SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING ACCESS TO AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080136587A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Orr, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.31
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for unlocking and unlocking access to a device. In the system, an access management system for an electronic device is provided. The system comprises: a sensor providing a tap signal; a monitoring circuit connected to the sensor to process aspects of the tap signal; and an access management module operating on the device receiving the tap signal from the monitoring circuit to evaluate the tap signal against a preset tap pattern and to change an access state of the device if the tap signal completes a match for the tap pattern.

Claims

1. An access management system for an electronic device, comprising:

a sensor providing a tap signal when said sensor is activated;

a monitoring circuit connected to said sensor to process said tap signal; and

an access management module operating on said device receiving said tap signal from said monitoring circuit, said access management module evaluating said tap signal against a preset tap pattern and to change an access state of said device if said tap signal completes a match for said tap pattern.

2. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a tapping on a case of said device is said tap signal; and

said sensor is an accelerometer that is designed to detect said tapping.

3. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said access management module further comprises a signal filter to isolate said tap signal from other movements detected by said accelerometer.

4. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said signal filter disregards said tap signal if said tap signal does not have a sufficient magnitude.

5. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an application operating on said device providing a graphical user interface (GUI) allowing initial pattern entry or modifications to be made to said tap pattern on said device.

6. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said preset tap pattern is a locking pattern; and

said access state is changed to a locked state if said tap signal completes a match for said tap pattern, said locked state prohibiting access to at least one application operating on said device.

7. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said preset tap pattern is an unlocking pattern; and

said access state is changed to an unlocked state if said tap signal completes a match for said tap pattern, said unlocked state allowing access to at least one application operating on said device.

8. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said preset tap pattern utilizes parameters selected from any combination of:

a defined time separation between taps, a detected location of a tap and a magnitude of a tap.

9. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said access state allows for subsequent entry of an subsequent access request to enter a further access state of said device providing access to at least one additional application operating on said device.

10. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said subsequent access request is comprised of a second access tap pattern.

11. The access management system for an electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said subsequent access request is comprised of a text password provided to said device.

12. A method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device, comprising:

monitoring for a tap signal imparted on said device;

evaluating said tap signal against a preset tap pattern; and

changing an access state of said device if said tap signal completes a match for said tap pattern.

13. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

filtering said tap signal to isolate said tap signal from signals when said device is being moved while it is being tapped.

14. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

disregarding said tap signal if said tap signal does not have a sufficient magnitude.

15. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said preset tap pattern is a locking pattern; and

said access state is changed to a locked state if said tap signal completes a match for said tap pattern, said locked state prohibiting access to at least one application operating on said device.

16. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said preset tap pattern is an unlocking pattern; and

said access state is changed to an unlocked state if said tap signal completes a match for said tap pattern, said unlocked state allowing access to at least one application operating on said device.

17. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said preset tap pattern utilizes parameters selected from any combination of:

a defined time separation between taps, a detected location of a tap and a magnitude of a tap.

18. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

allowing for subsequent entry of an subsequent access request to enter a further access state of said device providing access to at least one additional application operating on said device.

19. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said subsequent access request is comprised of a second access tap pattern.

20. The method for controlling access to applications operating on an electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said subsequent access request is comprised of a text password provided to said device.