Mobile terminal and method of providing security thereto

• US 8,892,072 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Junghyub, Kim, Haebong, Chu, Junghoon, Cho, Yoona, Kim, Taeyong, Hwang, Jaeseon, Mun, Jaeseung
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/484,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455410-4143, 455418-420
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing security of a mobile terminal in various ways are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a 1^st signal from a mobile communication network via a wireless communication unit, when the display unit is activated, displaying a 1^st substitute screen including a password input window on a display unit, inputting a password to the password input window, transmitting the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, if a 2^nd signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, canceling the 1^st substitute screen, and if a 3^rd signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, maintaining the 1^st substitute screen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication module configured to transceive data with an external device by wireless communication;

a user input unit configured to receive an input of a command from a user;

a display unit; and

a controller configured to, when a first signal indicating an execution of a web lock function is received from a mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, execute the web lock function by controlling a first substitute screen including a password input window to be displayed on the display unit when the display unit is activated,

wherein when there is an incoming call after execution of the web lock function, the controller is configured to control a second substitute screen for providing limited functions only to be displayed, and wherein the controller is configured to control caller information to not be displayed on the second substitute screen.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when a password is inputted to the password input window via the user input unit, the controller transmits the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, wherein when a second signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, the controller removes the first substitute screen, wherein when a third signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, the controller maintains the first substitute screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein when the third signal is received for a predetermined number of times, the controller controls the password input window to disappear from the first substitute screen.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein when the second signal is received after the password input window has disappeared, the controller controls the first substitute screen to be removed.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3, further comprising a memory configured to store user data, wherein when the third signal is received for a predetermined number of times, the controller encrypts at least one portion of the user data by a preset encryption algorithm.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein when the second signal is received after the encryption has been performed, the controller decrypts the encrypted data.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the mobile communication network comprises a first server configured to transmit a command delivered from a web server to the mobile terminal and a second server connected to a database storing a valid password, wherein the signal is received from the first server, and wherein the inputted password is transmitted to the second server.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein when the first signal is received, the controller makes a request for a validity check of the first signal to the second server, and wherein when a fourth signal indicating that the first signal is valid is received from the second server, the controller controls the substitute screen to be displayed.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein until the second signal is received after displaying the first substitute screen, the controller recognizes an input via the first substitute screen only.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a memory including a boot region, an operating system region and a user data region, wherein when a fourth signal is received from the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, the controller controls the boot region to be deleted to disable booting.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first substitute screen is substituted for a standby screen, a home screen or a screen last displayed on the display unit before receiving the first signal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein when there is a lock function previously set before receiving the first signal, the controller controls the first substitute screen to be displayed after the lock function is unlocked.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first substitute screen is displayed regardless of setting or non-setting of a basic lock function.

14. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicating an execution of a web lock function from a mobile communication network via a wireless communication unit;

when the display unit is activated, executing the web lock function by displaying a first substitute screen including a password input window on a display unit;

wherein when there is an incoming call after execution of the web lock function, controlling a second substitute screen for providing limited functions only to be displayed and controlling caller information to not be displayed on the second substitute screen;

receiving a password inputted via the password input window;

transmitting the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit;

when a second signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, canceling the first substitute screen; and

when a third signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, maintaining the first substitute screen.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the third signal for a predetermined number of times; and

controlling the password input window to disappear from the first substitute screen.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first substitute screen is displayed regardless of setting or non-setting of a basic lock function.

17. A method of providing security to a mobile terminal in a mobile communication system including a web server, a web terminal configured to access the web server, a push server, a database server configured to store a first password and a relay server, the method comprising:

selecting a security function to be executed in the mobile terminal via the web terminal;

transmitting, from the push server, an execution command of the selected security function to the mobile terminal; and

executing the security function corresponding to the execution command in the mobile terminal,

wherein the security function corresponding to the execution command comprises a web lock function executed by displaying a first substitute screen including a password input window on a display unit of the mobile terminal; and

wherein when there is an incoming call after execution of the web lock function at the mobile station, the mobile terminal controls a second substitute screen for providing limited functions only to be displayed and caller information to not be displayed on the second substitute screen.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile terminal, an input of a second password after executing the security function;

transmitting, from the mobile terminal, the second password to the relay server;

delivering the second password to the database server from the relay server;

enabling the database server to compare identity between the second password and the first password;

transmitting a result of the comparison to the mobile terminal via the relay server; and

canceling, at the mobile station, the executed security function in accordance with the result of the comparison.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the execution command to the relay server from the mobile terminal prior to the executing step;

delivering the execution command to the database server from the relay server;

enabling the database server to compare identity between the execution command delivered from the relay server to the execution command delivered from the web server;

transmitting a result of the comparison to the mobile terminal via the relay server; and

enabling the mobile terminal to determine whether to execute the security function in accordance with the result of the comparison.

20. A mobile terminal comprising:

a wireless communication module configured to transceive data with an external device by wireless communication;

a touchscreen; and

a controller configured to, when a first signal indicating an execution of a web lock function is received from a mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, execute the web lock function by controlling a first substitute screen including a password input window to be displayed on the touchscreen when the touchscreen is activated,

wherein when an invalid password is inputted to the password input window for a predetermined number of times, the controller controls the password input window to disappear from the first substitute screen.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein when a password is inputted to the password input window via the touchscreen, the controller transmits the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, wherein when a second signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, the controller removes the first substitute screen, wherein when a third signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, the controller maintains the first substitute screen.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller controls the password input window to disappear from the first substitute screen when the third signal is received for the predetermined number of times.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 22, wherein when the second signal is received after the password input window has disappeared, the controller controls the first substitute screen to be removed.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 22, further comprising a memory configured to store user data, wherein when the third signal is received for a predetermined number of times, the controller encrypts at least one portion of the user data by a preset encryption algorithm.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein when the second signal is received after the encryption has been performed, the controller decrypts the encrypted data.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the mobile communication network comprises a first server configured to transmit a command delivered from a web server to the mobile terminal and a second server connected to a database storing a valid password, wherein the first signal is received from the first server, and wherein the inputted password is transmitted to the second server.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 26, wherein when the first signal is received, the controller makes a request for a validity check of the first signal to the second server, and wherein when a fourth signal indicating that the first signal is valid is received from the second server, the controller controls the first substitute screen to be displayed.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein until the second signal is received after displaying the first substitute screen, the controller recognizes an input via the first substitute screen only.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein when there is an incoming call after execution of the web lock function, the controller is configured to control a second substitute screen for providing limited functions only to be displayed, and wherein the controller is configured to control caller information not to be displayed on the second substitute screen.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 20, further comprising a memory and an interface unit configured to connect with a memory card, wherein when a fourth signal is received from the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, the controller controls at least part of the memory or the memory card to be deleted.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 30, wherein when a fifth signal is received from the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit, the controller controls a boot region of the memory to be deleted to disable booting.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the first substitute screen is substituted for a standby screen, a home screen or a screen last displayed on the touchscreen before receiving the first signal.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein when a card for identifying a subscriber or a user is changed, the controller controls information of a changed card to be transmitted to a predetermined device.

34. A method of controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicating an execution of a web lock function from a mobile communication network via a wireless communication unit;

when a touchscreen is activated, executing the web lock function by displaying a first substitute screen including a password input window on the touchscreen;

receiving a password inputted via the password input window;

transmitting the inputted password to the mobile communication network via the wireless communication unit;

when a second signal indicating that the password is valid is received from the mobile communication network in response to the transmission, canceling the first substitute screen;

when a third signal indicating that the password is not valid is received, maintaining the first substitute screen; and

when the third signal is received for a predetermined number of times, controlling the password input window to disappear from the first substitute screen.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

wherein when there is an incoming call after execution of the web lock function, controlling a second substitute screen for providing limited functions only to be displayed and controlling caller information not to be displayed on the second substitute screen.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

wherein when a fourth signal is received from the mobile communication network, deleting at least part of a memory of the mobile station or a memory card connected via an interface module to be deleted.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

wherein when a fifth signal is received from the mobile communication network, deleting a boot region of the memory to disable booting.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

detecting a change of a card for identifying a subscriber or a user; and

transmitting information of a changed card to a predetermined device.