Multiple device and/or user association

• US 20060208063A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Moon, Bruce, Shaffer, Shmuel, Khouri, Joseph, Chahrouri, Gebran
• Granted Patent: US 7,213,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for automating a login process and user/device associations. A user'"'"'s preferred device settings and/or functions may be provisioned automatically. Some implementations provide an automated log out or “sleep” when a user leaves one or more of the devices. Users may be automatically identified and associated. The “presence” of members of a user group may be determined as required for one or more actions to be taken. Some user groups control devices according to which members of a group may have access to certain functions, information, etc., and which may not.

Claims

1. A method of associating multiple devices with a user, the method comprising:

reading by a first radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader in communication with a first device, an RFID tag assigned to a user;

associating the first device with the user; and

determining whether the RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by a second RFID reader in communication with a second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating the second device with the user when the RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by the second RFID reader.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is one of a personal computer, a telephone and a peripheral device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining preferences of the user based RFID tag data read during the reading step.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of configuring the first device according to the preferences.

6. A system for associating, multiple devices with one or more users, the system comprising:

a first radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader;

a first device in communication with the first RFID reader;

means for associating the first device with a first user when the RFID reader reads a first RFID tag assigned to the first user; and

means for determining whether the first RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by a second RFID reader in communication with a second device.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for associating the second device with the user when the first RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by the second RFID reader.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for associating the second device with a second user when a second RFID tag assigned to the second user is read within a predetermined time by the second RFID reader.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a first radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader;

an interface for networking with a plurality of devices and other RFID readers associated with the plurality of devices; and

logic device configured to do the following;

receive a user'"'"'s RFID tag data read by the RFID reader;

determine an identity and preferences of a user according to the RFID tag;

associate a first device with the user;

assign a personality to the first device according to the preferences; and

determine whether the user'"'"'s RFID tag, data are read by one of the other RFID readers within a predetermined time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the logic device is further configured to associate one of the plurality of devices with the user when the user'"'"'s RFID tag data are read by one of the other RFID readers within the predetermined time.

10. (canceled)

12. A multi-user authentication method, comprising:

reading first encoded information at a first time;

reading second encoded information at a second time;

authenticating a first person and a second person according to the first encoded information and the second encoded information;

determining whether a time interval between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to a predetermined time interval; and

authorizing a procedure when the time interval between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to the predetermined time interval.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the reading steps comprises reading a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the reading steps are performed in separate locations.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of performing the procedure in a different location from a location at which at least one of the reading steps is performed.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorizing step further comprises providing a first level of authorization to the first person and a second level of authorization to the second person.

17. A multi-user authentication system, comprising:

first reading means for reading first encoded information at a first time;

second reading means for reading second encoded information at a second time;

means for authenticating a first person and a second person according to the first encoded information and the second encoded information;

means for determining whether a time interval between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to a predetermined time interval; and

means for authorizing a procedure when the time interval between the first time and the second time is less than or equal to the predetermined time interval.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first reading means and the second reading means comprises a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag reader.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first reading means and the second reading means are disposed in separate locations.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for performing the procedure in a different location from a location at which at least one of the reading means is located.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the first reading means comprises the same device as the second reading means.

22. A method of associating multiple devices with a user, the method comprising:

reading radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag data from an RFID tag assigned to a user;

determining a subset of a plurality of devices, according to the RFID tag data;

associating the subset of the plurality of devices with the user;

determining user preferences based on the RFID tag data; and

applying the user preferences to at least one of the subset of devices according to the user preferences.

23. (canceled)

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining whether each of the plurality of devices is initialized; and

when it is determined that a device is not initialized, initializing the device.

25. (canceled)

26. A method of controlling access to content, the method comprising:

assigning a first level of authorization to a first person associated with a first RFID tag;

assigning a second level of authorization to a second person associated with a second RFID tag;

permitting the first person to view content according to the first level of authorization when the first RFID tag is read by an RFID reader associated with a display device; and

causing content being viewed by the first person to be concealed when the second RFID tag is read by the RFID reader and the second level of authorization is does not permit viewing the content.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the display device comprises a display screen of a personal computer and wherein the preventing step comprises invoking a screen saver on the display screen to conceal the content.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the display device comprises a television and wherein the preventing step comprises changing a channel of the television.