Method for configuring camera-equipped electronic devices using an encoded mark

• US 8,320,676 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bisti, Jeffrey E., Dow, Eli M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahmjoo, Mike
• Application Number:
  US12/023,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20090196456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/182, 382/100, 382/190, 382/198, 382/232, 348/143, 348/150, 348/157
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10504 Data fields affixed to objects or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A wide range of digital devices either have or are provided with imaging devices which are capable of imaging externally provided information in the form of special codes that contain setup and/or configuration information. Processors within these devices, which include cell phones, cameras, PDAs and personal computers, to name just a few, recognize the image and convert it to the desired configuration and/or setup information.

Claims

1. A digital device comprising:

a setup feature facilitating setting up at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, the at least one user-configurable security credential comprising at least one of a stored password to protecting against unauthorized access to the digital device, or stored network configuration information used in encryption on an encrypted network, the setting up of the at least one user-configurable security credential configuring the digital device with the password, wherein the password protects against unauthorized access to the digital device, or with the network configuration information used in encryption on the encrypted network;

an imaging device;

a processor which controls said digital device and which receives image information from said imaging device; and

a memory for data and instructions coupled to said processor, said memory including instructions which;

recognize images presented to said imaging device;

convert said images to setup information for said digital device, the setup information facilitating setting up the at-least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device; and

using said setup information to setup the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, the setup information specifying at least one credential, and the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential applying the specified at least one credential as at least one of the stored password protecting against unauthorized access to the digital device, or the stored network configuration information used in encryption on the encrypted network.

2. The digital device of claim 1 in which said digital device is selected from the group consisting of cell phones, cameras, PDA'"'"'s, GPS'"'"'s, smart phones, personal laptop computers, personal desktop computers and gaming devices.

3. The digital device of claim 1 in which said digital device is connected to a network via a wireless connection.

4. The digital device of claim 1 in which said digital device is connected to a network via a wired connection.

5. The digital device of claim 1 in which a portion of said memory is allocated to storage of said setup information.

6. The digital device of claim 1 in which said setup information further specifies at least one of:

default settings, a user name, a time stamp, or a date stamp for the digital device.

7. The digital device of claim 1 in which said image information is present in the form of printed media.

8. The digital device of claim 7 in which said printed media accompanies the digital device upon supply of the digital device by a supplier thereof to the user and further includes instructions for the user of the digital device.

9. The digital device of claim 1 in which said setup information is stored in said memory.

10. The digital device of claim 1 in which said setup information is stored in its own separate, non-volatile memory.

11. The digital device of claim 1 in which said setup information is in the form of pseudocode representation of at least one security credential of the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, and wherein the instructions execute to translate the pseudocode representation into a device-readable format facilitating configuring the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device.

12. The digital device of claim 1, wherein the at least one user-configurable security credential comprises a user-specifiable data string configurable via manual entrance of a string of data by the user into the digital device.

13. A method comprising:

setting up at least one user-configurable security credential of a digital device, the at least one user-configurable security credential comprising at least one of a stored password protecting against unauthorized access to the digital device, or stored network configuration information used in encryption on an encrypted network, the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential configuring the digital device with the password, wherein the password protects against unauthorized access to the digital device, or with the network configuration information used in encryption on the encrypted network, wherein the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential comprises;

capturing an image and providing that image to a processor within the digital device in the form of an electrical signal representing the image;

converting said captured image to setup information facilitating setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device; and

using said setup information by said digital device to setup the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, the setup information specifying at least one credential, and the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential applying the specified at least one credential as at least one of the stored password protecting against unauthorized access to the digital device, or the stored network configuration information used in encryption on the encrypted network.

14. The method of claim 13 in which said image is provided on a medium selected from the group consisting of a printed medium and a monitor screen.

15. The method of claim 14 in which said image comprises an encoded mark on the medium, and wherein the medium is further provided with instructions for the user as to how to use the encoded mark in setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, the encoded mark from which the setup information is converted being separate from the instructions for the user as to how to use the encoded mark.

16. The method of claim 13 in which said setup information is in the form of pseudocode representation of at least one security credential of the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, and wherein the method further comprises translating the pseudocode representation into a device-readable format for facilitating configuring the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device.

17. The method of claim 13 in which said digital device is selected from the group consisting of cell phones, cameras, PDA'"'"'s, GPS'"'"'s, smart phones, personal laptop computers, personal desktop computers and gaming devices.

18. The method of claim 13 in which said setup information further specifies at least one of:

default settings, a user name, a time stamp, or a date stamp for the digital device.

19. The method of claim 13 further including a preliminary step of producing said image, the producing comprising one of:

providing, by a device supplier of the digital device, printed media on which the image is printed, the printed media accompanying the digital device upon supply of the digital device to the user by the device supplier;

or

creating, by the user, a document embodying the image.

20. A computer program product for configuring a digital device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for performing a method comprising;

setting up at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, the at least one user-configurable security credential comprising at least one of a stored password protecting against unauthorized access to the digital device, or stored network configuration information used in encryption on an encrypted network, the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential configuring the digital device with the stored password, wherein the stored password protects against unauthorized access to the digital device, or with the stored network configuration information used in encryption on the encrypted network, wherein the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential comprises;

capturing an image and providing that image to a processor within the digital device in the form of an electrical signal representing the image;

converting the captured image to setup information for facilitating setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device; and

using the setup information by the digital device to setup the at least one user-configurable security credential of the digital device, the setup information specifying at least one credential, and the setting up the at least one user-configurable security credential applying the specified at least one credential as at least one of the stored password protecting against unauthorized access to the digital device, or the stored network configuration information used in encryption on the encrypted network.