Patent ID: 7284697
Filing Date: 2007-10-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for physically transporting a user profile between network and standalone computing devices, for automatically logging onto one of the network or standalone computing devices, and for automatically configuring the logged-on network or standalone computing device with user-preferences and user-selected operating system characteristics according to the user profile, comprising: securely storing the user profile with a portable profile storage device having an interface to communicate with a physical key and having a secure memory; associating a removable passcode-activated physical key with the user that alternately enables access to the user profile in the memory when the physical key is passcode-activated and coupled with the interface and that disables access to the user profile when removed from the interface; and making the user profile accessible to a computing device via the portable profile storage device, including: coupling the portable profile storage device with the computing device, coupling the physical key with the interface; activating a user passcode of the physical key resulting in the physical key first authenticating the user, then authenticating the portable profile storage device, then automatically logging the user onto the computing device, then automatically configuring the computing device with the user-preferences and the user-selected operating system characteristics from the user profile.