Method and mobile terminal for controlling screen lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9549323-B2
Application number	US-201314078170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2013
Priority date	Dec 3, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A method of controlling screen lock and a mobile terminal employing the same is provided. The mobile device includes a User Interface (UI) for setting a screen unlock mode using a wireless device other than the mobile terminal and stores IDentifier (ID) information of the wireless device designated by the UI corresponding to the screen unlock mode. The mobile terminal is capable of detecting a wireless device. After the ID information of the wireless device is stored, if the wireless device is detected by the mobile terminal and ID information of the detected wireless device is identical to the stored ID information, the mobile terminal controls not to display an unlock requesting screen when the display unit of the mobile terminal is turned on.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling screen lock of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
receiving an input corresponding to an operation of turning on a display of the mobile terminal;
detecting a wireless device within a predefined range from the mobile terminal;
obtaining information of the detected wireless device;
determining whether the obtained information matches information stored in the mobile terminal;
displaying, if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal, a home screen on the display;
displaying, if the obtained information mismatches the information stored in the mobile terminal, an unlock requesting screen on the display, wherein the unlock requesting screen includes at least one user interface (UI) for receiving a user input to unlock the mobile terminal;
acquiring, after the display is turned on, if the detected wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, a first sensing information from the mobile terminal; and
controlling display of a screen on the display based on a matching result of the first sensing information and a predefined sensing condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if, after the display is turned on, the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected, controlling to keep the display on without displaying the unlock requesting screen until a screen off input is received from a user.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, if the obtained information is not received from the wireless device for a predefined period of time while the display is on, controlling to turn off the display.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection of the wireless device by the mobile terminal indicates that the wireless device is transmitting a signal having an intensity equal to or greater than a reception signal intensity corresponding to a predefined distance between the wireless device and the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the displaying the home screen, acquiring an second sensing information,
wherein the displaying the home screen comprises:
displaying, if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal and the acquired second sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition associated with the mobile terminal, the home screen on the display.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the acquiring of the sensing information is carried out if the wireless device is detected by the mobile terminal.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises a sensing condition that a shape of a grip for holding the mobile terminal is identical to a predefined grip.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises a sensing condition that motion of the mobile terminal is identical to a predefined motion shape.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises a sensing condition that a face of a user recognized by the mobile terminal corresponds to a predefined face.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the controlling display of a screen on the display comprises:
if the first sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition, controlling to keep the display on until a screen off input is received from a user of the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the displaying the home screen, receiving sensing information from the wireless device,
wherein the displaying the home screen comprises:
displaying, if the obtained information matches the information stored in the mobile terminal and the received sensing information satisfies a predefined sensing condition associated with the wireless device, the home screen on the display.

13. A mobile terminal which controls screen lock, the mobile terminal comprising:
a display;
a User Interface (UI) configured to receive an input corresponding to an operation of turning on the display;
a memory configured to store information;
a first at least one processor configured to detect a wireless device within a predefined range from the mobile terminal and obtain information of the wireless device; and
a second at least one processor configured to:
determine whether the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory,
display a home screen on the display if the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory, and
display an unlock requesting screen on the display if the obtained information mismatches the information stored in the memory, wherein the unlock requesting screen includes at least one UI for receiving a user input to unlock the mobile terminal,

a sensor configured to acquire a sensing information, after the display is turned on, if the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the mobile terminal is continuously detected,
wherein the sensor further configured to acquire new sensing information from the mobile terminal; and
wherein the second at least one processor further configured to control display of a screen on the display based on a matching result of the new sensing information and a predefined sensing condition.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein, if, after the display is turned on, the wireless device having the obtained information being matched to the information stored in the memory is continuously detected, the second at least one processor is further configured to control to keep the display on without displaying the unlock requesting screen until a screen off input is received from a user.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14 , wherein, if the obtained information is not received from the wireless device for a predefined period of time while the display is on, the second at least one processor is further configured to control to turn off the display.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , wherein the wireless device comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 13 ,
wherein the memory is further configured to store a predefined distance between the wireless device and the mobile terminal, and
wherein the first at least one processor is further configured to detect the wireless device transmitting a signal having an intensity equal to or greater than a reception signal intensity corresponding to the predefined distance.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to acquire sensing information,
wherein the memory is further configured to store a predefined sensing condition associated with the mobile terminal, and
wherein the second at least one processor is further configured to display the home screen on the display if the obtained information matches the information stored in the memory and the acquired sensing information satisfies the predefined sensing condition.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18 , wherein the sensor is further configured to acquire the sensing information if the wireless device is detected by the mobile terminal.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 18 , wherein the predefined sensing condition comprises a sensing condition that a shape of a grip for holding the mobile t

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Ju-Youn
• Lee Sang-Hyup

Classifications

• G06F21/32

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• H04W4/20

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title

• G06F21/35

  communicating wirelessly · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title