Automatically configuring a web-enabled portable device to access the internet

• US 9,276,968 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C., Morris, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Hung
• Application Number:
  US14/024,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.6, 348/207.1, 348/211.1, 348/211.6, 348/154, 348/155, 348/158
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Automatically configuring a portable electronic device for accessing a site on a public network is disclosed. The method and system include establishing a connection to at least one server for establishing and maintaining website accounts, and sending information uniquely identifying the electronic device to the at least one server. The at least one server sends user account information to the device, including an account ID and password, created based on the electronic device information. The user account information is stored on the device for use the next time the device accesses the website, whereby the user does not have to enter account information in order to establish the ISP connection or the website account before accessing the public network or, if the user account is not completely set up, to establish the user account a next time the device connects to the at least one server.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a server, identification information from an imaging device that uniquely identifies the imaging device;

partially setting up, by the server, a user account on a website using the identification information received from the imaging device; and

wirelessly transmitting, by the server, account information associated with the user account to the imaging device enabling the imaging device to access the website a next time the imaging device connects to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server to the imaging device, a uniform resource locator for the website.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the server on a memory device, data received from the imaging device;

associating, by the server, the data stored on the memory device with the user account.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server to the imaging device, a list of actions that the server can perform on the data received from the imaging device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a selection of at least one action on the list; and

performing the at least one action on at least a portion of the data.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a modified action list from the imaging device; and

updating the action list on the memory device to match the modified action list.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the data received from the imaging device comprises images captured by the imaging device.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a request to email the data to a specified email address; and

transmitting, by the server, an email comprising the data to the specified email address.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory device configured to store instructions; and

a processing device configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to;

wirelessly receive identification information from an imaging device that uniquely identifies the imaging device;

partially set up a user account on a website on a global network using the identification information received from the imaging device; and

wirelessly transmit account information associated with the partially set up user account to the imaging device to enable the imaging device to complete set up of the user account a next time the imaging device connects to the global network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further configured to transmit a uniform resource locator for the website to the imaging device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

associate data wirelessly received from the imaging device with the user account; and

store the data in a database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data comprises images captured by the imaging device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing device is further configured to wirelessly transmit to the imaging device a list of predefined actions that the processing device can perform on the data received from the imaging device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing device is further configured to perform a selected action from the list of predefined actions on at least a portion of the data.

15. A server, comprising:

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive from device identification information identifying the device;

a processor configured to partially set up a user account on a website uniquely associated with a controlling entity based at least in part on the device identification information identifying the device; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit account information to the device that enables the device to complete set up of the user account a next time the device connects to the server.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit a uniform resource locator locating the website on a global network to the device.

17. The server of claim 15, further comprising a memory device having thereon a relational database that stores the device identification information and the account information.

18. The server of claim 17,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive imaging data from the device;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to store the imaging data in the relational database.

19. The server of claim 18,

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a request comprising an email address from the device;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to email the imaging data to the email address.

20. The server of claim 18,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit a list of predefined actions to the device;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to perform a selected action from the list of the predefined actions on at least a portion of the imaging data received from the device.