Touch entry of password on a mobile device

• US 8,577,356 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kornilovsky, Alexander, Skarine, Alexei
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US13/664,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20130113736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 702/75, 455/418, 455/575.1, 455/575.8, 345/173, 713/182, 726/17, 726/19
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

An electronic mobile device that includes a controller including at least one processor, for controlling operation of the mobile device, a display coupled to the controller, and a navigational input mechanism coupled to the controller and responsive to user manipulation thereof. The controller, in one input mode, moves a selection marker on a user interface screen on the display in response to user manipulation of the navigational input mechanism, and in a second input mode, authenticates a user of the device in dependence on a sequence of input events resulting from user manipulation of the navigational input mechanism matching a predetermined passcode sequence.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a controller; and

a touch interface coupled to the controller;

the controller being enabled to compare a sequence of successive input events from the touch interface to a particular passcode sequence corresponding to a particular sequence of input events, each input event being either a fast input event or a slow input event, and the controller being operative to interpret each of the successive input events as an input event corresponding to a fast input event or a slow input event in the particular passcode sequence and to authenticate if the sequence of input events matches the particular passcode sequence.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the particular sequence comprises input events in one or more directions and the controller is operative to interpret each input event as being in one of the one or more directions.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to authenticate to unlock the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to authenticate using the sequence of successive input events from the touch interface and an alpha-numeric password.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to register each input event based on a minimum distance in each of the successive input events.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to interpret two consecutive input events in a same direction separated by a particular duration as two discrete input events.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an audio output wherein the controller is operative to provide instructions to the audio output to provide audible feedback for each input event.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to provide instructions to the touch interface to provide tactile feedback for each input event.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch interface comprises a touch screen.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch interface comprises a touchpad.

11. A method of processing touch inputs received at an electronic device, the method comprising:

interpreting each of a sequence of successive input events detected at the touch interface as either a fast input event or a slow input event;

comparing the sequence of successive input events to a particular passcode sequence, wherein the particular passcode sequence corresponds to a particular sequence of input events, each input event being either a fast input event or a slow input events; and

authenticating if the sequence of successive input events matches the particular passcode sequence.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising unlocking the mobile device upon authenticating.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising differentiating between long input events and short input events when comparing the sequence of successive inputs to the particular passcode sequence.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising registering each input event based on a minimum distance in each of the successive inputs event.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising interpreting two consecutive input events in a same direction separated by a particular duration as two discrete input events.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing audible feedback for each input event.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing tactile feedback for each input event.

18. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions processing touch inputs received at an electronic device having a touch interface, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

interpreting each of a sequence of successive input events detected at the touch interface a fast input event or a slow input event;

comparing the sequence of successive input events to a particular passcode sequence, the particular passcode sequence corresponding to a particular sequence of input events, each input event being either a fast input event or a slow input event; and

authenticating if the sequence of successive input events matches the particular passcode sequence.

19. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for unlocking the mobile device upon authenticating.

20. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for differentiating between long input events and short input events when comparing the sequence of successive input events to the particular passcode sequence.

21. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for interpreting two consecutive input events in a same direction separated by a particular duration as two discrete input events.

22. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for providing audible feedback for each input event.

23. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for providing tactile feedback for each input event.