Portable electronic device and unlocking method thereof

• US 8,405,516 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Huang, Po-Tai, Liao, Chia-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US12/873,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/689
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A method executes a gyroscope function to unlock a portable electronic device. A user can rotate the portable electronic device to set a predetermined rotation direction and a predetermined rotation angle for unlocking the portable electronic device. In an unlock procedure, the gyroscope detects the rotated portable electronic device and outputs detected information of the portable electronic device. If the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle, the locked portable electronic device is unlocked.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a storage unit;

a display unit;

at least one processor;

a gyroscope operable to detect a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the portable electronic device;

one or more programs that are stored in the memory and are executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a setup module operable to set a predetermined rotation direction and a predetermined rotation angle for unlocking the portable electronic device;

a receiving module operable to receive the rotation direction and the rotation angle of the portable electronic device detected from the gyroscope and save the received information of the rotation direction and the rotation angle in the storage unit;

a checking module operable to determine whether the rotation direction and the rotation angle stored in the storage unit change within a predetermined time period;

a determination module operable to determine whether the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle if the rotation direction and the rotation angle do not change within the predetermined time period; and

an unlocking module operable to control the least one processor to unlock the portable electronic device if the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle;

wherein the setup module further sets the predetermined time period.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the device further comprising:

a transmission module operable to transmit the rotation direction and the rotation angle received from the receiving module to the display unit.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor unlocks the portable electronic device by unlocking a screen lock or a key lock.

4. A computer-implemented method for unlocking a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device comprising a gyroscope, a storage unit, a display unit and at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the portable electronic device detected from the gyroscope;

determining whether the rotation direction and the rotation angle stored in the storage unit change within a predetermined time period;

determining whether the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as a predetermined rotation direction and a predetermined rotation angle stored in the storage unit if the rotation direction and the rotation angle do not change within the predetermined time period; and

unlocking the portable electronic device if the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle;

setting the predetermined time period for unlocking the portable electronic device and saving the predetermined time period in the storage unit.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising saving the rotation direction and the rotation angle in the storage unit.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting the rotation direction and the rotation angle of the portable electronic device from the receiving module to the display unit.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of unlocking the portable electronic device is by unlocking a screen lock or a key lock.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the following steps to set the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle:

rotating the portable electronic device;

detecting the rotation direction and the rotation angle of the portable electronic device by the gyroscope; and

receiving the rotation direction and the rotation angle and saving them as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle in the storage unit.

9. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for unlocking a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the portable electronic device detected from the gyroscope;

determining whether the rotation direction and the rotation angle stored in the storage unit change within a predetermined time period;

determining whether the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as a predetermined rotation direction and a predetermined rotation angle stored in the storage unit if the rotation direction and the rotation angle do not change within the predetermined time period; and

unlocking the portable electronic device if the rotation direction and the rotation angle are the same as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle;

setting the predetermined time period for unlocking the portable electronic device and saving the predetermined time period in the storage unit.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprising saving the rotation direction and the rotation angle in the storage unit.

11. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprising:

transmitting the rotation direction and the rotation angle of the portable electronic device from the receiving module to the display unit.

12. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the step of unlocking the portable electronic device is by unlocking a screen lock or a key lock.

13. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprising the following steps to set the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle:

rotating the portable electronic device;

detecting the rotation direction and the rotation angle of the portable electronic device by the gyroscope; and

receiving the rotation direction and the rotation angle and saving them as the predetermined rotation direction and the predetermined rotation angle in the storage unit.