At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

Emlyn C Jeffrey

Brian M Novack

Gary Allen Smith

Stephanie Andrews

Aditya Arora

Steven Michael Wollmershauser

William O Sprague, Jr

A computer apparatus is remotely initiated. Confirmation of a detected and authenticated presence of a user remote from the computer apparatus is detected and confirmed via a wireless network. Booting of the computer apparatus is initiated based on receiving confirmation of the detected and authenticated presence of the user remote from the computer apparatus. The computer apparatus is booted in a protected workstate that prevents access to the computer apparatus while the user is remote and until a local presence of the user is detected and authenticated. The computer apparatus is operable to be unprotected upon confirmation of the local presence of the user. The computer apparatus is also operable to be accessible to the user upon unprotecting the workstate of the computer apparatus.

Networked device access control

A computer apparatus is remotely initiated. Confirmation of a detected and authenticated presence of a user is detected and confirmed remote from the computer apparatus. A dedicated resource that will be implemented using the computer apparatus is logged in in a protected workstate that prevents access to the computer apparatus until a local presence of the user is detected and authenticated. The workstate of the computer apparatus is unprotected upon confirmation of the local presence of the user. Access to the user is allowed upon unprotecting the workstate of the computer apparatus.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to monitor ambient noise in proximity to the communication device, monitor a transmitted voice signal associated with the communication device, adjust a receiver volume for the transmitted voice signal based at least in part on a comparison of the transmitted voice signal with the ambient noise, monitor a received voice signal associated with the communication device, and adjust a speaker volume for the received voice signal based at least in part on a comparison of the received voice signal with the ambient noise, where the adjusting of the receiver volume is independent of the adjusting of the speaker volume. Other embodiments are disclosed.

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San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Emlyn C Jeffrey