Out-of-Band Endpoint Provisioning With Trust Verification Tokens

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consent-free out-of-band management of endpoint devices poses security concerns due to the lack of local user authorization, preventing its widespread adoption in large-scale enterprise environments.

Innovation Solution

Implement automated trust verification for users registering with an out-of-band management service, using internet registry and domain information to establish trust levels, and issue activation tokens for secure, consent-free provisioning of endpoint devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If consent-free out-of-band management is implemented, then remote administration capability is improved, but security risk increases due to lack of local user authorization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote administration capabilityVSAvoidsecurity risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary trust verification by evaluating domain reputation, email validation, and organizational credentials before granting out-of-band management access. This advance verification establishes a trust baseline that enables consent-free operation while maintaining security, resolving the contradiction between ease of remote administration and security risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a fleet server as an intermediary that mediates between remote administrators and endpoint devices. The fleet server validates trust credentials, issues activation tokens, and manages provisioning workflows, thereby enabling secure consent-free management without requiring direct local user authorization while maintaining security controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If automated trust verification is implemented, then security is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The trust verification system operates autonomously by automatically evaluating domain reputation through DNS queries, validating email addresses, checking organizational credentials, and generating activation tokens without manual intervention. This automation improves security while minimizing the operational complexity burden on administrators.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual security verification processes with automated digital trust evaluation mechanisms. Instead of physical presence requirements or manual authorization workflows, the system uses automated domain reputation assessment, email validation, and cryptographic token generation to establish trust, thereby improving security while managing system complexity through automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If physical presence requirement is enforced, then security is improved, but scalability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidscalability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical presence requirements with automated digital trust verification mechanisms that can remotely assess administrator credibility through domain reputation, email validation, and organizational credentials. This substitution maintains security controls while enabling scalable fleet-wide deployment without requiring physical presence at each endpoint device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The fleet server acts as an intermediary that handles trust verification and authorization remotely, eliminating the need for physical presence at endpoint devices. This intermediary approach maintains security through automated validation while enabling scalable deployment across large device fleets through centralized remote management capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20260058827A1Trust verification for consent-free out-of-band management of endpoint devices

Publication Date: 2026.02.26 INTEL CORP

AI summary

A user may register with a fleet system responsible for remote management of a fleet of endpoint devices. The fleet system can determine a level of trust for the user based on information associated with an email address of the user and other information and register the user if the determined level of trust is sufficient. The registered user can request an activation token to be used for provisioning an endpoint device for consent-free out-of-band management. An endpoint device can be provisioned by the user submitting the activation token to the fleet service, the fleet service sending the activation token to the endpoint device, the endpoint device generating an ownership voucher request that includes the activation token, the fleet service verifying and validating the ownership voucher request, the fleet service returning a signed ownership voucher to the endpoint device, and the endpoint device verifying the signed ownership voucher.