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Methods and devices are provided for automating a login process and user/device associations. A user's preferred device settings and/or functions may be provisioned automatically. Some implementations provide an automated log out or “sleep” when a user leaves one or more of the devices

Methods and devices are provided for automating a login process and user/device associations. A user's preferred device settings and/or functions may be provisioned automatically. Some implementations provide an automated log out or “sleep” when a user leaves one or more of the devices. Users may be automatically identified and associated. The “presence” of members of a user group may be determined as required for one or more actions to be taken. Some user groups control devices according to which members of a group may have access to certain functions, information, etc., and which may not.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A method comprising: receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data from an RFID reader; identifying a user group corresponding to a user associated with the RFID tag data, wherein the user group corresponds to a function in an organization; automatically applying user prefer

We claim: 1. A method comprising: receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data from an RFID reader; identifying a user group corresponding to a user associated with the RFID tag data, wherein the user group corresponds to a function in an organization; automatically applying user preferences to two or more devices within a workspace, wherein the two or more devices include at least a telephone and a computer, the user preferences indicating an extension for the telephone and being selected based upon the user group, wherein the applying comprises associating the extension with the telephone; reading, by a first radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader associated with a first one of the two or more devices, an RFID tag assigned to the user; associating the first one of the two or more devices with the user; determining whether the RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by a second RFID reader associated with a second one of the two or more devices; and associating the second one of the two or more devices with the user after it is determined that the RFID tag is read within the predetermined time by the second RFID reader. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more devices within a workspace do not include at least one accessible device within the workspace. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the workspace includes a computer, telephone, and a peripheral device. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences indicate whether the user is able to access each device within the workspace. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more devices are associated with a single RFID reader. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: un-applying the user preferences from the two or more devices within a workspace if the user's presence is not detected by the RFID reader within a predetermined time. 7. An apparatus comprising: a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to read RFID tag data from an RFID tag; a controller configured to: receive the RFID tag data from the RFID reader; identify a user group corresponding to a user associated with the RFID tag data, wherein the user group corresponds to a function in an organization; automatically apply user preferences to two or more devices within a workspace, wherein the two or more devices include at least a telephone and a computer, the user preferences indicating an extension for the telephone and being selected based upon the user group; associate the extension with the telephone; reading, by a first radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader associated with a first one of the two or more devices, an RFID tag assigned to the user; associating the first one of the two or more devices with the user; determining whether the RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by a second RFID reader associated with a second one of the two or more devices; and associating the second one of the two or more devices with the user when it is determined that the RFID tag is read within the predetermined time by the second RFID reader. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the user preferences indicate whether the user is able to access each device within the workspace. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to: un-applying the user preferences from the two or more devices within a workspace if the user's presence is not detected by the RFID reader within a predetermined time. 10. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data from an RFID reader; means for identifying a user group corresponding to a user associated with the RFID tag data, wherein the user group corresponds to a function in an organization; means for automatically applying user preferences to two or more devices within a workspace, wherein the two or more devices include at least a telephone and a computer, the user preferences indicating an extension for the telephone and being selected based upon the user group, wherein the applying comprises associating the extension with the telephone; means for reading, by a first radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader associated with a first one of the two or more devices, an RFID tag assigned to the user; means for associating the first one of the two or more devices with the user; means for determining whether the RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by a second RFID reader associated with a second one of the two or more devices; and means for associating the second one of the two or more devices with the user when it is determined that the RFID tag is read within the predetermined time by the second RFID reader. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the two or more devices within a workspace do not include at least one accessible device within the workspace. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the workspace includes a computer, telephone, and a peripheral device. 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user preferences indicate whether the user is able to access each device within the workspace. 14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the two or more devices are associated with a single RFID reader. 15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: means for un-applying the user preferences from the two or more devices within a workspace if the user's presence is not detected by the RFID reader within a predetermined time. 16. A program storage device readable by a machine, the program storage device tangibly embodying a set of program instructions for executing a method comprising: receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) tag data from an RFID reader; identifying a user group corresponding to a user associated with the RFID tag data, wherein the user group corresponds to a function in an organization; automatically applying user preferences to two or more devices within a workspace, wherein the two or more devices include at least a telephone and a computer, the user preferences indicating an extension for the telephone and being selected based upon the user group, wherein the applying comprises associating the extension with the telephone; reading, by a first radio frequency identification (“RFID”) reader associated with a first one of the two or more devices, an RFID tag assigned to the user; associating the first one of the two or more devices with the user; determining whether the RFID tag is read within a predetermined time by a second RFID reader associated with a second one of the two or more devices; and associating the second one of the two or more devices with the user if it is determined that the RFID tag is read within the predetermined time by the second RFID reader. 17. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the user preferences indicate whether the user is able to access each device within the workspace. 18. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises: un-applying the user preferences from the two or more devices within a workspace if the user's presence is not detected by the RFID reader within a predetermined time. 19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the function in the organization is chosen from one or more of telemarketing, technical support, customer service, marketing, recruiting, accounting, or human resources. 20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the RFID reader is associated with a first one of the two or more devices, method further comprising: reading by the RFID reader an RFID tag assigned to the user; associating the first one of the two or more devices with the user. 21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising: transmitting information indicating an association between the first one of the two or more devices and the user to at least one other device. 22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one other device includes a central server storing associations for a plurality of users and corresponding devices, the method further comprising: updating the associations stored at the central server to include the association. 23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising: obtaining the user preferences from the central server. 24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one other device includes all devices in a network. 25. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the at least one other device includes devices within the user group. 26. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein a second RFID reader is associated with a second one of the two or more devices, the method further comprising; reading by the second RFID reader the RFID tag assigned to the user; and associating the second one of the two or more devices with the user. 27. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising: transmitting information indicating an association between the second one of the two or more devices and the user to at least one other device. 28. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user preferences indicate information that is accessible by the user group. 29. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: if the user's presence is not detected by the RFID reader within a predetermined time, causing at least one of the two or more devices to enter a sleep mode. 30. The method as recited in clam 1, further comprising: if the user's presence is not detected by the RFID reader within a predetermined time, automatically logging the user off the computer.