Locking and unlocking method in mobile telephone

• US 6,801,765 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Youn-Man, Roo, Kyung-Yun, Hwang, Yong-Duck
• Primary Examiner(s): VUONG, QUOCHIEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/473,223
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/422, 455/563, 455/565, 455/566, 455/550, 455/575, 379/93.03, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/189, 379/903, 340/5.1, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/5.84, 340/5.85, 704/231, 704/246, 704/275
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for locking and unlocking a mobile telephone. The method comprises setting a locking mode by receiving a locking voice, a locking-wait time and a locking number; receiving a locking voice when there is a key input in the locking mode; partially releasing the locking function when the received locking voice is identical to a registered locking voice; switching an operation mode of the mobile telephone to an idle mode, after partially releasing the locking function; and switching the operation mode of the mobile telephone back to the locking mode, when there is no key input in the idle mode until the locking-wait time has elapsed.

Claims

1. A method for locking and unlocking a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

setting a locking mode by receiving a registered locking voice, a registered locking-wait time and a registered locking number;

partially releasing said locking mode when a received locking voice is identical to said registered locking voice;

switching an operation mode of the mobile telephone to an idle mode, after partially releasing the locking function; and

switching said operation mode of the mobile telephone back to said locking mode when there is no key input in said idle mode and when said registered locking-wait time has elapsed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a locking-number input request character message upon receipt of a voice locking function release key and when said input received locking voice is identical to said registered locking voice;

receiving a locking number; and

completely releasing said locking mode when said received locking number is identical to said registered locking number.

3. A method for locking and unlocking a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

setting a voice locking mode by receiving a registered locking voice, a registered locking-wait time and a registered locking number, and switching an operation mode of the mobile telephone to a voice locking mode;

displaying a locking-voice input request character message upon receipt of a key input in the voice locking mode;

outputting a locking-voice input request voice message;

receiving a locking voice within a predetermined time;

partially releasing the voice locking function when the received locking voice is identical to said registered locking voice, and switching the voice locking mode to an idle mode; and

switching the idle mode to said voice locking mode, when there is no key input for the registered locking-wait time in the idle mode.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a voice locking function release key for completely releasing the voice locking function is received, when the received locking voice is identical to the registered locking voice;

displaying a locking-number input request character message upon receipt of the voice locking function release key;

outputting a locking-number input request message;

receiving a locking number; and

completely releasing the voice locking function, when the received locking number is identical to a registered locking number.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the voice locking function setting step comprises the steps of:

upon receipt of a voice locking function setting key, switching an operation mode of the mobile telephone to a voice locking function setting mode;

displaying a locking-voice input request character message;

receiving a registered locking voice within a predetermined time registering said received registered locking voice;

displaying a locking-wait time input request character message;

receiving a registered locking-wait time within a predetermined time, and registering the received registered locking-wait time;

displaying a locking-number input request character message for completely releasing the voice locking function;

receiving a registered locking number within a predetermined time, and registering the received registered locking number; and

setting the voice locking function in the mobile telephone and releasing the voice locking function setting mode.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of outputting a locking-voice input request voice message after displaying the locking-voice input request character message.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of outputting a locking-wait time input request voice message after displaying the locking-wait time input request character message.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of outputting a locking-number input request voice message after displaying the locking-number input request character message.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locking-wait time is a waiting time required when the mobile telephone is set back to the voice locking mode because no key input is received after the voice locking function is partially released.

10. A method for locking and unlocking a mobile telephone which includes a key input device, comprising the steps of:

setting a locking mode by receiving a registered automatic locking number and a registered automatic locking time input with the key input device;

switching an operation mode of the mobile telephone to a locking mode, when there is no key input from the key input device for said registered automatic locking time; and

receiving an automatic locking number when there is a key input in the locking mode, and releasing the locking mode when the received automatic locking number is identical to said registered automatic locking number.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the locking mode setting step comprises the step of:

upon receipt of an automatic locking function setting key, setting an operation of the mobile telephone to an automatic locking function setting mode;

receiving a registered automatic locking number; and

setting a registered automatic locking time.

12. A method for locking and unlocking a mobile telephone, comprising the steps of:

requesting input of a locking voice, when there is no key input in a voice locking mode where a registered locking voice, a registered locking-wait time and a registered locking number are entered in the mobile telephone;

receiving said locking voice within a predetermined time according to the locking voice input request;

determining whether a voice locking function release key is input, when the received locking voice is identical to said registered locking voice;

upon receipt of the voice locking function release key, requesting input of a locking number;

receiving said locking number within a predetermined time according to the locking number input request; and

completely releasing the voice locking function, when the received locking number is identical to said registered locking number.