METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MULTIPLE USER CREDENTIALS

1 . A method for a smart device comprising:

forming with a processor 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;

outputting with a short-range transceiver 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;

receiving with the short-range transceiver from the first interface device a request for an identifier, in response to verification of the first data portion by the first interface device; and

outputting with the short-range transceiver to the first interface device a first token associated with the first computer system in response to the request for the identifier, wherein the first token is not associated with the second computer system.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the data not associated with the user comprises data selected from a group consisting of: random data, pseudo random data, and data selected from a predetermined set of data.

3 . The method of claim 1

wherein the receiving with the short-range transceiver from the first interface device the request for an identifier also comprises receiving with the short-range transceiver from the first interface device an identifier associated with the first interface device and data not associated with the first interface device;

wherein the data not associated with the first device is selected from a group consisting of: random data, pseudo random data, data selected from a predetermined set of data, a nonce.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving with the short-range transceiver from the second interface device a request for an identifier, in response to verification of the first data portion by the second interface device; and

outputting with the short-range transceiver to the second interface device a second token associated with the second computer system in response to the request for the identifier from the second interface device, wherein the second token is not associated with the first computer system.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing in a memory the first token; and

wherein the outputting with the short-range transceiver to the first interface device the first token comprises:

retrieving from the memory the first token; and

outputting with the short-range transceiver to the first interface device the first token.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

outputting with a wide-area transceiver to the server the identifier associated with the first interface device and data not associated with the first interface device;

receiving with the wide-area transceiver from the server a new token, wherein the new token is determined by the server in response the identifier associated with the first interface device and the data not associated with the first interface device; and

wherein the outputting with the short-range transceiver to the first interface device the first token comprises outputting from the smart device to the first interface device the new token.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving with short-range transceiver from the first interface device one or more user-selectable options associated with the first computer system, in response to the first token; and

outputting with the short-range transceiver to the first interface device a selection by the user of a user-selectable option from the one or more user-selectable options.

8 . 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.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the data not associated with the user comprises data selected from a group consisting of: random data, pseudo random data, and data selected from a predetermined set of data.

10 . The method of claim 8

wherein the peripheral device comprises an electro-mechanical device; and

wherein the user-perceptible change in the mechanical device is selected from a group consisting: unlocking a door, preparing a beverage, unlocking a car door, activating an appliance, activating a vending machine.

11 . The method of claim 8

wherein the peripheral device comprises an electrical device; and

wherein the user-perceptible change in the electrical device is selected from a group consisting: controlling a television.

12 . The method of claim 8

wherein the peripheral device comprises an electrical device; and

wherein the user-perceptible change in the electrical device is selected from a group consisting: displaying data associated with a loyalty account associated with the user in the first computer system, debiting an account associated with the user in the first computer system, crediting an account associated with the user in the first computer system.

13 . The method of claim 8 wherein the data not associated with the first interface device is selected from a group consisting of: random data, pseudo random data, data selected from a predetermined set of data, a nonce.

14 . The method of claim 8 wherein the determining in the processor in the first interface device whether the first token is valid, comprises determining in the processor in the first interface device whether a current time is within a time period associated the first token.

15 . 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.

16 . The smart device of claim 15 wherein the data not associated with the user comprises data selected from a group consisting of: random data, pseudo random data, and data selected from a predetermined set of data.

17 . The smart device of claim 15 wherein the application is also configured to direct the short-range transceiver to receive from the first interface device an identifier associated with the first interface device and data not associated with the first interface device.

18 . The smart device of claim 17 wherein the data not associated with the first interface device comprises data selected from a group consisting of: random data, pseudo random data, and selected from a predetermined set of data, a nonce.

19 . The smart device of claim 17 wherein the application is configured to direct the processor to determine whether the memory stores a first token associated with the identifier associated with the first interface device.

20 . The smart device of claim 19 wherein the application is configured to direct the wide-area transceiver to output to the server, the identifier associated with the first interface device and data not associated with the first interface device, when the memory does not store the first token.