Authentication method and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9323908-B2
Application number	US-201113976283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2011
Priority date	Dec 31, 2010
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an authentication method and an electronic device. The method includes: generating by a first device an authentication request if a predetermined condition exists between the first device and a second device, when the first device is in a locking state, wherein the first device has the locking state and a non-locking state; receiving by the first device authentication information, the authentication information being input in response to the authentication request; and authenticating the second device using the authentication information. Through the present disclosure, others cannot directly damage or copy data in the first device in a connection manner such as using a data line even if they get hold of the device, as long as the first device is in the locking state. Thus, the security of the data in the first device is ensured. Since a complex synchronization authentication protocol does not need to be developed by synchronization software and the first device, and the present disclosure is compatible with various commercially available synchronization software, the implementation method is simple and efficient, and the compatibility is good.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An authentication method implemented at a first device,
wherein the first device is a mobile device connectable with or disconnectable from a second device,
the method comprises:
generating by the first device an authentication request if a predetermined condition exists between the first device and the second device, when the first device is in a locking state, wherein the first device has the locking state and a non-locking state;
presenting on the first device the authentication request to a user;
receiving by the first device authentication information, the authentication information being input by the user on the first device in response to the authentication request; and
authenticating by the first device the second device using the authentication information to determine whether a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device is allowed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined condition is the first device being connected to the second device; or
the predetermined condition is the first device being connected to the second device and the first device receiving a request for data read and/or write from the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the authentication is passed, further comprising:
the first device receiving a request for data read and/or write from the second device, and allowing a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the authentication is not passed, further comprising:
the first device receiving a request for data read and/or write from the second device, and forbidding a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking state comprises a state in which the first device executes a command in a first set of commands;
the non-locking state comprises a state in which the first device executes a command in a second set of commands, wherein the number of commands in the first set of commands is less than that in the second set of commands;
the first set of commands comprise an unlocking command which is invoked for switching from the locking state to the non-locking state after an unlocking authentication is passed.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the authentication request generated by the first device is set for a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device, or is an unlocking authentication request.

7. A first device having a locking state and a non-locking state,
wherein the first device is a mobile device connectable with or disconnectable from a second device,
the first device comprising a processor configured for:
generating an authentication request if a predetermined condition exists between the first device and the second device, when the first device is in the locking state;
presenting on the first device the authentication request to a user;
receiving authentication information, the authentication information being input by the user on the first device in response to the authentication request; and
authenticating the second device using the authentication information to determine whether a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device is allowed.

8. The first device according to claim 7 , wherein
the predetermined condition is the first device being connected to the second device; or
the predetermined condition is the first device being connected to the second device and the first device receiving a request for data read and/or write from the second device.

9. The first device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured for allowing a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device, when the first device receives a request for data read and/or write from the second device after the second device is authenticated.

10. The first device according to claim 7 , wherein
the locking state comprises a state in which the first device executes a command in a first set of commands;
the non-locking state comprises a state in which the first device executes a command in a second set of commands, wherein the number of commands in the first set of commands is less than that in the second set of commands;
the first set of commands comprise an unlocking command which is invoked for switching from the locking state to the non-locking state after an unlocking authentication is passed.

11. The first device according to claim 7 , wherein
the authentication request is set for a data read and/or write operation of the second device on the first device, or is an unlocking authentication request.

12. An electronic device having a locking state and a non-locking state, comprising:
a connection unit configured for connecting to another device, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device connectable with or disconnectable from the other device;
an authentication unit configured for generating an authentication request when the electronic device is in the locking state and is connected to the other device via the connection unit, and a predetermined condition is met; presenting on the electronic device the authentication request to a user; receiving authentication information being input by a user on the electronic device in response to the authentication request; and authenticating the other device using the authentication information to determine whether a data read and/or write operation of the other device on the first device is allowed.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured for storing data;
wherein a read and/or write operation of the other device on the data stored in the storage unit is allowed, when the other device is authenticated.

Assignees

• Liu Yongfeng
• Shen Jiangtao
• Li Jun
• Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd
• Lenovo Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Yongfeng
• Shen Jiangtao
• Li Jun

Classifications

• G06F21/44 Primary

  Program or device authentication · CPC title

• G06F21/30 Primary

  Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals · CPC title