Method and system for providing limited access to a locked computing device

• US 20070028176A1
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mock, Von, Perdomo, Jorge
• Application Number:
  US11/189,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028176A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A method (100) of providing limited access to a computing device (26) can include limiting (102) access to the computing device by requiring a predetermined user input (e.g., password) during active operation of a screen saver application, presenting (104) a first screen layout having at least one web site link (14) during operation of the screen saver application, granting (106) access to the web site link without requiring the predetermined user input during operation of the screen saver application, and presenting (108) a predetermined website upon activation of the web site link. Access is otherwise denied (110) to the computing device until the predetermined user input is provided. Note, the method can enable (112) a transaction with the predetermined website. The method can further present (114) a targeted screen layout or advertisement in response to receiving information from a user using a short range communication interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing limited access to a computing device, comprising:

limiting access to the computing device by requiring a predetermined user input during active operation of a screen saver application;

presenting a first screen layout having at least one web site link during operation of the screen saver application;

granting access to the at least one web site link without requiring the predetermined user input during active operation of the screen saver application; and

presenting a predetermined website upon activation of the at least one web site link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of otherwise denying access to the computing device until the predetermined user input is provided.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises enabling a transaction with the predetermined website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of presenting a targeted screen layout with the predetermined web site link in response to receiving information from a user using a short range communication link.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of receiving information comprises receiving a user profile from the user via the short range communication link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the short range communication link is a Bluetooth communication link.

7. A method of providing limited access to a computing device, comprising:

presenting a first screen layout enabling a communication link to at least one predetermined vendor while otherwise maintaining the computing device in a locked state;

granting access to the at least one predetermined vendor upon activation of the communication link while maintaining the locked state; and

performing a commercial transaction on the communication link while maintaining the locked state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of granting access to the at least one predetermined vendor upon activation of the communication link by a user by entering a pin number.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of enabling the step of performing the commercial transaction by a user by entering a pin number.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of presenting a targeted screen layout with a predetermined web site link in response to receiving information from a user using a short range communication link.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving information comprises receiving a user profile from the user via the short range communication link.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a display screen coupled to the processor; and

a screen saver application running on the computing device that disables complete access to the computing device unless a predetermined user input is provided and provides limited access to predetermined web content via a graphical user interface within the screen saver application.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the computing device further comprises short range communication interface for receiving a user profile within a predetermined range of the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the computing device provides targeted advertising on the display screen in response to receiving the user profile via the short range communication interface.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the computing device is selected among a laptop computer, a desk top computer, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, and a smart phone.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the screen saver application provides limited access to the predetermined web content upon entering a pin displayed on the display screen in a first screen shot of the application.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the screen saver application enables a purchase transaction.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the screen saver application enables the purchase by the user by entering a pin number.

19. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

presenting a first screen layout enabling a communication link to at least one predetermined vendor while otherwise maintaining the computing device in a locked state;

granting access to the at least one predetermined vendor upon activation of the communication link while maintaining the locked state; and

performing a commercial transaction on the communication link while maintaining the locked state.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises a plurality of code sections for causing the machine to present a targeted screen layout with a predetermined web site link in response to receiving information from a user using a short range communication link.