Input device feature

• US 20060005023A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Homer, Steven S., Ali, Valiuddin, Love, James Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

An input device includes a security feature to transmit information to a corresponding system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

verifying a predetermined system with a predetermined input device; and

transmitting a secure characteristic from the predetermined input device to the predetermined system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the system logs in a user upon detecting and matching the secure characteristic with a saved characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein before verifying the system, the input device identifies a predetermined user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the input device identifies the predetermined user with an on-board user authentication.

5. A method comprising:

verifying a pen-system pair; and

transmitting authentication information from a pen of the pen-system pair to a corresponding system of the pen-system pair.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising verifying a user identity before verifying the pen-system pair.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising verifying the user identity with a fingerprint sensor on the pen.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing on the system registered information of the corresponding pen.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein verifying the pen-system pair further comprises detecting and matching a characteristic from the corresponding pen with a system-saved pen characteristic.

10. A system comprising:

a host system having authentication information of a corresponding input device; and

the corresponding input device having authentication information of the host system.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the host system is locked, and the corresponding input device is a key to unlock the host system.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the authentication information of the input device is substantially unique and wherein the authentication information of the host system is substantially unique.

13. The system of claim 10 and further comprising a wireless communication system coupled to the host system and corresponding input device.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the authentication information includes at least one of a security code, a password, and a serial number.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the host system includes an input device dock to automatically transmit the authentication information.

16. A method comprising:

automatically logging into a host system using a feature of a stylus.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein automatically logging into the host system includes activating a switch on the stylus.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein automatically logging into the host system includes verifying predetermined data from the host system and transmission of a secure characteristic from the stylus to the host system.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein automatically logging into the host system includes docking the stylus into the host system.

20. An input device comprising:

a security feature including authentication information to transmit to a corresponding host system.

21. The input device of claim 20 wherein the security feature includes a switch.

22. The input device of claim 20 wherein the authentication information includes at least one of a security code, a password, and a serial number to transmit to the corresponding host system.

23. The input device of claim 20 wherein the input device includes an on-board user authentication to identify a predetermined user to transmit the authentication information to the corresponding host system.

24. The input device of claim 21 wherein the switch activates login of a predetermined user to the corresponding host system.

25. The input device of claim 20 wherein the input device includes a memory with substantially unique information of the host system.

26. The input device of claim 25 wherein the substantially unique information of the host system includes the authentication information.

27. The input device of claim 20 wherein the input device includes at least one of a digital pen and a stylus.

28. An input device comprising:

means for data input; and

means for performing a function other than data input.

29. The input device of claim 28 wherein means for performing a function includes a switch to launch an application.

30. The input device of claim 28 wherein means for performing a function includes a switch to launch an action within an application.

31. The input device of claim 28 wherein means for performing the function includes a switch, and wherein the function includes at least one of logging in to a host system, logging out of the host system, and mode selection of the host system.