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US 7,677,448 B2Granted
Method to prevent metered toner gray market leakage
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsLeonard Guan, Robin Y. Wessel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device, such as a printer or copier, identifies the type of module being used. If the type of module requires the device to receive an unlock code, the device prompts for the unlock code (which can be a hash of the serial number of the device). Once the unlock code is received, the device can be used with modules of that type. If the unlock code is not received, the device does not operate with modules of that type.
Claims12
A system for preventing gray market leakage, comprising:
- an order receiver to receive an order pertaining to the use of a module in a device for a customer, wherein said device is drawn from a set consisting of a printer and a copier;
- a code generator to generate an unlock code for said device to operate with said module;
- and
- a transmitter to transmit said unlock code to said customer,
- wherein said device is configured to prompt for said unlock code before said device can be used with said module, without an expiration for said unlock code, said module being of a first type, but said device is configured not to prompt for said unlock code before said device can be used with a second module of a second type, wherein the module of the first type can be used with a second device without requiring the unlock code to be input to the second device.
2 more elements
A method for selling a device, comprising:
- receiving an order for the device on behalf of a customer, wherein the device is drawn from a set consisting of a printer and a copier;
- configuring the device to recognize an unlock code before the device can use a module;
- configuring the device to prevent operation with the module of a first type until the unlock code is input to the device, without an expiration for said unlock code, but to permit use of a second module of a second type before the unlock code is input to the device, wherein the module of the first type can be used with a second device without requiring the unlock code to be input to the second device;
- and
- informing the customer of the unlock code.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.