Electronic apparatus and method of selectively applying security mode in mobile device

• US 10,511,975 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2019
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seungman Kim
• Original Assignee: Seungman Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Seungman
• Primary Examiner(s): Osifade, Idowu O
• Application Number:
  US16/402,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20190261182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of a mobile device including a display unit having a panel to display a screen to set the mobile device to a security mode requiring a security check process to enter a password for a user to access a normal mode of the mobile device, a functional unit to photograph an object and sense a motion of the mobile device, and a control unit configured to not apply the security check process for the normal mode of the mobile device according to the photographed object and the sensed motion of the functional unit.

Claims

1. A method of a mobile device configured to generate an object image from an object disposed to face the mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a screen by using a panel of a display unit;

unlocking the mobile device to access a normal mode of the mobile device according to a password input in a security check process of a security mode, by using a control processor;

sensing a motion of the mobile device by using a sensor in a motion detection process;

activating a user identification process of photographing the object to generate the object image and determining that the object image is an authorized user according to a reference, in response to the sensed motion of the mobile device; and

unlocking the mobile device to access the normal mode of the mobile device according to the determination of the user identification process, by using the control processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification process comprises:

photographing the object in response to the sensed motion; and

determining the authorized user according to comparison between the object image and the reference to unlock the mobile device without the password input through the display unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

when the user identification process fails, the control processor performs a second user identification process of photographing a second object and determining the authorized user from a second object image and the reference, to unlock the mobile device to the normal mode according to the determination of the second user identification process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile device comprises a first unit to photograph the object to generate the object image according to the sensed motion in the user identification process and a second unit to photograph the object to generate a second object image in a non-user identification process;

when the object is photographed in the user identification process, the object image of the user identification process is determined as the authorized user according to the reference, to unlock the mobile device to the normal mode; and

when the object is photographed in the non-user identification process, the second object image of the non-user identification process is displayed on the panel of the display unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the motion comprises a change of the mobile device from a first state to a second state;

the object image is generated from the object when the sensed motion corresponds to a second reference; and

the object image is compared to the reference to determine the authorized user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the normal mode of the mobile device is maintained for a time period after the mobile device is unlocked;

the sensor senses the motion of the mobile device during the normal mode; and

the control processor extends a time period of the normal mode according to at least one of the sensed motion of the mobile device and the object image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requiring the password of the security check process of the security mode to change the mobile device to normal mode when the object image is not the authorized user in the user identification process; and

not requiring the password of the security check process of the security mode to change the mobile device to the normal mode when the object image is the authorized user in the user identification process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the object image is not displayed on the panel of the display unit in the user identification process; and

the object image is displayed on the panel of the display unit in a non-user identification process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein information on the user identification process is displayed as a symbol on the panel of the display unit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the object image is generated from the object disposed over the mobile device in the user identification process according to at least one of an environment state and a brightness level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the control processor determines whether the object image is the authorized user, according to a state of at least a portion of the object image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification process comprises

periodically attempting to photograph the object to generate the object image for a period of time after the sensed motion of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user menu to select the security check process of the security mode at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the user menu.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user menu to set an exceptional condition of the security mode, which includes generating the object image and sensing the motion of the mobile device, at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the user menu.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user menu including a first sub-user menu to set the generating of the object image and a second sub-user menu to set the sensing of the motion of the mobile device; and

disposing at least one of the first sub-user menu and the second sub-user menu at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the at least one of the first sub-user menu and the second sub-user menu.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the normal mode comprises a state section and a user menu section;

the user menu section comprises a user menu to select an exceptional condition of the security mode, which includes generating the object image and determining the authorized user from the object image in response to the motion of the mobile device; and

the user menu is displayed at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the user menu.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-readable codes as a program to execute the method of claim 1.

18. A method of a mobile device configured to generate an object image an object disposed to face the mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a screen by using a panel of a display unit;

unlocking the mobile device for a user to access a normal mode of the mobile device according to a password input in a security check process of a security mode, by using a control process;

sensing a motion of the mobile device, by using a sensor;

communicating with an external device located in an area to transmit or receive a signal by using a network interface;

activating a user identification process of detecting a condition and determining that the condition represents an authorized user, in response to the sensed motion; and

unlocking the mobile device for a user to access the normal mode of the mobile device according to the determination of the detected condition as the authorized user, wherein the condition comprises at least one of photographing the object to generate the object image as a first condition, communication with the external device in the area in which the mobile device is located as a second condition, and a time to change a mode of the mobile device as a third condition, by using the control processor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user identification process comprises:

photographing the object in response to the sensed motion; and

determining the authorized user according to comparison between the object image and a reference to unlock the mobile device without the password input through the display unit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein information on the user identification process is displayed as a symbol on the display unit.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein when the user identification process fails, the control processor performs a second user identification process of detect the condition and determining the authorized user according to the detected condition, to unlock the mobile device to the normal mode according to the determination of the second user identification process.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein

when the user identification process fails, the control processor performs a second user identification process of photographing a second object to generate a second object image and determining the authorized user from the second object image, to unlock the mobile device to the normal mode according to the determination of the second user identification process.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the condition is one of the first, second, and third conditions in the user identification; and

when the user identification process fails, the control processor performs a second user identification process of detecting another one of the first, second, and third conditions and determining that the detected another one of the first, second, third conditions represents the authorized user, to unlock the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the mobile device comprises a first unit to photograph the object to generate the object image as the first condition according to the sensed motion in the user identification process, and a second unit to photograph the object to generate a second object image in a non-user identification process;

when the object is photographed as the first condition in the user identification process, the object image of the first condition is determined as the authorized user, to unlock the mobile device to the normal mode; and

when the object is photographed in the non-user identification process, the second object image is displayed on the panel of the display unit.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the object image is generated from the object disposed over the mobile device in the user identification process according to at least one of an environmental state and a brightness.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a user menu to select the security check process of the security mode at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the user menu.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a user menu to set the at least one condition at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the user menu.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the normal mode comprises a state section and a user menu section;

the user menu section comprises a user menu to select the at least one condition; and

the user menu is displayed at a user-finger reachable area of the panel of the display unit such that a finger of a user hand holding the mobile device reaches the user menu.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-readable codes as a program to execute the method of claim 18.