Authenticating and creating accounts on behalf of another user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11528271-B2
Application number	US-202016865014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2020
Priority date	May 6, 2019
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for a satellite device that can be associated with a user account of a minor aged (e.g., child or adolescent) user that does not have a smartphone that can be used as a companion device to the satellite device. The satellite device can be configured to be used as a primary device, without reliance upon a paired smartphone. Certain information can be synchronized with the satellite device via the association with the family account. During initial configuration, a set of cryptographic keys can be generated to associate the account of the satellite device with the set of accounts in the family. The satellite device can then access calendars, media, or other data that is shared with user accounts within a family of user accounts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions to cause one or more processors of an electronic device to perform operations comprising:
establishing a wireless data connection between the electronic device and a wireless accessory;
displaying a prompt for authentication credentials associated with a first account, wherein the first account is to be associated with the wireless accessory and the first account differs from a second account, the second account associated with the electronic device;
transmitting authentication credentials for the first account to a first server;
receiving an authentication response from the first server, wherein the authentication response indicates that the wireless accessory is trusted by the first server; and
sending credentials to the wireless accessory to enable the wireless accessory to authenticate with a second server using the first account.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 1 , the operations additionally comprising:
requesting the first server to create the first account; and
after requesting the first server to create the first account, displaying the prompt for the authentication credentials associated with the first account, wherein the prompt is included within a remote user interface provided by the first server for display on the electronic device.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 1 , wherein the first server is an account server configured to authenticate the first account and the second account.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 1 , wherein the second server stores a remote calendar database.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 4 , wherein the second server stores the remote calendar database is at least partially shared between the first account and the second account.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 1 , wherein the wireless accessory is an audio device.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 1 , wherein the wireless accessory is a wearable device.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the wearable device includes a heart monitor, health sensor, or glucose monitor.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the wearable device is a smartwatch device.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 7 , wherein the wearable device includes one or more of a GPS tracker, fitness tracker, virtual reality or augmented reality head mounted display, jewelry, shoes, clothes, or other wearable item.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in claim 1 , wherein the first account and the second account are accounts within a family or group of associated accounts.

12. A method comprising:
establishing a wireless data connection between an electronic device and a wireless accessory;
displaying a prompt for authentication credentials associated with a first account, wherein the first account is to be associated with the wireless accessory and the first account differs from a second account, the second account associated with the electronic device;
transmitting authentication credentials for the first account to a first server;
receiving an authentication response from the first server, wherein the authentication response indicates that the wireless accessory is trusted by the first server; and
sending credentials to the wireless accessory to enable the wireless accessory to authenticate with a second server using the first account.

13. The method as in claim 12 , further comprising:
requesting the first server to create the first account; and
after requesting the first server to create the first account, displaying the prompt for the authentication credentials associated with the first account, wherein the prompt is included within a remote user interface provided by the first server for display on the electronic device.

14. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the first server is an account server configured to authenticate the first account and the second account.

15. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the second server stores a remote calendar database that is at least partially shared between the first account and the second account.

16. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the wireless accessory is an audio device.

17. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the wireless accessory is a wearable device.

18. The method as in claim 17 , wherein the wearable device includes a heart monitor, health sensor, or glucose monitor.

19. The method as in claim 17 , wherein the wearable device includes one or more of a GPS tracker, fitness tracker, virtual reality or augmented reality head mounted display, jewelry, shoes, clothes, or other wearable item.

20. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the first account and the second account are accounts within a family or group of associated accounts.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Belov Dmitry V
• Bennett Justin K
• Clark David S
• Gopavarapu Kalyan C
• Knipp David G
• Lee Robert F
• Mambakkam Sudhakar N
• Thottempudi Nagarjuna
• Hawkins Tyler D
• Olsen Reed E
• Salzman Paul W

Classifications

• H04L63/0869 Primary

  for achieving mutual authentication (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273) · CPC title

• H04W12/76

  Group identity · CPC title

• H04L67/1095

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• H04L63/0823

  using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263) · CPC title