Stylus-based user data storage and access

• US 9,189,084 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Kourtny M., Cueto, Gerald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US13/793,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware

Abstract

A stylus-based data storage and access system is disclosed. In some example embodiments, a stylus configured as described herein includes storage for storing a user'"'"'s access data, profile (e.g., device settings and preferences), and/or content and can wirelessly communicate with an electronic device that is paired therewith. Upon pairing, the user of the stylus can access his or her user data (stored locally on the stylus) and/or other data on the paired device or in the cloud. If desired, additional users having styluses of their own can use the same device in like fashion. Once a new user is logged into the device, any previous user can be logged out. A given user can utilize the user interface provided by the device to setup stylus-based access to the device by providing access information, which can be saved to the stylus. Subsequently, the user may review/alter that stylus-based information, as desired.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an electronic computing device comprising a touch-sensitive surface configured to receive input via a stylus; and

a user interface executable on the electronic computing device and comprising an auto-access mode configured to;

allow a first user access to the electronic computing device using first user access data received from a stylus-based storage of a first stylus, wherein the first user access data includes a first user profile including at least one first user preferred setting for the electronic computing device; and

logout the first user of the electronic computing device when a second user attempts to access the electronic computing device using second user access data received from a stylus-based storage of a second stylus different from the first stylus, wherein the second user access data includes a second user profile including at least one second user preferred setting for the electronic computing device;

wherein content and the first user profile associated with the first user of the electronic computing device are inaccessible to the second user of the electronic computing device, and content and the second user profile associated with the second user of the electronic computing device are inaccessible to the first user of the electronic computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user access data includes login credentials for accessing the electronic computing device.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the first and second styluses including the stylus-based storage, wherein the stylus-based storage is further configured to store user content.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the first stylus, second stylus, and/or the electronic computing device is configured to communicatively couple with a network; and

the auto-access mode is further configured to allow for data transfer over the network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second user access data further allows for access, via the electronic computing device, of user data stored in a cloud-based repository.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive surface of the electronic computing device comprises a touchscreen display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the auto-access mode is further configured to deny access to the electronic computing device in response to a deficiency associated with at least one of the first and second user access data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the auto-access mode is further configured to allow access to the electronic computing device in response to user access data received from any stylus-based storage, the user access data including at least one of login credentials and one or more device settings.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the auto-access mode is further configured to cause display of a prompt on a display of the electronic computing device that another user is attempting to access the electronic computing device, and to provide opportunity to accept or deny the access attempt.

10. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

detect, via an electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive display, a first stylus;

access a first user access data set stored on the first stylus;

provide access to the electronic device using the first user access data set, wherein the first user access data set includes a first user profile including at least one first user preferred setting for the electronic device; and

logout the first user of the electronic device when a second user attempts to access the electronic device using a second user access data set stored on a second stylus different from the first stylus, wherein the second user access data set includes a second user profile including at least one second user preferred setting for the electronic device;

wherein content and the first user profile associated with the first user of the electronic device are inaccessible to the second user of the electronic device, and content and the second user profile associated with the second user of the electronic device are inaccessible to the first user of the electronic device.

11. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first user access data set further includes login credentials for accessing the electronic device.

12. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10, the process further comprising:

display content of at least one of the first and second users on the touch-sensitive display of the electronic device.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first user access data set further allows for access, via the electronic device, of user data stored in a cloud-based repository.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10, wherein the process further comprises:

deny access to the electronic device in response to a deficiency associated with at least one of the first and second user access data sets.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10, wherein the process further comprises:

allow access to the electronic device in response to any stylus having stored thereon a user access data set including at least one of login credentials and one or more device settings.

16. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 10, wherein the process further comprises:

cause display of a prompt on the touch-sensitive display of the electronic device that another user is attempting to access the electronic device, and provide opportunity to accept or deny the access attempt.

17. A system comprising:

an electronic computing device comprising a touch-sensitive surface;

a first stylus configured to interact with the touch-sensitive surface and to wirelessly communicate with the electronic computing device, the first stylus comprising a storage module configured to store first user access data therein; and

a user interface executable on the electronic computing device and comprising an auto-access mode configured to;

allow a first user access to the electronic computing device using the first user access data, wherein the first user access data includes a first user profile including at least one first user preferred setting for the electronic computing device; and

logout the first user of the electronic computing device when a second user attempts to access the electronic computing device using second user access data received from a stylus-based storage of a second stylus different from the first stylus, wherein the second user access data includes a second user profile including at least one second user preferred setting for the electronic computing device;

wherein content and the first user profile associated with the first user of the electronic computing device are inaccessible to the second user of the electronic computing device, and content and the second user profile associated with the second user of the electronic computing device are inaccessible to the first user of the electronic computing device.