Mobile Device for Authenticating A Device Accessory

• US 20120167232A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Moosavi, Vahid, Khan, Gabriel Deen, Rose, Scott Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A mobile device for authenticating a device accessory is disclosed. The mobile device receives a unique identifier from a device accessory, sends the received unique identifier to a server via a communication network, and receives information from the server relating to the unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a mobile device a unique identifier from a device accessory;

sending the received unique identifier to a server via a communication network; and

receiving information from the server relating to the unique identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a proximity of the device accessory using a proximity detector of the mobile device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received information from the server comprises:

an indication of authenticity of the unique identifier comprising that the device accessory is authenticated or unauthenticated, wherein the authenticated device accessory having a unique identifier recognized by the server, and the unauthenticated device accessory having a unique identifier unrecognized by the server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a unique mobile device identifier to the server with the unique identifier.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the received information from the server comprises:

an indication of authenticity of the unique identifier comprising that the device accessory is authenticated or unauthenticated, wherein the authenticated device accessory having a unique identifier recognized by the server and not associated with another mobile device, and the unauthenticated device accessory having a unique identifier unrecognized by the server or associated with another mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from the server indicating a type of the device accessory.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the type of the device accessory comprises a holster, a charger, a docking station, a swivel mount for GPS, a vehicle mount, a speaker stand, a headset, or a hands-free device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising either enabling or disabling a functionality of the mobile device.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising either enabling or disabling a functionality of the mobile device associated to the type of the device accessory.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the unique identifier in a memory of the mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the received information from the server in a memory of the mobile device.

12. A mobile device for authenticating a device accessory, the mobile device comprising:

a proximity detector;

a communication module for communicating with a server to authenticate a unique identifier of the device accessory; and

a feature module for enabling and disabling a functionality of the mobile device.

13. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein for the authenticated mobile device accessory, the feature module enables the functionality of the mobile device and for the unauthenticated mobile device, the feature module disables the functionality of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the functionality of the mobile device is associated to a type of the device accessory.

15. The mobile device according to claim 12, wherein the proximity detector comprises a near field communication (NFC) interface.

16. The mobile device according to claim 12, further comprising a user interface for communicating with the server to authenticate the unique identifier of the device accessory.

17. The mobile device according to claim 12, further comprising a display for displaying information related to the authenticated device accessory.

18. The mobile device according to claim 14, wherein the type of the device accessory comprises a holster, a charger, a docking station, a swivel mount for GPS, a vehicle mount, a speaker stand, a headset, or a hands-free device.

19. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a mobile device causes the mobile device to:

receive at a mobile device a unique identifier from a device accessory;

send the received unique identifier to a server via a communication network; and

receive information from the server relating to the unique identifier.