Physical key secure peripheral interconnection

• US 9,003,426 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Russello, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, TUAN C.
• Application Number:
  US13/839,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20130219519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A multi-display device can interface with two or more different types of docking stations. The device can determine the type of dock and change the pin outs for a connector to interface with that dock. Once docked, the device can determine a charge status for the device and the dock to present the status to the user. Further, the dock can enter one of several modes, including a call receipt mode and an entertainment mode. The modes allow for expanded functionality for the device while docked. Two particular docks, the laptop dock and the smart dock, provide special functionality with the device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device;

providing a first dock;

establishing a connection between the device and the first dock;

in response to establishing the connection, receiving, by the device, an electrical dock identifier from the first dock;

after establishing the connection, determining if the connection is a first connection between the device and the first dock;

if the connection is the first connection between the device and the first dock, completing a handshake between the device and the first dock;

after completing the handshake between the device and the first dock, pairing the device and the first dock, wherein the pairing indicates the connection is allowed;

during the pairing, exchanging security keys between the device and the first dock;

after exchanging the security keys, starting a first session between the device and the first dock;

determining, by the device, a dock type of the first dock;

accessing, by the device, a configuration model for the first dock using the electrical dock identifier received from the first dock; and

configuring a multiplexer of the device to establish output configurations of pins of the device for the determined dock type using the configuration model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first session is over a wired connection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising if the connection is not the first connection between the device and the first dock, determining if a signal strength of the connection between the device and the first dock is above a signal threshold, wherein the signal threshold indicates a physical proximity of the device to the first dock, wherein the signal threshold is automatically set, predetermined, or established by a user, and wherein the connection is a wireless connection.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the signal strength between the device and the first dock is not above the signal threshold, ignoring the connection; and

if the signal between the device and the first dock is above the signal threshold, exchanging the previously exchanged security keys.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining if the previously exchanged security keys compare to stored information, wherein the previously exchanged security keys are compared to a list of allowed security keys that were created in a previous session between the device and the first dock.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, if the previously exchanged security keys do compare to the stored information, starting a new session between the device and the first dock.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, if the previously exchanged security keys do not compare to the stored information, ignoring the connection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first dock is connected to one or more peripheral devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after starting the first session, determining, by the device, that the device has been moved away from the first dock;

determining, by the device, if a signal strength of the connection between the device and the first dock is above a signal threshold, wherein the signal threshold is automatically set, predetermined, or established by a user; and

if the signal strength is not above the signal threshold, terminating the first session.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after terminating the first session, determining, by the device, that the device has been moved toward the first dock;

determining, by the device, if the signal strength between the device and the first dock is above the signal threshold;

if the signal strength is above the signal threshold, exchanging the previously exchanged security keys;

determining if the previously exchanged security keys compare to stored information, wherein the previously exchanged security keys are compared to a list of allowed security keys that were created in a previous session between the device and the first dock;

if the previously exchanged security keys do compare to the stored information, restoring the first session, wherein the first session begins again at a state in which the first session was terminated.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after terminating the first session, locking the first dock to prevent the first dock from operating with another device.

12. A device, comprising:

a memory;

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor operable to;

establish a connection between the device and a first dock;

in response to establishing the connection, receive an electrical dock identifier from the first dock;

after establishing the connection, determine if the connection is a first connection between the device and the first dock;

if the connection is the first connection between the device and the first dock, complete a handshake between the device and the first dock;

after completing the handshake between the device and the first dock, pair the device and the first dock, wherein the pairing indicates the connection is allowed;

during the pairing, exchange security keys between the device and the first dock;

after exchanging the security keys, start a first session between the device and the first dock;

determine a dock type of the first dock;

access a configuration model for the first dock using the electrical dock identifier received from the first dock; and

configure a multiplexer of the device to establish output configurations of pins of the device for the determined dock type using the configuration model.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein if the connection is not the first connection between the device and the first dock, the processor is further operable to:

determine if a signal strength of the connection between the device and the first dock is above a signal threshold, wherein the signal threshold indicates a physical proximity of the device to the first dock, and wherein the signal threshold is automatically set, predetermined, or established by a user.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to:

if the signal strength between the device and the first dock is not above the signal threshold, ignore the connection; and

if the signal strength between the device and the first dock is above the signal threshold, exchange the previously exchanged security keys.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine if the previously exchanged security keys compare to stored information, wherein the previously exchanged security keys are compared to a list of allowed security keys that were created in a previous session between the device and the first dock;

if the previously exchanged security keys do compare to the stored information, start a new session between the device and the first dock; and

if the previously exchanged security keys do not compare to the stored information, ignore the connection.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions causing a processor of a device to execute a method for managing the docking of the device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to establish a connection between the device and a first dock;

in response to establishing the connection, instructions to receive an electrical dock identifier from the first dock;

in response to establishing the connection, instructions to determine if the connection is a first connection between the device and the first dock;

if the connection is the first connection between the device and the first dock, instructions to complete a handshake between the device and the first dock;

after completing the handshake between the device and the first dock, instructions to pair the device and the first dock, wherein the pairing indicates the connection is allowed;

during the pairing, instructions to exchange security keys between the device and the first dock;

after exchanging the security keys, instructions to start a first session between the device and the first dock;

instructions to determine a dock type of the first dock;

instructions to access a configuration model for the first dock using the electrical dock identifier received from the first dock; and

instructions to configure a multiplexer of the device to establish output configurations of pins of the device for the determined dock type using the configuration model.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, the computer-executable instructions further comprising:

if the connection is not the first connection between the device and the first dock, instructions to determine if a signal strength of the connection between the device and the first dock is above a signal threshold, wherein the signal threshold indicates a physical proximity of the device to the first dock.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the computer-executable instructions further comprising:

if the signal strength between the device and the first dock is not above the signal threshold, instructions to ignore the connection; and

if the signal strength between the device and the first dock is above the signal threshold, instructions to exchange the previously exchanged security keys.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions to determine if the previously exchanged security keys compare to stored information, wherein the previously exchanged security keys are compared to a list of allowed security keys.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, the computer-executable instructions further comprising:

if the previously exchanged security keys do compare to the stored information, instructions to start a new session between the device and the first dock; and

if the previously exchanged security keys do not compare to the stored information, instructions to ignore the connection.