Electronic apparatus and information access control method thereof

• US 10,311,254 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Mehrab, A. K. M. Fazla, Shariar, Kazy Fayeen, Noman, Sadik
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilcox, James J
• Application Number:
  US15/000,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application

Abstract

An electronic apparatus and an information access control method thereof are provided. The information access control method includes receiving a user input for a first application on a touch screen, and limiting execution of at least some of remaining applications except for the first application of the electronic apparatus when the user input is a preset first information access control mode input.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to information by an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining a first user input from a current user for a first application among a plurality of applications on a touch screen of the electronic apparatus;

when it is determined that the first user input is a first information access control mode input, limiting, by at least one processor of the electronic apparatus, execution of at least some of remaining applications among the plurality of applications except the first application based on the first user input;

obtaining a second user input for executing a second application among the plurality of applications while an execution screen of the first application is being displayed, wherein the second application is different from the first application and is included in the at least some of the remaining applications; and

based on the second user input for executing the second application among the plurality of applications, displaying a lock screen,

wherein the limiting of the execution of the at least some of the remaining applications comprises;

deactivating the at least some of the remaining applications except the first application, such that the deactivated applications cannot be executed,

limiting an operating time period for the at least some of the remaining applications to a preset time period, and

stopping the execution of the at least some of the remaining applications when a battery charging status of the electronic apparatus has a value less than or equal to a preset value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the first application in the first information access control mode when the first user input is the first information access control mode input;

obtaining an information change request input for the first application during the execution of the first application; and

limiting provision of information related to the first application according to the information change request input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the obtaining of the information change request input for the first application comprises at least one of obtaining an input for terminating the first application or obtaining an input for executing the second application among the plurality of applications that is different from the first application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the limiting of the provision of the information related to the first application comprises switching the electronic apparatus to a locked state.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first information access control mode input corresponds to a gesture input which is preset for the first application.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

limiting provision of at least one piece of content among pieces of content related to the first application when the first user input is a second information access control mode input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the limiting of the provision of the at least one piece of content among the pieces of content comprises:

displaying first content of the first application,

obtaining an information change request input to change to second content different from the first content during the display of the first content, and

displaying preset public content when the second content is preset private content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the limiting of the provision of the at least one piece of content among the pieces of content comprises:

setting a selection input as to whether particular content provided by the first application can be disclosed, and

obtaining a selection input and providing the particular content according to the setting.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a selection input for the first application from the current user on the touch screen;

displaying a function icon for executing the first application in the first information access control mode according to the selection input when the first user input is the first information access control mode input; and

recognizing a user input for the function icon as the first information access control mode input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting of the execution of the at least some of the remaining applications further comprises providing the first information access control mode configured to be executed in relation to only preset applications.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting of the execution of the at least some of the remaining applications comprises limiting an operating time period for the first application to the preset time period.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a touch screen; and

at least one processor connected to the touch screen,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

obtain a first user input from a current user for a first application among a plurality of applications through the touch screen,

when it is determined that the first user input is a first information access control mode input, limit execution of at least some of remaining applications among the plurality of applications except the first application based on the first user input,

obtain a second input for executing a second application among the plurality of applications while an execution screen of the first application is being displayed, wherein the second application is different from the first application and is included in the at least some of the remaining applications, and

based on the second input for executing the second application among the plurality of applications, control the touch screen to display a lock screen, and wherein the limiting of the execution of the at least some of the remaining applications comprises;

deactivating the at least some of the remaining applications except the first application, such that the deactivated applications cannot be executed,

limiting an operating time period for the at least some of the remaining applications to a preset time period, and

stopping the execution of the at least some of the remaining applications when a battery charging status of the electronic apparatus has a value less than or equal to a preset value.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

execute the first application in the first information access control mode when the first user input is the first information access control mode input, and

control the electronic apparatus to be switched to a locked state when an input for terminating the first application is obtained during the execution of the first application or when an input for executing the second application among the plurality of applications that is different from the first application is obtained.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 13,

wherein the first information access control mode input corresponds to a preset gesture input, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain a selection input for the first application from the current user on the touch screen,

display a function icon for executing the first application in the first information access control mode according to the selection input,

obtain a user input for the function icon, and

recognize the user input for the function icon as the first information access control mode input.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to limit provision of at least one piece of content among pieces of content related to the first application when the first user input is a second information access control mode input.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein, to limit the provision of the at least one piece of content among the pieces of content, the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain an information change request input to change to second content different from the first content during the display of the first content, and

display preset public content when the second content is preset private content.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 15, wherein, to limit the provision of the at least one piece of content among the pieces of content, the at least one processor is further configured to:

set a selection input as to whether particular content provided by the first application can be disclosed, and

obtain a selection input and provide the particular content according to the setting.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

control the electronic apparatus to be capable of executing the first information access control mode in relation to only preset applications.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to limit an operating time period for the first application to the preset time period.