APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING KEY LOCK IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20090040018A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Seung-Woo, JUNG, Won-Bae
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a key lock in a portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a keypad, a key buffer, and an input controller. The keypad has a plurality of key buttons and detects at least one key input. The key buffer temporarily stores input key information. The input controller stores the at least one key input, which is detected by the keypad, in the key buffer in a key lock state and determines if a combination of key inputs stored in the key buffer includes an unlock key combination.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a key lock in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a keypad having a plurality of key buttons for detecting at least one key input;

a key buffer for temporarily storing input key information; and

an input controller for storing the at least one key input, which is detected by the keypad, in the key buffer in a key lock state and for determining if a combination of key inputs stored in the key buffer comprises an unlock key combination.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the determining if the combination of the key inputs comprise the unlock key combination comprises determining if a combination of key inputs received and stored within a preset time among key inputs stored in the key buffer comprises an unlock key combination.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller for performing a function corresponding to at least one key input,

wherein, if the combination of the key inputs comprise the unlock key combination, the input controller converts the key lock state into a key unlock state and provides the at least one key input detected by the keypad to the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the input controller does not provide the at least one key input, which is detected through the keypad in the key lock state, to the controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when converting the key lock state into the key unlock state, if the controller is in an idle mode, the input controller sends a request for conversion of the idle mode into a general mode to the controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller sends a request for conversion of a key unlock state into a key lock state to the input controller if key inputs of a lock key combination are received through the keypad within a preset time in the key unlock state, and the input controller converts into the key lock state if the request for conversion into the key lock state is received from the controller in the key unlock state.

7. A method for controlling a key lock in an input controller of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

detecting at least one key input in a key lock state;

storing the detected at least one key input; and

determining, by an input controller, if a combination of stored key inputs comprises an unlock key combination.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining if the combination of the stored key inputs comprise the unlock key combination comprises determining if a combination of key inputs received and stored within a preset time among the stored key input comprises the unlock key combination.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if the input controller determines that the combination of the stored key inputs comprise the unlock key combination, converting the key lock state into a key unlock state; and

providing a key input detected in the key unlock state to a controller.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the input controller does not provide the key input detected in the key lock state to the controller.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after converting the key lock state into the key unlock state, if the portable terminal is in an idle mode, sending, by the input controller, a request for conversion into a general mode.

12. A method for controlling a key lock in a controller of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

detecting a first key input of a lock key combination in a key unlock state;

determining if all keys of the lock key combination are input within a preset time; and

if all the keys of the lock key combination are input within the preset time, sending a request for conversion of the key unlock state into a key lock state to an input controller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input controller does not provide the key input detected in the key lock state to the controller.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining if all keys of the lock key combination are input within a preset time is performed only if the first key of the lock key combination is detected.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, if all the keys of the lock key combination are not input within the preset time, performing an operation corresponding to at least one input key.