network, said method comprising the steps of:

generating print data in said client application;

determining that a first secure communication path is established between said client application and said cable head end;

sending, in response to the determination that said first secure communication path is established, said print data from said client application to said cable head end in a device-independent format;

transforming, in said cable head end, said print data from said device-independent format to a rasterized format which corresponds to said printer;

determining that a second secure communication path is established between said cable head end and said interface device; and

sending, in response to the determination that said second secure communication path is established, said print data in said rasterized format from said cable head end to said interface device for printing by said printer.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein said interface device is a set top box.

12. A method for secure printing of print data from a client application residing on a data network to an interface device which has a printer, said interface device residing on a digital cable network which has a cable head end for interfacing said digital cable network to said data network, said method comprising the steps of:

generating print data in said client application;

transforming, in said client application, said print data from a device-independent format to a rasterized format in accordance with a printer driver corresponding to said printer attached to said interface device;

encrypting, in said client application, said print data in said rasterized format;

sending said encrypted print data in said rasterized format from said client application to said cable head end;

sending said encrypted print data in said rasterized format from said cable head end to said interface device; and

decrypting, in said interface device, said print data in said rasterized format for printing by said printer.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein said interface device is a set top box.