Systems and methods of verifying operational information associated with an imaging device
View Patent ↗The invention is directed to a method for performing failure analysis on an imaging device that includes retrieving an encrypted error log containing one or more error conditions that occurred on the imaging device, decrypting the retrieved encrypted error log, determining if the retrieved encrypted error log has been altered based on the decrypted error log, and upon determining that the retrieved encrypted error log has not been altered, performing failure analysis on the imaging device using the decrypted error log.
1. A method for performing failure analysis on an imaging device, comprising:
retrieving an encrypted error log containing one or more error conditions that occurred on the imaging device;
decrypting the retrieved encrypted error log;
determining if the retrieved encrypted error log has been altered based on the decrypted error log; and
upon determining that the retrieved encrypted error log has not been altered, performing failure analysis on the imaging device using the decrypted error log.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving the encrypted error log includes retrieving a most recently encrypted error log from a plurality of stored encrypted error logs.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising retrieving a number of instances a plurality of error logs is gathered by the imaging device.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining that none of the plurality of stored encrypted error logs has been deleted if the number of instances the plurality of error logs is gathered matches a number of the plurality of stored encrypted error logs.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating an error message upon determining that the retrieved encrypted error log has been altered.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving the encrypted error log includes interrogating the imaging device for the encrypted error log.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving the encrypted error log includes retrieving the encrypted error log from a trusted server communicatively connected to the imaging device.
8. A method for determining user tampering relating to one or more print cartridges installed in an imaging device, comprising:
retrieving an encrypted print cartridge data from a plurality of stored encrypted data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device;
determining if the retrieved encrypted print cartridge data has been altered by decrypting the retrieved encrypted print cartridge data;
determining if at least one of the plurality of stored encrypted data has been deleted by matching a number of instances the plurality of stored encrypted data was gathered to a number of the plurality of stored encrypted data; and
upon determining that the retrieved encrypted print cartridge data has not been altered, and that none of the plurality of stored encrypted data has been deleted, determining that the encrypted print cartridge data has not been tampered.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the matching the number of instances the plurality of encrypted data was encrypted to the number of the plurality of stored encrypted data includes matching a number of permanently set bits corresponding to the instances the plurality of encrypted data was gathered to the number of the plurality of stored encrypted data.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating an error message upon determining that the retrieved encrypted print cartridge data has been altered.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating an error message upon determining that at least one of the plurality of stored encrypted data has been deleted.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the retrieving the encrypted print cartridge data from the plurality of stored encrypted data includes retrieving a most recently stored encrypted print cartridge data from the plurality of stored encrypted data.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the retrieving the encrypted print cartridge includes interrogating the imaging device for the encrypted print cartridge data.
14. A method for validating a warranty claim on an imaging device, comprising:
interrogating the imaging device for an encrypted data file containing one or more serial numbers of one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device;
retrieving the encrypted data file;
determining if the retrieved encrypted data file has been altered by decrypting the retrieved encrypted data file;
determining if at least one of the serial numbers contained in the encrypted data file corresponds to a counterfeit print cartridge; and
upon determining that the retrieved encrypted data file has not been altered and if none of the serial numbers contained in the encrypted data file corresponds to a counterfeit print cartridge, validating the warranty claim.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the retrieving the encrypted data file includes retrieving a most recently encrypted data file from a plurality of stored data files, each data file containing one or more serial numbers of one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising retrieving a number of bits corresponding to a number of instances the imaging device gathered the plurality of stored encrypted data files.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining that none of the plurality of stored data files has been deleted if the number of bits matches a number of the plurality of stored encrypted data files.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising generating an error message upon determining that the retrieved encrypted data file has been altered.