Smart card enabled mobile personal computing environment system

• US 7,376,711 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 360 Degree Web Incorporated
• Inventors: Du, Sterling D., Li, Miao, Kuo, Chih Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US09/796,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/229, 711/115, 705/41, 705/17, 713/1, 713/100, 713/172, 713/159, 707/9, 726/3
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"

Abstract

A smart card enabled mobile personal computing environment system stores a user'"'"'s personalized, fully functional, computing environment in a smart card. A user information database is provided that is resident on a server and contains the user records of a plurality of users containing personal computing environment data with the amount of data in the user record generally larger than the storage capacity of a smart card. The user to specifies the information required to configure the client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment. If the correct personal computing environment data is not resident in the smart card, the client queries the server for the information needed and updates the smart card with the new data. The user also manages his personal computing environment data stored on the smart card and the user information database. The server gives the client access to the user'"'"'s records through a secure Web site. The user accesses his data, adds, modifies, and/or deletes information and transfers data to his smart card via the secure Web site. If the client has a slow or temporary connection with the server, the client is able to accommodate the user'"'"'s data management needs by downloading the user'"'"'s records stored on the server'"'"'s user information database. The user can then manage his data without a connection to the server. Any changes to the user'"'"'s records are later sent to the server to update the user information database.

Claims

1. A process for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a memory device, in a computer environment, comprising:

reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said transportable memory device;

in response to reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said transportable memory device, accepting user input specifying indices indicating personal computing environment data on said transportable memory device needed to configure a client to at least a portion of the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment;

providing client self configuration means on a client for said client to configure its computing environment to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment according to at least said personal computing environment data from said transportable memory device; and

wherein said personal computing environment data includes any of;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, or program environments;

allowing the user to transfer personal computing environment data between said transportable memory device and a user information database on a server;

wherein said user information database contains user records of a plurality of users; and

wherein user records for a particular user contain personal computing environment data of a size larger than a storage capacity of said transportable memory device; and

wherein a user'"'"'s user record is encrypted using a encryption key from the user'"'"'s transportable memory device, and wherein each transportable memory device'"'"'s encryption key is resident only on that particular transportable memory device.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said reading step further comprises:

retrieving correct personal computing environment data from a server if said transportable memory device does not have sufficient information to configure said client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment.

3. The process of claim 2, further comprising:

storing said correct personal computing environment data on said transportable memory device.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

providing user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said transportable memory device and said user information database.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client connects with said server to retrieve the user'"'"'s records.

6. The process of claim 4, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web site.

7. The process of claim 4, wherein said user record management means gives the user an option to expand the storage capacity of the user'"'"'s user record on said user information database.

8. The process of claim 4, wherein said user record management means allows the user to define sets of personal computing environment data and allows the user to choose between different sets of personal computing environment data to be downloaded to said transportable memory device.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein a plurality of servers contain redundant copies of said user information database.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein said client performs load balancing between said plurality of servers when obtaining user records.

11. The process of claim 9, wherein a server is designated as the user'"'"'s main local server.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein said main server is dynamically selected based on the user'"'"'s usage patterns.

13. The process of claim 11, wherein said client automatically switches to another server if said main server fails or is inaccessible.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein said user records are only transferred between said client and said server in encrypted form.

15. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

providing morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost transportable memory device;

wherein said morphing means duplicates the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from the user'"'"'s lost transportable memory device onto a new transportable memory device.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein each transportable memory device contains a unique encryption key, and wherein said client retrieves said unique encryption key from said transportable memory device and uses said unique encryption key to encrypt and decrypt said personal computing environment data that are transferred and stored between said transportable memory device and said user information database.

17. An apparatus for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a transportable memory device, in a computer environment, comprising:

a module for reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from a transportable memory device;

a module that, in response to reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said transportable memory device, accepts for accepting user input specifying indices indicating personal computing environment data on said transportable memory device needed to configure a client to at least a portion of the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment;

client self configuration computing environment to the means on a client for said client to configure its user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment according to at least said personal computing environment data from said transportable memory device; and

wherein said personal computing environment data includes any of;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, or program environments;

a module for allowing the user to transfer personal computing environment data between said transportable memory device and a user information database on a server;

wherein said user information database contains user records of a plurality of users; and

wherein user records for a particular user contain personal computing environment data of a size larger than a storage capacity of said transportable memory device; and

wherein a user'"'"'s user record is encrypted using a encryption key from the user'"'"'s transportable memory device, and wherein each transportable memory device'"'"'s encryption key is resident only on that particular transportable memory device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said reading module further comprises:

a module for retrieving correct personal computing environment data from a server if said transportable memory device does not have sufficient information to configure said client to the user'"'"'s preferred personal computing environment.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a module for storing said correct personal computing environment data on said transportable memory device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said transportation memory device and said user information database.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client connects with said server to retrieve the user'"'"'s records.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web site.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said user record management means gives the user an option to expand the storage capacity of the user'"'"'s user record on said user information database.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said user record management means allows the user to define sets of personal computing environment data and allows the user to choose between different sets of personal computing environment data to be downloaded to said transportable memory device.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a plurality of servers contain redundant copies of said user information database.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said client performs load balancing between said plurality of servers when obtaining user records.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein a server is designated as the user'"'"'s main local server.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said main server is dynamically selected based on the user'"'"'s usage patterns.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said client automatically switches to another server if said main server fails or is inaccessible.

30. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said user records are only transferred between said client and said server in encrypted form.

31. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost transportable memory device;

wherein said morphing means duplicates the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from the user'"'"'s lost transportable memory device onto a new transportable memory device.

32. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each transportable memory device contains a unique encryption key, and wherein said client retrieves said unique encryption key from said transportable memory device and uses said unique encryption key to encrypt and decrypt said personal computing environment data that are transferred and stored between said transportable memory device and said user information database.

33. A process for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a smart card, in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

providing reading means connected to a client for reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

providing means for configuring said client according to indices indicating personal computing environment data on said smart card specified by user input;

wherein the user input is received in response to reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

providing a user information database resident on a server;

wherein said user information database contains user records of a plurality of users;

wherein user records for a particular user contain personal computing environment data of a size that can be larger than a storage capacity of said smart card;

wherein said personal computing environment data includes any of;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, and program environments;

providing user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said smart card and said user information database;

providing data transfer means for allowing the user to transfer personal computing environment data between said smart card and said user information database;

wherein each smart card contains a unique encryption key;

wherein said client retrieves said unique encryption key from said smart card and uses said unique encryption key to encrypt and decrypt said personal computing environment data that are transferred and stored between said smart card and said user information database; and

providing smart card storing means for storing a portion of said database user records on said smart and

wherein a user'"'"'s user record is encrypted using the unique encryption key from the user'"'"'s smart card, and wherein each smart card'"'"'s unique encryption key is resident only on that particular smart card.

34. The process of claim 33, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client retrieves the user'"'"'s records from said server.

35. The process of claim 33, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web page.

36. The process of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

providing morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost smart card.

37. An apparatus for storing, managing, and retrieving a mobile computer user'"'"'s personal computing environment, transportable via a smart card, in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

reading means connected to a client for reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

means for configuring said client according to indices indicating personal computing environment data on said smart card specified by user input;

wherein the user input is received in response to reading the user'"'"'s personal computing environment data from said smart card;

a user information database resident on a server;

wherein said user information database contains user records of a plurality of users;

wherein user records for a particular user contain personal computing environment data of a size that can be larger than a storage capacity of said smart card;

wherein said personal computing environment data includes any of;

operating system preferences, favorite Web sites, email addresses, credit card information, ISP information, program preferences, and program environments;

user record management means for allowing the user to manage the personal computing environment data stored on said smart card and said user information database;

data transfer means for allowing the user to transfer personal computing environment data between said smart card and said user information database;

wherein each smart card contains a unique encryption key;

wherein said client retrieves said unique encryption key from said smart card and uses said unique encryption key to encrypt and decrypt said personal computing environment data that are transferred and stored between said smart card and said user information database;

smart card storing means for storing a portion of said database user records on said smart card; and

wherein a user'"'"'s user record is encrypted using the unique encryption key from the user'"'"'s smart card, and wherein each smart card'"'"'s unique encryption key is resident only on that particular smart card.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said user record management means reside on said client, and wherein said client retrieves the user'"'"'s records from said server.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said user record management means reside on said server, and wherein said client connects with said server through a secure Web page.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

morphing means for recreating a user'"'"'s lost smart card.