Methods and systems for fast account setup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014228-A1
Application number	US-201514861937-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Feb 2, 2012
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for collecting, storing, and transmitting account information in a matchable form, and for using this information to quickly set up accounts. Account information is maintained and shared between one or more client devices and an intermediate server. Account information can be reconciled locally to determine whether to add or enable an active account or an account proxy to a client device. Account proxies can be quickly enabled by a single user action. The methods and systems allow enabled accounts and account proxies to be removed from a first client device without propagating the deletion to a second client device.

First claim

1 . A non-transitory machine readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for account setup, the method comprising:
updating, on a server, a first account information associated with a first client device in response to the first client device adding an account; and sending a notification to a second client device indicating that the account may be new to the second client device.

2 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising providing account proxy information to the second client device, the account proxy information comprising a collection of data representing the account.

3 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 2 , further comprising updating, on the server, a second account information associated with the second client device in response to the second client device adding the account proxy information representing the account.

4 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the server is a cloud computing server configured to provide cloud computing services to the first client device and the second client device.

5 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 4 , wherein the first account information is stored in a key value store on the server.

6 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the first account information is a value keyed to the first client device, wherein the value comprises an account hash, and wherein the account hash comprises an identity matching key portion.

7 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the identity matching key portion includes username and account type information.

8 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the account proxy information is added to an account proxy repository on the second client device.

9 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the account proxy information comprises identifying information and non-identifying information for the account.

10 . A non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
storing, on a server, a first account information associated with an account, wherein the account is enabled on a first client device; storing, on the server, a second account information associated with the account, wherein the account is enabled on a second client device, and wherein the second account information matches the first account information; and removing the first account information from the server, in response to the account being removed from the first client device, without removing the second account information.

11 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the account being removed from the first client device comprises deleting the account.

12 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the account being removed from the first client device comprises hiding the account.

13 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the server is a cloud computing server configured to provide cloud computing services to the first client device and the second client device.

14 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first account information and the second account information are stored in a key value store on the server.

15 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the first account information is a value keyed to the first client device and the second account information is a value keyed to the second client device, wherein the values comprise account hashes, and wherein the account hashes comprise an identity matching key portion.

16 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the identity matching key portion includes username and account type information.

17 . A non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
collecting, from a client device, a first non-identifying account information for an account, wherein the first non-identifying account information comprises a first timestamp; collecting, from a server, a second non-identifying account information for the account, wherein the second non-identifying account information comprises a second timestamp; determining the first non-identifying information differs from the second non-identifying information; and updating, on the client device, in response to the determining, the first non-identifying information with the second non-identifying information if the second timestamp is later than the first timestamp.

18 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising updating, on the server, in response to the determining, the second non-identifying information with the first non-identifying information if the first timestamp is later than the second timestamp.

19 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising:
logging into the server from the client device for a first time; and updating, on the client device, in response to the logging in and the determining, the first non-identifying information with the second non-identifying information.

20 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first non-identifying account information is stored in an active account repository on the client device.

21 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the server is a cloud computing server configured to provide cloud computing services to the client device.

22 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the second non-identifying account information is stored in a key value store on the server.

23 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein the first non-identifying information and second non-identifying information include account names information.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Mcdougall Michael
• Ko Steve S
• Scalo John William
• Coffman Patrick L
• Everitt Aaron Matthew

Classifications

• G06F21/45

  Structures or tools for the administration of authentication · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L67/306 Primary

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04L67/561 Primary

  Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata · CPC title

• H04L67/2804

  Electricity · mapped topic