Automated secure allocation of scanning devices

A control device comprising:

• a first storage configured to store a user data set comprising:
• authorizations granted to each user of a set of users to use at least a subset of scanning devices of a set of scanning devices, wherein each scanning device of the set of scanning devices is capable of performing at least one of optical scanning of indicia and radio frequency (RF) scanning of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;
• and
• authorizations granted to each user of the set of users to use at least a subset of application routines and communication features from among a set of application routines and communication features of each scanning device of the corresponding subset of scanning devices;
• a first processor communicatively coupled to the first storage, the first processor configured to perform operations comprising:
• receive indications of current status of the set of scanning devices;
• receive an indication of an occurrence of scanning of a security token comprising at least one of a security indicia able to be optically scanned and a security tag able to be RF scanned, wherein the at least one of the security indicia and the security tag comprises encoded data associated with a user;
• attempt to use the user data set to authenticate the encoded data;
• and
• in response to successful authentication of the encoded data, perform operations comprising:
• use the user data set to identify a scanning device of the set of scanning devices that the user is authorized to use;
• and
• transmit, from the control device and to the identified scanning device, at least an indication of the subset of application routines and communication features that the user data set indicates that the user is authorized to use to cause the identified scanning device to:
• transition to an allocated state in which the identified scanning device is allocated to be used by the user;
• and
• restrict the user to using the subset of application routines and communication features on the identified scanning device,
• wherein:
• the indications of current status of the set of scanning devices comprises indications of ability of each scanning device of the set of scanning devices to support use of each application routine of the set of application routines and communication features;
• and
• the first processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:
• use the indications of current status of the set of scanning devices to determine whether the identified scanning device is able to support the execution of each application routine of the subset of application routines and communication features that the user is authorized to use;
• and
• in response to a determination that the identified scanning device is unable to support execution of an application routine of the subset of application routines and communication features, transmit, from the control device and to the identified scanning device, a command to provide the user an indication that use of the application routine on the identified scanning device is not supported.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a control device, by a first processor of a control device, and from a set of scanning devices, indications of current status of the set of scanning devices, wherein each scanning device of the set of scanning devices is capable of performing at least one of optical scanning of indicia and radio frequency (RF) scanning of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;
• receiving, at the control device and by the first processor, an indication of an occurrence of scanning of a security token comprising at least one of a security indicia able to be optically scanned and a security tag able to be RF scanned, wherein the at least one of the security indicia and the security tag comprises encoded data associated with a user;
• attempting, by the first processor, to use a user data set to authenticate the encoded data, wherein:
• the user data set is stored within a first storage communicatively coupled to the first processor;
• and
• the user data set comprises:
• authorizations granted to each user of a set of users to use at least a subset of scanning devices of a set of scanning devices;
• and
• authorizations granted to each user of the set of users to use at least a subset of application routines and communication features from among a set of application routines and communication features of the corresponding subset of scanning devices;
• and
• in response to successful authentication of the encoded data, performing operations comprising:
• using, by the first processor, the user data set to identify a scanning device of the set of scanning devices that the user is authorized to use;
• and
• transmitting, from the control device and to the identified scanning device, at least an indication of the subset of application routines and communication features that the user data set indicates that the user is authorized to use to cause the identified scanning device to:
• transition to an allocated state in which the identified scanning device is allocated to be used by the user;
• and
• restrict the user to using the subset of application routines and communication features on the identified scanning device,
• wherein:
• the indications of current status of the set of scanning devices comprises indications of whether each application routine of the set of application routines and communication features is currently installed on each scanning device of the set of scanning devices;
• and
• the method further comprises:
• using, by the first processor, the indications of current status of the set of scanning devices to determine whether each application routine of the subset of application routines and communication features that the user is authorized to use is installed on the identified scanning device;
• and
• in response to a determination that an application routine of the subset of application routines and communication features is not installed on the identified scanning device, transmitting, from the control device and to the identified scanning device, a copy of the application routine to cause the identified scanning device to install the application routine thereon.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a control device, by a first processor of a control device, and from a set of scanning devices, indications of current status of the set of scanning devices, wherein each scanning device of the set of scanning devices is capable of performing at least one of optical scanning of indicia and radio frequency (RF) scanning of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;
• receiving, at the control device and by the first processor, an indication of an occurrence of scanning of a security token comprising at least one of a security indicia able to be optically scanned and a security tag able to be RF scanned, wherein the at least one of the security indicia and the security tag comprises encoded data associated with a user;
• attempting, by the first processor, to use a user data set to authenticate the encoded data, wherein:
• the user data set is stored within a first storage communicatively coupled to the first processor;
• and
• the user data set comprises:
• authorizations granted to each user of a set of users to use at least a subset of scanning devices of a set of scanning devices;
• and
• authorizations granted to each user of the set of users to use at least a subset of application routines and communication features from among a set of application routines and communication features of the corresponding subset of scanning devices;
• and
• in response to successful authentication of the encoded data, performing operations comprising:
• using, by the first processor, the user data set to identify a scanning device of the set of scanning devices that the user is authorized to use;
• and
• transmitting, from the control device and to the identified scanning device, at least an indication of the subset of application routines and communication features that the user data set indicates that the user is authorized to use to cause the identified scanning device to:
• transition to an allocated state in which the identified scanning device is allocated to be used by the user;
• and
• restrict the user to using the subset of application routines and communication features on the identified scanning device,
• wherein:
• the scanning of the security token is performed by a security scanning device not included in the set of scanning devices;
• the method further comprises restricting, by the first processor, the scanning of security tokens associated with the set of users to the security scanning device;
• the indications of current status of the set of scanning devices comprises indications of whether each scanning device of the set of scanning devices is currently allocated for use;
• and
• identifying a scanning device of the set of scanning devices that the user is authorized to use comprises performing operations comprising:
• using, by the first processor, the indications of current status of the set of scanning devices and the user data set to identify a subset of the scanning devices of the set of scanning devices that is currently unallocated and that the user is authorized to use;
• and
• selecting, by the first processor, the identified scanning device from the subset of the scanning devices of the set of scanning devices.