METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PUBLIC COMPUTING
First Claim
1. A method of configuring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selected location, the method comprising:
- displaying a first selection of content on a display screen of the portable computer;
initiating a first session responsive to a first guest of the plurality of guests accessing the portable computer via a user interface of the portable computer;
creating a first guest profile responsive to the first session being initiated;
during the first session, displaying second selection of content on the display screen, the second selection of content comprising more available content than the first selection of content;
terminating the first session responsive to one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expiration of a time-out period; and
erasing history of the first session on the portable computer responsive to termination of the first session.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Provided are systems and methods for configuring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selected location. According to some embodiments, the system and methods include displaying a first selection of content on a display screen of the portable computer, initiating a first session responsive to a first guest accessing the portable computer via a user interface of the portable computer, creating a first guest profile responsive to the first session being initiated, displaying a second selection of content on the display screen during the first session, the second selection of content comprising more available content than the first selection of content, terminating the first session responsive to one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expiration of a time-out period, and erasing history of the first session on the portable computer responsive to termination of the first session.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of configuring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selected location, the method comprising:
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displaying a first selection of content on a display screen of the portable computer; initiating a first session responsive to a first guest of the plurality of guests accessing the portable computer via a user interface of the portable computer; creating a first guest profile responsive to the first session being initiated; during the first session, displaying second selection of content on the display screen, the second selection of content comprising more available content than the first selection of content; terminating the first session responsive to one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expiration of a time-out period; and erasing history of the first session on the portable computer responsive to termination of the first session. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A portable computer system configured for transient use by a plurality of guests, the portable computer system comprising:
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a portable computer having a display screen, a display manager, and user interface configured to accept inputs from the plurality of guests and to display content on the display screen; and remote computer storage coupled to the portable computer via a network connection; wherein the portable computer is configured to initiate a first session responsive to an input received from a first guest of the plurality of guests via the user interface and to store a first guest profile on the remote computer storage, and to terminate the first session responsive to one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expiration of a time-out period, wherein terminating the first session includes erasing history of the first session on the portable computer; and wherein the display manager is configured to manage a plurality of views of computer content in the user interface, and to control the user interface to display a first selection of content on the display screen prior to initiation of the first session and after termination of the first session, and to display a second selection of content on the display screen during the first session, the second selection of content comprising more available content than the first selection of content. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer system configured for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selected facility, the computer system comprising:
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a plurality of portable computers including a first portable computer and a second portable computer, the first and second portable computers being located at different locations at the selected facility, and each portable computer including a network connection, a display screen, a display manager, and a user interface configured to receive inputs from the plurality of guests and to display digital content on the display screen; and computer storage separate from the plurality of portable computers and coupled to each of the plurality of portable computers via the respective network connection, the computer storage including a facility profile specifying a first content configuration for the first portable computer and a second content configuration for the second portable computer, the first and second content configurations being different; wherein each portable computer is configured to initiate a first session responsive to an input received from a first guest of the plurality of guests via the user interface, and to terminate the first session responsive to one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expiration of a time-out period; wherein the display manager is configured to manage a plurality of views of computer content in the user interface, and to control the user interface to display a first selection of content on the display screen prior to initiation of the first session and after termination of the first session, and to display a second selection of content on the display screen during the first session, the second selection of content comprising more available content than the first selection of content; and wherein the plurality of views of computer content for the first and second portable computers are determined based on a first and second content configurations, respectively.
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Specification