Pairing of base and detachable device

• US 10,033,718 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Perrin, Steven Richard, Davis, Mark Charles, Kelso, Scott Edwards, Li, Bin, Wang, Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Khoshnoodi, Nadia
• Application Number:
  US12/985,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,757 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/127 Trusted platform modules [TPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals

Abstract

An apparatus and method for pairing a base and a detachable device. A query module queries a detachable device in response to the detachable device connecting to a base. The detachable device provides a display for the base if the detachable device and base are connected. A determination module determines if the detachable device is paired with the base. A credential module obtains a pairing credential for a pairing in response to the determination module determining that the detachable device is unpaired with the base.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a detection module, at a base, that detects a detachable device connecting to the base via a connection sensor coupled to the base, the base and the detachable device both capable of operating independently, the base including a first processor executing a first operating system and the base lacking a display, and the detachable device including a second processor executing a second operating system and a display sharable with the base;

a query module that queries the detachable device in response to the detachable device connecting to the base, the querying including requesting a device identifier that uniquely identifies the detachable device;

a determination module that searches a data storage on the base for pairing information belonging to the device identifier, said pairing information including a shared, user-input pairing credential, wherein the determination module determines whether the detachable device is paired with the base based on the device identifier;

a communication module that sends the shared, user-input pairing credential and a base identifier that uniquely identifies the base to the detachable device in response to the determination module finding the detachable device identifier and associated shared, user-input pairing credential for the pairing with the detachable device,

wherein the base executes one or more tasks and uses the display to interact with the user in performing the one or more tasks in response to connecting to and receiving a successful pairing verification response from the detachable device, and wherein the detachable device limits access by the base to the display prior to the detachable device pairing with the base, said access to the display being limited to operations for pairing the detachable device and the base; and

a credential module that obtains a pairing credential for a pairing in response to the determination module determining that the detachable device is unpaired with the base,

wherein obtaining the pairing credential includes the base prompting the user for the pairing credential via the display, the pairing credential being provided by the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pairing module that pairs the detachable device and the base in response to obtaining the pairing credential, wherein the pairing module permits the base to use the display in response to pairing the detachable device and the base, and wherein the pairing module permits the detachable device to access a mass storage device located at the base in response to pairing the detachable device and the base.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the further comprising a communication module receives the successful verification response from the detachable device in response to the detachable device verifying the stored pairing credential and the base station identifier match pairing information stored at the detachable device, wherein the detachable device maintains a device task list of the tasks executed by the base via the display device, wherein the base updates the device task list.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection sensor comprises a mechanical switch.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a security module that generates a public/private key pair comprising a public key and a private key, stores the private key on the base, and stores the public key on the detachable device, the security module encrypting information communicated to the detachable device using the private key.

6. A method comprising:

detecting, by use of a processor, a detachable device connecting to a base, the base and the detachable device both capable of operating independently, the base including a first processor executing a first operating system and the base lacking a display, and the detachable device including a second processor executing a second operating system and a display sharable with the base;

querying the detachable device in response to the detachable device connecting to the base, the querying including requesting a device identifier that uniquely identifies the detachable device;

searching a data storage on the base for pairing information belonging to the device identifier, said pairing information including a shared, user-input pairing credential;

determining whether the detachable device is paired with the base based on the device identifier;

sending the shared, user-input pairing credential and a base identifier that uniquely identifies the base to the detachable device in response to finding the detachable device identifier and associated shared, user-input pairing credential for the pairing with the detachable device;

obtaining a pairing credential for a pairing in response to determining that the detachable device is unpaired with the base, wherein obtaining the pairing credential includes the base prompting the user for the pairing credential via the display, the pairing credential being provided by the user; and

providing a display, at the detachable device, for the base in response to verifying the shared, user-input pairing credential and the base identifier, the display configured to allow a user to interact with the base in performing the one or more tasks executing on the first processor in response to connecting to and pairing with the detachable device, wherein the detachable device limits access by the base to the display prior to pairing, said access to the display being limited to operations for pairing the detachable device and the base.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising pairing the detachable device and the base in response to obtaining the pairing credential.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining, at the detachable device, a device task list of the tasks executed by the base via the display, wherein the base updates the device task list.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the detachable device sends the successful verification response to the base in response to the detachable device verifying the stored pairing credential and the base station identifier match pairing information stored at the detachable device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining the pairing credential further comprises obtaining the pairing credential in association with an out of box experience (“

OOBE”

) of a first operating system executed by a first processor on the base.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting the detachable device connecting to the base using a mechanical connection sensor coupled to one or more of the detachable device and the base, wherein the mechanical connection sensor comprises a mechanical switch.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining a list of paired detachable devices and associated pairing credentials in the base, wherein obtaining a pairing credential for a pairing in response to determining that the detachable device is unpaired with the base comprises updating the list of paired detachable devices and associated pairing credentials.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the detachable device maintains a list of paired bases and associated pairing credentials, wherein obtaining a pairing credential for a pairing in response to determining that the detachable device is unpaired with the base comprises updating the list of paired bases and associated pairing credentials.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a public/private key pair comprising a public key and a private key, storing the private key on the base, storing the public key on the detachable device, the method further comprising encrypting information communicated to the detachable device using the private key.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising encrypting the pairing credential on the base with a Trusted Platform Module (“

TPM”

).

16. A computer program product comprising a storage device storing computer usable program code executable to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by use of a connection sensor, a detachable device connecting to a base, the base and the detachable device both capable of operating independently, wherein the base includes a mass storage device sharable with the detachable device and the base lacks a display, and wherein the detachable device includes a display sharable with the base;

querying the detachable device in response to the detachable device connecting to the base, the querying including requesting a device identifier that uniquely identifies the detachable device, the detachable device providing a display for the base if the detachable device and base are connected;

searching a data storage on the base for pairing information belonging to the device identifier, said pairing information including a shared, user-input pairing credential;

determining whether the detachable device is paired with the base from the pairing information;

sending the shared, user-input pairing credential and a base identifier that uniquely identifies the base to the detachable device in response to finding the detachable device identifier and associated shared, user-input pairing credential for the pairing with the detachable device, wherein the base uses the display to interact with the user in performing one or more tasks in response to connecting to and receiving a successful pairing verification response from the detachable device;

obtaining a pairing credential for a pairing in response to determining that the detachable device is unpaired with the base, wherein obtaining the pairing credential includes the base prompting the user for the pairing credential via the display, the pairing credential being provided by the user; and

providing the detachable device with access to the mass storage device in response to determining that the detachable device is paired with the base, wherein the detachable device limits access by the base to the display prior to the detachable device pairing with the base, said access to the display being limited to operations for pairing the detachable device and the base.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, the operations further comprising maintaining, at the detachable device, a device task list of the tasks executed by the base via the display, wherein the base updates the device task list.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the successful verification response is sent by the detachable device in response to the detachable device verifying the stored pairing credential and the base station identifier match pairing information stored at the detachable device.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the base comprises a first processor executing a first operating system and the detachable device comprises a second processor executing a second operating system other than the first operating system and a network connection to a network, wherein the base connects to the network through the network connection.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first operating system is a personal computer operating system and the second operating system is a cellular telephone operating system.