Method and mobile terminal for controlling screen lock

• US 10,278,075 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ju-youn, Lee, Sang-hyup
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Kimberly A
• Application Number:
  US15/373,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 455411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method of controlling screen lock and a mobile terminal employing the same is provided. The mobile device includes a User Interface (UI) for setting a screen unlock mode using a wireless device other than the mobile terminal and stores IDentifier (ID) information of the wireless device designated by the UI corresponding to the screen unlock mode. The mobile terminal is capable of detecting a wireless device. After the ID information of the wireless device is stored, if the wireless device is detected by the mobile terminal and ID information of the detected wireless device is identical to the stored ID information, the mobile terminal controls not to display an unlock requesting screen when the display unit of the mobile terminal is turned on.

Claims

1. A method of controlling screen lock of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving an input corresponding to an operation of turning on a display of the mobile terminal;

detecting a wireless device within a predefined range from the mobile terminal;

obtaining information of the detected wireless device;

determining whether the obtained information matches information stored in the mobile terminal;

displaying, if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal, a home screen on the display;

displaying, if the obtained information mismatches the information stored in the mobile terminal, an unlock requesting screen on the display;

acquiring, after the display is turned on, if the detected wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, a first sensing information from the detected wireless device; and

controlling display of a screen on the display based on a matching result of the first sensing information and a predefined sensing condition,

wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises at least one of a sensing condition for a motion of the wireless device and a sensing condition for an input gesture of the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if, after the display is turned on, the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, controlling to keep the display on without displaying the unlock requesting screen until a screen off input is received from a user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, if the obtained information is not received from the wireless device for a predefined period of time while the display is on, controlling to turn off the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the displaying the home screen, acquiring a second sensing information from the mobile terminal,

wherein the displaying the home screen comprises:

if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal and the acquired second sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition associated with the mobile terminal, displaying the home screen on the display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the acquiring of the second sensing information is carried out if the wireless device is detected by the mobile terminal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises a sensing condition that motion of the mobile terminal is identical to a predefined motion shape.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises a sensing condition that a face of a user recognized by the mobile terminal corresponds to a predefined face.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

after the display is turned on, if the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, acquiring new sensing information from the mobile terminal; and

if the new sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition, controlling to keep the display on until a screen off input is received from a user of the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the displaying the home screen, receiving the first sensing information from the wireless device,

wherein the displaying the home screen comprises:

if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal and the received first sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition associated with the wireless device, displaying the home screen on the display.

11. A mobile terminal which controls screen lock, the mobile terminal comprising:

a display;

a User Interface (UI) device configured to receive an input corresponding to an operation of turning on the display;

a memory configured to store information;

a transceiver configured to detect a wireless device within a predefined range from the mobile terminal and obtain information of the wireless device; and

at least one processor configured to;

determine whether the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory,

display a home screen on the display if the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory, and

display an unlock requesting screen on the display if the obtained information mismatches the information stored in the memory; and

a sensor configured to acquire a sensing information, after the display is turned on, if the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected,

wherein the sensor further configured to acquire a first sensing information from the detected wireless device,

wherein the at least one processor further configured to control display of a screen on the display based on a matching result of the first sensing information and a predefined sensing condition, and

wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises at least one of a sensing condition for a motion of the wireless device and a sensing condition for an input gesture of the wireless device.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein, if, after the display is turned on, the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the memory is continuously detected, the at least one processor is further configured to control to keep the display on without displaying the unlock requesting screen until a screen off input is received from a user.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein, if the obtained information is not received from the wireless device for a predefined period of time while the display is on, the at least one processor is further configured to control to turn off the display.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the wireless device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the memory is further configured to store a predefined distance between the wireless device and the mobile terminal, and

wherein the transceiver is further configured to detect the wireless device transmitting a signal having an intensity equal to or greater than a reception signal intensity corresponding to the predefined distance.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein the sensor is further configured to acquire a second sensing information from the mobile terminal,

wherein the memory is further configured to store the predefined sensing condition associated with the mobile terminal, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to display the home screen on the display if the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory and the acquired second sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the sensor is further configured to acquire the second sensing information if the wireless device is detected by the mobile terminal.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein, after the display is turned on, if the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, the sensor is further configured to acquire new sensing information, and

wherein, if the new sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition, the at least one processor is further configured to control to keep the display on until a screen off input is received from a user of the mobile terminal.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the memory is further configured to store the predefined sensing condition associated with the wireless device,

wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive the first sensing information from the wireless device, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to display the home screen on the display if the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory and the received first sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition.

20. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program to execute a method of controlling screen lock of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving an input corresponding to an operation of turning on a display of the mobile terminal;

detecting a wireless device within a predefined range from the mobile terminal;

obtaining information of the detected wireless device;

determining whether the obtained information matches information stored in the mobile terminal;

displaying, if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal, a home screen on the display;

displaying, if the obtained information mismatches the information stored in the mobile terminal, an unlock requesting screen on the display;

acquiring, after the display is turned on, if the detected wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, a first sensing information from the detected wireless device; and

controlling display of a screen on the display based on a matching result of the first sensing information and a predefined sensing condition,

wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises at least one of a sensing condition for a motion of the wireless device and a sensing condition for an input gesture of the wireless device.