Identification based operational modification of a portable electronic device

• US 20040067750A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Wildseed LLC
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, G. Eric
• Granted Patent: US 6,987,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

Identification based operational modification of a portable electronic device includes detecting the presence of an employee identification badge, authenticating the identification badge as an eligible identification badge based at least in part upon data associated with the identification badge that is individualized to at least the employee and/or employer, and modifying one or more operating characteristics of the portable electronic device resulting in an identification badge authenticated mode of operation for the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.

Claims

1. In a portable electronic device, a method of operation comprising:

detecting a presence of an employee identification badge;

authenticating the identification badge as an eligible one of a plurality of identification badges based at least in part upon data individualized to at least one of an employee and an employer associated with the identification badge; and

modifying one or more operating characteristics of the portable electronic device resulting in an identification badge authenticated mode of operation for the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification badge is detected by the portable electronic device via a contactless coupler.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more operating characteristics remain modified so long as the identification badge remains communicatively coupled with the contactless coupler.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification badge is detected by the portable electronic device via a contact-based coupler.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more operating characteristics are modified so long as the identification badge remains communicatively coupled with the contact-based coupler.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a handheld personal computer, a media player, and a game console.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a presence of an employee identification badge comprises communicating with an electronic device embedded within the badge.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating comprises:

generating a first challenge;

providing the first challenge to the employee identification badge;

receiving from the employee identification badge, a first response to the first challenge; and

verifying the correctness of the received first response.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting and receiving implementing instructions/data of a function/feature from the employee identification badge to enhance one or more functions/features of the portable electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disabling one or more functions/features of the portable electronic device resulting in an identification badge not authenticated mode of operation, if the employee identification badge is not successfully authenticated.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling one or more functions/features of the portable electronic device if the employee identification badge is successfully authenticated.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification badge is detected by the wireless communication device via a contactless coupler.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification badge is detected by the wireless communication device via a contact-based coupler.

13. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processor to execute instructions;

an interface communicatively coupled to the processor to facilitate an exchange of information between the wireless communication device and an employee identification badges; and

a storage medium coupled to the processor, and having stored therein a plurality of instructions designed to authenticate an employee identification badge as being at least an eligible one of a plurality of employee identification badges, and to modify one or more of a plurality of operating characteristics offered by the apparatus resulting in a mode of operation for the wireless communication device consistent with whether the employee identification badge is authenticated.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a wireless communication enabled personal digital assistant, a wireless communication enabled handheld personal computer, a wireless communication enabled media player, and a wireless communication enabled game console.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the employee identification badge comprises an integrated circuit including at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

16. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the interface comprises a contact-based coupler to physically couple the employee identification badge with the wireless communication device.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions are further designed to revert operation of the wireless communication device from the identification badge authenticated mode of operation to a base mode of operation if the employee identification badge is decoupled from the contact-based coupler, and the employee identification badge was authenticated.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the interface comprises a contactless coupler to communicatively couple the employee identification badge with the wireless communication device.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the employee identification badge is communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device so long as the identification card remains physically located within a predetermined distance from the wireless communication device.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the plurality of instructions are further designed to revert operation of the wireless communication device from an identification badge authenticated mode of operation to a base mode of operation if the employee identification badge is decoupled from the contactless coupler, and the employee identification badge was authenticated.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a base body casing;

a processor, encased by the base body casing to execute instructions;

a interchangeable cover removably attached to the body casing, the interchangeable cover including an electronic component having stored therein a first plurality of instructions designed to supplement operation of the apparatus;

an interface communicatively coupled to one of the body casing and the processor to facilitate an exchange of information between the apparatus an employee identification badge; and

a storage medium coupled to the body casing and communicatively coupled to the processor, and having stored therein a second plurality of instructions designed to authenticate the employee identification badge as being one of a plurality of eligible identification badges, and to modify one or more operating characteristics attributable to at least one of the apparatus and the removably attached interchangeable cover consistent with whether the employee identification badge is authenticated.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a handheld personal computer, a media player, and a game console.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the interchangeable cover comprises a first integrated circuit including at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the employee identification badge comprises a second integrated circuit including at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the interface comprises a contact-based coupler to physically couple the employee identification badge with the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the interface comprises a contactless coupler to communicatively couple the employee identification badge with the apparatus.

27. An employee identification badge comprising:

at least one integrated circuit embedded therein to store individualized employee information, which when transmitted to a personal electronic device, causes the personal electronic device to function in a first operational mode exhibiting a set of employee specific operational characteristics; and

an interface coupled to the integrated circuit to facilitate transmission of the individualized employee information from the identification badge to the wireless communication device.

28. The identification badge of claim 27, wherein the integrated circuit comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

29. The identification badge of claim 27, wherein the wireless communication device is a selected one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a handheld personal computer, a media player, and a game console.

30. The identification badge of claim 27, wherein the individualized employee information, when transmitted to a receiver, further provides the employee with access to a building.

31. The identification badge of claim 27, wherein the interface comprises a contact-based coupler to facilitate information exchange between the identification badge and a personal electronic device.

32. The identification badge of claim 27, wherein the interface comprises a contactless coupler to facilitate information exchange between the identification badge and a personal electronic device.

33. In a portable electronic device, a method of operation comprising:

detecting a presence of an employee identification badge;

authenticating the identification badge as an eligible one of a plurality of identification badges based at least in part upon data individualized to at least one of an employee and an employer associated with the identification badge; and

invoking one or more processes of the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein one or more synchronization processes are invoked as a result of the authentication.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein one or more electronic mail processes are invoked as a result of the authentication.