User profile or user account association with multiple computers

• US 20100199331A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Skinner, Craig Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system to a second electronic system via a network is described. The first electronic system is inoperable. The second electronic system replaces the first electronic system such that a user seamlessly transitions from the first electronic system to the second electronic system. The user continues to access the network resources using the second electronic system rather than the first electronic system.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an application for switching the network access configuration is invoked using the second electronic system. During a first phase, the application transmits first data to a network infrastructure provider. The network infrastructure provider obtains approval for switching the network access configuration from the network service provider. If the network service provider approves switching the network access configuration, the network infrastructure provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system. During a second phase, the network service provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system if the network infrastructure provider successfully updates its databases. At the conclusion of the second phase, the second electronic system can access the network using the network access configuration.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing a method of associating an account of a user of a handheld computer with at least a second computer, the method comprising:

storing account data of the user of the handheld computer in a memory, wherein the account data stored in memory represents the account and is associated with the handheld computer;

receiving a request from the second computer to associate the second computer with the account of the user;

determining whether the second computer is authorized to be associated with the account; and

allowing the second computer to access resources on a network if the second computer is authorized to be associated with the account.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the handheld computer is configured to store telephone numbers, addresses, and appointments and is configured for cellular communication.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the resources on the network comprise an e-mail resource.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the resources on the network comprise an Internet browsing resource.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the request from the second computer is received via wireless communication.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the request from the second computer comprises a user name.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the request from the second computer comprises a hardware identifier for the second computer.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, further comprising transmitting an access number to the second computer for storage in flash memory of the second computer, based on whether the second computer is authorized to be associated with the account data.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the second computer is a handheld computer.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, further comprising denying the handheld computer access to the resources on the network.

50. A method of providing a handheld computer access to resources on a network via wireless communication, comprising:

storing user profile data of a user of the handheld computer in a memory, wherein the user profile comprises a username;

providing the handheld computer access to resources on a network via wireless communication;

receiving a request from a second computer to associate the second computer with the user profile data of the user;

determining whether the second computer is authorized to be associated with the user profile data; and

if the second computer is authorized to be associated with the user profile, allowing the second computer to access the resources on the network.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the request is received via a wired communication link with the second computer.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the request from the second computer comprises the username.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the request from the second computer comprises a hardware identifier for the second computer.

54. A computing device for accessing resources on a network using user data associated with a user of a handheld, wireless computing device, comprising:

a communication circuit;

a processor unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to send a request message using the communication circuit to a network, the request message comprising a user identifier of the user of the handheld, wireless computing device, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a message indicating the computing device is associated with the user data, wherein the processing unit is configured to access the resources on the network based on the user data.

55. The computing device of claim 54, wherein the communication circuit is configured to send the request message wirelessly to the network.

56. The computing device of claim 55, wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device is configured to store appointments for the user and telephone numbers, wherein the computing device further comprises telephone functionality, further comprising a touch screen display coupled to the processing unit configured to receive user inputs.

57. The computing device of claim 56, wherein the processor unit is configured to provide Internet web page browsing functionality to the user, wherein the processor unit is further configured to provide an electronic mail functionality to the user.

58. The computing device of claim 57, wherein the processor unit is configured to operate an application operable to send the request message, wherein the processor unit is configured to receive a password from a user before sending the request message.

59. The computing device of claim 58, further comprising a flash memory coupled to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to store an access number of the handheld, wireless computing device in the flash memory.