COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INPUT INTERFACE AUTO-LOCK THEREOF

• US 20090170553A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Yi-Hua, Kao, Yih-Feng
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• 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 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A communication device and a method for auto-locking an input interface thereof are provided. In the present invention, an external volume received by the communication device having the input interface is determined when the communication device enters a communication mode. Thereafter, the external volume is compared to a predetermined volume. An input function of the input interface is disabled if the external volume exceeds the predetermined volume. As a result, activation of other functions due to unintended touch of the input interface during a phone call can be avoided.

Claims

1. A method, adapted to a communication device having an input interface, the method comprising:

entering a communication mode of the communication device;

determining an external volume received by the communication device;

comparing the external volume to a predetermined volume; and

disabling an input function of the input interface if the external volume reaches the predetermined volume.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external volume comprises a user'"'"'s volume received when a phone call is performed in the communication mode.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of disabling the input function of the input interface, the method further comprises:

receiving an unlock signal; and

activating the input function of the input interface.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the unlock signal comprises at least one of a signal generated when a specific key of the communication device is pressed, a signal generated when a specific region on the input interface is pressed, and a signal generated when a specific slide operation is performed on the input interface.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of comparing the external volume to the predetermined volume, the method further comprises:

continually activating the input function of the input interface if the external volume is less than or equal to the predetermined volume.

6. A communication device, comprising:

an input interface;

a communication module, for receiving or dialling a phone call;

a volume-receiving module, for receiving an external volume; and

a processing module, coupled to the input interface, the communication module and the volume-receiving module, and used for comparing a predetermined volume to the external volume when the communication module receives or dials the phone call and enters a communication mode, and disabling an input function of the input interface when the external volume reaches the predetermined volume.

7. The communication device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the external volume comprises a user'"'"'s volume received when a phone call is performed in the communication mode.

8. The communication device as claimed in claim 6, wherein after the processing module receives an unlock signal, the processing module activates the input function of the input interface.

9. The communication device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the unlock signal comprises at least one of a signal generated when a specific key of the communication device is pressed, a signal generated when a specific region on the input interface is pressed, and a signal generated when a specific slide operation is performed on the input interface.

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processing module continually activates the input function of the input interface when the external volume is less than or equal to the predetermined volume.

11. A computer-readable recording medium, for storing a program, wherein the program comprising a plurality of program codes that can be loaded into a communication device to execute an auto-lock method, and the method comprises

when the communication device having an input interface enters a communication mode, determining an external volume received by the communication device;

comparing the external volume to a predetermined volume; and

disabling an input function of the input interface if the external volume reaches the predetermined volume.

12. The computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the external volume comprises a user'"'"'s volume received when a phone call is performed in the communication mode.

13. The computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein after the step of disabling the input function of the input interface, the method further comprises:

receiving an unlock signal; and

activating the input function of the input interface.

14. The computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the unlock signal comprises at least one of a signal generated when a specific key of the communication device is pressed, a signal generated when a specific region on the input interface is pressed, and a signal generated when a specific slide operation is performed on the input interface.

15. The computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein after the step of comparing the external volume to the predetermined volume, the program further comprises:

continually activating the input function of the input interface if the external volume is less than or equal to the predetermined volume.