Method and apparatus for credential management on a portable device

• US 20050278778A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Meyer, David A., Arcelo, Vincent, D'Agostino, Anthony, DellaRatta, George
• Application Number:
  US10/856,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

A system and/or method that enables a user to manage credential information for approving communications with various network and/or server components. A portable device is provided that facilitates management of a user credential that can be used to connect to a network (e.g., wireless, wired). The portable device includes an input component and a retention component. The input component defines a selected input method to input the user credential into the portable device. The retention component defines a parameter for storing the user credential in accordance with a user-defined selection. Additionally, the portable device can include a data store (e.g., cache memory) that retains the user credential and a purging component configured to subsequently erase the user credential in accordance with the user-defined selection.

Claims

1. A portable device that facilitates management of a user credential to connect to a network, the portable device comprising:

an input component that defines a selected input method to input the user credential into the portable device; and

a retention component that defines a parameter for storing the user credential in accordance with a user-defined selection.

2. The portable device set forth in claim 1, further comprising a data store that retains the user credential in accordance with the user-defined selection.

3. The portable device set forth in claim 2, further comprising a purging component that erases the user credential from the data store in accordance with the user-defined selection.

4. The portable device set forth in claim 2, wherein the data store is a cache store.

5. The portable device set forth in claim 2, wherein the data store is a volatile memory device.

6. The portable device set forth in claim 2, wherein the data store is a non-volatile memory device.

7. The portable device set forth in claim 1, further comprising an encryption component that encrypts the user credential.

8. The portable device set forth in claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless network.

9. A system that facilitates connection between a client and a network, the system comprising:

a cache store in communication with the client that, in accordance with a user instruction, retains a user credential for connection to the network; and

a connection component that, in response to a detection of the network, obtains the user credential from the cache store and facilitates communication with the network.

10. The system set forth in claim 9, wherein the user instruction is a retention policy.

11. The system set forth in claim 9, wherein the cache store is a volatile storage device.

12. The system set forth in claim 9, wherein the user credential is an authentication credential.

13. A method for managing a user credential, the method comprising:

defining a retention variable for the management of the user credential, the retention variable to quantify a predetermined retention expiration of the user credential;

inputting the retention variable into a remote device;

inputting the user credential into the remote device; and

storing the user credential in a cache store of the remote device in accordance with the retention variable.

14. The method set forth in claim 13, further comprising purging the user credential from the cache store upon expiration of the retention variable.

15. The method set forth in claim 13, further comprising selecting an input method to input the user credential into the remote device.

16. The method set forth in claim 13, further comprising automatically detecting the user credential.

17. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the acts recited in claim 13.

18. A method of authenticating a remote device with a network, the method comprising:

caching an authentication credential in a cache store of the remote device in accordance with a retention variable; and

obtaining the authentication credential from the cache store.

19. The method set forth in claim 18, further comprising selecting a method to input the authentication credential and inputting the authentication credential into the remote device in accordance with the selected method of input.

20. The method set forth in claim 18, wherein the act of caching comprises storing the authentication credential in a non-volatile data store.

21. The method set forth in claim 18, wherein the act of caching comprises storing the authentication credential in a volatile data store.

22. The method set forth in claim 18, further comprising setting the retention variable to expire upon a soft reset of the remote device.

23. The method set forth in claim 18, further comprising setting the retention variable to expire on a power down/up cycle of the remote device.

24. The method set forth in claim 18, further comprising encrypting the authentication credential.

25. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the acts recited in claim 18.

26. A system for managing a credential in a remote device, the system comprising:

means for caching the credential in a data store; and

means for defining a retention variable in connection with the cache.

27. The system set forth in claim 26, further comprising means for discarding the cached credential upon expiration of the retention variable.

28. The system set forth in claim 26, further comprising means for selecting an input method to input the credential into the remote device.

29. The system set forth in claim 28, further comprising means for inputting the credential into the remote device in accordance with the selected input method.

30. The system set forth in claim 29, further comprising means for connecting to a network.