Physical ports management

• US 10,572,699 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lai, Larry, Chen, Chun-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US16/348,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20190354731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/087 flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors G06K7/10336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Examples of managing connectivity to physical ports of electronic devices are described herein. In an example, presence of an external device, which is to couple to a physical port of an electronic device, may be detected. The presence of the external device within a specific distance of the electronic device may be determined based on receipt of device data from the external device. In response to the detection of the external device, an input to generate a magnetic field at the physical port may be provided to manage connectivity of a connector of the external device to the port.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a physical port to receive a connector of an external device; and

a controller to,

detect presence of an external device within a specific distance, based on receipt of device data from the external device; and

in response to detection, provide an input to generate a magnetic field at the physical port to manage connectivity of the connector of the external device to the physical port.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein to provide the input to generate the magnetic field, the controller is to:

authenticate the external device, based on authentication details in the device data; and

when the external device is authenticated, provide the input to generate the magnetic field with an attractive force to facilitate coupling of the external device to the physical port.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is to provide the input to generate the magnetic field with a repulsive force with respect to the connector, when the external device is not authenticated.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a transceiver coupled to the controller, and wherein the transceiver is to receive the device data using a short range communication protocol.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a field generation unit to generate the magnetic field, based on the input received from the controller.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is to obtain aggregate data indicative of user behavior, user preferences, or a combination thereof.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is to identify the physical port corresponding to the external device, based on the device data, the aggregate data, a user input, or a combination thereof, and wherein the device data includes an identity of the external device, a type of the external device, or a combination thereof.

8. A method comprising:

receiving device data from an external device to detect presence of the external device within a specific distance from an electronic device; and

providing an input to generate a magnetic field at a physical port of the electronic device to manage connectivity of a connector of the external device to the physical port.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein providing the input to generate the magnetic field is based on:

authenticating the external device, based on authentication details in the device data; and

when the external device is authenticated, providing the input to generate the magnetic field with an attractive force to facilitate coupling of the connector of the external device to the physical port.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method comprises providing the input to generate the magnetic field with a repulsive force with respect to the connector, when the external device is not authenticated.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises identifying, on detecting the external device, the physical port corresponding to the external device, based on the device data, aggregate data, a user input, or a combination thereof, the aggregate data being indicative of user behavior, user preferences, or a combination thereof.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises transmitting a polling signal using a short range communication protocol to detect the presence of the external device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:

detect presence of an external device within a specific distance of an electronic device, based on receipt of device data from the external device;

on detecting the external device, authenticate the external device, based on authentication details in the device data; and

provide, based on the authentication, control instructions to generate a magnetic field at a physical port to manage connectivity of a connector of the external device to the physical port.

14. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to provide control instructions to generate the magnetic field with an attractive force to facilitate coupling of the connector of the external device to the physical port, when the external device is authenticated.

15. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to, identify, on detecting the external device, the physical port corresponding to the external device, based on the device data, aggregate data, a user input, or a combination thereof, and wherein the aggregate data is indicative of user behavior, user preferences, or a combination thereof.