Non-transitory computer readable medium, server and system

• US 9,525,678 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Mori, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/209,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 726/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/605 Copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function

Abstract

A server may store one or more accounts. Each account may be associated with an authentication code and a total number of information devices that are allowed to be registered. The authentication codes may be provided to users for registering information devices. The information device may transmit a connection request, including an entered authentication code, to a server. Upon receiving the connection request, the server may determine whether to register the particular information device. The server may determine whether the information device is allowed to be registered based on registerable information, which is associated with an account that is associated with the received authentication code and which represents a remaining number of information devices that are allowed to be registered using the associated authentication code. If the information device is allowed to be registered, the server may send authentication information to the information device, so it may transmit state information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server; and

a plurality of information devices,

wherein the server comprises;

at least one first processor; and

a first memory storing user identification information for a plurality of users and first computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the server to;

receive, from a requesting device, a code request comprising particular user identification information for a particular user among the plurality of users and one of;

first information with first number information indicating a first number; and

second information;

determine whether the code request comprises the first information or the second information;

in response to determining that the code request comprises the first information;

generate a first authentication code;

transmit the generated first authentication code to the requesting device; and

store, in a memory in association with each other, the particular user identification information, the first authentication code, and first registerable number information indicating the first number;

in response to determining that the code request comprises the second information;

generate a second authentication code;

transmit the generated second authentication code to the requesting device; and

store, in the memory in association with each other, the particular user identification information, the second authentication code, and second registerable number information indicating a second number that is different from the first number;

wherein each of the plurality of information devices comprises;

at least one second processor; and

a second memory configured to store second computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause a corresponding information device to;

transmit, to the server, a connection request comprising a particular authentication code corresponding to one of the first authentication code and the second authentication code;

wherein the first computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the server to;

receive, from a first information device among the plurality of information devices, the connection request and device identification information identifying the first information device;

determine whether particular registerable number information corresponding to the particular authentication code indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered, wherein the particular registerable number information corresponds to one of the first registerable number information and the second registerable number information and the particular registerable number information is stored in the memory in association with the particular authentication code; and

in response to determining that the particular registerable number information indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered;

store, in the memory in association with the particular authentication code, the device identification information;

decrease a particular registerable number indicated by the particular registerable number information; and

transmit authentication information to the first information device to allow the first information device to communicate with the server, and

wherein the second computer-readable instructions cause the first information device to;

receive the authentication information from the server; and

communicate with the server using the received authentication information.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the server to:

in response to determining that the particular registerable number information indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered, generate the authentication information uniquely for the first information device.

19. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the first information device further comprises a print mechanism, and

wherein the second computer-readable instructions further cause the first information device to:

control the print mechanism to print using a consumable supply of consumer goods; and

after receiving the authentication information from the server, transmit, to the server, device state information representing an amount of printing performed by the first information device or a state of the consumable supply of the consumer goods.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a server to:

receive, from a requesting device, a code request comprising particular user identification information for a particular user among a plurality of users and one of;

first information, with first number information indicating a first number; and

second information;

determine whether the code request comprises the first information or the second information;

in response to determining that the code request comprises the first information;

generate a first authentication code;

transmit the generated first authentication code to the requesting device; and

store, in a memory in association with each other, the particular user identification information, the first authentication code, and first registerable number information indicating the first number;

in response to determining that the code request comprises the second information;

generate a second authentication code;

transmit the generated second authentication code to the requesting device; and

store, in the memory in association with each other, the particular user identification information, the second authentication code, and second registerable number information indicating a second number that is different from the first number;

receive, from a first information device among a plurality of information devices, a connection request, comprising a particular authentication code, and device identification information identifying the first information device, wherein the particular authentication code comprises one of the first authentication code and the second authentication code;

determine whether particular registerable number information corresponding to the particular authentication code indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered, wherein the particular registerable number information corresponds to one of the first registerable number information and the second registerable number information and the particular registerable number information is stored in the memory in association with the particular authentication code; and

in response to determining that the particular registerable number information indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered;

store, in the memory in association with the particular authentication code, the device identification information;

decrease a particular registerable number indicated by the particular registerable number information; and

transmit authentication information to the first information device to allow the first information device to communicate with the server.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,

wherein the connection request comprises the device identification information identifying the first information device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,

wherein transmitting of the authentication information comprises transmitting authentication information to the first information device to allow the first information device to transmit, to the server, device state information representing a state of the first information device in response to determining that the first information device is allowed to be registered.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 4,

wherein the device state information represents an amount of printing performed by the first information device or a state of a consumable supply of consumer goods of the first information device, and

wherein the first information device comprises a print mechanism and controller that controls the print mechanism to print using the consumable supply.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,

wherein storing of the first authentication code comprises storing first effective period information in association with the first authentication code and the first registerable number information, the first effective period information indicating a first effective period;

wherein storing of the second authentication code comprises storing second effective period information in association with the second authentication code and the second registerable number information, the second effective period information indicating a second effective period; and

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to;

in response to receiving the connection request, determine whether the connection request is received within a particular effective period indicated by particular effective period information, the particular effective period information comprising one of the first effective period information and the second effective period information; and

store, in the memory, the particular effective period information in association with the particular authentication code.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 6,

wherein the first effective period is longer than the second effective period.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,

wherein the first authentication code comprises a first number of digits;

wherein the second authentication code comprises a second number of digits; and

wherein the second number of digits is less than the first number of digits.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,

wherein the first authentication code comprises a first number of digits,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to in response to determining that the code request comprises the first information, store first effective time period information in association with the particular user identification information, the first authentication code, and first registerable number information, the first effective time period information indicating a first effective time period,

wherein the second authentication code comprises a second number of digits less than the first number of digits,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to, in response to determining that the code request comprises the second information, store second effective time period information in association with the particular user identification information, the second authentication code, and second registerable number information, the second effective time period information indicating a second effective time period that is shorter than the first effective time period,

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to, in response to receiving the connection request, determine whether the connection request is received within a particular effective period indicated by particular effective period information stored in the memory in association with the particular authentication code, the particular effective period information comprising one of the first effective period information and the second effective period information, and

wherein whether the particular registerable number information indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered is determined in response to determining that the connection request is received within the particular effective period.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to:

store, in the memory, the first information in association with the particular user identification information, the first authentication code, and the first registerable number information;

store, in the memory, the second information in association with the particular user identification information, the second authentication code, and the second registerable number information;

store, in the memory, the device identification information in association with the particular user identification information and a particular request, the particular request comprising one of the first information and the second information and associated with the particular authentication code;

receive a delete request comprising specific device identification information; and

determine to keep the specific device information in the memory when the particular request, which is associated with the particular authentication code, comprises the first data, and to delete the specific device identification information from the memory when the particular request, which is associated with the particular authentication code, comprises the second information.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to:

delete the specific device identification information from the memory in response to determining to delete the specific device identification information.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2,

wherein the second number is one.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 2, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to:

in response to determining that the particular registerable number information indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered, generate the authentication information uniquely for the first information device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9,

wherein the code request further comprises period information;

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to;

in response to receiving the code request comprising the first information and the period information, determine whether a particular time period indicated by the period information is within a first time period; and

in response to receiving the code request comprising the second information and the period information, determine whether a particular time period indicated by the period information is within a second time period, wherein the first time period is longer than the second time period;

wherein transmission of the first authentication code to the requesting device and storing the first effective time period information is in response to determining that the particular time period is within the first time period, and wherein the first effective time period information indicates the particular time period as the first effective time period; and

wherein transmission of the second authentication code to the requesting device and storing the second effective time period information is in response to determining that the particular time period is within the second time period, and wherein the second effective time period information indicates the particular time period as the second effective time period.

13. A server comprising;

at least one processor; and

a memory storing user identification information for a plurality of users and computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the server to;

receive, from a requesting device, a code request comprising particular user identification information for a particular user among the plurality of users and comprising one of;

first information with first number information indicating a first number; and

second information;

determine whether the code request comprises the first information or the second information;

in response to determining that the code request comprises the first information;

generate a first authentication code;

transmit the generated first authentication code to the requesting device; and

store, in a memory in association with each other, the particular user identification information, the first authentication code, and first registerable number information indicating the first number;

in response to determining that the code request comprises the second information;

generate a second authentication code;

transmit the generated second authentication code to the requesting device; and

store, in the memory in association with each other, the particular user identification information, the second authentication code, and second registerable number information indicating a second number that is different from the first number;

receive, from a first information device among a plurality of information devices, a connection request, comprising a particular authentication code, and device identification information identifying the first information device, wherein the particular authentication code comprises one of the first authentication code and the second authentication code;

determine whether particular registerable number information corresponding to the particular authentication code indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered, wherein the particular registerable number information corresponds to one of the first registerable number information and the second registerable number information and the particular registerable number information is stored in the memory in association with the particular authentication code; and

in response to determining that the particular registerable number information indicates that more than one information device is allowed to be registered;

store, in the memory in association with the particular authentication code, the device identification information; and

decrease a particular registerable number indicated by the particular registerable number information; and

transmit authentication information to the first information device to allow the first information device to communicate with the server.

14. The server according to claim 13,

wherein transmitting of the authentication information comprises transmitting authentication information to the first information device to allow the first information device to transmit, to the server, device state information representing a state of the first information device in response to determining that the first information device is allowed to be registered.

15. The server according to claim 13,

wherein storing of the first authentication code comprises storing first effective period information in association with the first authentication code and the first registerable number information, the first effective period information indicating a first effective period;

wherein storing of the second authentication code comprises storing second effective period information in association with the second authentication code and the second registerable number information, the second effective period information indicating a second effective period; and

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the server to;

in response to receiving the connection request, determine whether the connection request is received within a particular effective period indicated by particular effective period information, the particular effective period information comprising one of the first effective period information and the second effective period information; and

store, in the memory, the particular effective period information in association with the particular authentication code.

16. The server according to claim 15,

wherein the first effective period is longer than the second effective period.

23. The server according to claim 14, wherein the device state information represents an amount of printing performed by the first information device or a state of a consumable supply of consumer goods of the first information device, the first information device comprising a print mechanism and controller that controls the print mechanism to print using the consumable supply.