Methods and systems for fast account setup

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9160816-B2
Application number	US-201213646621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2012
Priority date	Feb 2, 2012
Publication date	Oct 13, 2015
Grant date	Oct 13, 2015

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

What is claimed is:

1. 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 for account setup, the method comprising:
collecting local account information from a client device;
collecting server account information from a server, wherein the server account information includes a collection of data representing an account enabled on a different client device, and wherein the account is disabled on the client device;
determining the local account information does not include the server account information; and
generating on the client device, in response to the determining, an account proxy to simulate the account, wherein the account proxy includes account proxy information comprising the collection of data representing the account enabled on the different client device, and wherein the account remains disabled on the client device after generating the account proxy; and
receiving an activation command to enable the account proxy into the account on the client device.

2. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising logging into the server, wherein collecting the local account information and the server account information is in response to the logging in.

3. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising receiving a push notification from the server, wherein collecting the local account information and the server account information is in response to the receiving.

4. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising opting into an account setup policy, wherein collecting the local account information and the server account information is in response to the opting in.

5. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the activation command includes a selection of a control element of a graphical user interface.

6. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein enabling the account proxy into the account further comprises receiving a password input.

7. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising:
updating the local account information with the account proxy information; and
propagating the updated local account information to the server.

8. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the local account information is stored in an active account repository on the client device.

9. 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 client device.

10. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the server account information is stored in a key value store on the server.

11. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the server account information is a value keyed to the different client device, wherein the value comprises an account hash, and wherein the account hash comprises an identity matching key portion.

12. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the identity matching key portion includes username and account type information.

13. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the account proxy information is added to an account proxy repository on the client device.

14. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the account proxy information comprises identifying information and non-identifying information required to set up the active account on the client device.

15. A method comprising:
collecting local account information from a client device;
collecting server account information from a server, wherein the server account information includes a collection of data representing an account enabled on a different client device, and wherein the account is disabled on the client device;
determining the local account information does not include the server account information; and
generating on the client device, in response to the determining, an account proxy to simulate the account, wherein the account proxy includes account proxy information comprising the collection of data representing the account enabled on the different client device, and wherein the account remains disabled on the client device after generating the account proxy; and
receiving an activation command to enable the account proxy into the account on the client device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising logging into the server, wherein collecting the local account information and the server account information is in response to the logging in.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a push notification from the server, wherein collecting the local account information and the server account information is in response to the receiving.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising opting into an account setup policy, wherein collecting the local account information and the server account information is in response to the opting in.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the activation command includes a selection of a control element of a graphical user interface.

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

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04L67/561 Primary

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

• H04L67/42 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic