Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for network identification

US6948090B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
9References
52Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 15, 2001
Grant dateSep 20, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 4, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2101/622
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A processing unit, for example a computer server, that is connectable to a data communications network, has a device reader for reading a supplied network identity from a portable storage device such as a smart card or the like. The processing unit then uses the supplied network identity from the portable storage device for communicating via the data communications network. The processing unit monitors the continued presence of the portable storage device. In the event that the processing unit detects that the portable storage device has been removed from the device reader, it signals a fault state. The processing unit can be arranged to power itself down where a portable storage device having same network identity is not returned in the device reader within a predetermined time.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.