# US 9,883,327 B2 · Selection of a credential for a target device to perform next state > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,883,327 B2 - Document ID: US9883327B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/768,853 - Filed: 2013-02-27 - Published: 2016-01-07 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-27 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Paul Michael Anderson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883327B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04B 5/20: characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium - H04L 67/54: Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/068: {using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications} - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04L 63/0853: {using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234)} - H04W 12/71: Hardware identity - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Examples disclose a method, executed by a computing device, to obtain an identifier and system state of a target device for establishing a near field communication link. Additionally, the examples disclose the method processes the system state of the target device according to a rules engine to determine a next action for the target device. Also, the examples disclose the method selects a credential associated with the identifier of the target device and transmits the selected credential to the target device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: obtaining, at an initiating computing device, an identifier and system state from a target computing device to establish a near field communication link, wherein the system state includes a determination by the target computing device of whether the initiating computing device is logged in to the target computing device; establishing the near field communication link between the initiating computing device and the target computing device; processing the system state of the target computing device to determine a next action for the target computing device; based on the next action for the target computing device, selecting the credential associated with the identifier of the target computing device; and transmitting the credential to the target computing device to perform the next action. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the credential associated with the target computing device is selected among multiple credentials, each credential specific to a different target computing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the system state includes whether the initiating computing device is logged out of the target computing device and the next action includes logging the initiating computing device into the target computing device based on a validation of the credential. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the system state includes a state specific to the initiating computing device with regards to the target computing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the target computing device performs the next action based on a validation of the credential. ### Claim 6 A computing device comprising: a processor to: receive, at the computing device, an identifier and a system state from a target computing device to establish a near field communication link between the computing device and the target computing device, wherein the identifier identifies the target computing device to the computing device, wherein the system state includes a determination by the target computing device of whether the computing device is logged in to the target computing device; and select a credential from multiple credentials based on the identifier of the target computing device for validation to the target device, each of the multiple credentials is specific to a different target computing device; and receive a state of the target computing device indicating a current status of the computing device with respect to the target computing device; and process the state of the target computing device for determination of a next state for the target computing device to perform. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computing device of claim 6 wherein the next state for the target computing device to perform is based on the validation of the selected credential to the target computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The computing device of claim 6 further comprising: an antenna to transmit the selected credential to the target computing device to perform the next state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The computing device of claim 6 wherein the states are each a different condition of the target computing device associated with the computing device. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor of a computing device, the storage medium comprising instructions to: obtain, at the computing device, an identifier and a state from a target computing device to establish a near field communication link between the computing device and the target computing device, wherein the system state includes a determination by the target computing device of whether the computing device is logged in to the target computing device, and wherein the computing device is allowed to perform a task on an operating system of the target computing device when logged in; process the state of the target computing device according to a rules engine to determine a next state for the target computing device to perform; select a credential from multiple credentials, the credential associated with the identifier of the target device; and transmit the credential to the target computing device to perform the next state, wherein the next state includes a state specific to the target computing device based on validation of the credential at the target computing device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprising instructions to: query the target computing device for both the state of the target computing device and the identifier of the target computing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the next state includes logging the computing device into the target computing device.