The present inventive concept relates to an electronic apparatus and method of selectively applying a security mode in a mobile device.
A conventional electronic mobile device, for example, a cellular phone, is set to a security mode or a non-security mode. When the set security mode is set, a user has to input a security code by enter a password, an image, or a geniture though a user interface unit. That is, a user has to input the security code every time to access the mobile device set with the security mode.
Even if a user is in a security safe zone, the user has to enter the security code previously set in the security mode. In order for the user to avoid inconvenience in the security safe zone, a user has to disable the security mode to avoid any inconvenience to enter the security code, and then later enable the security mode.
Moreover, since the mobile device is accessed only with the security code set in the security mode, no one is allowed to access the mobile device without the set security code. That is, a person having a high priority or authorization to access the mobile device cannot access the mobile device of a person having a lower priority or authorization.
The present inventive concept provides an electronic apparatus to selectively apply a security mode in a mobile device.
The present inventive concept provides a method of selectively applying a security mode in a mobile device.
The present inventive concept provides a computer readable medium to contain computer readable codes as a program to execute a method of selectively applying a security mode in a mobile device.
Additional features and utilities of the present inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description, which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present inventive concept.
The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present inventive concept may be achieved by providing a mobile device which is configured to photograph an object and includes a user interface comprising a display panel to display an image and a touch panel to receive a user command, a network interface to wirelessly communicate with an external network, and a control unit having a computer-readable medium to control the user interface and the network interface, to perform a first process during a normal mode, and to perform a second operation during a power saving mode, wherein the first process includes setting a location of mobile device as an area condition and setting a communication between the network interface and the external network as a wireless communication condition, and the second process includes unlocking the mobile device according to the area condition and the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a menu image and receiving the user command through the user interface to set the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a plurality of external devices and receiving the user command through the user interface to set at least one of the external devices as the external network of the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a menu image on the display panel and receiving the user command through the touch panel to set the area condition and the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a state section and a menu section, the menu section may include a plurality of icon images on the display panel, and the icon images may include a first icon to set the area condition and a second icon to set the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a plurality of icon images on the display panel, and the icon images may include a first icon to set the area condition and a second icon to set the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a first icon to set the area condition and a second icon to set the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a menu image at a user-finger reachable area on the display panel such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the menu image to set the area condition or the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include displaying a menu image on the display panel to set the location of the mobile device as the area condition.
The area condition may include an area defined by a line on a diagram.
The location of the mobile device may be disposed within a line of a diagram.
The area condition may include an area representing at least one of a home location and a work location.
The first process may include setting the area condition when the network interface wirelessly communicates with the external device in the wireless communication condition.
The first process may include recognizing the area condition in accordance with the wireless communication condition.
The area condition may be set after the wireless communication condition is set.
The first process may further include receiving a password before the area condition is set or edited.
The external network may include a WiFi Device.
The external network may include a carrier service station.
The external network may include a combination of external devices.
The external network may include a second mobile device having a second user interface and a second network interface and communicating with the network interface.
The external network may include a second mobile device having a telephone number and communicating with the network interface.
The external network may include at least one of a medical device, a vehicle, and a home appliance to communicate with the network interface.
The mobile device may include a switch, and the second process may further include detecting an operation of the switch to change the mode of the mobile device.
The mobile device may include a sensor to sense at least one of a motion of the mobile device, a motion of a user, an image of a user, and the second process further comprises detecting an operation of the sensor to change a mode of the mobile device.
The second process may include determining whether the mobile device is in the area condition and the wireless communication condition during the power saving mode, and unlocking the mobile device to access the normal mode according to the determination.
The second process may include determining whether the mobile device is in the area condition when the mobile device is in the wireless communication condition, during the power saving mode, and unlocking the mobile device to access the normal mode according to the determination.
The second process may include receiving a password to unlock the mobile device when the mobile device is not in the area condition.
The second process may further include receiving a password to unlock the mobile device when the mobile device is not in the wireless communication condition.
The control unit may perform a pre-process to set a password during the normal mode through the user interface, and the first process may further include receiving the password before the area condition is set or edited.
The control unit may perform a pre-process to set a password during the normal mode, and the first process is performed after the pre-process.
The mobile device may be unlocked by a time condition, in which the mobile device is at a predetermined time, and a signal condition in which the mobile device receives a predetermined signal from the external device.
These and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept while referring to the figures.
The external apparatus may be an access point (AP) 120 such as a wireless access point device to connect to a wired network using WiFi, WiFi direct, or related standards, a device 130 such as a Bluetooth device or radio frequency identification (RFID) device, etc, and a station 140 for wireless communication such as a carrier service station for 4G, LTE, etc. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto. It is possible that the external apparatus may be another electronic apparatus. It is also possible that the external apparatus may be an apparatus to communicate with the terminal 110 to transmit and receive data therebetween, and such an apparatus may be a home appliance, such as a refrigerator or air conditioner.
The terminal 110 may be disposed within an area defined by a line 120A distanced from the AP 120 or an area defined by a line 130A distanced from the device 130. The terminal 110 may communicate with the AP 120 using the AP-related technology when being disposed within the area defined by the line 120A, and may also communicate with the device 130 using the device-related technology when being disposed within the area defined by the line 130A.
The terminal 110 may have menus and/or functions to correspond to data (signal) of the AP 120, the device 130, and the station 140. The terminal 110 may have menus and functions to correspond to data (signal) stored in a storage unit of the terminal 110.
The control unit 210 may control operations of the terminal and may include a data storage unit, for example, a semiconductor memory unit. The control unit 210 may be connected to an external data storage unit disposed in the housing. The housing of the terminal may include a port such that another external data storage can be detachably attached to the port of the housing, and the port may be connected to the control unit 110 to transmit and receive data.
The network interface unit 220 may communicate with an external network apparatus, for example, the AP 120, the device 130, and the station 140 which are illustrated in
The user interface unit 230 may receive a user input to control operations of the terminal. The user interface unit 230 may include a physical button or key board such as QWERTY keyboard. The user interface unit 230 may have a sensor to detect a user gesture as a user input. The user interface unit 230 may include a microphone to detect a user voice as a user input. The user interface unit 230 may be a sensor to detect an image as a user input. The display unit 240 may include a screen to display an image corresponding to operations of the terminal. The display unit 240 may include a panel or a touch screen to perform a function to display an image and also a function to receive a user input. The user interface unit 230 and the display unit 240 may be formed as a single integrated body. The audio unit 250 may be a speaker and/or a microphone.
The functional unit 260 may be a photographing unit to photograph an object and to generate a signal corresponding to the photographing object. The signal may be processed in the control unit 210, displayed in the display unit 240, and/or transmitted to the external apparatus through the network interface unit 220.
The power supply unit 270 may be connectable to an external power source using a wired and/or wireless method.
The control unit 210 is configured to selectively perform a security mode according to a condition set by a user when the terminal receives a user input corresponding to a power-on, an activation mode in response to a deactivation mode, a wake-up mode in response to a sleep mode, and/or a normal mode in response to a power-saving mode. The activation, wake-up, and normal mode may be usable as a common function of the terminal or may be usable differently, according to a design or user preference. The condition may be a safe zone condition in a security mode or may be a non-safe zone in a non-security mode, for example. After the condition is set in a normal mode of the terminal, the terminal is changed to the deactivation mode (the sleep mode or the power-saving mode) a predetermined time after the normal mode or a predetermined time after no user input. And then the terminal provides a process for the security mode or does not provide the process for the security mode according to the condition when being changed to the activation mode (wake-up mode or the normal mode) according to the user input.
As illustrated in
When the switch 312 of
When a menu 322A to unlock the terminal 300 is selected from the screen 300b, the screen 300C is displayed to show a security check process, for example, a password input process, as illustrated in
When a first predetermined condition is set in the terminal 300 as a safe zone in a security mode (password setting mode), the screen 300A is changed to the screen 300D without displaying the screens 300B and 300C when the first predetermined condition is met. When the first predetermined condition is not met, the terminal displays the screens 300B and 300C to require a security process to enter a password. When a second predetermined condition is set in the terminal 300 as a non-safe zone in a non-security mode (no password setting), the terminal displays the screens 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D to normally access the terminal when the second predetermined condition is met. When the second predetermined condition is not met, the terminal 300 may not display the screens 300B and 300C.
The state section 341 of the screen 300D may include an image corresponding to the safe zone and/or the non-safe zone according to the security mode and/or non-security mode, respectively. The state section 341 may not be selectable by a user as a user input. The menu section 342 of the screen 300D may include one or more menus 342A selectable by a user as a user input to perform a function or operation of the terminal 300. The menu section 342 of the screen 300D may include a settings menu (icon) to set the security mode, the non-security mode, the safe zone, and/or the non-safe zone, etc.
A power-on or activation switch is on in operation 410, a control unit of the mobile device determines whether a predetermined condition is met in operation 420. When the predetermined condition is met, that is, the mobile device is in a safe zone, the mobile device operates a normal mode in operation 430 such that a user can access the mobile device. When the predetermined condition is not met in operation 420, that is, the mobile device is not in the safe zone, the mobile device requires a user to enter a password in operation 440 to authorize the user to access of the mobile device.
A predetermined condition is set in the mobile device in operation 510. When an activation switch is selected in operations 520A or 520B, a security mode is not performed to enter a normal mode in operation 530 or the security mode is performed in operation 540 when the predetermined condition is not met in operation 510. That is, the mobile device selectively performs the security mode according to selection of an activation switch as a user input. The mobile device selectively requires a user to perform the security mode. For example, when the mobile device is in a safe zone according to the predetermined condition, the user is not required to process the security mode to enter a password. However, the mobile device is not in the safe zone according to the predetermined condition, the user is still required to process the security mode to enter a password. Here, the password may be a character, number, motion, audio, and/or image.
A user selects a settings menu in operation 610, and then selects a password setting menu in operation 620 to set the mobile device as a security (password setting) mode or a non-security (no-password setting) mode.
A predetermined condition for a safe zone is selected in operation 630, and then is set in operation 640.
When a user selects a non-security (no-password setting) mode or does not set a security mode in the settings menu in operation 650, the settings menu may further include a menu to select a non-safe zone (or password-required zone) in operation 660. The predetermined condition can be set in operation 670 such that the mobile device monitors a current condition thereof to determine whether the current condition meets the predetermined condition. When the predetermined condition is met, the mobile device requires the user to enter a password to access the mobile device in the non-security mode of the mobile device. When the predetermined condition is not met, the mobile device does not require the user to enter the password in a similar manner to the non-security mode.
When a settings menu (button or icon) 710 is selected in the screen 700A of the mobile device as a user input in
When a menu of the safe zone 723 is selected, the screen 700C is displayed to show an area menu 731 and/or a time menu 732 as the predetermined condition. It is possible that both the area menu 731 and the time menu 732 can be selected and set as the predetermined condition. It is also possible that only one of the area menu 731 and the time menu 732 can be selected and set as the predetermined condition.
When the time menu 732 is selected, a specific time or a time period is set as the safe zone, using a new screen. Setting a specific time or a time period is well known, detail descriptions thereof will be omitted. When the time menu is performed to set the predetermined condition of the safe zone, the mobile device releases the security mode at the specific time or during the time period such that the user can access the mobile device without the security process according to the set time menu.
When the area menu 731 is selected, one or more area settings are displayed on the screen 700D of
When the WiFi menu 741 is selected, at least one WiFi network 751 can be input, detected and then displayed, or selected as a safe zone in the screen 700E of
When the Bluetooth (device) is selected, at least one device 761 can be input, detected and then displayed, or selected as a safe zone in the screen 700f of
It is possible that when a user vehicle is set as the device or the AP for the safe zone and when a signal indicating an emergence, for example, traffic collision or accident to the vehicle, is generated from the vehicle and then transmitted to the mobile device through the Bluetooth or WiFi, the mobile device can recognize the received signal as a predetermined condition of a safe zone so that the user can access and/or use the mobile device without entering a password in the security mode of the mobile device. Here, the vehicle and the mobile device are configured to recognize the signal as a portion of the predetermined condition of a safe zone. In this case, a combination of the selected device and a specific or predetermined signal from the selected device can be set as the safe zone of the mobile device, and when the mobile device receives the signal from the device, so that the user can access or use the mobile device without performing a security check process in a security mode of the mobile device.
It is also possible that when a user medical device is set as the device or the AP for the safe zone and when a signal indicating an emergence for example, a life threatening situation or accident to the user, is generated from the medical device and then transmitted to the mobile device through the Bluetooth or WIFi, the mobile device can recognize the received signal as a predetermined condition of a safe zone so that the user can access and/or use the mobile device without entering a password in the security mode of the mobile device. Here, the medical device and the mobile device are configured to recognize the signal as a portion of the predetermined condition of safe zone. In this case, a combination of the selected device and a specific or predetermined signal from the selected device can be set as a predetermined condition of the safe zone of the mobile device, and when the mobile device receives the signal from the device, so that the user can access or use the mobile device without performing a security check process in a security mode of the mobile device.
When the communication method 743 is selected, one or more communication methods (CMs) 771 and 772 can be selected and set as a safe zone on the screen 700g of
In the screen 700H of
When the security mode is not selected or set in the settings menu 710 of the screen 700a, a menu 791 of non-safe zone can be selected and set such that the mobile device is set to perform a security mode in a non-security mode of the mobile device. For example, an AP, a device, or a communication method is set as the non-safe zone using one or more non-safe zone selection processes similar to the safe zone selection processes of
When a current condition matches the predetermined condition as the safe zone, the mobile device displays the screen 800B by skipping a security mode process. It is possible that the mobile device can display on the screen 800C with a state section 831 and a menu section 832 including a text message 832A and selection menus 832B relating to the displayed text 832A when the mobile device receives the test message 3832A. It is also possible that the mobile device can display on the screen 800D with a state section 841 and a menu section 842 including a telephone call message 842A including selection menus relating to the telephone call message 842A when the mobile device receives the telephone call such that the user can access and use the mobile device.
The screen 800E of
The present general inventive concept can also be embodied as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can include a computer-readable recording medium and a computer-readable transmission medium. The computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data as a program which can be thereafter read by a computer system. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a semiconductor chip package, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. The computer-readable transmission medium can transmit carrier waves or signals (e.g., wired or wireless data transmission through the Internet). Also, functional programs, codes, and code segments to accomplish the present general inventive concept can be easily construed by programmers skilled in the art to which the present general inventive concept pertains.
As illustrated above, a mobile device can be set in a security mode and a safe zone may be set in the security mode so that the mobile device does not require a user to enter a password when a current condition matches a predetermined condition of the safe zone.
Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
This U.S. non-provisional patent application is a divisional application under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of a U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/679,181, filed Nov. 9, 2019, Now U.S. Pat. No. 11,184,771, which is a divisional application Ser. No. 16/402,275 filed May 3, 2019, Now U.S. Pat. No. 10,511,975, which is a divisional application of a U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/166,078 filed Oct. 20, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,299,133, which is a divisional application of a U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/127,286 filed on Sep. 11, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,149,164, which is a continuation application of a U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 15/984,375 filed on May 20, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,085,151 which is a continuation application of a U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 15/972,135 filed on May 5, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,111,098, which is a divisional application of a U.S. non-provision patent application Ser. No. 15/853,870 filed on Dec. 25, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,973,929, which is a continuation application of U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 15/297,069, filed on Oct. 18, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,064,056, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/181,728, filed on Feb. 17, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,509,822, in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
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