Device enabling user preferred functions, preferences, and settings in another electronic device and corresponding methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11620366-B2
Application number	US-201916703664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2019
Priority date	Dec 4, 2019
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A companion electronic device includes a communication interface, one or more processors operable with the communication interface, and an authentication device operable with the one or more processors. The one or more processors can be actuated by power received from the communication interface upon the communication interface establishing electronic communication with another electronic device. The one or more processors can delivering signals to the communication interface enabling one or more functions of the other electronic device upon confirming authentication data received by the authentication device after the one or more processors are actuated belongs to an authorized user of the companion electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A companion electronic device, comprising:
a communication interface;
one or more processors operable with the communication interface;
an encrypted memory; and
a fingerprint sensor operable with the one or more processors;
the one or more processors:
actuated by power received from the communication interface upon the communication interface establishing electronic communication with another electronic device; and
delivering signals to the communication interface, the signals enabling one or more functions of the another electronic device upon confirming fingerprint data received by the fingerprint sensor after the one or more processors are actuated belongs to an authorized user of the companion electronic device;
the encrypted memory storing one or more user preferred settings for one or more functions of the another electronic device;
the one or more processors automatically delivering the one or more user preferred settings to the communication interface upon the one or more processors confirming the fingerprint data received by the fingerprint sensor belongs to the authorized user of the companion electronic device; and
further comprising a locking mechanism operable to retain the companion electronic device in a connected and coupled configuration attached to the another electronic device, the one or more processors delivering actuation signals to the communication interface, the actuation signals actuating at least one function of the one or more functions of the another electronic device after delivering the one or more user preferred settings to the communication interface, and also generating commands to control the locking mechanism.

2. The companion electronic device of claim 1 , the encrypted memory further storing one or more user files, the one or more processors automatically delivering the one or more user files to the communication interface upon the one or more processors confirming the fingerprint data received by the fingerprint sensor belongs to the authorized user of the companion electronic device.

3. The companion electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more processors automatically delivering the one or more user preferred settings to the communication interface after a pre-processing step performing a primary authentication of the authorized user of the companion electronic device has been performed by the fingerprint sensor comparing the fingerprint data to a reference file stored in the encrypted memory.

4. The companion electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more user preferred settings comprising preferred presence scanning duty cycles to detect whether a person is still using the another electronic device prior to the another electronic device entering a low-power or sleep mode.

5. The companion electronic device of claim 3 , the encrypted memory further storing one or more authorization credentials allowing the another electronic device to access one or more services, the one or more authorization credentials automatically causing a login event connecting the another electronic device to one or more cloud-based services across a network.

6. The companion electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more processors causing deletion of the one or more user preferred settings upon detecting an ejection event discontinuing electronic communication with the another electronic device.

7. The companion electronic device of claim 1 , the encrypted memory further storing one or more authorization credentials allowing the another electronic device to access one or more services, the one or more processors automatically delivering the one or more authorization credentials to the communication interface upon the one or more processors confirming the fingerprint data received by the fingerprint sensor belongs to the authorized user of the companion electronic device.

8. The companion electronic device of claim 7 , the companion electronic device further comprising an energy storage source for powering internal components of the companion electronic device.

9. The companion electronic device of claim 7 , the one or more processors allowing the one or more functions of the another electronic device to remain operational after an ejection event decoupling and detaching the companion electronic device from the another electronic device when the another electronic device is not a public device or is designated as belonging to the authorized user of the another electronic device.

10. The companion electronic device of claim 9 , the another electronic device being designated as belonging to the authorized user of the companion electronic device by way of a location in which the another electronic device is situated.

11. The companion electronic device of claim 2 , the one or more processors detecting, from other signals received from the communication interface in response to initiation of an ejection event facilitating decoupling of the companion electronic device from the another electronic device, alterations of the one or more user preferred settings, and updating the encrypted memory with the alterations of the one or more user preferred settings prior to the ejection event occurring.

12. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a connector of a companion electronic device, power actuating one or more processors of the companion electronic device;
receiving, at an authentication device operable with the one or more processors, authentication data, the authentication data comprising fingerprint data received by a fingerprint sensor;
confirming, by the one or more processors, the authentication data is received from an authorized user of the companion electronic device; and
automatically delivering, by the one or more processors from an encrypted memory storing one or more user preferred settings for one or more functions of another electronic device after confirming the authentication data is received from the authorized user of the companion electronic device, one or more user preferences and the one or more user preferred settings to the connector, the one or more user preferences enabling one or more functions of another electronic device only while the power actuating the one or more processors is received from the connector;
further comprising buffering and processing the power received from the connector with power conversion circuitry;
delivering actuation signals to the connector, the actuation signals actuating at least one function of the one or more functions after delivery of the one or more user preferred settings; and
generating commands to control a locking mechanism operable to retain the companion electronic device operable to retain the companion electronic device in a connected and coupled configuration attached to the another electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12 , the one or more processors causing the one or more functions of the another electronic device to be disabled upon detecting an ejection event causing cessation of delivery of the power actuating the one or more processors to the connector.

14. The method of claim 13 , the one or more processors detecting the ejection event when a touch sensor operable with the one or more processors detects an object touching the companion electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the one or more processors controlling a screen brightness of the another electronic device while the power actuating the one or more processors is received by the connector.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the one or more processors delivering signals to the conne

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Alameh Rachid
• Corsica John
• Simerson Jarrett
• Witte Robert

Classifications

• G06F21/83

  input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof · CPC title

• G06F21/34

  involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards · CPC title

• H04W12/35

  Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning · CPC title

• H04L63/0861

  using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231) · CPC title

• G06F21/602

  Providing cryptographic facilities or services · CPC title