Identification based operational modification of a portable electronic device
View Patent ↗Identification based operational modification of a portable electronic device includes detecting the presence of an employee identification badge, authenticating the identification badge as an eligible identification badge based at least in part upon data associated with the identification badge that is individualized to at least the employee and/or employer, and modifying one or more operating characteristics of the portable electronic device resulting in an identification badge authenticated mode of operation for the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.
1. In a portable electronic device, a method of operation comprising:
detecting a presence of an employee identification badge;
authenticating the identification badge as an eligible one of a plurality of identification badges based at least in part upon data individualized to at least one of an employee and an employer associated with the identification badge; and
customizing one or more operating characteristics of the portable electronic device in accordance with a corporate mode of operation for the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification badge is detected by the portable electronic device via a contactless coupler.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more operating characteristics remain customized so long as the identification badge remains communicatively coupled with the contactless coupler.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification badge is detected by the portable electronic device via a contact-based coupler.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more operating characteristics are customized so long as the identification badge remains communicatively coupled with the contact-based coupler.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a handheld personal computer, a media player, and a game console.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a presence of an employee identification badge comprises communicating with an electronic device embedded within the badge.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating comprises:
generating a first challenge;
providing the first challenge to the employee identification badge;
receiving from the employee identification badge, a first response to the first challenge; and
verifying the correctness of the received first response.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting and receiving implementing instructions/data of a function/feature from the employee identification badge to enhance one or more functions/features of the portable electronic device.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
disabling one or more functions/features of the portable electronic device resulting in an identification badge not authenticated mode of operation, if the employee identification badge is not successfully authenticated.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
enabling one or more functions/features of the portable electronic device if the employee identification badge is successfully authenticated.
13. A wireless communication device comprising:
a processor to execute instructions;
an interface communicatively coupled to the processor to facilitate an exchange of information between the wireless communication device and an employee identification badges; and
a storage medium coupled to the processor, and having stored therein a plurality of instructions designed to authenticate an employee identification badge as being at least an eligible one of a plurality of employee identification badges, and to customize one or more of a plurality of operating characteristics offered by the apparatus in accordance with a corporate mode of operation for the wireless communication device consistent with whether the employee identification badge is authenticated.
14. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein the wireless communication device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a wireless communication enabled personal digital assistant, a wireless communication enabled handheld personal computer, a wireless communication enabled media player, and a wireless communication enabled game console.
15. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein the employee identification badge comprises an integrated circuit including at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
16. In a portable electronic device, a method of operation comprising:
detecting a presence of an employee identification badge;
authenticating the identification badge as an eligible one of a plurality of identification badges based at least in part upon data individualized to at least one of an employee and an employer associated with the identification badge; and
invoking, in accordance with a corporate mode of operation, one or more processes of the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the identification badge is detected by the wireless communication device via a contactless coupler.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the identification badge is detected by the wireless communication device via a contact-based coupler.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein one or more synchronization processes are invoked as a result of the authentication.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein one or more electronic mail processes are invoked as a result of the authentication.