TOUCH ENTRY OF PASSWORD ON A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20080184360A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Skarine, Alexei, Kornilovsky, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

An electronic mobile device that includes a controller including at least one processor, for controlling operation of the mobile device, a display coupled to the controller, and a navigational input mechanism coupled to the controller and responsive to user manipulation thereof. The controller, in one input mode, moves a selection marker on a user interface screen on the display in response to user manipulation of the navigational input mechanism, and in a second input mode, authenticates a user of the device in dependence on a sequence of input events resulting from user manipulation of the navigational input mechanism matching a predetermined passcode sequence.

Claims

1. An electronic mobile device comprising:

a controller including at least one processor, for controlling operation of the mobile device;

a display coupled to the controller; and

a navigational input mechanism coupled to the controller and responsive to user manipulation thereof;

the controller, in one input mode, moving a selection marker on a user interface screen on the display in response to user manipulation of the navigational input mechanism, and in a second input mode, authenticating a user of the device in dependence on a sequence of input events resulting from user manipulation of the navigational input mechanism matching a predetermined passcode sequence.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device has a locked standby state in which access to functionality of the device by the user is substantially limited, and an unlocked state in which access to functionality of the device by the user is permitted, the controller being operative to unlock the device upon authenticating the user.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device includes:

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller for exchanging signals with a wireless communications network; and

a rigid case dimensioned to be held in a hand of a user, the case housing the controller, the display, the wireless transceiver user input device.

4. The mobile device of claim 3 wherein the controller is operative, in dependence on a policy message received through the wireless transceiver, to selectively enable or disable the second input mode of the navigation input mechanism for user authentication.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the device includes a physical user interface coupled to the controller for user input of characters to the controller, the controller being operative to also authenticate the user of the device in dependence on a sequence of characters entered by the user through the physical user interface matching a predetermined password.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 wherein the device includes a storage coupled to the microprocessor and having data stored thereon, and wherein the controller is operative to (i) automatically wipe at least some of the data from the storage upon occurrence of a first predetermined number of failed user authentication attempts made using the navigational input mechanism;

and (ii) automatically wipe at least some of the data from the storage upon occurrence of a second predetermined number of failed user authentication attempts made using the physical user interface,

the second predetermined number being greater than the first predetermined number.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 navigational input mechanism comprises a rotatable element that is rotatable in at least first and second directions and that is depressible, the passcode sequence comprising a sequence corresponding to successive rotatable element movements, wherein the rotatable element comprises a scroll wheel or ball.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein in the second input mode the controller is operative to interpret each distinct rotatable element rotational movement as either an input event corresponding to rotation of the rotatable element in the first direction or rotation of the rotatable element in the second direction, and the rotational movements included in the passcode sequence correspond to rotatable element rotational movements in the first direction and the second direction.

9. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein in the second input mode the controller is operative to interpret each distinct rotational movement as an input event corresponding to fast movement of the rotatable element in the first direction, slow movement of the rotatable element in the first direction, fast movement of the rotatable element in the second direction, or slow movement of the rotatable element in the second direction, and the rotational movements included in the passcode correspond to fast movement in the first direction, slow movement in the first direction, fast movement in the second direction, or slow movement in the second direction.

10. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein in the second input mode the controller is operative to compare the sequence of input events to the predetermined passcode sequence upon depression of the rotatable element.

11. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein in the second input mode the controller is operative to compare each input event to a corresponding portion of the passcode sequence as each input event occurs.

12. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to permit a user of the device to modify the passcode sequence.

13. The mobile device of claim 1 including an audio transducer coupled to the controller, the controller being operative to generate an audio signal through the audio transducer upon the occurrence of match between the sequence of input events and the predetermined passcode sequence.

14. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the navigational input mechanism includes a multi-directional input key coupled to the controller.

15. A method of user authentication for an electronic mobile device having a navigational input mechanism that can be manipulated by a user to facilitate on-screen navigation for the mobile device, including:

receiving from a user of the device a sequence of user inputs through the navigational input mechanism;

comparing the received sequence of user inputs to a predetermined passcode sequence; and

authenticating the user if the received sequence of user inputs matches the predetermined passcode sequence.

16. The method of claim 15 including unlocking the mobile device upon authenticating the user.

17. The method of claim 15 including an alternative method of user authentication, the alternative method including:

receiving from a user a sequence of character inputs through character input keys of the device;

comparing the received sequence of character inputs to a predetermined password; and

authenticating the user if the received sequence of character inputs matches the predetermined password.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the navigational input mechanism includes a rotatable element that is rotatable in at least first and second directions and that is depressible, wherein receiving the sequence of user inputs includes inputting each rotational movement of the rotatable element as a user input.

19. The method of claim 18 including differentiating between fast rotational movements and slow rotational movements of the rotatable element when comparing the received sequence of user inputs to the predetermined passcode sequence.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium carrying thereon instructions for user authentication for an electronic mobile device having a navigational input mechanism that can be manipulated by a user to facilitate on-screen navigation for the mobile device, the instructions including instructions for:

receiving from a user of the device a sequence of user inputs through the navigational input mechanism;

comparing the received sequence of user inputs to a predetermined passcode sequence; and

authenticating the user if the received sequence of user inputs matches the predetermined passcode sequence.