Method for automatically verifying security code of computer system operated by remote controller

• US 7,020,785 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hong-Sam, Lee, Byung-Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lipman, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US09/778,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/202, 713/310
• US Class Current: 726/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards

Abstract

A computer system includes a remote controller for generating a remote control signal to remotely control operations of the system, a remote control signal receiver for receiving the remote control signal generated from the remote controller, and a shell program for executing various remote control operations by the remote controller. If a security code verification operation is performed when the computer system returns from a stand-by state to a normal state by the remote controller, the shell program serves to automatically input a security code transmitted from the remote controller. This makes it possible to automatically input a security code that a user must directly input using an input device such as a keyboard, when the computer system returns to the normal state. Therefore, user convenience can be enhanced.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer, the method comprising:

pressing a button on an input device;

determining whether the input device is a wireless remote controller;

automatically transmitting a first security code stored in the input device to the computer when the input device is a wireless remote controller;

requiring manual input of the first security code when said input device is not a wireless remote controller;

checking whether a second security code stored within the computer is the same as the first security code; and

automatically converting an operation mode of the computer from a non-normal, non-power off mode into a normal mode when the first security code is the same as the second security code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer comprises an operating system (OS) program to perform said checking step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer is in a standby mode immediately prior to said conversion to said normal state, said standby mode being a power saving state where an amount of power delivered to the computer is less than normal but greater than zero, said standby mode being said non-normal, non-power off mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer is in a screen saver mode immediately prior to said conversion to said normal mode, said screen saver mode being said non normal non power off mode.

5. The method of claim 1, said automatically transmitting said first security code to said computer occurring when just one button has been pressed on said wireless remote controller.

6. The method of claim 1, the remote controller being a wireless hand held remote controller.

7. A method for automatically verifying a security code of a multi-user computer via one of a plurality of cordless remote controllers, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a remote control device, the remote control device being one of said plurality of remote controllers, to turn on and boot said computer;

waiting a predetermined period of time for said computer to lapse into a stand-by mode;

pushing a button on one of said plurality of remote controllers to attempt to bring said computer to a normal mode;

transmitting a password to said computer from said remote control device that attempted to bring said computer back to a normal mode;

determining whether the remote controller used to attempt to bring said computer to a normal mode is the same remote control device that booted said computer;

bringing said computer back to a normal mode if said remote control device used to bring the computer back to a normal mode is the same remote control device used to boot the computer; and

rebooting said computer and repeating all of the above steps if the remote control device used to bring said computer to a normal mode is different from the remote control device used to boot the computer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting to said computer from said one of said plurality of remote controllers a password unique to said remote controller when said computer is booted;

saving said password of said remote controller to disk in said computer for future use; and

comparing a password transmitted to said computer by said remote controller that is attempting to resume said computer to a normal mode with said password stored in said disk to determine whether the remote controller used to attempt to resume said computer to a normal mode is the same remote controller used to boot said computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the multi-user computer includes a plurality of save-to-disk storage areas for each one of said plurality of remote controllers.