Password protection for mobile phones

• US 20060025110A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Spreadtrum Communications USA
• Original Assignee: Spreadtrum Communications USA
• Inventors: Liu, Jun
• Application Number:
  US10/901,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025110A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code

Abstract

A method of password protection in a mobile phone. The method utilizes the password mechanism and features of Flash memory for safeguarding the data inside the phone.

Claims

1. A method of password-protecting a phone, comprising the steps of:

enabling a password protection feature in the phone;

entering a lock mode in the phone after a first specified duration of phone non-operation elapses;

setting a lock mode flag, in a nonvolatile memory of the phone, to enabled status; and

requesting an access password in response to a user attempting to use the phone while the phone is in lock mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

comparing a user-entered password to the access password while the phone is in lock mode; and

entering unlock mode if the user-entered password matches the access password.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the lock mode flag remains set to enabled status in the nonvolatile memory when the phone is restarted so that the lock mode is entered and the access password is requested when the phone is restarted.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first specified duration of phone non-operation is modifiable by a user when the phone is not in lock mode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the access password is stored in the nonvolatile memory of the phone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step re-requesting the access password if a user-entered password does not match the access password.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of the phone remaining in lock mode and not re-requesting the access password if the user enters an incorrect password a consecutive specified number of times.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the consecutive specified number of times is modifiable by a user when the phone is not in lock mode.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the phone enters a screensaver mode after a second specified duration of phone non-operation.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second specified duration of phone non-operation is modifiable by a user when the phone is not in lock mode.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the second specified duration of phone non-operation is equal to the first specified duration of phone non-operation, such that the phone enters the lock mode and the screensaver mode substantially simultaneously.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile memory is embodied on a flash memory chip.

13. A method of password-protecting a phone, comprising the steps of:

entering a lock mode in the phone when a user manually selects the lock mode;

setting a lock mode flag, in a nonvolatile memory of the phone, to enabled status;

requesting an access password in response to a user attempting to use the phone while the phone is in lock mode;

wherein the lock mode flag remains set to enabled status in the nonvolatile memory if the phone is restarted so that the lock mode is entered and the access password is requested when the phone is restarted.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

comparing a user-entered password to the access password; and

entering unlock mode if the user-entered password matches the access password.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the access password is stored in the nonvolatile memory of the phone.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step re-requesting the access password if a user-entered password does not match the access password.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of the phone remaining in lock mode and not re-requesting the access password if the user enters an incorrect password a consecutive specified number of times.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the consecutive specified number of times is modifiable by a user when the phone is not in lock mode.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the phone enters a screensaver mode after a specified duration of phone non-operation elapses.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the phone automatically enters the lock mode after a specified duration of phone non-operation if a user does not manually select the lock mode.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the nonvolatile memory is embodied on a flash memory chip.

22. A phone, comprising:

means for enabling a password protection feature in the phone;

means for causing the phone to enter a lock mode after a specified duration of phone non-operation elapses;

means for setting a lock mode flag, in a nonvolatile memory of the phone, to enabled status when the phone is in lock mode; and

means for requesting an access password in response to a user attempting to use the phone while the phone is in lock mode.

23. The phone of claim 22 further comprising:

means for comparing a user-entered password to the access password; and

means for causing the phone to enter unlock mode if the user-entered password matches the access password.

24. The phone of claim 23 wherein the lock mode flag remains set to enabled status in the nonvolatile memory when the phone is restarted so that the lock mode is entered and the access password is requested when the phone is restarted.