Method and device for unlocking electronic equipment and unlocking key thereof

• US 9,727,721 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Gou, Yajun, Wang, Weiping, Zhang, Xiaobo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US14/416,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for unlocking an electronic equipment, and the method includes: the electronic equipment detects periodically whether there is an unlocking key in its surrounding environment, and when there is an unlocking key in the surrounding environment, transmits an unlocking request to the unlocking key; the unlocking key receives the unlocking request, determines in accordance with the unlocking request whether the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, and when it is determined that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, transmits an unlocking signal to the electronic equipment so as to unlock the electronic equipment. Further disclosed are a device for unlocking an electronic equipment and an unlocking key for unlocking an electronic equipment. By means of the present disclosure, the unlocking key is enabled to automatically unlock an electronic equipment when it is disposed near the electronic equipment.

Claims

1. A method for unlocking an electronic equipment, comprising:

detecting periodically, by the electronic equipment, whether there is an unlocking key in a surrounding environment, and when there is an unlocking key in the surrounding environment, transmitting an unlocking request to the unlocking key;

receiving, by the unlocking key, the unlocking request, determining in accordance with the unlocking request whether the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, and when a determination is made that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, transmitting an unlocking signal to the electronic equipment so as to unlock the electronic equipment;

wherein the step of detecting periodically, by the electronic equipment, whether there is an unlocking key in a surrounding environment comprises;

outputting, by the electronic equipment, a wireless signal, wherein the wireless signal carries graphic identifier information of an unlocking key that matches the electronic equipment;

receiving, by the unlocking key, the wireless signal and acquiring the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal;

determining, by the unlocking key, whether the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal is consistent with preset information, and when a determination is made that the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal is consistent with the preset information, outputting an acknowledgement signal to the electronic equipment, wherein the preset information is graphic identifier information corresponding to the unlocking key pre-stored in the unlocking key;

determining, by the electronic equipment, whether the acknowledgement signal is received within a preset period of time, determining that there is an unlocking key in the surrounding environment when a determination is made that the acknowledgement signal is received within the preset period of time, and determining that there isn'"'"'t an unlocking key in the surrounding environment when a determination is made that the acknowledgement signal is not received within the preset period of time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting an unlocking request to the unlocking key comprises:

acquiring an identification code of the electronic equipment, encrypting the identification code, and outputting the encrypted identification code to the unlocking key.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the receiving by the unlocking key the unlocking request and determining in accordance with the unlocking request whether the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key comprises:

receiving, by the unlocking key, the encrypted identification code, decrypting the encrypted identification code, and acquiring the identification code of the electronic equipment;

determining whether the identification code of the electronic equipment is consistent with a preset identification code, determining that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key when it is determination is made that the identification code of the electronic equipment is consistent with the preset identification code, and determining that the electronic equipment doesn'"'"'t match the unlocking key when a determination is made that the identification code of the electronic equipment is inconsistent with the preset identification code.

4. A device for unlocking an electronic equipment, comprising a controller arranged in the electronic equipment and an unlocking key that is independent from the electronic equipment, the unlocking key being an unlocking member corresponding to the electronic equipment with a shape of a physical key or a card-like shape, wherein

the controller is configured to detect periodically whether there is an unlocking key in its surrounding environment, and when there is an unlocking key in the surrounding environment, transmit an unlocking request to the unlocking key, and unlock the electronic equipment after receiving an unlocking signal from the unlocking key;

the unlocking key is configured to receive the unlocking request, determine in accordance with the unlocking request whether the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, and when it is determination is made that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, transmit the unlocking signal to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to output a wireless signal, wherein the wireless signal carries graphic identifier information of an unlocking key that matches the electronic equipment, and continue to output the wireless signal to the surrounding environment after receiving a searching failure signal;

wherein the unlocking key comprises a first processing module, and

the first processing module is configured to receive the wireless signal, acquire the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal, determine whether the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal is consistent with preset information, and when a determination is made that the information carried in the wireless signal is consistent with the preset information, output an acknowledgement signal to the controller, wherein the preset information is graphic identifier information corresponding to the unlocking key pre-stored in the unlocking key; and

wherein the controller is further configured to receive the acknowledgement signal and determine whether the acknowledgement signal is received within a preset period of time, when a determination is made that the acknowledgement signal is received within the preset period of time, determine that there is an unlocking key in the surrounding environment and output a determination signal, and when a determination is made that the acknowledgement signal is not received within the preset period of time, determine that there isn'"'"'t an unlocking key in the surrounding environment and output the searching failure signal.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the determination signal and acquire an identification code of the electronic equipment, encrypt the identification code of the electronic equipment and output the encrypted identification code.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the unlocking key further comprises a second processing module;

the second processing module is configured to decrypt the encrypted identification code, acquire the identification code of the electronic equipment and determine whether the identification code of the electronic equipment is consistent with a preset identification code, when a determination is made that the identification code of the electronic equipment is consistent with the preset identification code, determine that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key where the second processing module is located and output an unlocking signal to the controller, when a determination is made that the identification code of the electronic equipment is inconsistent with the preset identification code, determine that the electronic equipment doesn'"'"'t match the unlocking key where the second processing module is located;

the controller is further configured to unlock the electronic equipment after receiving the unlocking signal.

7. An unlocking key for unlocking an electronic equipment, the unlocking key being an unlocking member corresponding to the electronic equipment with a shape of a physical key or a card-like shape and configured to receive an unlocking request transmitted by the electronic equipment, determine in accordance with the unlocking request whether the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, and when a determination is made that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key, transmit an unlocking signal to the electronic equipment so as to unlock the electronic equipment;

wherein the unlocking request is an identification code of the electronic equipment, and the unlocking key comprises a first processing module and a second processing module;

the first processing module is configured to receive a wireless signal output by the electronic equipment, wherein the wireless signal carries graphic identifier information of an unlocking key that matches the electronic equipment, acquire the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal and determine whether the graphic identifier information carried in the wireless signal is consistent with preset information, and when a determination is made that the information carried in the wireless signal is consistent with the preset information, output an acknowledgement signal to the electronic equipment, wherein the preset information is graphic identifier information corresponding to the unlocking key pre-stored in the unlocking key;

the second processing module is configured to receive and decrypt the encrypted identification code of the electronic equipment, which is transmitted by the electronic equipment, determine whether the identification code of the electronic equipment is consistent with a preset identification code, and when a determination is made that the identification code of the electronic equipment is consistent with the preset identification code, determine that the electronic equipment matches the unlocking key where the second processing module is located and output the unlocking signal.