METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING USER INFORMATION

• US 20120079086A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Miettinen, Markus Juhani
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

An approach is presented for sharing user information among devices. The identity discovery module determines one or more user identifiers. Further, the identity discovery module determines to generate a first device identifier based, at least in part, on the one or more user identifiers. Then, the identity discovery module determines to present the first device identifier in place of a second identifier as a discoverable identity of a device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining one or more user identifiers;

determining to generate a first device identifier based, at least in part, on the one or more user identifiers; and

determining to present the first device identifier in place of a second device identifier as a discoverable identity of a device.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining context information associated with the device, a user of the device, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determining to present the first device identifier in place of the second device identifier is based, at least in part, on the context information.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining one or more changes to the context information; and

determining to revert to the second device identifier as the discoverable identity based, at least in part, on the one or more changes.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request, from an application, for generating the first device identifier,

wherein at least one of the one or more user identifiers is associated with the application.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to revert to the second identifier as the discoverable identity after a predetermined period of time.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to encrypt to one or more user identifiers, wherein the generating of the first device identifier is based, at least in part, on the encrypted one or more user identifiers.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to associate the one or more user identifiers with one or more functions, one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof; and

determining to include the association in the first device identifier.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to associate a passcode with the one or more user identifiers, wherein the passcode authenticates access to one or more functions, one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof associated with the one or more user identifiers; and

determining to include the passcode in the first device identifier.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more hardware identifiers associated with the device; and

determining to associate the one or more hardware identifiers with the first device identifier,

wherein the one or more user identifiers are authenticated based, at least in part, on the one or more hardware identifiers.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier represent respective identifiers of one or more wireless protocols associated with the device.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine one or more user identifiers;

determine to generate a first device identifier based, at least in part, on the one or more user identifiers; and

determine to present the first device identifier in place of a second identifier as a discoverable identity of a device.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine context information associated with the device, a user of the device, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determining to present the first device identifier in place of the second device identifier is based, at least in part, on the context information.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more changes to the context information; and

determine to revert to the to the second device identifier as the discoverable identity based, at least in part, on the one or more changes.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive a request, from an application, for generating the first device identifier,

wherein at least one of the one or more user identifiers is associated with the application.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to revert to the second identifier as the discoverable identity after a predetermined period of time.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to associate the one or more user identifiers with one or more functions, one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof; and

determine to include the association in the first device identifier.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine one or more hardware identifiers associated with the device; and

determine to associate the one or more hardware identifiers with the first device identifier,

wherein the one or more user identifiers are authenticated based, at least in part, on the one or more hardware identifiers.

18. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining one or more user identifiers;

determining to generate a first device identifier based, at least in part, on the one or more user identifiers; and

determining to present the first device identifier in place of a second device identifier as a discoverable identity of a device.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining context information associated with the device, a user of the device, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determining to present the first device identifier in place of the second device identifier is based, at least in part, on the context information.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining one or more changes to the context information; and

determining to revert to the to the second device identifier as the discoverable identity based, at least in part, on the one or more changes.

21-46. -46. (canceled)