Patents by Inventor Robert T Bowers

Robert T Bowers has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for rendering user accounts portable
    Patent number: 7925712
    Abstract: Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T. Bowers, Steve Ko
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING USER ACCOUNTS PORTABLE
    Publication number: 20080201456
    Abstract: Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Robert T. Bowers, Steve Ko
  • Method and apparatus for rendering user accounts portable
    Patent number: 7376824
    Abstract: Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T. Bowers, Steve Ko
  • Method and apparatus rendering user accounts portable
    Patent number: 7246226
    Abstract: Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T Bowers, Steve Ko
  • Method and apparatus rendering user accounts portable
    Patent number: 7120785
    Abstract: Improved approaches for enabling user accounts to be portable across different multi-user computer systems are disclosed. A user account created at a multi-user computer can be stored to an external, portable data store, thereby rendering the user account portable. The multi-user computer system, e.g., through its operating system, locates user accounts on not only in local storage of the multi-user computer system, but also in any removable data storage attached to the multi-user computer system. Hence, by coupling the external, portable data store to another multi-user computer, a user is able to login to any supporting multi-user computer and be presented with their user configuration and user directory. Since the data store that stores the user account is not only external but also portable, a user can simply tote the data store to the location of different multi-user computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T Bowers, Steve Ko