US 10,313,340 B2Granted

Method and system for tracking an electronic device at an electronic device docking station

AssigneeHand Held Products, Inc.

InventorsMatthew Wolski, Eric P. Mielke

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system and method for identifying an electronic device user and tracking the electronic device at a docking station is provided. The system includes a CPU, a database containing data corresponding to individual device users, a user identification station, and docking stations. The CPU has access to the database and is communicatively linked to the user identification station and the docking stations. The docking stations have indicators. A device user has an identifying feature corresponding to data for the user in the database. The user identification station is configured to sense the identifying feature of the device user and send this information to the CPU. The CPU is configured to compare the information on the identifying feature to data in the database, and if matching, to instruct one of the docking stations to activate the indicator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a database comprising identification data corresponding to device users;
a docking station comprising:
first electrical contacts corresponding to a port of an electronic device for transferring data and power to the electronic device;
and
a first indicator;
a user identification station configured to:
sense an identifying feature on a device user;
transmit information corresponding to the sensed identifying feature to a central processing unit;
the central processing unit configured to:
compare the information transmitted by the user identification system to identification data in the database;
and
instruct the docking station to activate the first indicator based on the identification data in the database that corresponds to the information transmitted by the user identification system;
wherein the docking station is configured to:
activate the first indicator in response the instructions from the docking station to activate the first indicator;
and
transmit docking information to the central processing unit;
and
wherein the central processing unit is configured to transmit timestamps to the database based on the docking information transmitted by the docking station.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/938,089Filed 28 Mar 2018 · continuation
Priority: 16 Dec 2015
Published: US 2018/0219860 A12 Aug 2018
Granted: 4 Jun 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 63/0861
For authentication of entities: using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan
G06F 1/1632
For portable computers: external expansion units, e.g. docking stations
H04L 63/083
For authentication of entities: using passwords
H04L 63/10
Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security: for controlling access to devices or network resources

Family

Application14/971,672Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Dec 2015
US 2018/0219860 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Aug 2018
US 9,935,946 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0180359 A1Published application
US 10,313,340 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

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