APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING PRIVACY IN TERMINAL

1 . A method for providing a secret mode of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining whether an input corresponds to an input to enter a secret mode; and

controlling, by a controller of the mobile terminal, a secret item to be output in the secret mode, the secret item being restricted in a non-secret mode.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the secret item is stored in a secret database other than a standard database, and

wherein the secret database is configured to be accessible in the secret mode and inaccessible in the non-secret mode.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein if the input is a fingerprint input corresponding to an authorized user, the input is determined to be the input to enter the secret mode.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the secret item comprises at least one of a name of a contact, an image of the contact, a call log associated with the contact, and a message associated with the contact.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a lock screen on a display screen of a mobile terminal;

receiving the input to unlock the lock screen;

in the secret mode, displaying a list comprising a secret item and a non-secret item,

wherein a symbol is displayed in association with the secret item to indicate the status of the secret item.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the secret item comprises a secret contact entry in a contact list or a text message communicated with a secret contact.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

entering the non-secret mode;

in the non-secret mode, detecting a notification event associated with the secret item; and

in response to a determination that the notification event is associated with the secret item, modifying a notification output method of the detected notification event to hide secret information.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the modifying of the notification output method comprises displaying a symbol indicating a notification event associated with the secret item.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in the non-secret mode, receiving a call from a secret contact, the secret contact being classified as a secret contact of an authorized user of the mobile terminal;

modifying a call display method by removing or changing information of the secret contact; and

displaying a call reception screen according to the modified call display method.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in the non-secret mode, executing an application comprising information associated with the secret item; and

modifying a display of the executed application by removing or changing the information associated with the secret item.

11 . A mobile terminal to provide a secret mode, the mobile terminal comprising:

a processor to determine whether an input corresponds to an input to enter a secret mode, and control a secret item to be output in the secret mode, the secret item being restricted in a non-secret mode.

12 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the secret item is stored in a secret database other than a standard database, and

wherein the secret database is configured to be accessible in the secret mode and inaccessible in the non-secret mode.

13 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein, if the input is a fingerprint input corresponding to an authorized user, the input is determined to be the input to enter the secret mode.

14 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the secret item comprises at least one of a name of a contact, an image of the contact, a call log associated with the contact, and a message associated with the contact.

15 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , further comprising:

a touch screen display to display a lock screen and to receive the input to unlock the lock screen,

wherein, in the secret mode, the touch screen display displays a list comprising a secret item and a non-secret item,

wherein a symbol is displayed in association with the secret item to indicate the status of the secret item.

16 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein, in the non-secret mode, the processor detects a notification event associated with the secret item, and

wherein in response to a determination that the notification event is associated with the secret item, the processor modifies a notification output method of the detected notification event to hide secret information.

17 . The mobile terminal of claim 16 , wherein the modification of the notification output method comprises a display of a symbol indicating a notification event associated the secret item.

18 . The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein, in the secret mode, the touch screen display displays a plurality of secret items,

wherein in response to a selection input, the processor retrieves information associated with the secret item and the touch screen display displays the retrieved information, the retrieved information being displayed in an executed application.

19 . The mobile terminal of claim 18 , wherein the retrieved information being displayed in an executed application comprises at least one of a text message communicated with a secret contact through a messenger application, a call history with a secret contact, and an image of a secret contact.

20 . A mobile terminal to provide a secret mode, the mobile terminal comprising:

an interface to receive an input to select an item;

a display to display a plurality of items;

a processor to determine a selected item as a secret item, to obtain a right from an application associated with the secret item, and to retrieve information associated with the secret item from the application in a secret mode,

wherein the processor, in a non-secret mode, executes the application and modifies a display screen of the executed application to restrict the information associated with the secret item.