Controlling access to a hardware resource of an electronic device by a magnetically attachable electronic device

A mobile electronic device comprising:

• a transceiver;
• at least one magnetic connector;
• connectedness detection circuitry operable to dynamically detect a connection event at each of the at least one magnetic connector;
• a processor, coupled to the connectedness detection circuitry, operable to:
• automatically establish a communications link, via the transceiver, with an other electronic device upon detection, by the connectedness detection circuitry, of the connection event at a predetermined set of the at least one magnetic connector;
• send, from the mobile electronic device to a remote server, a request for access to a hardware resource of the other electronic device;
• and
• based on a positive response from the remote server, access, via the wireless communications link, a hardware resource of the other electronic device,
• wherein the sending, from the mobile electronic device to the remote server, of the request for access to the hardware resource of the other electronic device occurs prior to the detection of the connection event at the predetermined set of the at least one magnetic connector.

A cloud server comprising:

• a network interface controller;
• and
• a processor operable to:
• receive, via the network interface controller, a request, from a mobile electronic device having at least one magnetic connector, for access to a hardware resource of an other electronic device, the other electronic device having at least one complementary magnetic connector selectively attachable to the magnetic connector of the mobile electronic device for mutual magnetic attachment of the devices, the request containing a unique ID associated with the other electronic device, the request being sent from the mobile electronic device prior to the mutual magnetic attachment of the devices;
• based at least upon on the unique ID in the request, determining access rights to the hardware resource for the mobile electronic device;
• and
• based on the determined access rights to the hardware resource, sending to the mobile electronic device, via the network interface controller, one of a positive response indicating that access to the hardware resource is granted and a negative response indicating that access to the hardware resource is denied.