1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an unlock method, in particular, the present invention relates to an unlock method used for switching from lock mode switches to an unlock mode on a mobile device.
2. Description of Prior Art
In recent years, electronic devices become popular as the semiconductor industry develops. Various smart mobile devices, such as smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), and tablet PCs are part of everyday life making life more convenient with their strong computation capability.
Generally speaking, the above mentioned smart phones use buttons on touch panel screen instead of traditional mechanical buttons. Users switch between lock mode/unlock mode of the mobile device via operations on the touch panel screen. When the mobile device is in the lock mode, the mobile device cannot be manipulated. When the mobile device is in the unlock mode, users are free to launch all kinds of application programs installed in the mobile device. Thus, the lock mode provides protection on the mobile device from being manipulated without authorization by a third party.
Though, the above mentioned slide unlock provides a simple screen lock function and does not provide a password protection. Any person may drag the unlock bar 11 on the touch panel screen 10 to unlock. Thus, the operating time of the unlock action is short, the mobile device 1 is not provided any protection in the slide unlock.
The above mentioned via the unlock method of inputting a password has the highest security. Yet, the process inputting the password is complicated, the users have to press different buttons for inputting different letters or numbers. Thus, the operating time of the unlock action is longer. In addition, when the dimension of the mobile device 1 is small, the unlock password buttons 13 displayed on the touch panel screen 10 may become too small to recognize, or the buttons spacing may become too small for human fingers to press which may lead to incorrect input from time to time.
In terms of the problems, it is desired to provide an innovative method for unlocking a mobile device, which both provide lock method with the protection function identical to the password and the protection function without password protection. Also, the operating time of an unlock action is short and effective.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for unlocking a mobile device and a mobile device and application program for using the method for shortening the operation time of an unlock action via the simultaneity of touch action, and provide a lock function with password protection or without password protection via setting up the quantity and the location of the touch points and the unlock points.
In order to accomplish the above targets, when the mobile device is in the lock mode, the touch panel screen on the mobile device detects a multi-touch action simultaneously performed by users. The users perform the multi-touch action on a plurality of the touch points displayed on the touch panel screen. If the multi-touch action satisfies a predetermined unlock condition of the mobile device, the mobile device switches from a lock mode to an unlock mode.
Compare to prior art, the advantages provided by the present invention are, users perform unlock of a mobile device via a simultaneous multi-touch action according to the present invention. Traditionally, the operation time to use continuous gestures (such as inputting a password or performing a gesture) to unlock a mobile device is long. The operating time issue is resolved in the present invention.
Further, users are allow to set up the display quantity and the display location of the touch points displayed on the touch panel screen, and set up the quantity and the location of the unlock points used for unlocking depending on their requirements. When the quantity of the touch points and the unlock points is the same, the method provides a lock function without password protection, which means any person can touch unlock points to unlock the device. If the quantity of the touch points is higher than the quantity of the unlock points, the method provides a lock function without password protection.
Thus, it is convenient to users to simultaneously perform a multi-touch action for performing an unlock action with or without password protection.
The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes an exemplary embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The memory unit 23 is stored with a lock mode 231 and an unlock mode 232 respectively provided to the mobile device 2 to perform under different modes. When the mobile device 2 is in the lock mode 231, the touch panel screen 22 and other buttons (not shown in the diagram) are locked on the mobile device 2, an user is not allowed to perform any operation on the mobile device 2 before the mobile device 2 is unlock. When the mobile device 2 is in the unlock mode 232, all functions provided on the mobile device 2 are enabled.
The memory unit 23 is further stored with a setup mode 233. When the mobile device 2 is in the unlock mode 232, the user controls the mobile device 2 to enable the setup mode 233. Under the setup mode 233, the touch panel screen 22 detects a multi-touch action performed by the user to set up a predetermined unlock condition 234 of the mobile device 2.
When the mobile device 2 is in the lock mode 231, the user performs simultaneous multi-touch action on the touch panel screen 22, the control unit 21 determines if the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234. If the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234, the control unit 21 controls the mobile device 2 to switch from the lock mode 231 to the unlock mode 232.
The mobile device 2 is installed with other components respectively provides different functions. For example, the mobile device 2 comprises a power unit 24, at least one external connection port 25, and a sound frequency unit 26 etc. respectively and electrically connected to the control unit 21.
The power unit 24 can be a battery for providing power required to operate the mobile device 2. The external connection port 25 can be connection ports comprising an universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, an External Serial Advance Technology Attachment (e-SATA) connector, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector, a DisplayPort connector etc. for establish connection to different external devices (not shown in the diagram), and is not limited thereto. The sound frequency unit 26 is used for processing sound frequency signals of the mobile device 2, and the sound frequency unit 26 connects to speakers and microphones for receiving external sound frequency signals, and playing the processed sound frequency signals. The above mentioned is a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the scope is not limited thereto.
As shown in
When the mobile device 2 is in the lock mode 231, only the touch points 222 are displayed on the touch panel screen 22, the user performs a multi-touch action on the touch points 222 to satisfy the predetermined unlock condition 234 (detailed in the following).
When the user finish and confirmed the setup of touch points 222, the touch panel screen 22 hide other setup points 221 which are not set up, and only reserves the touch points 222 which are set up (as shown in
In the example shown in
When the plurality of the touch points 222 is set up, the mobile device 2 hides other setup points 221 which are not set up (step S14). Though, hiding the other setup points 221 which are not set up is a step made convenient for the user to set up the unlock points 223 in the following. The step S14 is not mandatory, the mobile device 2 is allowed to choose to display all the setup points 221 and skip the hiding step, and the scope is not limited thereto.
After the step S12, the display quantity and the display location of the plurality of the touch points 222 are set up, the touch panel screen 22 detects a multi-touch action made by the user to set up the quantity and the location of the plurality of the unlock points 223 among the plurality of the touch points 222 (step S16). To avoid setup errors made by the user, the mobile device 2 requests the user to confirm if the plurality of the unlock points 223 is set up correctly (step S18). When the user confirms the setup is correct, the control unit 21 stores the setup of the unlock points 223 as the predetermined unlock condition 234 (step S20). In details, the quantity and the location of the unlock points 223 is stored as the predetermined unlock condition 234. Thus, when the mobile device 2 is in the lock mode 231, the user has to perform a simultaneous multi-touch action on the touch panel screen 22 to satisfy the predetermined unlock condition 234 stored previously for switching the mobile device 2 from the lock mode 231 to the unlock mode 232.
The confirmation method in the above step S18 includes the following:
The first confirmation method: after the step S16, the mobile device 2 requests the user to input the quantity and the location of the plurality of the unlock points 223 again. When the user finishes the input, the control unit 21 determines if the input content of the former and the later is the same. If the control unit 21 determines yes, the method moves to the step S20; if not, the method moves back to the step S16 to request the user to set up the plurality of the unlock points 223 again.
The second confirmation method: after the step S16, the plurality of the touch points 222 and the plurality of the unlock points 223 which have been set up, are simultaneously displayed on the touch panel screen 22 of the mobile device 2 with distinguishing features such as different colors or lines so that the user is allowed to move to confirmation process. When the user confirms and presses the confirm button (not shown in the diagram), the method moves to the step S20 to stores the setup. If the user presses the cancel button (not shown in the diagram), the method moves to the step S16, the user sets up the plurality of the unlock points 223 again.
The third confirmation method: after the step S16, the plurality of the setup point 221, the touch point 222 and the unlock point 223 are simultaneously displayed on the touch panel screen 22 of the mobile device 2 with distinguishing features such as different colors or lines so that the user is allowed to move to confirmation process. When the user confirms and presses the confirm buttons, the method moves to the step S20 to store the setup. If the user presses the cancel button, the method moves back to the step S16, the user sets up the plurality of the unlock points 223 again.
The touch panel screen 22 detects an external simultaneous multi-touch action (step S32), wherein the multi-touch action is made by an external object 3, and the touch location matches the display location of the plurality of the touch points 222. Next, the mobile device 2 determines if the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234 set up by the user (step S34), which means if the quantity and the touch location of the multi-touch action satisfy the quantity and the location of the plurality of the unlock points 223 set up by the user setup.
After the step S34, if the multi-touch action does not satisfy the predetermined unlock condition 234, the method moves back to the step S32, the touch panel screen 22 detects an external simultaneous multi-touch action again, and the mobile device 2 remains to be in the lock mode 231. If the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234, the control unit 21 controls the mobile device 2 to switch from the lock mode 231 to the unlock mode 232 (step S36). After the step S36, the mobile device 2 is in the unlock mode 232. The user controls the mobile device 2, and is free to use any application program in the mobile device 2.
The unlock method of the present invention provides lock functions with or without password protection, which is details in the following.
According to the present invention, the user has to perform a simultaneous multi-touch action as the unlock action. Accordingly, the quantity of the unlock points 223 is at least two. If the quantity of the plurality of the touch points 222 is the same with the quantity of the unlock points 223, the user performs a multi-touch action by simultaneously touching all the touch points 222 on the touch panel screen 22 to successfully unlock the mobile device 2. Under the circumstance, unlock method does not provide password protection.
The setup quantity of the touch points 222 and the unlock points 223 can be larger than two. However, as long as the quantity of the touch points 222 is the same with the quantity of the unlock points 223, the unlock method does not provide password protection according to the present invention.
In details, because the quantity of the plurality of the unlock points 223 is the same with the quantity of the plurality of the touch points 222, when the user performs a multi-touch action by simultaneously touching all the touch points 22 to unlock the mobile device 2, the control unit 21 determines that the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234.
As a result, the quantity and the location of the plurality of the unlock points 223 generates various combinations, whereby the unlock method provides a lock function with password protection according to the present invention. In the embodiment, the user is required to know the correct quantity and the correct location of the plurality of the unlock points 223, then the user is able to correctly touches all the unlock points 223 in the simultaneous multi-touch action to successfully unlock the mobile device. Further, the setup of the mobile device 2 can include that if the quantity of the unlock failure is larger than a certain number, the mobile device 2 is permanently locked so as to assure that the mobile device 2 is not accessed without authorization.
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In addition, the mobile device 2 is stored with an application program (AP), the application program is controlled by the control unit 21. When the application program is loaded and executed in the mobile device 2, the user is allowed to perform the unlock method for the mobile device according to the present invention.
The method for unlocking the mobile device comprises following step: a) display the plurality of the touch points 222 on the touch panel screen 22; b) the touch panel screen 22 detects an external simultaneous multi-touch action; c) the control unit 21 determines if the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234; and, d) if the multi-touch action satisfies the predetermined unlock condition 234, the mobile device 2 switches from the lock mode 231 to the unlock mode 232.
In the unlock methods mentioned above, the quantity of the plurality of the touch points 222 set up is two. The quantity of the plurality of the touch points 222 is the same with the quantity of the plurality of the unlock points 223. In the step c, the two touch points 222 are simultaneously touched in the multi-touch action to satisfy the predetermined unlock condition 234. Under the circumstance, the unlock method provides a lock function without password protection.
Further, the quantity of the touch points 222 set up in the mobile device 2 can be larger than two in the setup mode 233, and the quantity of the unlock points 223 set up is at least two. In the step c, the unlock points 223 are simultaneously touched in the multi-touch action to satisfy the predetermined unlock condition 234. In details, the quantity and the location of the plurality of the unlock points 223 in the multi-touch action has to be correct to satisfy the predetermined unlock condition 234. Under the circumstance, the unlock method provides a lock function with password protection.
Thus, the user uses the simultaneous multi-touch action according to the present invention for shortening the operation time of the unlock action via the unlock method. The user can set up the quantity and the location of the plurality of the touch points 222 and the unlock points 223 to have a lock function with or without password protection.
As the skilled person will appreciate, various changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments. It is intended to include all such variations, modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the invention, as defined in the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100140606 | Nov 2011 | TW | national |