Electronic device and method for unlocking screen of electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9513790-B2
Application number	US-201414584343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Feb 6, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A method for unlocking a screen of the electronic device are provided. 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 second attribute values; displaying the first attribute value of the extracted contact information on the screen and displaying the second attribute values in a selectable manner; and detecting an operation of choosing a second attribute value by the user, and comparing the second attribute value chosen by the user with a second attribute value that is in the storage unit and corresponding to the displayed first attribute value; if the two values are the same, unlocking the screen; and otherwise, maintaining the screen-locked state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises the screen and a storage unit, and the method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device comprises:
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, wherein the extracted contact information comprises a first attribute value and second attribute values;
displaying the first attribute value of the extracted contact information on the screen and displaying the second attribute values in a selectable manner; and
detecting an operation of choosing a second attribute value by the user, and comparing the second attribute value chosen by the user with a second attribute value that is in the storage unit and corresponding to the displayed first attribute value; if the two values are the same, unlocking the screen; and otherwise, maintaining the screen-locked state.

2. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the intent of the user to unlock the screen comprises touching one or more physical keys on the electronic device.

3. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first attribute value and the second attribute value that are of the contact information comprise two of a name, a contact manner, a photo, and a relationship with the user.

4. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the contact manner comprises a phone number, an email address or an instant messaging number.

5. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the displayed first attribute values and second attribute values of the contact information are not quantitatively symmetric.

6. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the selectable manner comprises a manner of a rolling wheel.

7. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein an input of choosing a second attribute value by the user comprises touching the rolling wheel, wherein the rolling wheel produces a rolling effect and sequentially displays the extracted second attribute values, wherein the input further comprises tapping a to-be-chosen second attribute value when the to-be-chosen second attribute value is displayed on the screen.

8. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the contact information extracted from the storage unit of the electronic device further comprises third attribute values, wherein the third attribute values are displayed with the second attribute values in pairs.

9. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the selectable manner comprises a manner of a drop down menu.

10. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein an input of choosing a second attribute value by the user comprises tapping the drop down menu, wherein the drop down menu displays the extracted second attribute values in a list, wherein the input further comprises tapping a second attribute value that is displayed in the drop down menu and is to be chosen by the user.

11. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising: when the electronic device is in the locked state, preventing the electronic device from responding to any touch, on the screen, that is not corresponding to an action of matching contact attribute values.

12. The method for unlocking a screen of an electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact information are extracted from a predetermined contact group.

13. An electronic device, comprising:
a storage unit;
one or more processing units; and
one or more modules, wherein the one or more modules are stored in the storage and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and the one or more modules comprise instructions that are used to execute the following steps:
setting the electronic device to a screen-locked state;
detecting intent of a user to unlock a screen;
if it is detected that the user intends to unlock the screen, extracting multiple pieces of contact information from the storage unit of the electronic device, wherein each piece of the extracted contact information comprises a first attribute value and a second attribute value;
displaying a first attribute value of the extracted contact information on the screen and displaying the second attribute values in a selectable manner; and
detecting an operation of choosing a second attribute value by the user, and comparing the second attribute value chosen by the user with a second attribute value that is in the storage unit and corresponding to the displayed first attribute value; if the two values are the same, unlocking the screen; and otherwise, maintaining the screen-locked state.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the intent of the user to unlock the screen comprises touching one or more physical keys on the electronic device.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the first attribute value and the second attribute value that are of the contact information comprise two of a name, a contact manner, a photo, and a relationship with the user.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the contact manner comprises a phone number, an email address or an instant messaging number.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the displayed first attribute values and second attribute values of the contact information are not quantitatively symmetric.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the selectable manner comprises a manner of a rolling wheel.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein an input of choosing a second attribute value by the user comprises touching the rolling wheel, wherein the rolling wheel produces a rolling effect and sequentially displays the extracted second attribute values, wherein the input further comprises tapping a to-be-chosen second attribute value when the to-be-chosen second attribute value is displayed on the screen.

20. The electronic device according to claim 13 , wherein the selectable manner comprises a manner of a drop down menu.

Assignees

• Huawei Device Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Zhu
• Zhang Zhiyong

Classifications

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06F2221/2103

  Challenge-response · CPC title

• G06F21/36

  by graphic or iconic representation · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title