Patent Application
20080046749
The present invention provides apparatuses and methods for disabling an original password of an electronic device. The electronic device can be a projector, a multi-function printer, a copier machine, a computer, or the like.
First, the processing unit 111 determines whether the original password has been set. If the original password has not been set, the processing unit 111 makes the projector 12 operable. If the processing unit 111 determines that the original password is set, for example, <Up><Down><Left><Right> (the four operation keys to control the projector 12), the displaying unit 114 displays a message for entering the input password.
Then, the processing unit 111 determines if the waiting period is longer than 3 minutes, wherein the length of waiting period is the length of time after the message for entering the input password is displayed. If it is longer than 3 minutes, the processing unit 111 stops waiting and turns off the projector 12. If it is not longer than 3 minutes, the interface 112 keeps waiting to receive an input password from a user 14. Additionally, the user 14 has several chances to enter the input password. That is, if the input password entered by the user 14 is incorrect, the interface 112 may ask the user 14 to reenter the input password for a certain number of times. The details on the design that the user 14 has several chances to enter the input password are described later. The aforementioned waiting period as 3 minutes is used as an example but is not used to limit the scope of the present invention. Any length of time will not affect the operation of the present invention.
After the interface 112 receives the input password, the processing unit 111 determines whether the input password, using the previous example, is <Up><Down><Left><Right> or a special password. For the time being, the special password will be explained later. If the input password is <Up><Down><Left><Right> or the special password, the processing unit 111 further determines whether the input password corresponds to a message code. The content of the message code will be explained later. If the input password entered by the user 14 is <Up><Down><Left><Right>, i.e. the original password, it also means that the input password does not correspond to the message code. Thus, the processing unit 111 makes the projector 12 operable without extra actions. This case relates to the situation that the user 14 remembers and has the original password.
If the input password entered by the user 14 is invalid, i.e. the processing unit 111 determines that the input password is neither <Up><Down><Left><Right> nor the special password, the processing unit 111 proceeds with a series of determinations to perform different actions. First, the processing unit 11 determines whether the number of times of error is smaller than 10 times, wherein the number of times of error is the accumulated number of times that the input password is not the original password and is not the special password. If the answer is no, the processing unit 111 turns off the projector 12 meaning that the number of times of error is too large. If the number of times of error is smaller than 10 times, the processing unit 111 further determines whether it is greater than 5 times. If the number of times of error is not greater than 5 times, the displaying unit 114 displays a message of reentering the input password so that the user 14 can enter the input password again. If the number of times of error is greater than 5 times, then the message generator 113 generates the message code, e.g. 60800000 for proceeding the disabling of the original password. It is noted that the message code generated by the message generator 113 can be a random number (like 60800000 in this embodiment), a pattern, or a mixture of numbers and characters, such as “0&1”. In addition, it is necessary to mention that the aforementioned 5 times and 10 times are used as examples but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. They can be set to other numbers depending on the practical requirements.
The message code 60800000 and the aforementioned special password are explained here. After the message generator 113 generates the message code 60800000, the displaying unit 114 displays the message code 60800000 to the user 14. The user 14 then informs the customer service center 13 of the message code 60800000 so that the customer service center 13 can utilize a decoding program to decode the message code 60800000 into a special password, e.g. <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down>. The processing unit 111 executes the same decoding program to get the special password <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down>. Thus, the processing unit 111 considers that the message code 60800000 corresponds to the special password <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down>. How the message code 60800000 corresponds to the special password <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down> is determined by the decoding program. The decoding program is not used to limit the scope of the present invention. Any program that has the encoding and decoding abilities can be utilized in the present invention.
Then, the explanation returns to the apparatus 11. After the displaying unit 114 displays the message code 60800000, it displays a message for the reentering of an input password. The interface 112 receives the input password entered by the user 14 again. It needs to mention that the user 14 has several chances to enter the correct input password. That is, if the input password entered by the user 14 is incorrect, the interface 112 may ask the user 14 to reenter the input password. The user 14 can enter the special password <Up><Up><Down><Lef><Right><Down> obtained from the customer service center. The processing unit 111 then determines whether the input password is the original password or the special password. That is, the processing unit 111 determines whether the input password is <Up><Down><Left><Right> or <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down>. Since the input password entered by the user 14 in this case is <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down>, the processing unit 111 determines the input password is the special password. Next, the processing unit 111 determines whether the input password corresponds to the message code 60800000. Since the processing unit 111 has decoded the message code 60800000 as <Up><Up><Down><Left><Right><Down> by the decoding program, the processing unit 111 determines that the input password corresponds to the message code. Then, the processing unit 111 disables the original password <Up><Down><Left><Right> and makes the projector 12 operable. Since the original password is disabled, anybody can use the projector 12, which is now not protected. If the user 14 considers that the projector 12 has to be protected again, a new original password can be set again.
The message code is generated by the message generator 113 which comprises random information, so message codes are different from time to time. If the user 14 loses the original password again, another message code will be derived, which corresponds to another special password. Consequently, the apparatus 11 of the present invention for disabling the original password provides robust protection. Users do not have to worry the consequences of losing the message code for the special password.
It is necessary to emphasize that the length of waiting period, the number of times of error, etc, can be adjusted according to the practical situation. Furthermore, the original password and the special password are not limited to the combination of keys of <Up>, <Down>, <Left>, and <Right>. Any key that appear on the apparatus 11 can be utilized. The lengths of the original password and the special password can be modified and the two lengths do not have to be the same. Moreover, the decoding program is not limited to any specific program. Any program that has a decoding ability can be adopted in the present invention.
Different steps are executed according to the input password. First, step 206 is executed to determine whether the input password is the original password or a special password, that is, whether the input password is valid. If the input password is valid, step 207 is executed to determine whether the input password corresponds to a message code. If the input password is the original password, that is, the input password does not correspond to the message code, step 209 is executed to make the electronic device operable. This case relates to the situation when the user remembers the original password.
If it is no in step 206, that is, the user lost the original password so that the input password is neither the original password nor the special password, then step 211 is executed to determine whether a number of times of error is smaller than a first predetermined value. If not, step 204 is executed to turn off the electronic device. If the number of times of error is smaller than the first predetermined value, step 212 is then executed to determine whether the number of times of error is greater than a second predetermined value. If not, step 210 is executed to display a message for the reentering of the input password and then step 206 is executed again.
If the number of times of error is greater than the second predetermined value, step 213 is executed to generate the message code. Then, step 214 is executed to display the message code to the user. The user provides the message code to the customer service center, which then generates a special password by a decoding program based on the message code.
After the step 214, step 210 is executed to display a message for the reentering of the input password. Then, step 205 is executed to receive the input password. In this case, the user has obtained the special password, so the special password is entered. Then, step 206 is executed again to determine whether the input password is the original password or the special password. Since the input password in this case is the special password, step 207 is then executed to determine whether the input password corresponds to the message code. The answer of the step 207 is yes because the special password is generated based on the message code. Step 208 is then executed to disable the original password and then step 209 is executed to make the electronic device operable. Due to the fact that the original password is disabled, anybody can use the electronic device, which is now not protected. If the user decides that the projector has to be protected again, a new original password can be set again. In addition to the steps illustrated in
It is necessary to emphasize that the length of waiting period, the first predetermined value, and the second predetermined value can be adjusted according to the practical situation. Furthermore, the original password and the special password do not have to utilize the same keys and do not have to be the same length. Moreover, the decoding program is not limited to any specific program. Any program that has a decoding ability can be adopted in the present invention.
According to the aforementioned description, when a user forgets or loses an original password, a message code is generated by a message generator. The user then provides the message code to a customer service center. The customer service center decodes the message code by a decoding program and gets a special password to disable the original password. After the special password is entered, the original password is disabled and the user can use the electronic device. If the user loses the original password again, the message generator is used again to generate another message code and a special password is again derived from the customer service center. Since the message code is generated by the message generator, the probability that the message code repeats is very small. Consequently, the user does not have to worry about the losing of the message code and the special password. In addition, extra flows or steps are not required in the factory, so the cost increase of the present invention is minimal.
The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. Those skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 095130454 | Aug 2006 | TW | national |
