Method for operating a scanning system

A scan server arrangement for a scanning system, the scanning server comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the scanning server to:

• receive an encrypted scan job, the encrypted scan job being a scan job encrypted with a public scan job key of a scan job key pair from a scanning device communicatively connected via a wired or wireless communication network to the scan server arrangement,
• obtain via the wired or wireless communication network an encrypted private scan job key of the scan job key pair, the encrypted private scan job key being a private scan job key encrypted with a public computer device key of a computer device key pair from a mobile user terminal,
• wherein the computer device key pair is associated with a computer device,
• transmit via the wired or wireless communication network the encrypted private scan job key to the computer device, and
• transmit via the wired or wireless communication network the encrypted scan job to the computer device so that the computer device is able to obtain the scan job by decrypting the encrypted scan job using at least the encrypted private scan job key.

A computer device for a scanning system comprising:

• at least one data memory,
• wherein the computer device is configured to:
• provide a computer device key pair comprising a private computer device key and a public computer device key, the private computer device key being stored in the at least one data memory,
• provide the public computer device key of the computer device key pair such that a mobile user terminal can obtain the public computer device key at the computer device,
• receive a scan job encrypted with a public scan job key of a scan job key pair from a scan server arrangement communicatively connected to the computer device via a wired or wireless communication network,
• obtain via the wired or wireless communication network an encrypted private scan job key of a scan job key pair, the encrypted private scan job key being a private scan job key encrypted with the public computer device key from the mobile user terminal via the scan server arrangement,
• decrypt the encrypted private scan job key with the private computer device key of the computer device key pair stored in the at least one data memory to obtain a decrypted private scan job key, and
• decrypt the received encrypted scan job with the decrypted private scan job key to obtain the scan job.

A scanning system, comprising:

• at least one scan server arrangement, and
• at least one scanning device communicatively connected to the scan server arrangement;
• wherein the scan server arrangement comprises a processor and a memory, the memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the scan server arrangement to:
• receive an encrypted scan job, the encrypted scan job being a scan job encrypted with a public scan job key of a scan job key pair from the at least one scanning device communicatively connected via a wired or wireless communication network to the scan server arrangement,
• obtain via the wired or wireless communication network an encrypted private scan job key of the scan job key pair, the encrypted private scan job key being a private scan job key encrypted with a public computer device key of a computer device key pair obtained from a mobile user terminal,
• wherein the computer device key pair is associated with a computer device,
• transmit via the wired or wireless communication network the encrypted private scan job key to the computer device, and
• transmit via the wired or wireless communication network the encrypted scan job to the computer device so that the computer device is able to obtain the scan job by decrypting the encrypted scan job using at least the encrypted private scan job key.

A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon a scanning application in the form of a computer program installed on a mobile user terminal with computer code executable by a processor of the mobile user terminal, the scanning application configured to cause the mobile user terminal to:

• receive optically or through a wired or wireless communication network a private scan job key of a scan job key pair provided by a scanning device, wherein a scan job is encrypted with a public scan job key of the scan job key pair by the scanning device,
• store the private scan job key in a data memory of the mobile user terminal,
• obtain optically or through the wired or wireless communication network a public computer device key of a computer device key pair provided by a computer device at the computer device,
• encrypt the private scan job key stored in the data memory of the mobile user terminal with the public computer device key obtained from the computer device to provide an encrypted private scan job key, and
• cause transmission of the encrypted private scan job key via the wired or wireless communication network to the computer device so that the computer device is able to obtain the scan job by decrypting the encrypted scan job using at least the encrypted private scan job key.