Systems and Methods of Securing Operational Information Associated with an Imaging Device
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Alan Adkins, Mark Leo Doerre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to a tamper-evident method of encrypting data relating to one or more print cartridges installed in an imaging device that includes triggering a gathering of data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device; recording a number of instances the triggering is performed; retrieving a previously encrypted data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device, the previously encrypted data gathered at a time prior to the triggering; and encrypting the gathered data using the previously encrypted data.
Claims24
A tamper-evident method of encrypting data relating to one or more print cartridges installed in an imaging device, comprising:
- triggering a gathering of data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device;
- recording a number of instances the triggering is performed;
- retrieving a previously encrypted data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device, the previously encrypted data gathered at a time prior to the triggering;
- and
- encrypting the gathered data using the previously encrypted data.
A method for securing print cartridge data from unauthorized user alteration, comprising:
- gathering one or more serial numbers of one or more print cartridges installed in an imaging device, the serial numbers accumulated from a first operation of the imaging device up to a time of the gathering;
- retrieving a previously encrypted data relating to one or more serial numbers of one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device;
- recording a number of instances the gathering is performed by permanently setting a bit in a memory of the imaging device for every instance the gathering is performed;
- encrypting the accumulated serial numbers using the previously encrypted data;
- and
- storing the encrypted accumulated serial numbers in a non-volatile memory of the imaging device.
An imaging device, comprising:
- a controller operative to:
- gather data relating to one or more operations performed by the imaging device from a first operation of the imaging device up to a time the data is gathered;
- retrieve a previously encrypted data, the previously encrypted data corresponding to encrypted data relating to one or more operations performed by the imaging device;
- and
- encrypt the gathered data using the previously encrypted data;
- a non-volatile memory for storing the encrypted gathered data;
- and
- a one-time programmable (OTP) memory for keeping count of the gathering of the data by the controller through a bit set in the OTP memory for every instance of the controller gathering the data.
A tamper-evident method for securing an error log of an imaging device, comprising:
- gathering an accumulated error log relating to one or more error conditions of the imaging device accumulated from a first operation of the imaging device up to a time of the gathering;
- retrieving a stored encrypted error log corresponding to an error log encrypted prior to the time of the gathering;
- keeping count of a number of instances the gathering is performed by permanently setting a bit in a memory of the imaging device;
- and
- encrypting the accumulated error log using the previously encrypted error log.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.