Docking system for establishing secure wireless connection between computer devices

• US 6,072,468 A
• Filed: 04/10/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hocker, Michael D., Bahnub, Brent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRIER, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US08/838,819
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/169, 345/173, 345/163, 370/535, 370/338, 370/335, 370/346, 455/433, 600/509, 395/821, 395/281, 395/500, 359/152, 364/240
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0382 Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A docking system for establishing secure wireless connection between computer devices is presented. The technique assumes that at least one of the computer devices comprises a portable device. Means are provided for automatically establishing wireless connection between the portable device and the second device when the portable device is brought within the docking port (or docking area) of the second device. This automatic establishing of wireless connection includes communicating an address identifier between the portable device and the second device once the portable device is "docked." If desired, an encryption key can also be exchanged with the address identifier to allow for encryption of information communicated between the devices. After docking, the first device can be removed from the docking area without affecting the wireless connection between the first device and the second device.

Claims

1. A docking system for establishing wireless connection between a first device and a second device, the first device comprising a portable device, said second device comprising one intelligent device of a plurality of intelligent devices to be disposed within a wireless communication range of said first device, wherein said first device is capable of wireless communication with any of said plurality of intelligent devices, said docking system comprising:

first wireless communication means comprising part of the first device and second wireless communication means comprising part of the second device, said first and second wireless communication means for providing wireless communication between said first device and said second device; and

proximity docking means for automatically establishing secure wireless connection between the first device and the second device when the first device is brought within a predefined docking area of the second device so that said first device exclusively communicates with said second device of said plurality of intelligent devices, said predefined docking area being a limited area associated with said second device, said proximity docking means comprising means for automatically exchanging an address identifier between the first device and the second device when the first device is brought within the predefined docking area of the second device, wherein said secure wireless connection is maintained using said exchanged address identifier notwithstanding removal of the first device from the predefined docking area of the second device and notwithstanding use of the first device within communication range of said plurality of intelligent devices.

2. The docking system of claim 1, wherein said second device comprises a computer system and said docking area comprises a docking port coupled to said computer system.

3. The docking system of claim 1, further comprising means for signalling a user once secure wireless connection has been established between the first device and the second device.

4. The docking system of claim 1, further comprising a first encryption means associated with the first device and a second encryption means associated with the second device, said first and second encryption means allowing for encryption of information to be transferred between the first device and the second device over the secure wireless connection, and wherein said system further comprises means for exchanging an encryption key between said first device and said second device when the first device is brought within the predefined docking area of the second device.

5. The docking system of claim 1, wherein said first communication means and said second communication means each comprise electromagnetic communication means.

6. The docking system of claim 1, wherein said first communication means and said second communication means each comprise infrared communication means.

7. The docking system of claim 1, wherein said means for automatically establishing wireless connection further comprises means for establishing temporary hardwired connection between the first device and the second device when the first device is brought within said docking port.

8. The docking system of claim 1, wherein said predefined docking area of said second device comprises a predefined wireless docking range associated with said second device, wherein said proximity docking means comprises means for automatically establishing said secure wireless connection when said first device is brought within said wireless proximity docking area of said second device.

9. The docking system of claim 8, wherein each intelligent device of said plurality of intelligent devices to be disposed within said wireless communication range of said first device has proximity docking means for automatically establishing secure wireless connection with said first device when said first device is brought within a predefined wireless docking area associated with said intelligent device, and wherein said predefined wireless docking areas are non-overlapping and each of said predefined wireless docking areas is within said wireless communication range of said first device, wherein said first device exclusively communicates with said second device after being brought within said predefined wireless docking area of said second device.

10. The docking system of claim 9, wherein said second device and each intelligent device of said plurality of intelligent devices comprises a workstation, wherein said workstations are disposed in proximity to each other within said wireless communication range of said first device.

11. A docking system for establishing wireless connection between a first device and a second device, the first device comprising a portable device, said second device comprising one intelligent device of a plurality of intelligent devices to be disposed within a wireless communication range of said first device, wherein said first device is capable of wireless communication with any of said plurality of intelligent devices, said docking system comprising:

a first wireless communication component comprising part of the first device and a second wireless communication component comprising part of the second device, said first and second wireless communication components operable to provide wireless communication between said first device and said second device; and

a proximity docking device operable to automatically establish a secure wireless connection between the first device and the second device when the first device is brought within a predefined docking area of the second device so that said first device exclusively communicates with said second device of said plurality of intelligent devices, said predefined docking area being a limited area associated with said second device, said proximity docking device comprising an address identifier exchanger operable to automatically exchange an address identifier between the device and the second device when the first device is brought within the predefined docking area of the second device, wherein said secure wireless connection is maintained using said exchanged address identifier notwithstanding removal of the first device from the predefined docking area of the second device and notwithstanding use of the first device within communication range of said plurality of intelligent devices.

12. The docking system of claim 11, wherein said second device comprises a computer system and said docking area comprises a wireless docking port coupled to said computer system.

13. The docking system of claim 11, further comprising a signaling device operable to signal a user once secure wireless connection has been established between the first device and the second device.

14. The docking system of claim 11, further comprising a first encryption device associated with the first device and a second encryption device associated with the second device, said first and second encryption devices operable to allow for encrypted information to be transferred between the first device and the second device over the secure wireless connection, and wherein said system further comprises an encryption key exchanger operable to exchange an encryption key between said first device and said second device when the first device is brought within the predefined docking area of the second device.

15. The docking system of claim 11, wherein said first communication component and said second communication component each comprise electromagnetic communication components.

16. The docking system of claim 11, wherein said first communication component and said second communication component each comprise infrared communication components.

17. The docking system of claim 11, wherein said proximity docking device is operable to establish a temporary hardwired connection between the first device and the second device when the first device is brought within said docking port.

18. The docking system of claim 11, wherein said predefined docking area of said second device comprises a predefined wireless docking range associated with said second device, wherein said proximity docking device is operable to establish said secure wireless connection when said first device is brought within said wireless proximity docking area of said second device.

19. The docking system of claim 18, wherein each intelligent device of said plurality of intelligent devices to be disposed within said wireless communication range of said first device has a proximity docking device operable to automatically establish a secure wireless connection with said first device when said first device is brought within a predefined wireless docking area associated with said intelligent device, and wherein said predefined wireless docking areas are non-overlapping and each of said predefined wireless docking areas is within said wireless communication range of said first device, wherein said first device exclusively communicates with said second device after being brought within said predefined wireless docking area of said second device.

20. The docking system of claim 19, wherein said second device and each intelligent device of said plurality of intelligent devices comprises a workstation, wherein said workstations are disposed in proximity to each other within said wireless communication range of said first device.

21. A method for establishing wireless connection between a first device and a second device, said first device comprising a portable device and said second device having a docking area and comprising one intelligent device of a plurality of intelligent devices to be disposed within a wireless communication range of said first device, wherein said first device is capable of wireless communication with any of said plurality of intelligent devices, said method comprising:

(a) docking the first device within said docking area; and

(b) automatically establishing wireless connection between the first device and the second device in response to said docking step (a) so that said first device exclusively communicates with said second device of said plurality of intelligent devices, said docking area being a limited area associated with said second device, said automatic establishing of wireless connection including automatically communicating an address identifier between said first device and said second device when said first device is docked within said docking area, wherein after removal of said first device from said docking area, said first device and said second device maintain said wireless connection for communication of information therebetween using said communicated address identifier and notwithstanding use of the first device within communication range of said plurality of intelligent devices.

22. The docking method of claim 21, wherein said second device comprises a computer system and said docking area comprises a docking port coupled to said computer system.

23. The docking method of claim 21, further comprising signaling a user once secure wireless connection has been established between the first device and the second device.

24. The docking method of claim 21, further comprising a first encryption mechanism associated with the first device and a second encryption mechanism associated with the second device, said first and second encryption mechanisms allowing for encryption of information to be transferred between the first device and the second device over the secure wireless connection, and wherein said method further comprises exchanging an encryption key between said first device and said second device when the first device is brought within the predefined docking area of the second device.

25. The docking method of claim 21, wherein said automatically communicating comprises automatically electromagnetically communicating said address identifier between said first device and said second device when said first device is docked within said docking area.

26. The docking method of claim 21, wherein said automatically communicating comprises employing infrared communication to automatically communicate said address identifier between said first device and said second device when said first device is docked within said docking area.

27. The docking method of claim 21, wherein said automatically establishing wireless connection further comprises establishing temporary hardwired connection between the first device and the second device when the first device is brought within said docking port.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said automatic establishing (b) includes automatically exchanging an encryption key between the first device and the second device in response to said docking (a), said encryption key being employed by said first device and said second device to encrypt information communicated therebetween on said wireless connection.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said first device comprises a data mouse.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said docking area comprises a docking port associated with the second device, and wherein said first device comprises a data mouse, and wherein said docking (a) includes docking said data mouse within the docking port by bringing the data mouse within physical contact of the docking port.