Print Driver Barcode Intermediary for Secure Data Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
In office environments, print devices connected to local networks often lack the capability to communicate with external systems, making remote maintenance and data exchange manual and inefficient due to firewall isolation.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a computer with a print driver to generate a barcode encoding print device operational data, allowing a mobile electronic device to decode and transmit this data to a web service, enabling secure and automated data exchange between non-connected print devices and remote systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If print devices are isolated within a local network behind a firewall, then security of the device is maintained, but capability for communicating with external systems is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a barcode as an intermediary carrier that bridges the isolated print device and external systems. The barcode encodes device information and serves as a medium through which data can be transferred without requiring direct network connectivity, thus maintaining security while enabling external communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the print device's operational data in the form of a barcode. Instead of establishing direct communication channels, the system copies relevant device information into a portable, scannable format that can be read by mobile devices, enabling data extraction without network connectivity.
2Reliability
If print devices are isolated within a local network, then security is maintained, but remote service and maintenance capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The barcode acts as an intermediary that enables remote technicians to access print device information without needing direct network access. By encoding device data in the barcode, technicians can scan and retrieve information remotely, facilitating maintenance while preserving network security boundaries.
3Reliability
If manual processes are used to obtain data from local print devices, then security isolation is maintained, but efficiency and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual data collection processes with automated barcode generation and scanning. Instead of technicians manually gathering device information through phone calls and manual checks, the system automatically encodes data in barcodes that can be quickly scanned and transmitted, dramatically improving efficiency while maintaining security isolation.
Data Source
AI summary
In a system where a print device is connected to a computing device but not to an external web service that relates to the print device, the computing device implements a print driver session that retrieves print device operational data, identifies the web service, and generates a barcode that encodes the device operational data as a data string with a web address for a web service. A user may use a mobile electronic device to receive an image of the generated barcode, decode the barcode to detect the web address and the device operational data, and send a web service request comprising the device operational data to a web service associated with the web address. When the mobile electronic device receives a response that is responsive to the web service request, it may present the response to a user via a display of the mobile electronic device.