WEARABLE DEVICE AUTHENTICATION AND OPERATION

• US 20150241998A1
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: VanBlon, Russell Speight, Painter, Alan Ladd, Ramirez Flores, Axel, Zawacki, Jennifer Greenwood
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

For wearable device authentication and operation, code authenticates the wearable device to an electronic device. In addition, the code performs a wearable device operation in response to an operation command from the electronic device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wearable device comprising a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor, the code comprising;

code that authenticates the wearable device to an electronic device; and

code that performs a wearable device operation in response to an operation command from the electronic device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the code further comprising:

code that detects the electronic device;

code that communicates authentication data to the electronic device;

code that receives an authentication confirmation;

code that signals the authentication confirmation; and

code that completes the authentication in response to an authentication confirmation acknowledgement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wearable device operation comprises configuring settings for the wearable device and the code that performs the wearable device operation comprises:

code that communicates configuration data to the electronic device;

code that receives configuration parameters from the electronic device; and

code that configures the wearable device in response to the configuration parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code that performs the wearable device operation comprises:

code that communicates operation data to the electronic device;

code that receives the operation command from the electronic device; and

code that performs a function in response to the operation command.

5. A method comprising:

authenticating, by use of a processor, a wearable device to an electronic device; and

performing a wearable device operation in response to an operation command from the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein authenticating the wearable device comprises:

detecting the electronic device;

communicating authentication data to the electronic device;

receiving an authentication confirmation;

signaling the authentication confirmation; and

completing the authentication in response to an authentication confirmation acknowledgement.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable device operation comprises configuring settings for the wearable device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein configuring settings for the wearable device comprises:

communicating configuration data to the electronic device;

receiving configuration parameters from the electronic device; and

configuring the wearable device in response to the configuration parameters.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration data describes all wearable device operations.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration data describes wearable device operations that are compatible with the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein performing the wearable device operation comprises:

communicating operation data to the electronic device;

receiving the operation command from the electronic device; and

performing a function in response to the operation command.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable device operation is selected in response to one or more of a time, a time of day, a location, and a weather forecast.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable device is authenticated to the electronic device in response to one or more of concurrent accelerations of the wearable device and the electronic device, a near field communication (NFC) exchange between the wearable device and the electronic device, a radio frequency identification exchange between the wearable device and the electronic device, and a Bluetooth pairing between the wearable device and the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable device is disposed upon a user and is not manually held by the user.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable device has a user interface selected from the group consisting of no user interface, a user interface with one or less physical controls, a user interface with an operations to physical control ratio of greater than ten, a user interface area of less than 9 square centimeters, and a user interface with physical controls disposed within an area of less than 2.5 square centimeters.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the wearable device has a separate input device.

17. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor to perform:

authenticating a wearable device to an electronic device; and

performing a wearable device operation in response to an operation command from the electronic device.

18. The program product of claim 17, wherein authenticating the wearable device comprises:

detecting the electronic device;

communicating authentication data to the electronic device;

receiving an authentication confirmation;

signaling the authentication confirmation; and

completing the authentication in response to an authentication confirmation acknowledgement.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein the wearable device operation comprises configuring settings for the wearable device by:

communicating configuration data to the electronic device;

receiving configuration parameters from the electronic device; and

configuring the wearable device in response to the configuration parameters.

20. The program product of claim 17, wherein performing the wearable device operation comprises:

communicating operation data to the electronic device;

receiving the operation command from the electronic device; and

performing a function in response to the operation command.