Patent ID: 6938154
Filing Date: 2005-08-30
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for secure operation of a network device, comprising: (a) assigning a digital certificate to a network user; (b) receiving a command for operation of a network device and the digital certificate from the network user; (c) utilizing a cryptographic key stored in the network device to authenticate the digital certificate of the network user; (d) enabling operation of the network device if the digital certificate of the network user is authenticated and if the operation is permitted by a usage policy associated with the network user; and wherein the network device is at least one of a printer, a copier, a scanner, and a facsimile machine; and the usage policy associated with the printer, the copier or the facsimile machine is at least one of the policies: a policy to allow selection of special paper stock, a policy to allow the network device to decrypt and print a document only if the network user was identified by the network device as being physically near the network device, a policy to print a selected watermark when printing the document, a policy to enable the network device to accept digital cash associated with an operation on the document, a policy to enable a billing function, a routing policy, and a policy to escrow a document; wherein the usage policy associated with the scanner is at least one of the policies: a policy to enable the network device to accept digital cash associated with an operation on the document, a policy to enable a billing function, a routing policy, and a policy to escrow a document.