PCMCIA-compliant smart card secured memory assembly for porting user profiles and documents
First Claim
1. A method for physically transporting a user profile between network and standalone computing devices, for automatically logging onto one of the network or standalone computing devices, and for automatically configuring the logged-on network or standalone computing device with user-preferences and user-selected operating system characteristics according to the user profile, comprising:
- securely storing the user profile with a portable profile storage device having an interface to communicate with a physical key and having a secure memory;
associating a removable passcode-activated physical key with the user that alternately enables access to the user profile in the memory when the physical key is passcode-activated and coupled with the interface and that disables access to the user profile when removed from the interface; and
making the user profile accessible to a computing device via the portable profile storage device, including;
coupling the portable profile storage device with the computing device, coupling the physical key with the interface;
activating a user passcode of the physical key resulting in the physical key first authenticating the user, then authenticating the portable profile storage device, then automatically logging the user onto the computing device, then automatically configuring the computing device with the user-preferences and the user-selected operating system characteristics from the user profile.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable profile carrier stores and securely transports a user'"'"'s profile and data files from one computer to the next. The profile carrier is a two-component assembly comprising a smart card and a PCMCIA smart card reader. The reader is physically constructed in a form factor of a PCMCIA card and has a slot to receive the smart card. The reader has a smart card interface and controller to facilitate data communication with the smart card. The reader is equipped with data memory (e.g., flash memory) to store the user profile and data files. Access to the data memory is protected by the smart card. The composite profile carrier enables access to the user profile on the flash memory when the smart card is present and the user is authenticated, and disables access when the smart card is removed or the user is not authenticated.
44 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for physically transporting a user profile between network and standalone computing devices, for automatically logging onto one of the network or standalone computing devices, and for automatically configuring the logged-on network or standalone computing device with user-preferences and user-selected operating system characteristics according to the user profile, comprising:
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securely storing the user profile with a portable profile storage device having an interface to communicate with a physical key and having a secure memory;
associating a removable passcode-activated physical key with the user that alternately enables access to the user profile in the memory when the physical key is passcode-activated and coupled with the interface and that disables access to the user profile when removed from the interface; and
making the user profile accessible to a computing device via the portable profile storage device, including;
coupling the portable profile storage device with the computing device, coupling the physical key with the interface;
activating a user passcode of the physical key resulting in the physical key first authenticating the user, then authenticating the portable profile storage device, then automatically logging the user onto the computing device, then automatically configuring the computing device with the user-preferences and the user-selected operating system characteristics from the user profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for storing user credentials, user-preferences, and user-selected operating system characteristics in a portable smart card-secured memory assembly to automatically log the user onto various network and standalone computing devices and automatically configure one of the logged on network or standalone computing devices with the user-preferences and user-selected operating system characteristics, comprising:
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assigning a passcode to protect a removable smart card;
storing a user profile in a smart card-secured memory assembly having data memory;
compatibly interfacing the smart card-secured memory assembly to a portable device reader in one of the computing devices;
activating the smart card via the passcode when the smart card is present in the smart card-secured memory assembly to enable access to the user profile;
wherein the smart card first authenticates the user, then authenticates the user profile, then automatically logs the user onto the computing device, then automatically configures the computing device with the user-preferences and the user-selected operating system characteristics from the user profile. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for physically transporting a profile of a computing device user comprising:
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removable means for storing data files;
an interface on the removable means for communicatively coupling and uncoupling with the computing network or the standalone computing device; and
detachable means for enabling passcode-protected access to data files on the removable means when the detachable means communicatively attaches to the removable means, wherein the removable means includes a flash memory, and the data files include a user profile to configure the computing network and the standalone computing device, and wherein the detachable means first authenticates the user, then authenticates the removable means, then automatically logs the user onto the computing device, then automatically configures the computing device with user-preferences and user-selected operating system characteristics from the user profile. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification