Method and apparatus for providing multiple user credentials

A method for control system comprising:

• scanning with a short-range transceiver in a first interface device for ephemeral ID signals within a geographic region proximate to the first interface device, wherein the first interface device is associated with a first computer system;
• detecting with the short-range transceiver an ephemeral ID signal from a smart-device associated with a user, wherein the ephemeral ID signal comprises a first data portion including data associated with a server and a second data portion including data not associated with the user;
• outputting with the short-range transceiver to the smart device, an identifier associated with the first interface device and data not associated with the first interface device, in response to the ephemeral ID signal;
• receiving with the short-range transceiver from the smart-device a first token, wherein the first token is associated with the user and the first computer system;
• determining in a processor in the first interface device whether the first token is valid;
• determining in the processor one or more user-selectable options available to the user, in response to the first token being valid;
• receiving with the short-range transceiver from the smart-device a selection of a user-selectable option from the one or more user-selectable options;
• and
• effecting with the processor a user-perceptible action with a peripheral device in response to the selection of the user-selectable option.

A smart device comprising:

• a processor;
• a short-range transceiver coupled to the processor;
• a wide-area transceiver coupled to the processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a software application including code configured to be executed on the processor, wherein the application is configured to:
• direct the processor to determine an ephemeral ID signal, wherein the ephemeral ID signal comprises a first data portion including data associated with a server and a second data portion including data not associated with a user of the smart device;
• direct the short-range transceiver to output the ephemeral ID signal to a plurality of interface devices, wherein the plurality of interface devices comprises a first interface device associated with a first computer system and a second interface device associated with a second computer system, wherein the first computer system is separate from the second computer system;
• direct the short-range transceiver to receive from the first interface device a request for a first identifier, in response to verification of the first data portion by the first interface device;
• direct the short-range transceiver to output to the first interface device a first token associated with the first computer system in response to the request for the first identifier, wherein the first token is not associated with the second computer system.
• direct the short-range transceiver to receive from the second interface device a request for a second identifier, in response to verification of the first data portion by the second interface device;
• and
• direct the short-range transceiver to output to the second interface device a second token associated with the second computer system in response to the request for the second identifier, wherein the second token is not associated with the first computer system.