Secure authentication and execution of applications on shared devices

#The present disclosure relates generally to computing devices, and relates more particularly to a method and apparatus to securely authenticate and execute applications on shared devices.

#Office equipment manufacturers are starting to sell value added solutions that provide new services to their office products. In order to access these valued added services, users often must log into the office products. Today these office products have to be uniquely configured to use an employee's specific login method and login parameters.

#Co-working spaces are becoming more common. Thus, devices can be shared by multiple different users. Currently, different users may download different applications on a shared device. Each user may log into their respective applications. Configuring the device to be compatible for each application used by each user in the co-working space may be cumbersome or undesirable.

#The teaching of the present disclosure can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example network of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example shared device before a user logs into the shared device and after a user logs out of the shared device in accordance with the present disclosure;

#To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.

#The present disclosure broadly discloses a method and apparatus for securely authenticating and executing applications on a shared device. As discussed above, co-working spaces are becoming more common. Thus, devices can be shared by multiple different users. Currently, different users may download different applications on a shared device. Each user may log into their respective applications. Configuring the device to be compatible for each application used by each user in the co-working space may be cumbersome or undesirable.

#In addition, having different users log into a shared device may create a security issue, as remnants of login information for different users may remain on the shared device. This may allow hackers to access the physical device and possibly steal information from several different users