System and method for automatically providing proximity based guest access to a network of resource devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10230737-B2
Application number	US-201816002414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Feb 24, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A method for providing guest access to a guest user for a network resource device based on proximity includes provisioning a plurality of network resource devices with a set of guest-on boarding information, receiving a request for guest access from a guest user for the network resource devices, determining if the guest user is within a certain distance of at least one of the network resource devices, and if the guest user is within the certain distance of at least one of the network resource devices identify each such network resource device as a proximate device. The method also includes providing a first set of guest on-boarding information to the guest user, via one of the proximate devices. The first set of guest on-boarding information includes a first unique identifier, and guest access credentials are provided to the guest user upon receipt of the first unique identifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for providing guest access credentials to a guest user for a network resource device based on proximity comprising:
a plurality of network resource devices;
a hardware processor in communication with the plurality of network resource devices; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to:
provision each of the plurality of network resource devices with at least one set of guest-on boarding information, wherein the at least one set of guest on-boarding information comprises a unique identifier and a domain address,
receive a request for guest access from a guest user for one or more of the plurality of network resource devices, wherein the guest user does not have access to the one or more of the plurality of network resource devices at a time of the request,
determine if the guest user is within a certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices, and if the guest user is within the certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices identify each such network resource device as a proximate device,
provide a first set of guest on-boarding information, via at least one of the proximate devices, to the guest user, wherein the first set of guest on-boarding information comprises a first unique identifier,
receive the first unique identifier from the guest user, and
provide guest access credentials to the guest user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of network resource devices is a print device.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising programming instructions, that when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to:
receive the guest access credentials from the guest user;
provide guest access to the guest user for one of the proximate devices that is also a print device;
receive a print document from the guest user; and
release the print document for printing at the proximate device that is also a print device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to determine if the guest user is within a certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices comprise programming instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to:
establish a short range communications link between an electronic device of the guest user and the at least one network resource device; and
determine if a signal strength of the short range communications link is above a threshold level, and if the signal strength is above the threshold level determine that the guest user is within the certain distance of at least one of the network resource devices.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the short range communications link comprises a near-field communications link, a Bluetooth Low Energy link, or a radio-frequency identification link.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to determine if the guest user is within a certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices comprise programming instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to:
display information on a display interface of the at least one network resource device, wherein the information comprises a set of instructions for the guest user to perform a task, and
determine that the guest user is within the certain distance of the at least one network resource device if the guest user accurately performs the task.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the set of instructions comprises the first set of guest on-boarding information.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to determine if the guest user is within a certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices comprise programming instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to determine if the request for guest access from the guest user was received via a user interface of the at least one network resource device, wherein use of the user interface requires physical proximity of the guest user.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first unique identifier comprises information relating to a guest access policy; and
wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the processor to provide guest access credentials to the guest user comprise programming instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to configure the guest access credentials based on the guest access policy.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the guest access policy comprises one or more of the following:
a lifetime of the guest access credentials;
a maximum number of document processing jobs allowed;
one or more types of the network resource devices that the guest user can access;
identities of the network resource devices that the guest user may be authorized access; of one or more capabilities of the network resource devices that the guest user may be authorized to access.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to authenticate the first unique identifier received from the guest user by determining that the first unique identifier matches a unique identifier provisioned to the plurality of resource devices.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first set of guest on-boarding information further comprises a domain address; and
the first unique identifier is received by the processor at the domain address.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to receive a request for guest access from a guest user for one or more of the plurality of network resource devices comprise programming instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to receive the request for guest access from an electronic device of the guest user.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions that, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to provide guest access credentials to the guest user comprise programming instructions that when executed cause the hardware processor to provide guest access credentials to an electronic device of the guest user.

15. A method for providing guest access credentials to a guest user for a network resource device based on proximity comprising, by a hardware processor:
provisioning each of a plurality of network resource devices with at least one set of guest-on boarding information, wherein the at least one set of guest on-boarding information comprises a unique identifier and a domain address;
receiving a request for guest access from a guest user for one or more of the plurality of network resource devices, wherein the guest user does not have access to the one or more of the plurality of network resource devices at a time of the request;
determining if the guest user is within a certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices, and if the guest user is within the certain distance of at least one of the plurality of network resource devices identify each such network resource device as a

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Zehler Peter J
• Macarie Emil

Classifications

• H04L63/06

  for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08) · CPC title

• H04L63/107 Primary

  wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L63/068

  using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088) · CPC title

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title