Method and apparatus rendering user accounts portable

• US 7,120,785 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Ko, Steve, Bowers, Robert T
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOYNOV, STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US10/304,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers. In one embodiment, the external, portable data store can not only store the user account but can also provide general data storage. In another embodiment, the external, portable data store can be a portion of a portable computing device (e.g., media player) that provides other functionality besides data storage.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a multi-user computer system for use by a registered user, the multi-user computer system including at least a processor, an operating system, a display device and a local data store, said method comprising:

retrieving available user accounts pertaining to registered users, at least one of the available user accounts being from the local data store that is within the multi-user computer system and at least another of the available user accounts being from an external data store that is external to the multi-user computer system;

presenting a representation of the retrieved available user accounts on the display device of the multi-user computer system;

receiving a selection of one of the retrieved available user accounts by the registered user;

authenticating the registered user as authorized for use of the selected one of the retrieved available user accounts; and

configuring the multi-user computer system in accordance with the selected one of the retrieved available user accounts for use by the registered user.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said presenting comprises displaying a representation for each of the retrieved available user accounts on the display device of the multi-user computer system.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said displaying operates to distinguishably display the representation for the at least one of the available user accounts being from an external data store from the representation for the at least one of the available user accounts being from the local data store.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the representation for the at least one of the available user accounts being from the external data store comprises an icon, the icon distinguishably displays the representation for the at least one of the available user accounts being from the external data store from the at least one of the available user accounts being from the local data store.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the representation for the at least one of the available user accounts being from an external data store is displayed graphically distinct from the representation for the at least one of the available user accounts being from the local data store.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the external data store is a peripheral storage device that is separate and apart from the multi-user computer system.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the peripheral storage device comprises a disk storage medium.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the peripheral storage device is within a portable media player.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the external data store couples to the multi-user computer system over a peripheral link that couples the external data store to the multi-user computer system.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the peripheral link is supported by a detachable cable that couples the external data store to the multi-user computer system.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the peripheral link is a FIREWIRE bus, and wherein the detachable cable is a FIREWIRE cable.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the peripheral storage device comprises a disk storage medium.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the peripheral storage device is within a portable media player.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the account information including at least a user name and a password.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said retrieving the available user accounts comprises:

retrieving the at least one of the available user accounts from the local data store in a first format; and

retrieving the at least another of the available user accounts from the external data store in a second format, the second format being different than the first format.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first format pertains to a database stored on the local data store, and wherein the second format pertains to a flat file format stored to the external data store.

17. A data storage device including at least computer program code for configuring a multi-user computer system for use by a registered user, the multi-user computer system including at least a processor, an operating system, a display device and a local data store, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for retrieving available user accounts pertaining to registered users, at least one of the available user accounts being from the local data store that is within the multi-user computer system and at least another of the available user accounts being from a portable data store that is connectable to the multi-user computer system;

computer program code for presenting a representation of the retrieved available user accounts on the display device of the multi-user computer system;

computer program code for receiving a selection of one of the retrieved available user accounts by the registered user;

computer program code for authenticating the registered user as authorized for use of the selected one of the retrieved available user accounts; and

computer program code for configuring the multi-user computer system in accordance with the selected one of the retrieved available user accounts for use by the registered user.