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

• US 9,736,196 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P., Anderson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Hung
• Application Number:
  US15/003,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 3482316, 3482071, 3482111, 3482116, 348154, 348155, 348158
• 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:

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

setting up, by the server, at least a portion of a user account using the identification information received from the imaging device;

transmitting, by the server, account information associated with the user account to the imaging device; and

providing, by the server, the imaging device access to the user account or a service associated with the user account in response to detecting the imaging device connecting to the server after setting up at least the portion of the user account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the server to the imaging device, a uniform resource locator for a website associated with the user account.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. The method of claim 6, 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.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory device to store instructions; and

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

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

establish at least a portion of a user account using the identification information received from the imaging device; and

transmit account information associated with the user account to the imaging device; and

provide the imaging device access to the user account or a service associated with the user account in response to detecting the imaging device connecting to the server after establishing the at least a portion of the user account.

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

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

associate data 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 to 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 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 to receive device identification information identifying a device;

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

a transmitter to transmit account information to the device that enables the device to connect to the user account or a service associated with the user account a next time the device connects to the server.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is further to transmit a uniform resource locator locating a website associated with the user account 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 to receive imaging data from the device;

and

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

19. The server of claim 18,

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

and

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

20. The server of claim 18,

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

and

wherein the processor is further 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.