Dynamic unlocking method and electronic apparatus using the same

• US 9,571,621 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Yu-Gang, Bai, Yun-Tian
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US14/571,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A dynamic unlocking method and an electronic apparatus using the same method are proposed. The method includes the following steps: recording an unlocking password combination including at least one unlocking password, where each unlocking password is characterized by a touch operation initiating from a specific icon and sliding toward a specific direction along a specific path by a specific distance; displaying an unlocking screen including a plurality of predetermined icons, where the predetermined icons are randomly arranged on the specific path; receiving at least one unlocking input performed on the predetermined icons; when the at least one received unlocking input completely matches the unlocking password combination, unlocking the electronic apparatus.

Claims

1. A dynamic unlocking method, adapted to an electronic apparatus, comprising:

recording an unlocking password combination comprising at least one unlocking password, wherein each of the unlocking passwords is characterized by a touch operation initiating from a specific icon and sliding toward a specific direction along a specific path by a specific distance, wherein the specific direction comprises a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the each of the unlocking passwords is expressed as a form of (a, ±

b), “

a”

represents the specific icon, “

b”

represents the specific distance, “

+b”

represents sliding towards the first direction along the specific path by passing through b from the specific icon, and “

−

b”

represents sliding towards the second direction along the specific path by passing through b from the specific icon;

displaying an unlocking screen comprising a plurality of predetermined icons, wherein the predetermined icons are randomly arranged on the specific path;

receiving at least one unlocking input performed on the predetermined icons; and

unlocking the electronic apparatus in response to the at least one received unlocking input completely matches the unlocking password combination.

2. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific distance of a part of the unlocking passwords in the at least one unlocking password is 0.

3. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific distance is characterized by a number of the predetermined icons passed through by the touch operation.

4. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific path forms a geometric figure, and before the step of displaying the unlocking screen comprising a plurality of the predetermined icons, the dynamic unlocking method further comprises:

randomly scaling a dimension of the geometric figure.

5. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the geometric figure is a round, the first direction is a clockwise direction, and the second direction is an counterclockwise direction,

wherein the specific distance is characterized by a multiple of an arc length between adjacent icons in the predetermined icons.

6. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the geometric figure is a straight line, the first direction is a rightward direction, and the second direction is a leftward direction,

wherein the specific distance is characterized by a multiple of a distance between adjacent icons in the predetermined icons.

7. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific path forms a geometric figure, and before the step of displaying the unlocking screen comprising a plurality of the predetermined icons, the dynamic unlocking method further comprises:

randomly adjusting a display position of the geometric figure.

8. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in response to the at least one received unlocking input is not completely matched to the unlocking password combination, displaying an error message, and re-receiving the at least one unlocking input.

9. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of receiving the at least one unlocking input comprises:

displaying the error message and re-receiving the at least one unlocking input in response to an input time difference between two continuous unlocking inputs in the at least one unlocking input is greater than a predetermined threshold value,

wherein in response to an accumulative number of times for displaying the error message reaches a predetermined number of times, the electronic apparatus is forced to be locked for a predetermined time.

10. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the predetermined icons comprises at least one of a digit, a symbol and a letter.

11. The dynamic unlocking method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the at least one unlocking input performed on the predetermined icons comprises:

determining whether a predetermined confirmation operation is received in response to the at least one received unlocking input matches an emergency telephone number; and

if yes, dialing the emergency telephone number.

12. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a user interface unit;

a storage unit, storing a plurality of modules; and

a processing unit, coupled to the user interface unit and the storage unit, and accessing and executing the modules stored in the storage unit, wherein the modules comprises;

a recording module, recording an unlocking password combination comprising at least one unlocking password, wherein each of the unlocking passwords is characterized by a touch operation initiating from a specific icon and sliding toward a specific direction along a specific path by a specific distance, and the specific direction comprises a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the each of the unlocking passwords is expressed as a form of (a, ±

b), “

a”

represents the specific icon, “

b”

represents the specific distance, “

+b”

represents sliding towards the first direction along the specific path by passing through b from the specific icon, and “

−

b”

represents sliding towards the second direction along the specific path passing through b from the specific icon;

a display module, controlling the user interface unit to display an unlocking screen comprising a plurality of predetermined icons, wherein the predetermined icons are randomly arranged on the specific path;

a receiving module, receiving at least one unlocking input performed on the predetermined icons through the user interface unit; and

an unlocking module, unlocking the electronic apparatus in response to the at least one received unlocking input completely matches the unlocking password combination.

13. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specific distance of a part of the unlocking passwords in the at least one unlocking password is 0.

14. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specific distance is characterized by a number of the predetermined icons passed through by the touch operation.

15. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specific path forms a geometric figure, and the display module further randomly scales a dimension of the geometric figure.

16. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the geometric figure is a round, the first direction is a clockwise direction, and the second direction is an counterclockwise direction,

wherein the specific distance is characterized by a multiple of an arc length between adjacent icons in the predetermined icons.

17. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the geometric figure is a straight line, the first direction is a rightward direction, and the second direction is a leftward direction,

wherein the specific distance is characterized by a multiple of a distance between adjacent icons in the predetermined icons.

18. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specific path forms a geometric figure, and the display module further randomly adjusts a display position of the geometric figure.

19. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein in response to the at least one received unlocking input is not completely matched to the unlocking password combination, the unlocking module controls the user interface unit to display an error message, and requests the receiving module to re-receive the at least one unlocking input.

20. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein in response to an input time difference between two continuous unlocking inputs in the at least one unlocking input is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the receiving module controls the user interface unit to display the error message and re-receive the at least one unlocking input,

wherein in response to an accumulative number of times for displaying the error message reaches a predetermined number of times, the receiving module forces to lock the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time.

21. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein each of the predetermined icons comprises at least one of a digit, a symbol and a letter.

22. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein in response to the at least one received unlocking input matches an emergency telephone number, the receiving module determines whether a predetermined confirmation operation is received, and dials the emergency telephone number if yes.