System and Methodology for Automated Provisioning of New User Accounts

Abstract

System and methodology are described that allow a new user of a user-operated device (e.g., wireless digital camera, cellular phone, video camera, audio device, or the like) to immediately begin using the features and services of the device without having to first activate a new user account. Thus in the instance where the user-operated device is a newly-acquired wireless digital camera, for example, the user can immediately begin taking and uploading his or her pictures to a photo Web site prior to having to open a user account, or having to perform other cumbersome activation steps. In such a wireless digital camera embodiment, the photo Web site and vendors of either cellular-enabled digital cameras or camera-enabled cellular phones provide user Web accounts based upon the unique ID or phone number belonging to one of these two devices. The user need only bother to “open” his or her account, that is, establish a user name and password, at some subsequent point in time that is convenient for the user (e.g., when the user is first visiting the photo Web site, using a browser, to view the digital photographs he or she previously uploaded). This approach allows users to use his or her newly-acquired device (e.g., immediately take pictures and upload them to an account at a photo Web site) right “out-of-the-box,” all without having to first register or setup a new user account.

1 . A method for assisting a user with uploading content captured with a user-operated device, the method comprising:
 capturing content with a user-operated device having a unique device ID assigned to it;   at the user-operated device, initiating a request to transfer the content to a particular Web site;   establishing a user account automatically at the particular Web site, including creating a user identifier (ID) based, at least in part, on said unique device ID assigned to the user-operated device;   transferring the content from the user-operated device to the particular Web site system;   associating the transferred content at the Web site with said user ID; and   in response to a request from the user for access to the transferred content, providing on-line access to the transferred content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of transferring the content occurs via wireless communication. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of establishing a user account occurs upon one of the following: a first operation of the user-operated device, prior to the first operation of the user-operated device, upon the request to transfer the content, prior to the request to transfer the content. 
     
     
         4 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user-operated device includes a digital camera and/or a cellular phone. 
     
     
         8 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said unique device ID is pre-registered with the Web site prior to the user capturing any content with the user-operated device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pre-registration is effected during manufacture of the device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pre-registration is effected at a retail point-of-sale. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user account is established by a provisioning procedure for associating the user account with a unique device ID assigned to the user-operated device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user-operated device includes a digital camera and wherein said user account is established by a provisioning procedure for associating the account with a unique device ID assigned to the digital camera. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user-operated device includes a cellular phone and wherein said user account is established by a provisioning procedure for associating the account with a unique device ID belonging to the cellular phone. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said content is transferred to the Web site after said user-operated device is first determined to be an authorized device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said user-operated device is determined to be an authorized device by an ID module that operates at the Web site. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said ID module communicates with an account management module in an image repository for both creating and recognizing appropriate user accounts at the Web site. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said content transferred to the Web site is temporarily saved in a buffered storage module until the content is determined to be associated with a particular user account. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said content temporarily saved in the buffered image storage module is transferred to an image storage-by-account module in an image repository after the content is determined to be associated with a particular user account. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said content transferred to the image storage-by-account module is stored on a persistent basis in a database. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said content is accessible via a user's browser when a valid user name and password are presented. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user-operated device contacts the Web site via a cellular phone network. 
     
     
         24 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user account is established by using a user account ticket determined for the user-operated device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said user account ticket is generated, at least in part, from the device ID of the user-operated device. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said content includes one or more of the following: digital images, video, and audio. 
     
     
         30 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a user-friendly user name and password for facilitating viewing of content associated with the user account.   
     
     
         33 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A method for automating activation of a user account associated with a user-operated device, the method comprising:
 assigning a unique device identifier to the user-operated device;   automatically creating a user account based, at least in part, on said unique device identifier assigned to the user-operated device;   when the user-operated device is first operated, associating the automatically-created user account with said user-operated device, so that the user-operated device may be operated without requiring its user to first set up a user account; and   at some point in time after operation of the device has already commenced, gathering additional user information for the automatically-created user account.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said step of associating the automatically-created user account with said operation of the user-operated device includes:
 receiving objects transmitted from the user-operated device; and   associating the automatically-created user account with said objects.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 collecting information indicating who is authorized for the user account; and   allowing access to the transmitted objects for an individual who is authorized for the user account.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said unique device identifier comprises a phone number associated with the device.