# US 12,771,542 B2 · Device onboarding on secure networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,771,542 B2 - Document ID: US12771542B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/352,007 - Filed: 2023-07-13 - Published: 2025-01-16 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-07-13 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: Bradley K. Goodman; William Jeffery White - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12771542B2 ## CPC - H04L 9/321: {involving a third party or a trusted authority} - H04L 9/3073: {involving pairings, e.g. identity based encryption [IBE], bilinear mappings or bilinear pairings, e.g. Weil or Tate pairing} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An apparatus comprises at least one processing device configured to receive one or more credentials for at least one device from an onboarding management system, and to receive a request from at least one authenticator to authenticate the at least one device in response to the at least one device requesting access to a secure communication channel to communicate with the onboarding management system. The at least one processing device is further configured to transmit the one or more credentials to the at least one authenticator in response to the request. The at least one device is given the access to the secure communication channel responsive to verification of the one or more credentials by the authenticator. The one or more credentials comprise one or more keys. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory; the at least one processing device executing a zero touch provisioning process which operates to: receive one or more credentials for at least one device from an onboarding management system, the one or more credentials comprising one or more keys which identify the at least one device and an owner of the at least one device; receive a request from at least one authenticator to authenticate the at least one device in response to the at least one device requesting access to a secure communication channel to communicate with the onboarding management system to perform a zero touch provisioning process; and transmit the one or more credentials to the at least one authenticator in response to the request to cause the at least one authenticator to utilize the one or more credentials to verify the identity and the owner of the at least one device and provide the at least one device access to the secure communication channel in response to verification of the identity and owner of the at least one device by the at least one authenticator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more keys comprise at least an asymmetric public key of a public-private key pair. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the onboarding management system receives the one or more credentials as part of a cryptographically attested digital document from a site corresponding to a manufacturer of the at least one device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing device comprises a server utilizing a remote authentication dial-in user service protocol. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more keys comprise a multi-purpose key used: (i) for validating the at least one device for secure onboarding; and (ii) as a network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the multi-purpose key comprises a device attestation key. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the multi-purpose key is used as the network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel only in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the access comprises initial access to the secure communication channel in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device and additional access to the secure communication channel in connection with operations after the secure onboarding of the at least one device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the one or more keys comprise a specific-purpose key used as a network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the specific-purpose key is used as the network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel only in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in receiving the one or more credentials for the at least one device from the onboarding management system, the at least one processing device is configured to pull the one or more credentials from a backend service associated with the onboarding management system in response to receiving the request from the at least one authenticator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in receiving the one or more credentials for the at least one device from the onboarding management system, the at least one processing device is configured to allow the one or more credentials to be pushed to the at least one processing device from the onboarding management system. ### Claim 13 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes the at least one processing device to perform a zero touch provisioning process which comprises steps of: receiving one or more credentials for at least one device from an onboarding management system, the one or more credentials comprising one or more keys which identify the at least one device and an owner of the at least one device; receiving a request from at least one authenticator to authenticate the at least one device in response to the at least one device requesting access to a secure communication channel to communicate with the onboarding management system to perform a zero touch provisioning process; and transmitting the one or more credentials to the at least one authenticator in response to the request to cause the at least one authenticator to utilize the one or more credentials to verify the identity and the owner of the at least one device and provide the at least one device access to the secure communication channel in response to verification of the identity and owner of the at least one device by the at least one authenticator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the one or more keys comprise a multi-purpose key used: (i) for validating the at least one device for secure onboarding; and (ii) as a network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the multi-purpose key is used as the network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel only in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the access comprises initial access to the secure communication channel in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device and additional access to the secure communication channel in connection with operations after the secure onboarding of the at least one device. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: performing, by an authentication server, a zero touch provisioning process which comprises: receiving one or more credentials for at least one device from an onboarding management system, the one or more credentials comprising one or more keys which identify the at least one device and an owner of the at least one device; receiving a request from at least one authenticator to authenticate the at least one device in response to the at least one device requesting access to a secure communication channel to communicate with the onboarding management system to perform a zero touch provisioning process; and transmitting the one or more credentials to the at least one authenticator in response to the request to cause the at least one authenticator to utilize the one or more credentials to verify the identity and the owner of the at least one device and provide the at least one device access to the secure communication channel in response to verification of the identity and owner of the at least one device by the at least one authenticator. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more keys comprise a multi-purpose key used: (i) for validating the at least one device for secure onboarding; and (ii) as a network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the multi-purpose key is used as the network credential to provide the at least one device with the access to the secure communication channel only in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the access comprises initial access to the secure communication channel in connection with the secure onboarding of the at least one device and additional access to the secure communication channel in connection with operations after the secure onboarding of the at least one device.