System and method for network power management incorporating user identity and preferences via a power managed smart card

• US 6,260,111 B1
• Filed: 08/15/1997
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Craig, Jeffrey A., Lauber, Brian Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Gossage, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US08/911,863
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 711/115, 711/163, 711/164, 380/3, 380/4, 380/25, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 713/330, 235/380, 235/490
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which control a network computer having an access port for receiving an access card, such as a short card which includes a processor and storage for providing secure user information. The network computer is controlled by detecting the presence in the network computer of the access card and accessing the access card to obtain user specific information. The power management of the network computer may then be controlled based upon the user specific information on the detailed access card. Also provided are methods, systems and computer program products for providing user information to a network computer by storing user specific information on an access card which includes a processor and storage such that information stored on the access card may only be accessed through the processor of the access card so as to provide secure data on the access card. The access card may then be provided to a network computer and accessed to obtain user specific information independent of the network connections of the network computer. User identification information, which may be encrypted, is stored on the access card and validated to permit access to the network computer. User activity may be tracked or monitored, including transitions between and time spent in power modes, to establish power management preferences for a user on the network. The network computer may be activated and deactivated by the detected presence or absence of the access card or smart card, so that the access card may act as an intelligent “power on” for the network computer.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a network computer having an access port for receiving an access card which includes a processor and storage for providing secure user information, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the presence in the network computer of the access card;

tracking user activity on the network computer by tracking transitions between power modes and time spent in power modes to establish power management preferences for a user;

storing the established power management preferences to provide network computer independent power management preferences as user specific information stored on the access card;

accessing the access card to obtain the user specific information; and

controlling the power management of the network computer based upon the user specific information obtained from the access card.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user specific information comprises power management parameters selected from the group comprising power management activity monitoring enable, power management “

screen-saver”

mode enablement and timeout values, power management “

suspend”

mode enablement and timeout values, power management power-saving aggressiveness preference, power management energy level warning levels, power management battery charging preference, and power management aggressiveness tuning factors.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of controlling the power management comprises the step of activating the network computer when the access card is present in the access port.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said step of controlling the power management further comprises the step of setting a power management mode of the network computer based upon the user specific information.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein said step of controlling the power management further comprises the step of deactivating the network computer when the access card is removed from the access port.

6. A method of providing user information to a network computer, the method comprising the steps of:

storing user specific information on an access card which includes a processor and storage such that information stored on the access card may only be accessed through the processor of the access card so as to provide secure data on the access card;

tracking user activity on the network computer by tracking transitions between power modes to establish user preferences for a user associated with the access card;

storing the established user preferences on the access card as user specific information to provide network independent user preferences;

providing the access card to a network computer; and

accessing the access card to obtain the user specific information independent of the network connections of the network computer.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the access card comprises a smart card and wherein the user specific information comprises encrypted user specific information.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the user specific information comprises power management information, said method further comprising the step of utilizing the power management information to control the power management of the network computer.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the user specific information comprises a user identification, said method further comprising the steps of:

validating the user identification stored on the access card; and

allowing access to the network computer by a user if said step of validating the user identification determines that the user identification is valid.

10. A network computer comprising:

a central processing unit;

a memory operatively associated with the central processing unit;

a network interface operatively associated with the central processing unit;

an access card comprising;

access card central processing unit; and

access card memory operatively associated with the access card central processing unit;

an access card port operatively associated with the central processing unit, which receives said access card and allows for communication with said access card central processing unit; and

a power management controller, operatively associated with said access card port and responsive to said access card, which controls the power state of the network computer and which is configured to track user activity on the network computer by tracking transitions between power modes to establish power management preferences for a user and store the established power management preferences on the access card to provide network computer independent power management information.

11. A network computer according to claim 10, wherein said power management controller is further configured to

activate the network computer when the access card is present in the access card port and

deactivate the network computer when the access card is removed from the access card port.

12. A network computer according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for validating user identification stored on the access card; and

wherein the power management controller is configured to activate the network computer responsive to the means for validating if said means for validating the user identification determines that the user identification is valid.

13. A network computer, comprising:

an access card which includes a processor and storage and is configured to store user specific information in the storage of the access card such that the user specific information stored on the access card may only be accessed through the processor of the access card so as to provide secure data on the access card;

an access card port configured to provide access to the access card to the network computer and configured to allow the network computer to access the access card to obtain user specific information independent of the network connections of the network computer; and

wherein the network computer is further configured to track user activity on the network computer by tracking transitions between power modes and time spent in power modes to establish user preferences for a user associated with the access card and store the established user preferences on the access card to provide network computer independent user preferences.

14. A network computer according to claim 13, wherein the access card comprises a smart card and wherein the user specific information comprises encrypted user specific information.

15. A network computer according to claim 13, wherein the user specific information comprises power management information, said system further comprising means for utilizing the power management information to control power management of the network computer.

16. A network computer according to claim 13, wherein the user specific information comprises a user identification, said system further comprising:

means for validating the user identification stored on the access card; and

means for activating the network computer if said means for validating the user identification determines that the user identification is valid.

17. A computer program product for controlling a network computer having an access port for receiving an access card which includes a processor and storage for providing secure user information, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for detecting the presence in the network computer of the access card;

computer-readable program code means for tracking user activity on the network computer by tracking transitions between power modes and time spent in power modes to establish power management preferences for a user;

computer-readable program code means for storing the established power management preferences on the access card to provide network computer independent power management preferences as user specific information;

computer-readable program code means for accessing the access card to obtain the user specific information; and

computer-readable program code means for controlling the power management of the network computer based upon the user specific information.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said computer-readable program code means for controlling the power management further comprises computer-readable program code means for setting a power management mode of the network computer based upon the user specific information.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the user specific information comprises power management parameters selected from the group comprising power management activity monitoring enable, power management “

screen-saver”

mode enablement and timeout values, power management “

suspend”

mode enablement and timeout values, power management power-saving aggressiveness preference, power management energy level warning levels, power management battery charging preference, and power management aggressiveness tuning factors.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said computer-readable program code means for controlling the power management comprises computer-readable program code means for activating the network computer when the access card is present in the access port.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein said computer-readable program code means for controlling the power management further comprises computer-readable program code means for deactivating the network computer when the access card is removed from the access port.

22. A computer program product for providing user information to a network computer, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable program code means for storing user specific information on an access card which includes a processor and storage such that information stored on the access card may only be accessed through the processor of the access card so as to provide secure data on the access card;

computer-readable program code means for tracking user activity on the network computer by tracking transitions between power modes to establish user preferences for a user associated with the access card;

computer-readable program code means for storing the established user preferences on the access card to provide network computer independent user preferences as user specific information;

computer-readable program code means for providing access to the access card to a network computer; and

computer-readable program code means for accessing the access card to obtain user specific information independent of the network connections of the network computer.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the access card comprises a smart card and wherein the user specific information comprises encrypted user specific information.

24. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the user specific information comprises power management information, said computer program product further comprising computer-readable program code means for utilizing the power management information to control the power management of the network computer.

25. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the user specific information comprises a user identification, said computer program product further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for validating the user identification stored on the access card; and

computer-readable program code means for allowing access to the network computer by the user if said computer-readable program code means for validating the user identification determines that the user identification is valid.