Method of unlocking mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal

• US 9,462,474 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Shi-Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seyedvosoghi, Farid
• Application Number:
  US14/013,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/90.1, 715/863, 713/182, 345/156, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication

Abstract

An unlock method for conveniently releasing a lock mode of a mobile terminal includes tracking a trajectory corresponding to a touch-and-drag operation of touching the touch screen and then dragging when the mobile terminal is in a lock mode, determining whether one or more intersections occur on the trajectory, and releasing the lock mode if one or more intersections occur on the trajectory. Accordingly, a touch input pattern for unlocking a lock mode is unlimited in terms of size, location, and pattern so that a user can freely touch the touch screen to release the lock mode.

Claims

1. An unlock method which is performed in a mobile terminal with a touch screen, the method comprising:

tracking a trajectory corresponding to a touch-and-drag operation of touching the touch screen and then dragging when the mobile terminal is in a lock mode;

determining whether one or more intersections occur on the trajectory;

determining, if one or more intersections occur on the trajectory, a number of the intersections; and

releasing the lock mode and executing a function including one or more applications corresponding to the number of the intersections.

2. The unlock method of claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the one or more intersections occur on the trajectory when the touch-and-drag operation is completed.

3. The unlock method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a lock screen including information about the lock mode on the touch screen to enable user to recognize the lock mode when the mobile terminal is in the lock mode.

4. The unlock method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a path according to the trajectory corresponding to the touch-and-drag operation.

5. The unlock method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the one or more intersections occur on the trajectory comprises detecting coordinates corresponding to the trajectory to determine whether overlapping coordinates exist on the trajectory.

6. An unlock method which is performed in a mobile terminal with a touch screen, the method comprising:

outputting an incoming call screen on the touch screen if an incoming call is received;

tracking a trajectory corresponding to a touch-and-drag operation of touching the touch screen and then dragging;

determining whether one or more intersections occur on the trajectory;

determining, if one or more intersections occur on the trajectory, a number of the intersections; and

determining whether to set up a call connection if the one or more intersections occur on the trajectory.

7. The unlock method of claim 6, further comprising:

executing a call connection function or a call rejection function according to the number of the intersections.

8. The unlock method of claim 7, wherein executing the call connection function or the call rejection function according to the number of the intersections comprises setting up a call connection if the number of the intersections is one.

9. A mobile terminal with a lock/unlock function, the mobile terminal comprising:

a touch screen configured to output a lock screen when the mobile terminal is in a lock mode;

a touch screen controller configured to receive a signal corresponding to a trajectory of a touch-and-drag operation of touching the touch screen and then dragging, through the touch screen, and to output the received signal as a digital signal including coordinate values of the trajectory; and

a controller configured to receive the digital signal from the touch screen controller, determine whether one or more intersections occur on the trajectory based on the coordinate values of the trajectory included in the digital signal, and release the lock mode if the one or more intersections occur on the trajectory,

wherein the controller determines, if one or more intersections occur on the trajectory, a number of the intersections, releases the lock mode and executes a function including one or more applications corresponding to the number of the intersections.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the lock screen includes information about the lock mode to enable a user to recognize the lock mode.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller displays a path according to the trajectory corresponding to the touch-and-drag operation on the touch screen.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the controller determines whether one or more intersections occur on the trajectory when the touch-and-drag operation is completed.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein if an incoming call screen is displayed on the touch screen, the controller tracks a trajectory corresponding to a touch-and-drag operation of touching the touch screen and then dragging, determines whether one or more intersections occur on the trajectory, and sets up a call connection if the one or more intersections occur on the trajectory.