METHOD FOR CONTROLLING PARTIAL LOCK IN PORTABLE DEVICE HAVING TOUCH INPUT UNIT

• US 20080055276A1
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHANG, Jae Seung
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A control method for providing a partial lock function in a portable device having a touch input unit and a lock key is provided. The control method includes entering a first lock state; determining whether an input of the lock key is received; determining, if an input of the lock key is received, which one of a second lock state and a third lock state is selected; and setting a lock state of the portable device to the selected lock state. Each of the first, second and third lock states is different from the other two lock states and is one of an entire lock state, a partial lock state and an entire unlock state. The input means may be a touchpad, a touchscreen and an optical jog, and at least one input manner is a touch or a sweep. The partial lock state may be a state in which a lock and an unlock function are provided according to the types or input manners of the touch input unit.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a partial lock in a portable device having a touch input unit and a lock key, the method comprising:

entering a first lock state;

determining whether an input of the lock key is received;

determining, when an input of the lock key is received, which of a second lock state and a third lock state is selected; and

setting a lock state of the portable device to the selected lock state,

wherein each of the first, second and third lock states is one of an entire lock state, a partial lock state and an entire unlock state, and each of the lock states is different from the other two lock states.

2. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 1, wherein the touch input unit has at least two types of input means, and the partial lock state is a state in which a lock function and an unlock function are provided according to the at least two types of the input means.

3. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 2, wherein at least one of the types of the input means is one of a touchpad, a touchscreen and an optical jog.

4. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 1, wherein the touch input unit has at least two input manners, and the partial lock state is a state in which a lock function and an unlock function are provided according to the at least two input manners of the touch input unit.

5. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 4, wherein at least one input manner of the touch input unit is one of a touch and a sweep.

6. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 1, wherein entering the first lock state is performed at an initial time of recognizing operation of the portable device.

7. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 6, wherein the first lock state is a partial lock state.

8. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, before determining whether an input of the lock key is received, whether a touch input is received from the touch input unit,

wherein, when a touch input is not received, determining whether an input of the lock key is received.

9. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, when the first lock state is a partial lock state and the touch input is received, whether the received touch input is an input of a locked object;

locking, when the received touch input is the input of a locked object, a function corresponding to the received touch input; and

performing, when the received touch input is not the input of a locked object, a function corresponding to the received touch input.

10. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 8, further comprising:

locking, when the first lock state is an entire lock state and the touch input is received, a function corresponding to the received touch input.

11. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 8, further comprising:

performing, when the first lock state is an entire unlock state and the touch input is received, a function corresponding to the received touch input.

12. A method for controlling a partial lock in a portable device having a touch input unit and a lock key, the method comprising:

determining, when an input of the lock key is received, a current lock state from one of an entire lock state, a partial lock state and an entire unlock state;

determining, when the lock key input is for a lock state other than the current lock state, which lock state is selected from one of an entire lock state, a partial lock state and an entire unlock state ; and

changing the portable device from the current lock state to the selected lock state.

13. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 12, wherein the touch input unit has at least two types of input means, and the partial lock state is a state in which a lock function and an unlock function are provided according to the at least two types of the input means.

14. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 13, wherein at least one of the types of the input means is one of a touchpad, a touchscreen and an optical jog.

15. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 12, wherein the touch input unit has at least two input manners, and the partial lock state is a state in which a lock function and an unlock function are provided according to the at least two input manners of the touch input unit.

16. The method for controlling a partial lock of claim 15, wherein at least one input manner of the touch input unit is one of a touch and a sweep.