Automatic lock and automatic unlock method for computer system and computer system thereof

• US 8,576,071 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• 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: Lo, Yung-Chih, Chou, Feng-Jian, Hsieh, Chih-Yuan, Chang, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/636,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/539.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.31, 340/5.52, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 340/686.1, 700/13, 707/104.1, 713200-202, 713/186, 713/323, 726/17, 726/34
• US Class Current: 340/540
• 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 with a visible light image detector whether a user is in a predetermined range by receiving a detecting wave reflected from the user as a captured image and determining whether a skin color extent of the captured image is greater than a threshold, 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 when the skin color extent of the captured image is greater than the threshold, it is determined that the user is in the predetermined range.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the skin color extent of the captured image is smaller than the threshold, it is determined that that the user is outside the predetermined range.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting wave is transmitted before the step of receiving the detecting wave.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the user has the effective authority when it is determined that the RFID is authorized.

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

a visible light image detector 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 visible light image detector and the identifying module, for controlling the visible light image detector and the identifying module, and executing logic instructions for controlling the computer system to enter an unlock status or a lock status,

wherein when the computer system is in the unlock status and the visible light image detector 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 visible light image detector 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,

wherein the visible light image detector receives a detecting wave reflected from the user as a captured image, and the processing unit determines whether the user is in the predetermined range according to a skin color extent of the captured image.

9. The computer system as claimed in claim 8, 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.

10. The computer system as claimed in claim 8, 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.

11. The computer system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the identifying module is an RFID tag reader, a fingerprint reader or an image reader.