Protection setting method and protection releasing method for portable device

• US 8,600,350 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hsu, Shih-Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US12/437,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/566, 715733-747
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/48 using secure binding, e.g. securely binding identity modules to devices, services or applications

Abstract

The present invention provides a protection setting method and a protection releasing method for a portable device. The protection setting method comprises: selecting a lock function having a first unlocking condition, displaying a protection condition list including a plurality of protection conditions, selecting a protecting condition from the plurality of protecting conditions, and further setting the selected protection condition as a second unlocking condition for the lock function. When the portable device is locked, the protection releasing method comprises: displaying a password input window for entering a first unlocking input, detecting a second unlocking input, verifying whether the second unlocking input matches with the second unlocking condition, and verifying whether the first unlocking input matches with the first unlocking condition.

Claims

1. A protection setting method for a portable device, comprising steps of:

selecting a lock function having a first unlocking condition;

displaying a protection condition list comprising a plurality of protection conditions;

selecting a protection condition from the plurality of protection conditions; and

setting the selected protecting condition as a second unlocking condition of the lock function,

wherein after the portable device is locked by the lock function, the portable device shows an unlocking input window corresponding to the first unlocking condition when unlocking the lock function, but the portable device does not provide any indication concerning the second unlocking condition,

wherein the second unlocking condition is other than text-based and has a corresponding condition key, and wherein the first unlock condition is verified after the second unlocking condition is satisfied, and the protection setting method further comprises steps of;

determining whether an object of the portable device can be encrypted; and

encrypting the object according to the condition key if the object can be encrypted.

2. The protection setting method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the lock function comprises:

displaying a lock function list comprising a plurality of lock functions, each of the plurality of lock functions having a corresponding unlocking condition; and

selecting the lock function from the plurality of lock functions.

3. The protection setting method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portable device is a mobile phone having an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code, and the protection setting method further comprises:

generating an object key according to the condition key and the IMEI code and encrypting the object according to the object key if the object can be encrypted.

4. A protection releasing method for a portable device, the portable device being locked by a lock function with a first unlocking condition and a second unlocking condition, the protection releasing method comprising steps of:

displaying an unlocking input window corresponding to the first unlocking condition;

detecting, from the unlocking input window, a first unlocking input for determining whether the first unlocking input matches with the first unlocking condition;

detecting, without providing to a user any indication concerning the second unlocking condition, a second unlocking input for determining whether the second unlocking input matches with the second unlocking condition;

determining whether the second unlocking input matches with the second unlocking condition;

determining whether to release locking of the portable device according to whether the first unlocking input matches with the first unlocking condition after the second unlocking input is matched with the second unlocking condition,

wherein an object of the portable device is encrypted by an object key, the second unlocking condition is other than text-based and has a corresponding condition key, and the protection releasing method further comprises steps of;

determining whether the first and the second unlocking conditions are matched with when accessing the object; and

obtaining the condition key for generating the object key and decrypting the object via the object key if the first and the second unlocking conditions are matched with.

5. The protection releasing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the portable device is a mobile phone having an IMEI code, and the protection releasing method further comprises:

obtaining the condition key and the IMEI code for generating the object key and decrypting the object via the object key if the first and the second unlocking conditions are matched with.

6. The protection releasing method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the portable device detects whether the first unlocking condition is matched with after the second unlocking condition is matched with.

7. A protection releasing method for a portable device, the portable device being locked by a lock function with a first unlocking condition and a second unlocking condition, the protection releasing method comprising steps of:

displaying a password input window for entering a first unlocking input;

detecting, without providing to a user any indication concerning the second unlocking condition, a second unlocking input;

verifying whether the second unlocking input matches with the second unlocking condition; and

verifying whether the first unlocking input matches with the first unlocking condition after the second unlocking input has been verified,

wherein an object of the portable device is encrypted by an object key, the second unlocking condition is other than text-based and has a corresponding condition key, and the protection releasing method further comprises steps of;

determining whether the second unlocking input matches with the second unlocking condition and determining whether the first unlocking input matches with the first unlocking condition after the second unlocking input matches the second unlocking condition when accessing the object; and

obtaining the condition key for generating the object key and decrypting the object via the object key if the first and the second unlocking conditions are matched with.

8. The protection releasing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the portable device is a mobile phone having an IMEI code, and the protection releasing method further comprises:

obtaining the condition key and the IMEI code for generating the object key and decrypting the object via the object key if the first and the second unlocking conditions are matched with.