Method and apparatus for unlocking operating system

• US 9,131,377 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Huang, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US13/732,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20130122866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455/414.1, 455/423, 455/425, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/26.1, 455418-420, 455557-558, 455565-566, 380247-250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6281 at program execution time, where the protection is within the operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for unlocking an operating system, which are used to unlock the system with personal information data when a user forgets a password, thereby increasing a probability of successful unlocking of the user. The method of the embodiment of the present invention includes: when a user fails in unlocking the system via an unlock pattern in an unlocking interface for pattern unlocking, displaying an unlocking interface for personal information authentication, and matching personal information input by the user with personal information pre-stored in a local database.

Claims

1. A method for unlocking a system associated with an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving an unlock pattern which is input by a user and is for unlocking the system in an unlocking interface for pattern unlocking;

determining whether the unlock pattern is correct or not, and if the unlock pattern is not correct, recording the number of times the user inputs a wrong unlock pattern;

when the number of times the user inputs the wrong unlock pattern reaches a preset threshold, displaying an interface requiring the user to indicate whether the unlock pattern is forgotten;

when an indication that the unlock pattern is not forgotten is received, returning to displaying the unlocking interface for the pattern unlocking; and

when an indication that the unlock pattern is forgotten is received;

displaying the unlocking interface for personal information authentication;

receiving at least two pieces of personal information input by the user via the unlocking interface;

matching the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user with personal information pre-stored in a local database, wherein the personal information pre-stored in the local database is obtained through normal operation of the electronic device unrelated to unlocking or to a security function; and

after matching the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user with the personal information pre-stored in the local database;

unlocking the system if the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user are consistent with the personal information pre-stored in the local database;

or

returning to the unlocking interface for pattern unlocking if the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user are inconsistent with the personal information pre-stored in the local database.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise information from at least one of the following:

contact information of a mobile phone address book, a mobile phone call record, a short message or multimedia message received by the user or a short message or multimedia message sent by the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when the user fails in unlocking via a password, or gesture unlocking, or sound unlocking or fingerprint unlocking, displaying the unlocking interface for the personal information authentication.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise a name of any contact person and a corresponding phone number stored in an address book of the electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise a name of a contact person and a corresponding phone number of a dialed call.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise a name of a contact person and a corresponding phone number of a short message.

7. An apparatus for unlocking a system, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive an unlock pattern which is input by a user and is for unlocking the system in an unlocking interface for pattern unlocking;

a judging unit configured to determine whether the unlock pattern is correct;

a recording unit configured to record, if the unlock pattern is not correct, the number of times the user inputs a wrong unlock pattern; and

a display unit configured to, when the number of times the user inputs the wrong unlock pattern reaches a preset threshold, display an interface requiring the user to indicate whether the unlock pattern is forgotten, and when an indication that the unlock pattern is not forgotten is received, return to displaying the unlocking interface for pattern unlocking;

wherein, when an indication that the unlock pattern is forgotten is received;

the display unit is further configured to display the unlocking interface for personal information authentication;

the receiving unit is further configured to receive at least two pieces of personal information input by the user via the unlocking interface;

a matching unit is configured to match the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user with personal information pre-stored in a local database, wherein the personal information pre-stored in the local database is obtained through normal operation of the apparatus unrelated to unlocking or to a security function;

an unlocking unit is configured to unlock the system if the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user are consistent with the personal information pre-stored in the local database; and

a returning unit is configured to return to the pattern unlocking interface if the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user are inconsistent with the personal information pre-stored in the local database.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise a name of any contact person and a corresponding phone number stored in an address book of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone, and the mobile phone further comprises:

a radio frequency circuit, a microphone, a loudspeaker and a power supply circuit, wherein;

the radio frequency circuit is configured to establish communication between the mobile phone and a wireless network to implement receiving and sending of data between the mobile phone and the wireless network;

the microphone is configured to collect sound and convert the collected sound into sound data, so that the mobile phone sends the sound data to the wireless network through the radio frequency circuit;

the loudspeaker is configured to restore sound from sound data received by the mobile phone from the wireless network through the radio frequency circuit, and play the sound to the user; and

the power supply circuit is configured to supply power to each circuit or component of the mobile phone.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise information from at least one of the following:

contact information of a mobile phone address book, a mobile phone call record, a short message or multimedia message received by the user or a short message or multimedia message sent by the user.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise a name of a contact person and a corresponding phone number of a dialed call.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least two pieces of personal information comprise a name of a contact person and a corresponding phone number of a short message.

13. A terminal device, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory software module stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions to;

receive an unlock pattern which is input by a user and is for unlocking a system of the terminal device in an unlocking interface for pattern unlocking;

determine whether the unlock pattern is correct or not, and if the unlock pattern is not correct, record the number of times the user inputs a wrong unlock pattern;

when the number of times the user inputs the wrong unlock pattern reaches a preset threshold, display an interface requiring the user to indicate whether the unlock pattern is forgotten;

when an indication that the unlock pattern is not forgotten is received, return to the unlocking interface for the pattern unlocking; and

when an indication that the unlock pattern is forgotten is received;

display then unlocking interface for personal information authentication,

receive at least two pieces of personal information input by the user via the unlocking interface,

match the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user with personal information pre-stored in a local database, wherein the personal information pre-stored in the local database is obtained through normal operation of the terminal device unrelated to unlocking or to a security function; and

after matching the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user with the personal information pre-stored in the local database;

unlock the system if the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user are consistent with the personal information pre-stored in the local database;

or

return to the unlocking interface for the pattern unlocking if the at least two pieces of personal information input by the user are inconsistent with the personal information pre-stored in the local database.