Electronic device and method for unlocking screen of electronic device

• US 9,372,981 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Zhu, Zhang, Zhiyong
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORTHY, ARAVIND K
• Application Number:
  US14/541,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 726/19, 726/34, 713/168, 713/182
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for unlocking a screen of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a screen and a storage unit. The method includes detecting, in a screen-locked state, intent of a user to unlock the screen; if it is detected that the user intends to unlock the screen, extracting contact information from the storage unit of the electronic device, where the extracted contact information includes a first attribute value and a second attribute value; displaying the first attribute value of the extracted contact information on the screen and prompting the user to input a second attribute value; and detecting an input of the user, and comparing the input of the user with the second attribute value; if the input of the user is the same as the second attribute value, unlocking the screen; and otherwise, maintaining the screen-locked state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, in a screen-locked state, intent of a user to unlock a screen of an electronic device;

extracting contact information from a storage unit of the electronic device when detecting that the user intends to unlock the screen, wherein the contact information comprises a first attribute value and a second attribute value;

displaying the first attribute value on the screen;

prompting the user for an input;

detecting the input;

comparing the input to the second attribute value;

unlocking the screen when the input is the same as the second attribute value; and

maintaining the screen-locked state when the input is not the same as the second attribute value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the intent comprises detecting the user touching one or more physical keys of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attribute value and the second attribute value comprise two of a name, a contact manner, a photo, and a relationship with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the contact manner comprises a phone number, an electronic mail (email) address, or an instant messaging number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is a voice input.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising converting the voice input into a same file format as the second attribute value.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the first attribute value comprises displaying an icon on the screen, and wherein the prompting the user comprises displaying a virtual button.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting an approach or a proximity of the user to a screen area of the electronic device associated with the virtual button;

initiating, based on the detecting the approach or the proximity, a microphone of the electronic device in order to receive the voice input; and

initiating, based on the detecting the approach or the proximity, a circuit of the electronic device corresponding to the microphone in order to process the voice input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is a touch input.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the first attribute value in the form of an icon on the screen, wherein the prompting comprises displaying the second attribute value as a text input box.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the electronic device from responding to any touch on the screen that does not correspond to an action of inputting the second attribute value when the electronic device is in the screen-locked state.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the contact information comprises retrieving the contact information from a predetermined contact group.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a screen;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and comprising instructions that are used by the processor to execute the following steps;

setting the electronic device to a screen-locked state;

detecting an intent of a user to unlock the screen;

extracting contact information from the storage unit when detecting that the user intends to unlock the screen, wherein the contact information comprises a first attribute value and a second attribute value;

displaying the first attribute value on the screen;

prompting the user for an input;

detecting the input;

comparing the input to the second attribute value;

unlocking the screen when the input is the same as the second attribute value; and

maintaining the screen-locked state when the input is not the same as the second attribute value.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a screen;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and comprising instructions that are used by the processor to implement the following;

an action recognizing module configured to detect an intent of a user to unlock the screen;

an information invoking module configured to extract contact information from the storage unit when detecting that the user intends to unlock the screen, wherein the contact information comprises a first attribute value and a second attribute value;

a graph processing module configured to;

display the first attribute value on the screen; and

prompt the user for an input, wherein the action recognizing module is further configured to detect the input;

a determining module configured to;

compare the input to the second attribute value; and

determine whether the input is the same as the second attribute value; and

an executing module configured to;

unlock the screen when the determining module determines that the input is the same as the second attribute value; and

keep the electronic device in screen-locked state when the determining module determines that the input is not the same as the second attribute value.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the input is a voice input.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the graph processing module is further configured to:

display the first attribute value in the form of an icon on the screen; and

display a prompt for inputting the second attribute value in the form of a virtual button.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the action recognizing module is further configured to detect the input by:

detecting an approach or a proximity of the user in a screen area of the electronic device associated with the virtual button; and

detecting the voice input.

18. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the determining module is further configured to convert the voice input into a same file format as the second attribute value.