Pairing to a Wireless Peripheral Device at the Lock-Screen

• US 20070300063A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Little, Herbert, Sibley, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/426,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20070300063A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly

Abstract

A method is presented to allow pairing of a first wireless-enabled device to a second wireless-enabled device while the first device is locked. A pairing interface is provided on the locked first device to obtain pairing information about the second device. The pairing information is used to pair the first device to the second device and to establish wireless communications therebetween without first requiring that the first device be unlocked.

Claims

1. A method in a first device, the method comprising:

providing a pairing interface on the first device to obtain pairing information about a second device while the first device remains locked; and

establishing a pairing between the first device and the second device using the pairing information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing wireless communications between the first device and the second device;

authenticating the identity of a user of the first device using the second device; and

unlocking the first device if the user is authenticated as an authorized user of the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

if the first device is unlocked by the authorized user within a predetermined time interval after the pairing is established, storing in a device profile on the first device at least a portion of the pairing information about the second device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

labeling the device profile with a personal identifier that identifies the authorized user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

if the first device is subsequently locked and the personal identifier is provided via a user interface in the first device while the first device remains locked, retrieving the stored pairing information from the device profile and establishing a wireless connection between the first device and the second device using the retrieved pairing information.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the first device is subsequently locked and a secret is provided via a user interface in the first device while the first device remains locked, retrieving the stored pairing information from the device profile and establishing a wireless connection between the first device and the second device using the retrieved pairing information, wherein the secret is used to access authentication capabilities of the second device.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor of a first device, result in:

providing a pairing interface on the first device to obtain pairing information about a second device while the first device remains locked; and

establishing a pairing between the first device and the second device using the pairing information.

8. A first device, comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to the processor through which the first device is able to communicate with a second device that is used to authenticate users of the first device,

wherein the memory is able to store code, which, when executed by the processor, provides a pairing interface that allows users to provide pairing information about the second device while the first device remains locked, and establishes a pairing between the two devices using the information.

9. The first device of claim 8, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the pairing interface comprises at least one dialog box displayed on the display.

10. The first device of claim 8, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, wirelessly communicates with the second device to authenticate the identity of a user, and unlocks the first device if the user is authenticated as an authorized user of the first device.

11. The first device of claim 10, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, upon completion of a successful login to the first device within a predetermined time interval after the pairing is established, stores at least a portion of the pairing information about the second device in a device profile in the memory.

12. The first device of claim 11, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, additionally labels the device profile with a personal identifier belonging to the authorized user.

13. The first device of claim 12, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, retrieves pairing information from a device profile that is labeled with a personal identifier entered by a user in the pairing interface while the first device is locked, in order to establish a wireless communication link with the device identified therein.

14. The first device of claim 11, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, retrieves pairing information from the device profile, in order to establish a wireless communication link with the device identified therein.

15. A system for pairing two wireless-enabled devices, comprising:

a first wireless-enabled device able to be unlocked by authorized users; and

a second wireless-enabled device able to communicate wirelessly with the first device to provide personal authentication of the users,

wherein the first device is to provide a pairing interface to obtain pairing information about the second device while the first device remains locked and to establish a pairing between the first device and the second device using the pairing information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein if the first device is unlocked by an authorized user within a predetermined time interval after the pairing is established, the first device is to store in a device profile on the first device at least a portion of the pairing information about the second device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first device is to additionally label the device profile with a personal identifier that identifies the authorized user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein if the first device is subsequently locked and the personal identifier is provided via a user interface in the first device while the first device remains locked, the first device is to retrieve the stored pairing information from the device profile and to establish a wireless connection with the second device using the retrieved pairing information.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein if the first device is subsequently locked and a secret is provided via a user interface in the first device while the first device remains locked, the first device is to retrieve the stored pairing information from the device profile and to establish a wireless connection with the second device using the retrieved pairing information, wherein the secret is used to access authentication capabilities of the second device.