Patent Application

App. No. 14/079,632

Abstract

Claims (61)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving into an electronic device data representing a key configured to provide a lendee mode of access to one or more portions of the electronic device, the electronic device including identity control data specifying an entity having a lender mode of access to the electronic device;

authenticating the key to provide the lendee mode of access to the one or more portions of the electronic device;

determining a portion of the electronic device to which lendee access is permitted;

importing operation data into a memory to form imported operation data configured to facilitate a function of the portion of the electronic device;

receiving data representing a user input configured to initiate the function of the portion of the electronic device; and

causing the electronic device to perform the function based on the imported operation data in the lendee mode of access.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the key facilitates automatic adoption of the electronic device for use by a first entity in the lendee mode of operation independent of the identity control data limiting the lender mode of access to a second entity.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a wearable device from which the data representing the key originates.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein detecting the wearable device further comprises:

determining proximity of the wearable device relative to the electronic device; and

enabling authentication of the key if the wearable device is within a range of distances from the electronic device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining proximity of the wearable device further comprising:

implementing near field communication (“NFC”) to establish a short-range communication link over which to convey the key.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining a first entity that is wearing the wearable device for which the lendee mode of access is not authorized; and

disabling implementation access to the electronic device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the electronic device to perform the function comprises:

invoking a device controller configured to establish a communication link to communicate data packets as an electronic message; and

transmitting the data packets to a destination device based on contact data from the imported operation data.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein invoking the device controller further comprises:

invoking a voice communication controller configured to establish a voice-based data connection as the communication link,

wherein the operation data includes contact information including a plurality of names associated with a plurality of phone numbers.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein invoking the device controller further comprises:

invoking a textual communication controller configured to establish a text-based data connection as the communication link,

wherein the operation data includes email address information including a plurality of names associated with a plurality of email addresses.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein importing the operation data comprises:

retrieving the operation data from a wearable device from which the key data originates.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data representing the user input configured comprises:

accepting data signals originating from a touch-sensitive screen.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

denying access to the imported operation data under the lender mode of access.

13 . An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive key data and/or operation data via a short-range communication link;

a memory including:

identity control data configured to provide a first degree of access to a set of operations in a lender mode of operation, and

permission data configured to provide a second degree of access to a subset of the operations in a lendee mode of operation;

an authenticator configured to facilitate importation of the operation data in the lendee mode of operation; and

a device controller configured to facilitate the subset of the operations in the lendee mode as a function of the operation data.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the device controller comprises:

a short range antenna; and

a short range transceiver configured to receive at least the key data in the lendee mode of operation when a wearable device configured to transmit the key data is within a proximity of the electronic device.

15 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the device controller comprises:

a voice communication controller configured to facilitate telephonic communications as a function of contact data as a portion of the operation data; and

a textual communication controller configured to facilitate text-based communications as a function of email address data as another portion of the operation data.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , further comprising:

a data archiver configured to store data representing amounts of data communicated in the lendee mode of operation, the amounts of data including either a first amount of data for the telephonic communications or a second amount of data for the text-based communications, or both.

17 . A wearable device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit data via a short-range communication link;

a memory including:

key data specifying one or more conditions in which a wearer of the wearable device has lendee access to operations of an electronic devices, and

operation data specifying one or more portions of data to facilitate at least a subset of the operations of the electronic devices; and

an adoption controller configured to detect the short-range communication link, and further configured to transmit the key data and/or the operation data to the electronic device to transition the electronic device from a lender mode of operation to a lendee mode of operation to enable the wearer to use the electronic device.

18 . The wearable device of claim 17 , wherein the key data facilitates automatic adoption of the electronic device for use by the wearer in the lendee mode of operation independent of the lender mode of access associated with a lender of the electronic device.

19 . The wearable device of claim 17 , wherein the memory further comprises:

authenticated data specifying the wearer of the wearable device is authorized to use wearable device to cause adoption in the use of the electronic device.

20 . The wearable device of claim 17 , wherein the memory further comprises one or more of:

contact data configured to facilitate telephonic communications;

email address data configured to facilitate text-based communications; and

playlist data configured to facilitate playback of audio by the electronic device.

Assignments (16)