Device configuration with multiple profiles for a single user using remote user biometrics

• US 9,760,383 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: DiVincent, Michael, Hollopeter, Nicole J., Caballero, Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, THOMAS C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Erdman, Chad
• Application Number:
  US14/161,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

An electronic device receives data associated with at least one biometric detected by a sensor of a remote control device that is operable to transmit one or more instructions to the electronic device. A profile for a user associated with the data is determined out of a number of profiles for the user based on the data. The electronic device is then be configured in one or more ways according to the determined user profile. A user may have any number of different profiles for the electronic device, each associated with a different biometric or combination of biometrics. In this way, a user may easily access different experiences with the same device that may each be fully personalized in a different way and/or for a particular purpose.

Claims

1. A system for configuring electronic devices multiple ways for a single user based on remotely received user biometrics, comprising:

at least one remote control device, comprising;

at least one sensor that detects at least one biometric; and

at least one electronic device that is configured to receive at least one instruction from the at least one remote control device;

wherein the at least one electronic device receives data associated with the at least one biometric, determines which profile of a user is associated with the data out of a plurality of profiles for the user, and configures the at least one electronic device according to the profile; and

wherein the at least one electronic device;

receives the data associated with the at least one biometric at a first time;

receives information associated with an additional biometric at a second time;

receives the data associated with the at least one biometric at a third time; and

determines suggested content to recommend based on content that was accessed at at least one of the first time or the third time, but not the second time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a first of the plurality of profiles for the user is associated with a first at least one biometric and at least a second of the plurality of profiles for the user is associated with a second at least one biometric.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first at least one biometric comprises at least a first fingerprint of the user and the second at least one biometric comprises a second fingerprint of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic device receives additional data associated with at least one additional biometric, determines an additional profile of the user that is associated with the additional data out of the plurality of possible profiles for the user, and reconfigures the at least one electronic device according to the additional profile.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the profile and the additional profile include at least one different configuration setting.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the profile corresponds to a work mode of the at least one electronic device and the additional profile corresponds to a personal mode of the at least one electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic device reconfigures the at least one electronic device according to an additional profile upon the occurrence of at least one reconfiguration event.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the at least one biometric comprises at least one of the at least one biometric, at least one hash value derived from the at least one biometric, or at least one identifier associated with the at least one biometric.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein configuring the at least one electronic device comprises configuring at least one recommendation provided by the at least one electronic device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic device receives additional data associated with at least one additional biometric, determines an additional profile not associated with the user that is associated with the data, and reconfigures the at least one electronic device according to the additional profile.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible profiles for the user includes at least one of at least one generic profile that is not associated with a biometric or at least one default profile.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a sole user interface component of the at least one remote control device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic device receives at least one request for at least one operation that is not permitted according to the profile, prompts for entry of at least one additional biometric associated with an additional profile for the user according to which the at least one operation is permitted, and permits the at least one operation if additional data associated with the at least one additional biometric is received.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein configuring the at least one electronic device comprises configuring at least one of at least one favorite, at least one contact, at least one calendar entry, at least one datebook entry, or at least one email database entry.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one biometric comprises at least one fingerprint.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one fingerprint comprises a sequence of fingerprints.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one touch sensor.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein configuring the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of providing access to at least one file, providing access to at least one application, preventing access to the at least one file, preventing access to the at least one application, altering the presentation of at least one user interface, enabling at least one hardware component, enabling at least one software component, disabling the at least one hardware component, disabling the at least one software component, altering a way with which the at least one user interface is interacted with, modifying at least one presentation setting, altering functionality of the at least one hardware component, altering functionality of the at least one software component, organizing storage of the at least one file, or organizing storage of the at least one application.

19. A method for configuring electronic devices based on remotely received user biometrics, the method comprising:

receiving at a first time, utilizing at least one electronic device, data associated with at least one biometric detected by at least one sensor of at least one remote control device that is configured to transmit at least one instruction to the at least one electronic device;

determining, utilizing the at least one electronic device, which profile of a user is associated with the data out of a plurality of profiles for the user;

configuring the at least one electronic device according to the determined profile;

receiving information associated with an additional biometric at a second time;

receiving the data associated with the at least one biometric at a third time; and

determining suggested content to recommend based on content that was accessed at at least one of the first time or the third time, but not the second time.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one communication component that is configured to receive at least one instruction from at least one remote control device; and

at least one processing unit that;

receives data associated with at least one biometric detected at a first time by at least one sensor of the at least one remote control device;

determines which profile of a user is associated with the data out of a plurality of profiles for the user;

configures the electronic device according to the profile;

receives information associated with an additional biometric at a second time;

receives the data associated with the at least one biometric at a third time; and

determines suggested content to recommend based on content that was accessed at at least one of the first time or the third time, but not the second time.