Cloud-based cross-device digital pen pairing

• US 10,506,068 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bakshi, Chintan M., Mistry, Tejas Jitendra, Bathiche, Steven Nabil, Thuvara, Vineet, Coppin, Justin Allan, Jeganathan, Joy Gilbert, Michaud, Alain Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US14/679,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Examples of the disclosure enable managing a user account, such that a peripheral device is configured to interact with one or more user devices associated with the user account. In some examples, a device identity associated with the peripheral device is identified, and it is determined whether the device identity is associated with a user account. Upon determining that the device identity is associated with the user account, the peripheral device is paired with a user device associated with the user account without manually pairing the peripheral device with the user device. Examples of the disclosure enable the peripheral device to interact with one or more user devices in an efficient, user-friendly manner.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing an operation of a peripheral device, the method comprising executing on a computing device the operations of:

prior to the peripheral device being paired with any device;

receiving a device identity associated with the peripheral device; and

assigning the device identify to a user account to allow recognition and consistent interaction of the peripheral device with a plurality of user devices associated with the user account such that the peripheral device associated with the device identity is configured to automatically pair and interact with each of the plurality of user devices without manually pairing the peripheral device to each of the plurality of user devices;

determining that the device identity is stored in a list of authorized device identities associated with a user account; and

based at least one determining that the device identity is stored in the list of authorized device identities associated with the user account, automatically pairing the peripheral device with the plurality of user devices associated with the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a signal associated with the peripheral device, wherein the device identity is identified based on the signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the device identity with the user account, such that a second user device associated with the user account is configured to automatically pair the peripheral device with the second user device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a notification indicating that the peripheral device is paired with the plurality of user devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal indicating that the device identity is disassociated from the user account; and

automatically unpairing the peripheral device from the one or more of the plurality of user devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

unpairing the peripheral device from the plurality of user devices; and

disassociating the device identity from the user account, such that a second user device associated with the user account is configured to automatically unpair the peripheral device from the second user device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

unpairing the peripheral device from the one or more of the plurality of user devices; and

generating a notification indicating that the peripheral device is unpaired from the one of the first user device and the second user device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more user settings associated with the user account; and

associating the user settings with the peripheral device, such that the peripheral device is configured to interact with the one or more of the plurality of user devices in accordance with the user settings.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating a document by associating a token with the document, the token associated with the user account.

10. A user device comprising:

a memory area storing computer-executable instructions for managing an operation of a peripheral device; and

a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

prior to the peripheral device being paired with any device;

receive a device identity associated with the peripheral device; and

assigning the device identify to a user account to allow recognition and consistent interaction of the peripheral device with a plurality of user devices associated with the user account such that the peripheral device associated with the device identity is configured to automatically pair and interact with each of the plurality of user devices without manually pairing the peripheral device to each of the plurality of user devices;

determine that the device identity is stored in a list of authorized device identities associated with the user account; and

based at least on determining that the device identity is stored in the list of authorized device identities associated with the user account, automatically pair the peripheral device with the plurality of user devices associated with the user account.

11. The user device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to detect a signal associated with the peripheral device, wherein the device identity is identified based on the signal.

12. The user device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a signal indicating that the device identity is disassociated from the user account; and

automatically unpair the peripheral device from the plurality of user devices.

13. The user device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

unpair the peripheral device from the plurality of user devices; and

disassociate the device identity from the user account, such that other user devices associated with the user account are configured to automatically unpair the peripheral device from the other user devices.

14. The user device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

identify one or more user settings associated with the user account; and

associate the user settings with the peripheral device, such that the peripheral device is configured to interact with the plurality of user devices in accordance with the user settings.

15. The user device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to authenticate a document by associating a token with the document, the token associated with the user account.

16. A system comprising:

a plurality of user devices associated with a user account; and

a server comprising a memory area storing the user account and computer-executable instructions for managing the user account, and a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

prior to a digital pen being paired with any device;

store a device identity of the digital pen in a list of authorized device identities associated with the user account;

assign the device identity to the user account to allow recognition and consistent interaction of the digital pen with each of the plurality of user devices associated with the user account, such that the digital pen associated with the device identity is configured to automatically pair and interact with each of the of the plurality of user devices without manually paring the peripheral device to each of the plurality of user devices;

determine that the device identity is stored in a list of authorized device identities associated with the user account; and

based at least on determining that the device identity is stored in the list of authorized device identities associated with the user account, automatically pair the peripheral device with the plurality of user devices associated with the user account.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of user devices are configured to detect the digital pen, and transmit, to the server, a signal indicating that the digital pen is authorized to interact with the plurality of user devices, wherein the server is configured to receive the signal from the plurality of user devices.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is configured to:

disassociate the device identity from the plurality of user devices; and

based on the disassociation, disassociate the device identity from the user account.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the digital pen is configured to receive a user input, and transmit, to the plurality of user devices and the server, a signal associated with the user input, wherein the plurality of user devices and the server are configured to determine whether the digital pen is to execute an operation associated with the user input.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising one or more other digital pens associated with the device identity, wherein each of the one or more other digital pens is configured to interact with each of the plurality of user devices in an unlimited manner.