METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS AND PROTECTING STORED PRIVATE DATA

• US 20100235601A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Endejan, Edward, Robinson, Thomas, Fuhs, Eric, Cortopassi, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00

Abstract

A method and system for enabling personal digital assistants (PDAs) and protecting stored private data. Specifically, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a removable expansion card about the size of a postage stamp which plugs into a slot of a personal digital assistant. The removable expansion card, referred to as a personality card, is capable of storing all of a user'"'"'s private information and data which is used within their personal digital assistant. By removing the personality card from the personal digital assistant, all of the user'"'"'s private information and data may be removed from the personal digital assistant. Furthermore, the personal digital assistant may also be rendered totally or partially useless once the personality card is removed from it. There are several advantages associated with a personality card system in accordance with the present invention. For example, one of the advantages is that a user is able to restrict access to their stored private information and data by simply removing their personality card from their personal digital assistant. Furthermore, as personal digital assistants equipped with personality card slots become increasingly more common, a user will be able to continually carry around their personality card and enable a spare and locally available personal digital assistant with their private information when desired.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a first memory coupled to the processor that stores a first set and a second set of software components and a first user data;

a peripheral hardware component comprising a second memory, the second memory storing a second user data;

a first hardware component coupled to the processor and adapted to receive the peripheral hardware component,

wherein the second memory is accessible to the processor when the peripheral hardware component is coupled to a first hardware component and only accessible to the processor upon receipt of an acceptable security access code; and

wherein in response to the peripheral hardware component uncoupling from the first hardware component, the processor is unable to execute the first set of software components but is able to execute the second set of software components.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first memory comprises a volatile memory unit and a non-volatile memory unit.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the second memory comprises a non-volatile memory unit.

4. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising in response to the peripheral hardware component coupling to the first hardware component, the processor executes a synchronization process that reconciles the first user data with the second user data.

5. The computer system of claim of claim 2, further comprising in response to the peripheral hardware component uncoupling from the first hardware component and prior to physically uncoupling the two hardware components, any user data resident in the first memory'"'"'s volatile memory unit is erased.

6. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a first memory coupled to the processor that stores a first set and a second set of software components and a first user data, the first set of software components requiring use of a private user data before execution on the processor;

a peripheral hardware component comprising a second memory, the second memory storing a private user data;

a first hardware component coupled to the processor and adapted to receive the peripheral hardware component,

wherein the second memory is only accessible to the processor when the peripheral hardware component is coupled to the first hardware component and upon receipt of an acceptable security access code; and

wherein in response to said peripheral hardware component uncoupling from the first hardware component, the first set of software components are disabled from processor execution while the processor is able to execute the second set of software components.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the first memory comprises a volatile memory unit and a non-volatile memory unit.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the second memory comprises a non-volatile memory unit.

9. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising in response to the peripheral hardware component coupling to the first hardware component, the processor executes a synchronization process that reconciles the private user data with the first user data.

10. The computer system of claim of claim 7, further comprising in response to the peripheral hardware component uncoupling from the first hardware component and prior to physically uncoupling the two hardware components, any user data resident in the first memory'"'"'s volatile memory unit is erased.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a first memory coupled to the processor that stores a plurality of sets of software applications;

a peripheral hardware component comprising a second memory, the second memory storing a second software application and a user data;

a first hardware component coupled to the processor and adapted to receive the peripheral hardware component,

wherein the second memory is only accessible to the processor when the peripheral hardware component is coupled to the first hardware component and upon receipt of an acceptable security access code; and

wherein in response to the peripheral hardware component coupling to the first hardware component, at least one of the plurality of sets of software applications is disabled from execution by the processor and the second software application is enabled for execution by the processor.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the first memory comprises a volatile memory unit and a non-volatile memory unit.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the second memory comprises a non-volatile memory unit.

14. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising in response to the peripheral hardware component coupling to the first hardware component, the processor executes a synchronization process that reconciles any user data stored in the first memory with the private user data stored in the second memory.

15. The computer system of claim of claim 12, further comprising in response to the peripheral hardware component uncoupling from the first hardware component and prior to physically uncoupling the two hardware components, any user data resident in the first memory'"'"'s volatile memory unit is erased.

16. A method for enabling and disabling certain functionality with a computer system using private user data, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling a peripheral hardware component to a first hardware component of a computer system, the first hardware component adapted to receive the peripheral hardware component, the peripheral hardware component inoperable unless coupled to the first hardware component;

synchronizing user and application information contained within a first memory of the peripheral hardware component with user and application information contained within a second memory of the computer system;

retrieving a security access code from user input;

enabling a processor within the computer system and coupled to the first hardware component access to the first memory upon an acceptable entry of the security access code;

using the processor to modify information contained within the first memory;

uncoupling the peripheral hardware component from the first hardware component; and

disabling a set of software applications, but not all software applications, contained with the second memory from execution by the processor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of erasing any user information from the second memory before the uncoupling the peripheral hardware component from the first hardware component.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of using the processor to execute an operating system contained on the first memory.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of using the processor to store a portion of the user information within the second memory, the portion stored being insufficient for operation of the disabled applications.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first memory comprises a non-volatile memory unit and the second memory comprises a volatile memory unit and a non-volatile memory unit.