Automatic Lock and Automatic Unlock Method for Computer System and Computer System Thereof

• US 20100164740A1
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chih-Yuan, Chang, Wei, Lo, Yung-Chih, Chou, Feng-Jian
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files

Abstract

An automatic lock and automatic unlock method for a computer system and the associated computer system are provided. The method includes steps of detecting whether a user is in a predetermined range when a computer system is in an unlock status and recording a duration during which the user is not in the predetermined range, controlling the computer system to enter a lock status when the duration is greater than a predetermined time, determining whether the user has an effective authority when the computer system is in the lock status and the user is detected in the predetermined range, and controlling the computer system to enter the unlock status when the user has the effective authority.

Claims

1. An automatic lock and automatic unlock method for a computer system, the method comprising steps of:

(a) when the computer system is in an unlock status, detecting whether a user is in a predetermined range and recording a duration during which the user is not in the predetermined range;

(b) when the duration is greater than a predetermined time, controlling the computer system to enter a lock status;

(c) when the computer system is in the lock status and the user is detected in the predetermined range, determining whether the user has an effective authority; and

(d) when the user has the effective authority, controlling the computer system to enter the unlock status.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting whether the user is in the predetermined range comprises:

receiving a detecting wave reflected from the user; and

determining whether an intensity of the received detecting wave is greater than a threshold.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the intensity of the received detecting wave is greater than the threshold, it is determined that the user is in the predetermined range.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the intensity of the received detecting wave is smaller than the threshold, it is determined that the user is outside the predetermined range.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detecting wave is transmitted before the step of receiving the detecting wave.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

when the computer system is in the lock status and the user has the effective authority, resetting the duration to zero.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein Step (c) comprises steps of:

accessing a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of the user; and

determining whether the RFID tag is authorized.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user has the effective authority when it is determined that the RFID is authorized.

9. An automatic lock and automatic unlock computer system, comprising:

a detecting module, for detecting whether a user is in a predetermined range;

an identifying module, for identifying an authority of the user; and

a processing unit, coupled to the detecting module and the identifying module, for controlling the detecting module and the identifying module, and executing logic instructions for controlling the computer system to enter an unlock status or a lock status.

10. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the computer system is in the unlock status and the detecting module does not detect the user in the predetermined range, the processing unit records a duration;

when the duration is greater than a predetermined time, the processing unit controls the computer system to enter the lock status;

when the computer system is in the lock status and the detecting module detects the user in the predetermined range, the processing unit determines whether an authority of the user is an effective authority; and

when the processing unit determines that the user has the effective authority, the processing unit controls the computer system to enter the unlock status.

11. The computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detecting module receives a detecting wave reflected from the user, and the processing unit determines whether the user is in the predetermined range according to an intensity of the received detecting wave.

12. The computer system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the detecting module comprises a transmitter and a receiver, and the transmitter is for transmitting the detecting wave and the receiver is for receiving the detecting wave reflected from the user.

13. The computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the computer system is in the lock status and the user has the effective authority, the processing unit resets the present duration to zero.

14. The computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identifying module accesses an RFID tag of the user, and the user has the effective authority when the processing unit determines the RFID tag is authorized.

15. The computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the identifying module is an RFID tag reader, a fingerprint reader or an image reader.

16. The computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detecting module is a visible light image detector, an infrared detector, a radio detector or an ultrasonic detector.