Patent ID: 7062651

Claim:
In a network connectable to a printer and a registration server, a network registration protocol for registering the printer on the network, including the steps of: installing a secret unique identifier in the printer and in a database of the registration server, before the printer is connected to the network; and, upon connection of the printer to the network: causing the printer and the registration server to determine a session key; transmitting from the printer to the registration server a message formed by encrypting, using the session key: the secret unique identifier; a public unique identifier; and, a public key of a public/private key pair; authenticating the printer to the registration server by causing the registration server to: decrypt the message using the session key; use the public unique identifier to obtain the secret unique identifiers installed in the database; compare the secret unique identifier installed in the database with the secret unique identifier received in the message; and, generating and storing in the registration database a certificate containing the public unique identifier and associated public key, the certificate allowing a server to receive a session key from the printer, the session key being encrypted using the private key.