Smart card enabled mobile personal computing environment system

• US 20010042212A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Li, Miao, Kuo, Chih Jen, Du, Sterling D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"

Abstract

A smart card enabled mobile personal computing environment system stores a user'"'"'s personalized, fully functional, computing environment in a smart card. A user information database is provided that is resident on a server and contains the user records of a plurality of users containing personal computing environment data with the amount of data in the user record generally larger than the storage capacity of a smart card. The user to specifies the information required to configure the client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment. If the correct personal computing environment data is not resident in the smart card, the client queries the server for the information needed and updates the smart card with the new data. The user also manages his personal computing environment data stored on the smart card and the user information database. The server gives the client access to the user'"'"'s records through a secure Web site. The user accesses his data, adds, modifies, and/or deletes information and transfers data to his smart card via the secure Web site. If the client has a slow or temporary connection with the server, the client is able to accommodate the user'"'"'s data management needs by downloading the user'"'"'s records stored on the server'"'"'s user information database. The user can then manage his data without a connection to the server. Any changes to the user'"'"'s records are later sent to the server to update the user information database.

Claims

1. A process for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a smart card, in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a smart card;

reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

configuring a client according to said personal computing environment data; and

wherein said personal computing environment data includes, but is not limited to;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, and program environments.

2. The process of

claim 1

, wherein said reading step further comprises the steps of:

accepting user input specifying the information required to configure said client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment; and

retrieving the correct personal computing environment data from a server if said smart card does not have sufficient information to configure said client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment.

3. The process of

claim 2

,,further comprising the step of:

storing said correct personal computing environment data on said smart card.

4. The process of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of:

providing a user information database resident on a server;

wherein said user information database contains the user records of a plurality of users; and

wherein said user records contain personal computing environment data of a size that can be larger than the storage capacity of said smart card.

5. The process of

claim 4

, further comprising the step of:

providing user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said smart card and said user information database.

6. The process of

claim 5

, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client connects with said server to retrieve the user'"'"'s records.

7. The process of

claim 5

, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web site.

8. The process of

claim 5

, wherein said user record management means gives the user an option to expand the storage capacity of the user'"'"'s user record on said user information database.

9. The process of

claim 5

, wherein said user record management means allows the user to define sets of personal computing environment data.

10. The process of

claim 4

, wherein a plurality of servers contain redundant copies of said user information database.

11. The process of

claim 10

, wherein said client performs load balancing between said plurality of servers when obtaining user records.

12. The process of

claim 10

, wherein a server is designated as the user'"'"'s main local server.

13. The process of

claim 12

, wherein said main server is dynamically selected based on the user'"'"'s usage patterns.

14. The process of

claim 12

, wherein said client automatically switches to another server if said main server fails or is inaccessible.

15. The process of

claim 4

, wherein each of said user records is encrypted using an encryption key from the specific owner'"'"'s smart card, and wherein each of said specific smart card contains a unique encryption key resident only on said specific smart card.

16. The process of

claim 15

, wherein the encryption and decryption of a user record occurs on said client, and wherein said user records are only transferred between said client and said server in encrypted form.

17. The process of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of:

providing morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost smart card.

18. An apparatus for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a smart card, in a computer environment, comprising:

a smart card;

a module for reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

a module for configuring a client according to said personal computing environment data; and

wherein said personal computing environment data includes, but is not limited to;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, and program environments.

19. The apparatus of

claim 18

, wherein said reading module further comprises:

a module for accepting user input specifying the information required to configure said client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment; and

a module for retrieving the correct personal computing environment data from a server if said smart card does not have sufficient information to configure said client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment.

20. The apparatus of

claim 19

, further comprising:

a module for storing said correct personal computing environment data on said smart card.

21. The apparatus of

claim 18

, further comprising:

a user information database resident on a server;

wherein said user information database contains the user records of a plurality of users; and

wherein said user records contain personal computing environment data of a size that can be larger than the storage capacity of said smart card.

22. The apparatus of

claim 21

, further comprising:

user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said smart card and said user information database.

23. The apparatus of

claim 22

, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client connects with said server to retrieve the user'"'"'s records.

24. The apparatus of

claim 22

, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web site.

25. The apparatus of

claim 22

, wherein said user record management means gives the user an option to expand the storage capacity of the user'"'"'s user record on said user information database.

26. The apparatus of

claim 22

, wherein said user record management means allows the user to define sets of personal computing environment data.

27. The apparatus of

claim 21

, wherein a plurality of servers contain redundant copies of said user information database.

28. The apparatus of

claim 26

, wherein said client performs load balancing between said plurality of servers when obtaining user records.

29. The apparatus of

claim 26

, wherein a server is designated as the user'"'"'s main local server.

30. The apparatus of

claim 28

, wherein said main server is dynamically selected based on the user'"'"'s usage patterns.

31. The apparatus of

claim 28

;

wherein said client automatically switches to another server if said main server fails or is inaccessible.

32. The apparatus of

claim 21

, wherein each of said user records is encrypted using an encryption key from the specific owner'"'"'s smart card, and wherein each of said specific smart card contains a unique encryption key resident only on said specific smart card.

33. The apparatus of

claim 31

, wherein the encryption and decryption of a user record occurs on said client, and wherein said user records are only transferred between said client and said server in encrypted form.

34. The apparatus of

claim 18

, further comprising:

morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost smart card.

36. The process of

claim 34

, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client retrieves the user'"'"'s records from said server.

37. The process of

claim 34

, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web page.

38. The process of

claim 34

, wherein each of said user records is encrypted using an encryption key from the specific owner'"'"'s smart card, and wherein each of said specific smart card contains a unique encryption key resident only on said specific smart card.

39. The process of

claim 37

, wherein the encryption and decryption of a user record occurs on said client, and wherein said user records are only transferred between said client and said server in encrypted form.

40. The process of

claim 34

, further comprising the step of:

providing morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost smart card.

42. The apparatus of

claim 40

, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client retrieves the user'"'"'s records from said server.

43. The apparatus of

claim 40

, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web page.

44. The apparatus of

claim 40

, wherein each of said user records is encrypted using an encryption key from the specific owner'"'"'s smart card, and wherein each of said specific smart card contains a unique encryption key resident only on said specific smart card.

45. The apparatus of

claim 43

, wherein the encryption and decryption of a user record occurs on said client, and wherein said user records are only transferred between said client and said server in encrypted form.

46. The apparatus of

claim 40

, further comprising:

morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost smart card.

35. A process for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a smart card, in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

providing reading means connected to a client for reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

providing means for configuring said client according to said personal computing environment data;

providing a user information database resident on a server;

wherein said user information database contains the user records of a plurality of users;

wherein said user records contain personal computing environment data of a size that can be larger than the storage capacity of said smart card;

wherein said personal computing environment data includes, but is not limited to;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, and program environments;

providing user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said smart card and said user information database; and

providing smart card storing means for storing a portion of said user records on said smart card.

41. An apparatus for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a smart card, in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

reading means connected to a client for reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

means for configuring said client according to said personal computing environment data;

a user information database resident on a server;

wherein said user information database contains the user records of a plurality of users;

wherein said user records contain personal computing environment data of a size that can be larger than the storage capacity of said smart card;

wherein said personal computing environment data includes, but is not limited to;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, and program environments;

user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said smart card and said user information database; and

smart card storing means for storing a portion of said user records on said smart card.