Electronic device and method for releasing lock using element combining color and symbol

• US 9,477,831 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chae, Kyung-Duk
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelagay, Shewaye
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Carlton
• Application Number:
  US13/924,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

An electronic device and a method thereof for releasing lock using an element combining color and symbol are provided. In the method, at least two groups including at least two elements combining color and symbol are displayed. One element included in each of the at least two groups is allowed to be sequentially selected at least one time. When it is determined that a sequence of the sequentially selected elements is the same as a set sequence, a lock of the electronic device is released.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user-interface displayed on an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying at least two groups in the user-interface while the user-interface is in a first state, a first group comprising at least two elements by a combination of a color component and a symbol component, a second group comprising at least two elements by a combination of the color component and the symbol component that is different from the first group;

allowing one element from each group of the at least two groups to be selected sequentially at least one time; and

when a sequence of the sequentially selected elements is the same as a set sequence, transitioning the user-interface from the first state to a second state,

wherein the at least two elements are arranged at random each time the at least two groups are displayed, with different combinations of the color component and the symbol component for each group, and

wherein the at least two elements are arranged such that the color component and the symbol component do not overlap for each group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing of the one element from each group of the at least two groups to be selected sequentially at least one time comprises:

when the one element is selected an odd number of times, repeating a process, at least one time, of starting a drag trace with a selection of a first element included in a first group of the at least two groups, and allowing a third element included in the first group to be selected after a second element included in a second group of the at least two groups is selected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing of the one element from each group of the at least two groups to be selected sequentially at least one time comprises:

when the one element is selected an even number of times, repeating a process, at least one time, of starting a drag trace with a selection of a first element included in a first group of the at least two groups, and allowing a second element included in a second group of the at least two groups to be selected.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the sequence of the selected at least two elements is the same as the set sequence.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

when determining that the sequence of the selected at least two elements is not the same as the set sequence, rearranging at least two elements included in each group of the at least two groups at random.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of the sequentially selected elements is a drag trace for transitioning the user-interface from a locked state to an unlocked state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the drag trace changes whenever an input is made.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one group of the at least two groups comprises a line.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two groups comprise two groups.

10. An electronic device including a user-interface displayed over the electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen configured to display at least two groups in the user-interface while the user interface is in a first state, a first group comprising at least two elements by a combination of a color component and a symbol component and a second group comprising at least two elements by a combination of the color component and the symbol component that is different from the first group; and

a processor unit for,

allowing one element from each group of the at least two groups to be selected sequentially at least one time, and

when a sequence of the sequentially selected element is the same as a set sequence, transitioning the user-interface from the first state to a second state,

wherein the at least two elements are arranged at random each time the at least two groups are displayed, with different combinations of the color component and the symbol component for each group, and

wherein the at least two elements are arranged such that the color component and the symbol component do not overlap for each group.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein, when the one element from each group of the at least two groups is selected an odd number of times, the processor unit repeats a process, at least one time, of starting a drag trace with a selection of a first element included in a first group of the at least two groups, and allowing a third element included in the first group to be selected when a second element included in a second group of the at least two groups is selected.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein, when the one element from each group of the at least two groups is selected an even number of times, the processor unit repeats a process, at least one time, of starting a drag trace with a selection of a first element included in a first group of the at least two groups, and allowing a second element included in a second group of the at least two groups to be selected.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor unit determines whether the sequence of the selected at least two elements is the same as the set sequence.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein, when the processor unit determines that the sequence of the selected at least two elements is not the same as the set sequence, the processor unit rearranges at least two elements included in each group of the at least two groups at random.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the sequence of the sequentially selected elements is a drag trace for transitioning the user-interface from a locked state to an unlocked state.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the drag trace changes whenever an input is made.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein at least one group of the at least two groups comprises a line.

18. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least two groups comprise two groups.