# US 2018/0027147 A1 · Authentication chaining by connected devices

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- Number: US 2018/0027147 A1
- Document ID: US20180027147A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/710,137
- Filed: 2017-09-20
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-20
- Assignees: Inside Secure
- Applicants: Inside Secure
- Inventors: Sebastien DECUGIS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027147A1

## CPC

- H04L 9/3271: {using challenge-response}
- B41J 2/17543: {Cartridge presence detection or type identification}
- H04L 9/14: using a plurality of keys or algorithms
- H04L 9/30: Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
- H04L 9/3263: {involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)}
- H04N 1/32122: {in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data}
- H04N 1/4433: {to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function}
- H04N 1/32598: {Bus based systems}
- H04N 2201/0082: Image hardcopy reproducer (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence)
- H04N 2201/3205: of identification information, e.g. name or ID code (H04N2201/3209 takes precedence)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

In a general aspect, a method for authenticating a plurality of slave devices connected to a master device can include: generating and sending by the master device a respective challenge to each slave device; in each slave device, generating a response to the respective challenge and transmitting it to the master device; verifying by the master device the response of one of the slave devices; returning by the master device the remaining responses to respective slave devices distinct from those that generated the responses; and verifying by each slave device the response returned thereto by the master device and transmitting the result of the verification to the master device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for authenticating a plurality of slave devices connected to a master device, the method comprising:
generating and sending, by the master device, a respective challenge to each slave device of the plurality of slave devices;
in each slave device of the plurality of slave devices, generating a respective response to the respective challenge and transmitting the respective response to the master device;
verifying, by the master device, the respective response of one of the slave devices;
for each of the respective responses other than the respective response verified by the master device, returning, by the master device, the respective responses to respective slave devices distinct from those that generated the respective responses; and
verifying, by each slave device, the respective response returned thereto by the master device and transmitting a result of the verification to the master device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
returning, by the master device, each of the respective responses of slave devices of rank i to slave devices of rank i+1, where i varies from 1 to N−1, N being a number of slave devices;
verifying, by the master device, the respective response of a slave device of rank N;
if the respective response verified by the master device is valid, authenticating the slave device of rank N; and
if the result of the verification of the respective response verified by a slave device of rank j is valid, authenticating a slave device of rank j−1, where j decreases from N to 2.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the master device is a printer and the slave devices are ink cartridges.

### Claim 4

A consumable device authenticatable by a master apparatus through a challenge-response mechanism, the consumable device comprising a microcircuit configured to perform cryptographic operations and further configured to perform a verification of a response generated to a challenge by another consumable device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The consumable device of claim 4, the consumable device storing a key for authenticating the consumable device and a key for verifying the response generated by the other consumable device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The consumable device of claim 4, wherein the consumable device includes an ink cartridge that can be authenticated by a printer.