Secure printing between printer and print client device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9530017-B2
Application number	US-201113977867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2011
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods of operating a computing system may involve securely printing a print document sent from a client device to a target printer. In one example, the method may include verifying an operating environment of the target printer and generating a plurality of security keys to implement asymmetric encryption of the print document.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
initializing a printer security hardware component at a target printer;
verifying an integrity of an operating environment at the target printer, wherein verifying the integrity of the operating environment includes verifying at least a security application on the target printer;
receiving a request to print a document at the target printer;
generating a plurality of security keys to implement asymmetric encryption of the document;
transmitting a first security key of the plurality of security keys to the print client;
conducting an encryption of the document utilizing the first security key;
receiving the document at the target printer in an encrypted form;
conducting a decryption of the document utilizing a second security key of the plurality of security keys; and
ensuring, by the printer security hardware component, that no other print processes at the target printer can access the document during execution of the print request, verifying that the printer-side security application is unmodified and ensuring that the printer-side security application is operating in a secure and trusted compute environment.

2. The method claim 1 , including:
rendering the document utilizing a printer processing assembly of the target printer; and
printing the document utilizing a printer execution assembly of the target printer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decryption of the document is conducted at one of the target printer, a print server, and a cloud service device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including storing the document to a printer memory.

5. The method of claim 4 , further including deleting the document from the printer memory.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which, if executed by a processor, cause a computer to:
initialize a printer security hardware component at a target printer;
verify an integrity of an operating environment at the target printer, wherein verifying the integrity of the operating environment includes verifying at least a security application on the target printer;
generate a plurality of security keys to implement asymmetric encryption of the document;
transmit a first security key of the plurality of security keys to a print client; and
decrypt the document utilizing a second security key of the plurality of security keys; and
ensure, by the printer security hardware component, that no other print processes at the target printer can access the document during execution of the print request, verify that the printer-side security application is unmodified, and ensure that the printer-side security application is operating in a secure and trusted compute environment.

7. The medium of claim 6 , wherein, if executed, the instructions cause a computer to:
render the document at a printer processing assembly of the target printer; and
printing the document at a printer execution assembly of the target printer.

8. The medium of claim 6 , wherein, if executed, the instructions cause a computer to store the document at a printer memory.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein, if executed, the instructions cause a computer to delete the document from the printer memory.

10. A printer comprising:
a processing component;
a security hardware component to verify an operating environment at the printer, wherein verifying the operating environment includes verifying at least a security application on the target printer, to verify that the security application is unmodified and to ensure that the printer-side security application is operating in a secure and trusted compute environment;
a memory device including a printer-side secure printing application having a set of instructions to be executed by the processing component, wherein the printer-side secure printing application is to,
initialize the security hardware component,
generate a plurality of security keys to implement an asymmetric encryption of the document,
transmit a first security key of the plurality of security keys to a print client, and
receive a document in an encrypted form; and

a printer-side security logic component to decrypt the document utilizing a second security key of the plurality of security keys.

11. The printer of claim 10 , including a processing assembly having a graphics engine to render the document.

12. The printer of claim 11 , including an execution assembly having a printer head, a supporting roller, and a document tray to print the document.

13. The printer of claim 12 , wherein the printer security hardware component, the printer processing assembly, and the printer execution assembly are hardwired components.

14. The printer apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the memory device is to store the document.

15. The printer apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, if executed, the instructions cause the document to be deleted from the printer memory.

16. The printer apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the printer-side security logic component is to decrypt the document into a low-level print language primitive.

17. A system comprising:
a print client including,
a client transceiver,
a client processing component,
a client device memory having a client-side security application, and
a client-side security logic component to encrypt a document;
a print server; and
a target printer, wherein the target printer includes,
a printer processing component,
a printer security hardware component to verify an operating environment at the target printer, wherein verifying the operating environment includes verifying at least a security application on the target printer, to verify that the security application is unmodified and to ensure that the printer-side security application is operating in a secure and trusted compute environment;
a printer memory device including a printer-side secure printing application having a set of instructions to be executed by the printer processing component, wherein the printer-side secure printing application is configured to,
initialize the printer security hardware component, wherein the printer security hardware component is to ensure that no other print processes at the target printer can access the document during execution of the print request,
verify an integrity of the operating environment at the target printer,
generate a plurality of security keys to implement asymmetric encryption of the document,
transmit a first security key of the plurality of security keys to the print client, and
receive the document in an encrypted form, and

a printer-side security logic component to decrypt the document utilizing a second security key of the plurality of security keys.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the printer processing component includes a graphics engine to render the document.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the target printer includes a printer execution assembly having a printer head, a supporting roller, and a document tray to print the document.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the printer security hardware component, the printer processing assembly, and the printer execution assembly are hardwired components.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the target printer includes a printer memory to store the document.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein, if executed, the set of instructions cause the apparatus to delete the document from the printer memory.

23. The system of cl

Assignees

• Fallon Michael F
• Wilde Myles
• Adiletta Matthew J
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Fallon Michael F
• Wilde Myles
• Adiletta Matthew J

Classifications

• G06F21/62

  Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules · CPC title

• G06F21/57

  Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities · CPC title

• G06F3/1222 Primary

  Increasing security of the print job · CPC title

• G06F21/608 Primary

  Secure printing · CPC title

• G06K15/4095

  Secure printing (computer driven secure printing G06F3/1238) · CPC title