Auto-user registration and unlocking of a computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9882895-B2
Application number	US-201614989757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A first computing device provides an indication that the first computing device accepts dynamic user registration of user accounts over a wireless connection. A second computing device automatically connects to the first computing device and passes an account token to the first computing device over the wireless connection, all without physical interaction with the first computing device. The first computing device automatically contacts a remote account server to retrieve a user account associated with the account token and registers the user account with the first computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
broadcasting, by a first computing device, a predetermined wireless connection signal over a wireless connection;
receiving, from a second computing device in connection with the broadcasting and over the wireless connection, an initiation of an account registration on the first computing device, including an account token for obtaining user account information associated with a user account on the second computing device;
obtaining, in response to receiving the account token, the user account information from a server at a different network location than the first computing device and the second computing device; and
registering the user account with the first computing device based on the obtained user account information in response to obtaining the user account information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before receiving the initiation of the account registration, automatically pairing the second computing device to the first computing device over the wireless connection.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the wireless connection is a personal area network, and wherein the first computing device and second computing device communicate with each other over the personal area network using Bluetooth.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the account token is a universal credential token corresponding to the user account information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the initiation of the account registration, receiving the account token, obtaining the user account information, and registering the user account are performed without any physical interaction with the first computing device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
authorizing use of the first computing device in accordance with the user account information based on the second computing device being within a predetermined distance of the first computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after registering the user account, providing the second computing device an access key;
placing the first computing device into a locked mode wherein access to the first computing device is restricted;
receiving the access key from the second computing device; and
removing the first computing device from the locked mode based on the access key from the second computing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
before removing the first computing device from the locked mode, validating the access key received from the second computing device based on a previously stored key associated with the second computing device at the first computing device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a response code from the second computing device;
automatically removing the first computing device from the locked mode if the response code indicates the second computing device is in an unlocked mode; and
displaying a security access screen that includes an input for entering a passcode, and waiting for entry of the passcode before unlocking the first computing device, if the response code does not indicate the second computing device is in the unlocked mode.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after registering the user account, identifying one or more account-linked devices associated with the account information;
receiving one or more selections corresponding to one or more of the account-linked devices; and
in response to receiving the one or more selections, automatically providing pairing information and respective access keys to respective selected devices, the pairing information configured to enable a respective device to automatically pair with the first computing device, a respective access key configured to, when received by the first computing device, cause the first computing device to remove the first computing device from a locked mode.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the initiation of an account registration comprises a predetermined code known to the first computing device.

12. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device and comprising instructions that, when executed by a first computing device, cause the first computing device to:
broadcast a predetermined wireless connection signal over a wireless connection;
receive, from a second computing device in connection with the broadcasted predetermined wireless connection signal and over the wireless connection, an initiation of an account registration on the first computing device, including an account token for obtaining user account information associated with a user account on the second computing device;
obtain, in response to receiving the account token, the user account information from a server at a different network location than the first computing device and the second computing device; and
register the user account with the first computing device based on the obtained user account information in response to obtaining the user account information.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the wireless connection is a personal area network, and wherein the first computing device and the second computing device communicate with each other over the personal area network using Bluetooth.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the initiation of an account registration, receiving the account token, obtaining the user account information, and registering the user account are performed without any physical interaction between the first computing device and the second computing device.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the first computing device, further cause the first computing device to:
after registering the user account, providing the second computing device an access key;
enter into a locked mode wherein access to the first computing device is restricted;
receive the access key from the second computing device while in the locked mode; and
exit the locked mode based on the access key from the second computing device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the first computing device, further causing the first computing device to:
before exiting the locked mode, validate the access key received from the second computing device based on a previously stored key associated with the second computing device at the first computing device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the first computing device, further causing the first computing device to:
receive a response code from the second computing device;
automatically exit the locked mode if the response code indicates the second computing device is in an unlocked mode; and
display a security access screen that includes an input for entering a passcode, and waiting for entry of the passcode before exiting the locked mode, if the response code does not indicate the second computing device is in the unlocked mode.

18. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the first computing device, further causing the first computing device to:
after registering the user account, identify one or more account-linked devices associated with the user acc

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Woodward Joshua
• Civelli Jay Pierre
• Balfanz Dirk
• Fucci Marco
• Czeskis Alexei
• Shah Nishit
• Liu Kan
• Levin Michal

Classifications

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04L63/061

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04L63/083 Primary

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