Imaging Device Chip Secure Quanta Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for secure communication and trust establishment between chips associated with supply items and imaging devices, particularly in ensuring accurate tracking and usage of toner cartridges, fuser assemblies, and other components, while preventing counterfeiting and ensuring secure firmware and certificate verification.
Innovation Solution
A chip with memory storing quanta for allowed usage and a multiplier correlating to toner mass, communicating with the imaging device through an I2C bus, using encrypted and unencrypted firmware versions and certificates for initialization, and implementing a secure quanta management system for metered usage tracking, ensuring mutual authentication and secure operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encrypted and unencrypted firmware versions and certificates are exchanged during initialization, then security and trust establishment between chip and imaging device is improved, but communication complexity and initialization time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs firmware and certificate verification during the initialization phase before normal operation begins. The imaging device and chip exchange encrypted and unencrypted versions of firmware and certificates upfront, verify their consistency, and establish trust relationships before any imaging operations occur. This preliminary security handshake prevents later security issues without affecting operational complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If quanta tracking and multiplier correlation are implemented to monitor toner usage, then manufacturing precision and usage tracking accuracy are improved, but device complexity and data management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical toner measurement mechanisms with a digital tracking system using quanta units and multipliers. Instead of mechanically measuring toner mass, the system uses electronic counters (quanta) that are decremented based on imaging operations, correlated with toner mass through a multiplier value stored in the chip. This substitution achieves precise tracking without complex mechanical measurement devices.
3Reliability
If mutual authentication and secure communication protocols are implemented between chip and controller, then reliability and anti-counterfeiting capability are improved, but initialization time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs mutual authentication and security verification during the initialization phase before normal imaging operations begin. The chip and imaging device exchange certificates, verify each other's authenticity, and establish secure communication channels upfront. This preliminary authentication ensures anti-counterfeiting protection is in place before any operations occur, preventing later security breaches without affecting operational speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A supply item has toner for use in an imaging device. A chip has memory storing quanta indicating allowed usage of the supply item over its lifetime and a multiplier correlating the quanta to toner mass. The imaging device requires quanta to conduct imaging operations and loads the quanta and multiplier by way of a certificate stored in the memory. The imaging device retrieves quanta from the chip over time and both devices keep tally. Initialization between the supply item and imaging device includes providing encrypted and unencrypted instances of firmware versions and certificates from the supply item that the imaging device can compare for security. Alternatively, the supply item defines a fuser assembly, imaging unit, intermediate transfer member, or other component installed for use in the imaging device.