# US 10,768,878 B2 · Accessing a service, such as a printing service, via a scannable code

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,768,878 B2
- Document ID: US10768878B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/965,100
- Filed: 2018-04-27
- Published: 2019-10-31
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-27
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L. P.
- Inventors: Chetan P. Somaiah; Arockiaraj Durairaj
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768878B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/1292: {Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing}
- G06F 3/1203: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management}
- G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data}
- G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job}
- G06F 3/1236: {Connection management}
- G06F 3/1238: {Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs}
- G06F 3/1259: {Print job monitoring, e.g. job status}
- G06F 3/1289: {in server-client-printer device configuration, e.g. the server does not see the printer}
- G06F 3/1297: {Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters}
- G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes}
- G06Q 20/045: {using payment protocols involving tickets}
- G06Q 20/3276: {using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device}
- G06Q 20/36: using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
- G07F 17/42: for ticket printing or like apparatus {, e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards}
- H04W 12/06: Authentication
- H04W 12/068: {using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications}
- H04W 12/71: Hardware identity
- H04W 12/77: Graphical identity
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method includes receiving from a server, by one or more processors, account information associated with a device. The account information specifies an identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the device, where the identifier uniquely identifies the device. The method also includes initiating a wireless connection with the device, and authenticating the device based at least in part on the identifier. The method includes receiving a document to print, printing the document, and modifying the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount. The method also includes receiving an additional document for printing, translating the additional document to a format that the printer is capable of printing. The method includes printing the additional document and modifying the updated credit amount. In the method, the device lacks a printer driver associated with the printer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A service device comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving from a server, account information associated with a user device, the account information comprising a device identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the user device, wherein the device identifier comprises an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) that uniquely identifies the user device;
receiving, from the server, a one-time password to access the account associated with the user device to establish a single session;
in response to receiving the account information, initiating a process to identify the user device using a wireless communication protocol based at least in part on the device identifier;
in response to identifying the user device based at least in part on the device identifier, establishing the single session using wireless communications between the service device and the user device;
authenticating the user device based at least in part on the one-time password;
sending, to the user device, a confirmation message indicating that the single session is established;
receiving, via the wireless communications, digital data from the user device;
receiving, via the wireless communications, at least one action to be performed during the single session;
determining that the at least one action is permitted based on a set of approved actions associated with the account;
performing the at least one action using the digital data;
sending, to the user device, a status associated with performing the at least one action; and
modifying, based at least in part on the at least one action and the digital data, the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The service device of claim 1, wherein:
the service device comprises a printer; and
performing the at least one action based at least in part on the digital data comprises:
determining that the digital data comprises a document and printing parameters;
determining that the at least one action comprises printing the document;
translating the document to a document format that the printer is capable of printing;
configuring the printer to print the document using the printing parameters;
and
printing the document in the document format.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The service device of claim 2, wherein modifying the amount of credit in the account comprises:
determining a number of pages of the document that were printed by the printer;
determining, based on the number of pages of the document that were printed, a debit amount by which to reduce the amount of credit;
reducing the amount of credit in the account based on the debit amount, to create the updated credit amount; and
transmitting the updated credit amount to the server.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The service device of claim 2, the operations further comprising:
receiving an additional document for printing;
translating the additional document to a second format that the printer is capable of printing;
printing the additional document using the printer; and
modifying the updated credit amount.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The service device of claim 1, the operations further comprising:
displaying a machine-readable label associated with the service device,
wherein the user device sends a request to the server after the user device scans the machine-readable label, the request comprising the device identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The service device of claim 1, wherein the device identifier further comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The service device of claim 1, wherein:
the service device comprises a router, and
the at least one action comprises enabling the user device to access a wireless network that is connected to the router.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
receiving from a server, by one or more processors of a service device, account information associated with a user device, the account information comprising a device identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the user device, wherein the device identifier comprises an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) that uniquely identifies the user device;
receiving, from the server, a one-time password to access the account associated with the user device to establish a single session;
in response to receiving the account information, initiating a process to identify the user device using a wireless communication protocol based at least in part on the device identifier;
in response to identifying the user device based at least in part on the device identifier, establishing the single session using wireless communications between the service device and the user device;
authenticating the user device based at least in part on the one-time password;
sending, to the user device, a confirmation message indicating that the single session is established;
receiving, by the one or more processors, digital data from the user device via the wireless communications;
receiving, by the one or more processors via the wireless communications, at least one action to be performed during the single session;
determining that the at least one action is permitted based on a set of approved actions associated with the account;
performing the at least one action, by the one or more processors, using the digital data;
sending, by the one or more processors and to the user device, a status associated with performing the at least one action; and
modifying, by the one or more processors and based at least in part on the at least one action and the digital data, the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein:
the service device comprises a printer; and
performing the at least one action based at least in part on the digital data comprises:
determining that the digital data comprises a document and printing parameters;
determining that the at least one action comprises printing the document;
translating the document to a format that the printer is capable of printing;
configuring the printer to print the document using the printing parameters;
and
printing the document using the printer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the amount of credit in an account comprises:
determining a number of pages of the document that were printed by the printer;
determining, based on the number of pages of the document that were printed, a debit amount by which to reduce the amount of credit;
reducing the amount of credit in the account based on the debit amount, to create the updated credit amount; and
transmitting to the server a result of printing the document, the result comprising the number of pages that were printed and the updated credit amount.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
displaying a machine-readable label associated with the action,
wherein the user device sends a request to the server after the user device scans the machine-readable label, the request comprising the device identifier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein:
the service device comprises a router connected to a wireless network; and
the at least one action comprises enabling the user device to access the wireless network using the service device that is connected to the wireless network.

### Claim 13

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a service device to perform operations comprising:
receiving from a server, by the service device, account information associated with a user device, the account information comprising a device identifier and an amount of credit in an account associated with the user device, wherein the device identifier comprises an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) that uniquely identifies the user device;
receiving, from the server, a one-time password to access the account associated with the user device to perform at least one action during a single session;
in response to receiving the account information, initiating a process to identify the user device using a wireless communication protocol and based at least in part on the device identifier;
in response to identifying the user device based at least in part on the device identifier, establishing the single session using wireless communications between the service device and the user device;
authenticating the user device based at least in part on the one-time password;
sending, to the user device, a confirmation message indicating that the single session is established;
receiving, via the wireless communications, digital data from the user device;
receiving, via the wireless communications, at least one action to be performed during the single session;
determining that the at least one action is permitted based on a set of approved actions associated with the account;
performing the at least one action, by the service device, using the digital data; and
modifying, by the service device and based at least in part on the at least one action and the digital data, the amount of credit in the account to create an updated credit amount.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein:
the service device comprises a printer; and
performing the at least one action based at least in part on the digital data comprises:
determining that the digital data comprises a document and printing parameters;
determining that the at least one action comprises printing the document;
translating the document to a format that the printer is capable of printing;
configuring the printer to print the document using the printing parameters;
and
printing the document.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein modifying the amount of credit in an account comprises:
determining a number of pages of the document that were printed by the printer;
determining, based on the number of pages of the document that were printed, a debit amount by which to reduce the amount of credit;
reducing the amount of credit in the account based on the debit amount, to create the updated credit amount; and
transmitting to the server a result of printing the document, the result comprising the number of pages that were printed and the updated credit amount.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, the operations further comprising:
displaying a machine-readable label associated with the action,
wherein the user device sends a request to the server after the user device has scanned the machine-readable label, the request comprising the device identifier associated with the user device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein:
the service device comprises a router; and
the at least one action comprises enabling the user device to access a wireless network using the service device.