Using embedded electromagnetic signatures to monitor and authorize collection of printed material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10043327-B2
Application number	US-201615181945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2016
Priority date	Jun 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Monitoring and authorizing collection of printed media. A print task is received. A unique electromagnetic (EM) signature is generated for the received print task. Files for the print task are printed including the EM signature. Communication information is received including information exchanged between a radio frequency identification (RFID) badge associated with a user requesting access to a common printing area and a RFID reader associated with the common printing area, and information by an electromagnetic detector of a computer from the EM signature. Based on the first and second set of received communication information, an attempted collection of the printed media by the print task owner is determined. If the attempted collection is not made by the print task owner, a notification is transmitted to a computer associated with the print task owner indicating an unauthorized attempted collection of the printed media.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, a print task including one or more files to print onto printable media, and print task data including unique identification information of a print task owner, wherein the print task owner identifies one or more authorized users to collect the printable media, and wherein the unique identification information includes an image of the print owner's face and the one or more authorized user's face at a time of print task initiation, and an image of the print owner's face and the one or more authorized user's face at a time of attempted collection of the printable media;
generating, by the one or more processors, a unique electromagnetic signature for the received print task, based on the received print task data, wherein the unique electromagnetic signature is associated with the print task owner and the one or more authorized users;
printing, by a printing device, the one or more files onto the printable media including the generated electromagnetic signature embedded on at least a portion of the printable media;
responsive to printing the one or more files onto the printable media, receiving, by the one or more processors, a first set of communication information exchanged between a radio frequency identification (RFID) badge associated with a user requesting access to a common printing area and a RFID reader associated with the common printing area configured to authorize access into the common printing area;
receiving, by the one or more processors, a second set of communication information transmitted from a first computer, wherein the second set of communication information is read by an electromagnetic detector of the first computer from the embedded electromagnetic signature;
determining, by the one or more processors, whether an attempted collection of the printable media is performed by the print task owner, based on the first and second set of received communication information;
determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the attempted collection of the printable media is performed by one of the one or more authorized users, based on the first and second set of received communication information;
responsive to determining that the attempted collection of the printable media is not performed by the print task owner, transmitting, by the one or more processors, a notification to a second computer associated with the print task owner indicating an unauthorized attempted collection of the printable media; and
responsive to determining that the attempted collection of the printable media is not performed by one of the one or more authorized users, transmitting, by the one or more processors, the notification to a second computer associated with the print task owner indicating an unauthorized attempted collection of the printable media.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the attempted collection of the printable media is not performed by the print task owner, operating, by the one or more processors, the printing device in the common printing area to deny access to the printable media for the completed print task; and
responsive to determining that the attempted collection of the printable media is performed by the print task owner, operating, by the one or more processors, the printing device to permit access to the printable media for the completed print task.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein operating the printing device to permit access to the printable media for the completed print task comprises:
transmitting, by the one or more processors, instructions to the printing device to temporarily disable a secure enclosure of the printing device, wherein the secure enclosure denies access to the printable media.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic signature is a passive RFID tag configured to be read by the detector of the first computer that is a RFID reader.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein generating the unique electromagnetic signature for the received print task, based on the received print task data, comprises:
generating, by the one or more processors, a unique identifier for the print task and print task owner, using a hash function and the received print task data; and
encoding, by the one or more processors, the unique identifier onto a microchip of an RFID inlay including an RFID antenna to generate the unique electromagnetic signature for the received print task, whereby the microchip stores the unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors, a relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) between the electromagnetic signature and another electromagnetic detector of the common printing area;
determining, by the one or more processors, whether the received RSSI is greater than a specified threshold; and
responsive to determining that the received RSSI is less than the specified threshold, transmitting, by the one or more processors, a notification to the second computer associated with the print task owner indicating that the printable media exited the common printing area.

7. A computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive a print task including one or more files to print onto printable media, and print task data including unique identification information of a print task owner, wherein the print task owner identifies one or more authorized users to collect the printable media, and wherein the unique identification information includes an image of the print owner's face and the one or more authorized user's face at a time of print task initiation, and an image of the print owner's face and the one or more authorized user's face at a time of attempted collection of the printable media;
program instructions to generate a unique electromagnetic signature for the received print task, based on the received print task data, wherein the unique electromagnetic signature is associated with the print task owner and the one or more authorized users;
program instructions to print the one or more files onto the printable media including the generated electromagnetic signature embedded on at least a portion of the printable media;
program instructions to, responsive to printing the one or more files onto the printable media, receive a first set of communication information exchanged between a radio frequency identification (RFID) badge associated with a user requesting access to a common printing area and a RFID reader associated with the common printing area configured to authorize access into the common printing area;
program instructions to receive a second set of communication information transmitted from a first computer, wherein the second set of communication information is read by an electromagnetic detector of the first computer from the embedded electromagnetic signature;
program instructions to determine whether an attempted collection of the printable media is performed by the print task owner, based on the first and second set of received communication information;
program instructions to determine whether the attempted collection of the printable media is performed by one of the one or more authorized users, based on the first and second set of received communication information;
program instructions to, responsive to determining that the attempted collection of the printable media is not performed by the print task owner, transmit a notification to a second computer associated with the print task owner indicating an unauthorized attempted col

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Harpur Liam
• Katzen Erik
• Patel Sumit
• Rice John

Classifications

• G07C9/28 Primary

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G06F21/608 Primary

  Secure printing · CPC title

• G06K19/07707

  the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink · CPC title

• G06F21/60

  Protecting data · CPC title

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title