Connecting a printer and a mobile device using identification information printed by the printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9591175-B2
Application number	US-201514927101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Nov 2, 2014
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for pairing a point of sale printer with a client device, using two-way identification, is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, using the point of sale printer and a wireless communication protocol, a request to pair the point of sale printer. The method also comprises deriving, using the point of sale printer, the client device, and a device pairing protocol, a shared secret at the client device and the point of sale printer. The method also comprises printing, using the point of sale printer and upon deriving the shared secret, client device association information on a printout. The method also comprises receiving, using the client device and the printout, the client device association information. The method also comprises associating the point of sale printer and the client device using the client device association information as received using the client device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for pairing a point of sale printer with a client device, using two-way identification, comprising:
receiving, using the point of sale printer and a wireless communication protocol, a request to pair the point of sale printer;
deriving, using the point of sale printer, the client device, and a device pairing protocol, a shared secret at the client device and the point of sale printer;
printing, using the point of sale printer and upon deriving the shared secret, client device association information on a printout;
receiving, using the client device and the printout, the client device association information; and
associating the point of sale printer and the client device using the client device association information as received using the client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, using the point of sale printer, that the point of sale printer is unassociated; and
automatically printing, using the point of sale printer and upon determining that the point of sale printer is unassociated, a print device identifier;
wherein the print device identifier identifies the point of sale printer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
presenting, using a user interface on the client device, a list of detected point of sale printers, wherein the point of sale printer is in the list of detected point of sale printers and is identified in the list of detected point of sale printers using the print device identifier; and
sending, using the client device and upon selection of the point of sale printer from the list of detected point of sale printers, the request to pair the point of sale printer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining, using the client device, that the point of sale printer is within a distance of the client device; and
generating, upon determining that the point of sale printer is within the distance of the client device, a wake-up message associated with the point of sale printer using the client device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein:
the determining that the point of sale printer is unassociated step is conducted in response to the wake-up message.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein:
the determining that the point of sale printer is unassociated step is conducted automatically when the point of sale printer is powered on.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:
displaying, using a user interface on the client device and prior to the determining that the point of sale printer is unassociated step, instructions to power on the point of sale printer and load paper into the point of sale printer.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the client device association information on the printout is in the form of a scannable barcode;
the client device association information is the shared secret or a hash of the shared secret; and
the client device association information is received using the client device by scanning the scannable barcode.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the client device association information on the printout is in the form of a string of human readable characters;
the client device association information is the shared secret or a hash of the shared secret; and
the client device association information is received using a user interface on the client device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the request to pair the point of sale printer is received in accordance with a short range communications protocol; and
the shared secret is derived using a Diffie Hellman key agreement protocol.

11. A computer-implemented method for pairing a printing device with a client device, using two-way identification, comprising:
sending, from the client device, a request to pair the printing device;
receiving, using the printing device and a wireless communication protocol, the request to pair the printing device;
generating on both the printing device and the client device, a shared secret in accordance with a device pairing protocol, wherein the shared secret is derived between the two devices;
printing, using the printing device, client device association information on a printout, wherein the client device association information is based on the shared secret;
receiving, using the client device and the printout, the client device association information; and
automatically pairing the client device with the printing device upon receiving the client device association information from the printout with the client device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, using the printing device, that the printing device is unassociated; and
automatically printing, using the printing device and upon determining that the printing device is unassociated, a print device identifier;
wherein the print device identifier identifies the printing device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, using the client device, that the printing device is within a distance of the client device; and
generating, upon determining that the printing device is within the distance of the client device, a wake-up message associated with the printing device using the client device;
wherein the determining that the printing device is unassociated step is conducted in response to the wake-up message.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein:
the wireless communication protocol is a short range communications protocol;

the shared secret is derived using a Diffie Hellman key agreement protocol; and
the printing device is a point of sale printer.

15. A system for pairing a printing device with a client device, using two-way identification, comprising:
a memory on the client device, storing a set of non-transitory computer readable instructions to send a request to pair the printing device using a wireless communication protocol and subsequently derive a shared secret with the printing device;
a printer, wherein the printing device is configured to instruct the printer to print client device association information upon the client device deriving the shared secret;
a first printout, wherein the first printout is printed by the printer and includes the client device association information that is printed upon the client device deriving the shared secret; and
an input device, provided on the client device, to receive the client device association information;
wherein the client device is also configured to associate the printing device with the client device using the client device association information received via the input device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein:
the client device uses Bluetooth;
the shared secret is derived using a key agreement protocol; and
the printing device is a point of sale printer.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a second printout, wherein the second printout is printed by the printer and includes a print device identifier that identifies the printing device;
wherein the printing device instructs the printer to print the print device identifier upon determining that the printing device is unassociated.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to:
determine if the printing device is within a distan

Assignees

• Clover Network Inc

Inventors

• Beatty John Daniel

Classifications

• H04N1/4413

  involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN · CPC title

• G06Q20/209

  Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output · CPC title

• H04N1/327 Primary

  Initiating, continuing or ending a single-mode communication; Handshaking therefor {(H04N1/32614 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N1/00244

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title