MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD OF PROVIDING SECURITY THERETO

• US 20130078951A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Taeyong Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Taeyong, Hwang, Jaeseon, Cho, Yoona, Kim, Haebong, Lee, Junghyub, MUN, Jaeseung, Chu, Junghoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing security of a mobile terminal in various ways are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a 1^st signal from a mobile communication network via a wireless communication unit, when the display unit is activated, displaying a 1^st substitute screen including a password input window on a display unit, inputting a password to the password input window, transmitting the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, if a 2^nd signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, canceling the 1^st substitute screen, and if a 3^rd signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, maintaining the 1^st substitute screen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication module configured to transceive data with an external device by wireless;

a user input unit configured to receive an input of a command from a user;

a display unit; and

a controller, if a 1^st signal is received from a mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, controlling a 1^st substitute screen including a password input window to be displayed on the display unit when the display unit is activated.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if a password is inputted to the password input window via the user input unit, the controller transmits the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, wherein if a 2^nd signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, the controller removes the 1^st substitute screen, wherein if a 3^rd signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, the controller maintains the 1^st substitute screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein if the 3^rd signal is received for a predetermined number of times, the controller controls the password input window to disappear from the 1^st substitute screen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein if the 2^nd signal is received after the password input window has disappeared, the controller controls the 1^st substitute screen to be removed.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, further comprising a memory configured to store user data, wherein if the 3^rd signal is received for a predetermined number of times, the controller encrypts at least one portion of the user data by a preset encryption algorithm.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein if the 2^nd signal is received after the encryption has been performed, the controller decrypts the encrypted data.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the mobile communication network comprises a 1^st server configured to transmit a command delivered from a web server to the mobile terminal and a 2^nd server connected to a database storing a valid password, wherein the 1^st signal is received from the 1^st server, and wherein the inputted password is transmitted to the 2^nd server.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein if the 1^st signal is received, the controller makes a request for a validity check of the 1^st signal to the 2^nd server and wherein if a 4^th signal indicating that the 1^st signal is valid is received from the 2^nd server, the controller controls the 1^st substitute screen to be displayed.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein until the 2^nd signal is received after displaying the 1^st substitute screen, the controller recognizes an input via the 1^st substitute screen only.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if there is an incoming call after reception of the 1^st signal, the controller controls a 2^nd substitute screen for providing a predetermined call related function only to be displayed.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller controls caller information not to be displayed on the 2^nd substitute screen.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a memory including a boot region, an operating system region and a user data region, wherein if a 4^th signal is received from the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, the controller controls the boot region to be deleted to disable booting.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the 1^st substitute screen is substituted for a standby screen, a home screen or a screen last displayed on the display unit before receiving the 1^st signal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein if there is a lock function previously set before receiving the 1^st signal, the controller controls the 1^st substitute screen to be displayed after the lock function is unlocked.

15. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a 1^st signal from a mobile communication network via a wireless communication unit;

when the display unit is activated, displaying a 1^st substitute screen including a password input window on a display unit;

receiving a password inputted via the password input window;

transmitting the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit;

if a 2^nd signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, canceling the 1^st substitute screen; and

if a 3^rd signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, maintaining the 1^st substitute screen.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the 3^rd signal for a predetermined number of times; and

controlling the password input window to disappear from the 1^st substitute screen.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a call attempt signal after reception of the 1^st signal; and

displaying a 2^nd substitute screen for providing a predetermined call related function only on the display unit.

18. A method of providing security to a mobile terminal in a mobile communication system including a web server, a web terminal configured to access the web server, a push server, a database server configured to store a 1^st password and a relay server, the method comprising:

selecting a security function to be executed in the mobile terminal via the web terminal;

transmitting an execution command of the selected security function to the mobile terminal from the push server; and

executing the security function corresponding to the execution command in the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile terminal, an input of 2^nd password after executing the security function;

transmitting, from the mobile terminal, the 2^nd password to the relay server;

delivering the 2^d password to the database server from the relay server;

enabling the database server to compare identity between the 2^nd password and the 1^st password;

transmitting a result of the comparison to the mobile terminal via the relay server; and

canceling, at the mobile station the executed security function in accordance with the result of the comparison.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the execution command to the relay server from the mobile terminal prior to the executing step;

delivering the execution command to the database server from the relay server;

enabling the database server to compare identity between the execution command delivered from the relay server to the execution command delivered from the web server;

transmitting a result of the comparison to the mobile terminal via the relay server; and

enabling the mobile terminal to determine whether to execute the security function in accordance with the result of the comparison.