Electronic devices, such as laptop and notebook computers, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, touch screen displays, desktop computers, and other types of devices, are generally configured to communicate over a variety of different types of wired and/or wireless communication networks. For example, the device may be configured to communication over a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), and/or a personal area network (PAN). However, identifying, selecting and/or switching to a particular communication network setting is generally difficult and requires a time-consuming series of operations by a user. Additionally, for a portable electronic device, as the device is transported to different locations, the network configuration setting of the device must also be changed to accommodate a desired and/or available type of communication network, thereby increasing the complexity of changing network configuration settings and requiring repeated setting change operations.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a biometric configuration management system comprises a biometric sensor module for receiving biometric data associated with a user. The system also comprises a configuration module adapted to automatically select a communication network configuration setting for a device based on the received biometric data.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a biometric configuration management method comprises receiving biometric data from a user and automatically selecting a communication network configuration setting for a device based on the received biometric data.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
The preferred embodiments of the present invention and the advantages thereof are best understood by referring to
In the embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, device 12 is configured with a single type of biometrics sensor, such as fingerprint scan module 22, to enable a desired quantity of biometrics to be associated with a corresponding quantity of available wireless and/or wired network communication settings for device 12. For example, in some embodiments configured with fingerprint scan module 22, device 12 is configured to have as many as ten stored biometrics, each biometric associated with a different network communication setting for device 12. However, it should be understood that other types of biometric sensors may enable a greater or fewer quantity of biometrics to be stored and associated with different network communication settings for device 12. Additionally, it should be understood that device 12 may also be configured with a plurality of different types of biometrics sensors to provide greater flexibility for storing and associating different types of biometrics with different types of communication network settings for device 12.
Further, it should be understood that either a single biometric and/or a combination of biometrics, simultaneously and/or sequentially input, may be used to associate with a particular communication network setting. For example, in some embodiments, a combination of different fingerprint scan biometrics or a combination of a fingerprint scan biometric and another type of biometric are used to associate with a particular communication network setting. In some embodiments, device 12 is configured to associate a particular communication network setting with multiple biometrics input simultaneously (e.g., fingerprint scans of two different fingers input simultaneously). In other embodiments, device 12 is configured to associate a particular communication network setting with multiple biometrics input sequentially (e.g., a fingerprint scan biometric followed by either another fingerprint scan biometric or another type of biometric). Additionally, it should be understood that device 12 may be configured such that different biometrics are associated with different communication network settings (e.g., a fingerprint scan biometric associated with a particular network setting and an eye scan biometric associated with another network setting). While various portions of the description of system 10 will be directed to a fingerprint scan biometric embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be otherwise varied to encompass additional and/or alternative biometric applications.
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Configuration data 62 comprises information associated with configuring device 12 for communications via particular wired and/or wireless communication networks. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
Relational data 64 comprises information relating biometric data 60 to a particular wired and/or wireless network configuration setting for device 12, such as, but not limited to, settings 70, 72, or 74, such that configuration module 48 may automatically configure and/or switch device 12 to a desired type of communication network setting based on a received user biometric. For example, in operation for some embodiments, configuration module 48 initiates a registration procedure where the user is requested to input a particular type of biometric to associate with a particular type of wired and/or wireless communication network setting or, alternatively, select a particular type of wired and/or wireless communications network setting to associate with a desired biometric. Relational data 64 comprises information relating registered biometrics with corresponding communication network settings.
Thus, in operation, configuration module 48 registers settings associated with particular communication networks with particular biometrics of the user of device 12. In some embodiments, configuration module 48 is configured to display a user interface 80 for performing a biometric registration operation to relate particular user biometrics to corresponding wired and/or wireless communication network settings. In some embodiments, interface 80 is also used to display or otherwise identify to the user of device 12 a particular biometric associated with each type of wired and/or wireless communication network setting. For example, in some embodiments, interface 80 is configured to graphically highlight or otherwise identify to the user associated biometrics and network communication settings. Thus, for example, in a fingerprint scan biometric application, interface 80 is configured to highlight or otherwise indicate to the user a particular finger of the user associated with a particular communication network setting such that the user may scan the corresponding finger to configure and/or switch device 12 to the corresponding communication network setting.
Thus, in operation, based on a particular biometric received from the user of device 12, configuration module 48 compares the received biometric with biometric data 60 and accesses relational data 64 to identify and select a particular communication network setting associated with the received user biometric. Based on the received user biometric, configuration module 48 automatically configures and/or switches device 12 for the communication network setting corresponding to the received user biometric via modem 30 and/or circuitry 32,33, and/or 34. For example, in some embodiments, based on the received user biometric, configuration module 48 is adapted to automatically switch device 12 between different wireless communication network configuration settings, between different wired communication network configuration settings, from a wired to a wireless communication network configuration setting, or from a wireless communication network configuration setting to a wired communication network configuration setting.
In some embodiments, interface 80 is also configured to display available types of communication network settings for device 12 to the user to enable identification by the user of a corresponding associated biometric and/or enable registration of biometrics to the network settings. For example, in some embodiments, interface 80 is configured to enable the user to scroll or otherwise page through available types of communication configuration network settings for device 12 to enable the user to identify a particular biometric associated with a desired setting. Additionally, in some embodiments, interface 80 is configured to enable registration of biometrics with particular network configuration settings. For example, in some embodiments, interface 80, sensor module 16 and/or configuration module 48 are configured to enable a user of device 12 to identify a particular network configuration setting and input a desired biometric for associating with the particular setting, or vice versa.
At block 104, configuration module 48 requests a biometric from the user for associating with the selected communication network setting. At block 106, configuration module 48 receives a biometric from the user via biometrics sensor module 16. At block 108, configuration module 48 stores the received user biometric as biometric data 60. At block 110, configuration module 48 associates the received biometric with the selected network configuration setting. For example, configuration module 48 stores information relating the received user biometric with the corresponding selected communication network setting as relational data 64. At decisional block 112, a determination is made whether the user desires to register another biometric with another communication network setting. If the user desires to register another biometric with another communication network setting, the method proceeds to block 100.
Thus, embodiments of the present invention enable a user of device 12 to easily and conveniently change communication network configuration settings on device 12 by inputting a particular biometric, such as a fingerprint scan of a particular finger. Embodiments of the present invention may be configured having an interface 80 to enable the user to easily identify an association of a particular biometric with a corresponding wired and/or wireless network configuration setting.
It should be understood that in the methods described in