Management of user context for operation of IHS peripherals
An IHS (Information Handling System) may support a variety of types of peripheral devices that may each be customized for operation by a specific user. Embodiments provide management of peripherals devices based on the context of the use of the IHS by the specific user. Upon detecting a login by a user, a plurality of peripheral device settings associated with that user are retrieved from a remote management service. A context of use of the IHS is determined based in part on the physical configuration of the IHS, applications that are currently in use, and other indicators of a mode of operation of the IHS. Based on the context of use and the peripherals coupled to the IHS, settings are selected from the user's retrieved peripheral device settings. The peripheral devices are configured based on the selected settings.
1. A method for managing the operation of peripheral devices coupled to a first Information Handling System (IHS), the method comprising:
detecting a login by a first user of the first IHS, wherein the login is detected by a peripheral device management process of an operating system of the first IHS, wherein the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS at a first location comprise user I/O (input/output) devices that are decoupled from the first IHS when the first user transports the first IHS to a second location;
retrieving, from a remote management service, a plurality of peripheral device settings that customize the operation of the respective peripheral devices for operation by the first user;
determining a context of operation of the first IHS by the first user, wherein the context comprises the first user's operation of one or more software programs of the operating system of the IHS;
selecting a plurality of settings from the retrieved peripheral device settings of the first user, wherein the settings are selected based the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user, wherein the selected settings adapt the operation of the peripheral devices for the first user's operation of the one or more software applications; and
configuring the first plurality of peripheral devices for operation by the first user, wherein the first plurality of peripheral devices are configured for operation of the one or more software application by the first user based on the selected settings.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first IHS is a dual-panel, convertible IHS, and wherein a physical posture of the first IHS is configured through positioning of the dual panels, and wherein the context of use of the first IHS is further determined at least in part based on the physical posture in which the first user has configured the first IHS while using the one or more software programs.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS comprise user I/O devices that comprise one or more of a keyboard, a monitor and a pointing device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more I/O controllers of the first IHS that support the user I/O operations of the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a login by the first user of the first IHS at the second location;
retrieving, from the remote management service, the plurality of peripheral device settings associated with the first user, wherein user I/O peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS at the second location comprise user I/O (input/output) devices that are decoupled from the first IHS when the first user transports the first IHS back to the first location;
determining a context of operation of the first IHS by the first user at the second location;
selecting a plurality of settings from the retrieved peripheral device settings of the first user, wherein the settings are selected based the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user at the second location; and
configuring the plurality of peripheral devices at the second location for operation by the first user.
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the physical posture of the first IHS comprises at least one of a tablet mode, a laptop mode, a tent mode, a landscape mode and a book mode.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising validating firmware of the I/O controllers as supporting management operations by the peripheral device management process.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first IHS further comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting transitions between the physical postures by the first user, and wherein the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user is further determined at least in part based on the sensor inputs.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user is further determined at least in part based on a docking station by which the peripheral devices are coupled to the first IHS.
10. A first Information Handling System (IHS) configured for managing the operation of peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS, the first IHS comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory device coupled to the one or more processors, the memory device storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
detect a login by a first user of the first IHS, wherein the login is detected by a peripheral device management process of an operating system of the first IHS, wherein the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS at a first location comprise user I/O (input/output) devices that are decoupled from the first IHS when the first user transports the first IHS to a second location;
retrieve, from a remote management service, a plurality of peripheral device settings that customize the operation of the respective peripheral devices for operation by the first user;
determine a context of operation of the first IHS by the first user, wherein the context comprises a docking status of the first IHS;
select a plurality of settings from the retrieved peripheral device settings of the first user, wherein the settings are selected based the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user, wherein the selected settings adapt the operation of the peripheral devices for the first user's operation of the one or more software applications; and
configure the first plurality of peripheral devices for operation by the first user, wherein the first plurality of peripheral devices are configured based on the selected settings.
11. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the first IHS is a dual-panel, convertible IHS and wherein the physical posture of the first IHS is configured through positioning of the dual panels, and wherein the context of use of the first IHS is determined at least in part based on the physical posture, wherein the context further comprises the first user's operation of one or more software programs of an operating system of the IHS while configured in the physical posture by the first user.
12. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the first IHS further comprises one or more I/O controllers that support the I/O operations of the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS at the first location.
13. The IHS of claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable instructions, upon execution by the one or more processors, further cause the system to validate firmware of the I/O controllers as supporting management operations by the peripheral device management process.
14. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the docking status indicates the first IHS is docked to a specific docking station.
15. The IHS of claim 11 , wherein the physical posture of the first IHS comprises at least one of a tablet mode, a laptop mode, a tent mode, a landscape mode and a book mode, and wherein transitions in the physical posture are detected based on inputs from one or more sensors of the first IHS.
16. A computer-readable storage device having program instructions stored thereon for managing the operation of peripheral devices coupled to a first Information Handling System (IHS), upon execution by one or more processors, the program instructions cause the one or more processors to:
detect a login by a first user of the first IHS, wherein the login is detected by a peripheral device management process of an operating system of the first IHS, wherein the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS at a first location comprise user I/O (input/output) devices that are decoupled from the first IHS when the first user transports the first IHS to a second location;
retrieve, from a remote management service, a plurality of peripheral device settings that customize the operation of the respective peripheral devices for operation by the first user;
determine a context of operation of the first IHS by the first user, wherein the context comprises the first user's operation of one or more software programs of the operating system of the IHS;
select a plurality of settings from the retrieved peripheral device settings of the first user, wherein the settings are selected based the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user, wherein the selected settings adapt the operation of the peripheral devices for the first user's operation of the one or more software applications; and
configure the first plurality of peripheral devices for operation by the first user, wherein the first plurality of peripheral devices are configured for operation of the one or more software application by the first user based on the selected settings.
17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the first IHS is a dual-panel, convertible IHS, and wherein a physical posture of the first IHS is configured through positioning of the dual panels, and wherein the context of use of the first IHS is further determined at least in part based on the physical posture in which the first user has configured the first IHS while using the one or more software programs.
18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the context of operation of the first IHS by the first user is further determined at least in part based on a docking station by which the peripheral devices are coupled to the first IHS.
19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the peripheral devices coupled to the first IHS comprise user I/O devices that comprise one or more of a keyboard, a monitor and a pointing device.
20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the physical posture of the first IHS comprises at least one of a tablet mode, a laptop mode, a tent mode, a landscape mode and a book mode.