Virtual printing device consumable item authentication
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsGabriel Scott McDaniel, Paul L. Jeran, Jeffrey H. Luke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A user device transmits to a computing device an authentication code for a virtual printing device consumable item. The computing device authenticates the virtual printing device consumable item using the authentication code. Upon successful authentication of the virtual printing device consumable item, the virtual printing device consumable item is associated with a printing device to permit the printing device to print in accordance with the virtual printing device consumable item. The printing device subsequently prints as permitted by the virtual printing device consumable item.
Claims12
A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program code executable by a user device to perform processing comprising:
- inputting an authentication code for a virtual printing device consumable item;
- transmitting the authentication code to a computing device for authentication of the virtual printing device consumable item;
- and
- upon successful authentication of the virtual printing device consumable item, associating the virtual printing device consumable item with a printing device to permit the printing device to print in accordance with the virtual printing device consumable item,
- wherein the virtual printing device consumable item has a virtual capacity of a specified number of pages, and the printing device is permitted to print the specified number of pages upon association of the virtual printing device consumable item with the printing device,
- and wherein the printing device subsequently prints as permitted by the virtual printing device consumable item.
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a computing device and from a user device, an authentication code for a virtual printing device consumable item;
- authenticating, by the computing device, the virtual printing device consumable item using the authentication code;
- and
- upon successful authentication of the virtual printing device consumable item, associating the virtual printing device consumable item with a printing device to permit the printing device to print in accordance with the virtual printing device consumable item,
- wherein the printing device subsequently prints as permitted by the virtual printing device consumable item,
- and wherein authenticating the authentication code comprises verifying that the authentication code is a legitimate authentication code and that the virtual printing device consumable item has not been previously associated with any printing device.
A printing device comprising:
- print hardware to print using a consumable item;
- a processor;
- and
- a memory storing program code executable by the processor to:
- responsive to receiving a request to print a print job, determine whether the printing device has been permitted to print in accordance with a virtual printing device consumable item and that the virtual printing device consumable item has not been depleted;
- responsive to determining that the printing device has been permitted to print in accordance with the virtual printing device consumable item and that the virtual printing device consumable item has not been depleted, print the print job using the consumable item;
- and
- responsive to determining that the printing device has not been permitted to print in accordance with the virtual printing device consumable item and/or that the virtual printing device consumable item has been depleted, do not print the print job using the consumable item,
- wherein the virtual printing device consumable item has a virtual capacity of a specified number of pages, and the printing device is permitted to print the specified number of pages upon association of the virtual printing device consumable item with the printing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.