User authentication via a mobile telephone

• US 20060172700A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly

Abstract

A mobile telephone automatically establishes communication with a system via a short-range wireless network. When communication is established, the mobile telephone user is automatically logged in to the system. The system can then apply personalized settings and/or provide access to personalized services based on the mobile telephone user'"'"'s system account. Once communication between the mobile telephone and the system is established, the mobile telephone may be used as a remote control device to control operation of the system.

Claims

1. A method to authenticate a user via a mobile phone, comprising:

identifying a short-range wireless network associated with a system, the system comprising one or more user accounts;

switching from a mobile phone mode to a system mode; and

transmitting via the short-range wireless network, an identifier associated with the mobile phone, thereby causing a particular one of the user accounts to be activated.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting via the short-range wireless network, a security key associated with the system.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein transmitting the security key comprises:

determining a system identifier associated with the short-range wireless network;

determining the security key as a previously used security key associated with the system identifier; and

automatically transmitting the security key via the short-range wireless network.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein transmitting the security key comprises:

prompting a user to enter the security key; and

transmitting a user-submitted security key via the short-range wireless network.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

determining a system identifier associated with the short-range wireless network; and

maintaining the user-submitted key in association with the system identifier.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user-submitted command; and

transmitting the user-submitted command via the short-range wireless network.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the user-submitted command comprises a channel change command.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an incoming telephone call;

switching from the system mode to the mobile phone mode; and

receiving the incoming telephone call via a wireless telecommunications network.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising, in response to detecting the incoming telephone call, transmitting a command to the system that causes the particular one of the user accounts to be deactivated.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a television entertainment system.

11. A cellular telephone configured to implement the method as recited in claim 1.

12. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a wireless telecommunications network interface configured to enable the mobile telephone to communicate with other telephones via a wireless telecommunications network;

a short-range wireless transmitter configured to enable the mobile telephone to communicate with a system via a short-range wireless network; and

a data store configured to maintain system identifiers and associated security keys such that a security key can be automatically transmitted from the mobile telephone to a system to facilitate user authentication to the system.

13. The mobile telephone as recited in claim 12, further comprising a mode selection button to enable a user to toggle the mobile telephone between a phone mode for communicating via the wireless telecommunications network and a system mode for transmitting commands to the system via the short-range wireless network.

14. The mobile telephone as recited in claim 12, further comprising a mode selection menu item to enable a user to toggle the mobile telephone between a phone mode for communicating via the wireless telecommunications network and a system mode for transmitting commands to the system via the short-range wireless network.

15. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computer system to:

publish a system identifier via a short-range wireless network;

receive a security key and a mobile telephone identifier via the short-range wireless network;

authenticate the security key;

identify a user ID based on the mobile telephone identifier; and

perform a login process using the user ID to automatically login a user associated with a mobile telephone having the mobile telephone identifier.

16. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computer system to authenticate the mobile telephone identifier by:

searching a system data store; and

finding the mobile telephone identifier in the system data store.

17. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computer system to authenticate the mobile telephone identifier by requesting from a telecommunications system, confirmation that the mobile telephone identifier is associated with an activated mobile telephone.

18. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computer system to verify with the telecommunications system that the mobile telephone identifier is associated with a mobile telephone having a subscription that includes a system user authentication service.

19. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computer system to:

receive a system command from the mobile telephone via the short-range wireless network; and

respond to the system command as if the command were received from a remote control device.

20. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computer system to:

detect that a short-range wireless network connection with the mobile telephone has been dropped; and

perform a logout process to automatically logout the user associated with the mobile telephone.