IP Library Patent Application 16756801
Patent Application
App. No. 16/756,801

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UNLOCKING A SCREEN AND MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
16/756,801
Abstract

A method and apparatus for unlocking a screen and a mobile electronic device. The method includes: triggering an unlocking program based on biometric feature identification in the mobile electronic device by approaching or contacting a near field communication tag by the mobile electronic device; and unlocking a screen of the mobile electronic device by using a biometric feature of a user. Hence, not only can security be ensured by the NFC tag, but also the screen can be unlocked via the biometric feature, which may improve convenience by not requiring a user to memorize a password (improving user experience).

Claims (35)

1 . A method performed by a mobile electronic device for unlocking a screen of the mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

sensing with the mobile electronic device and a near field communication tag;

determining with the mobile electronic device whether the near field communication tag is an approved near field communication tag;

when the sensed near field communication tag is the approved near field communication tag:

receiving a biometric feature of a user; and

determining whether the received biometric feature matches an authorized biometric feature;

when the received biometric feature matches the authorized biometric feature, unlocking a screen of the mobile electronic device.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

when the mobile electronic device is rooted or switched on and the approved near field communication tag is not sensed by the mobile device, requiring a passcode to unlock the screen of the mobile electronic device.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric feature of the user comprises at least one of the following of the user: a fingerprint, a face, an iris, a palm print, or a voice.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

when the authorized near field communication tag 1 s sensed, an unlocking program is executed and the unlocked program receives the biometric feature from the user.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the near field communication tag comprises a universal tag, and a configuration program is used in the mobile electronic device to identify the near field communication tag as the authorized near field communication tag.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the configuration program is a universal third-party program.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the near field communication tag comprises a specific tag of the mobile electronic device, and the near field communication tag and the mobile electronic device are bound in advance.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the near field communication tag contains identification information of the mobile electronic device.

9 . A mobile electronic device comprising:

a screen;

a near field communication sensor configured to sense a near field communication tag;

a biometric sensor configured to generate biometric feature data from a biometric feature of a user of the mobile electronic device;

a processor configured to:

lock the screen to prevent operation of the mobile electronic device by an unauthorized user;

receive data from the sensor regarding the near field communication tag;

determining whether the near field communication tag is an approved near field communication tag;

when the sensed near field communication tag is the approved near field communication tag:

receiving the biometric feature data from the biometric sensor;

determining whether the received biometric feature matches an authorized biometric feature;

when the received biometric feature matches the authorized biometric feature, unlocking a screen of the mobile electronic device.

10 . The mobile electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein when the mobile electronic device is rooted or switched on and the approved near field communication tag is not sensed by the mobile device, requiring a passcode to unlock the screen of the mobile electronic device.

11 . The mobile electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the biometric feature of the user comprises at least one of the following of the user: a fingerprint, a face, an iris, a palm print, or a voice identification.

12 . The mobile electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

when the authorized near field communication tag 1 s sensed, execute an unlocking program, such that the unlocked program receives the biometric feature data.

13 . The mobile electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the near field communication tag comprises a universal tag, and the processor executes a configuration program to identify the near field communication tag as the authorized near field communication tag.

14 . The mobile electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the near field communication tag comprises a specific tag of the mobile electronic device, and the near field communication tag and the mobile electronic device are bound in advance.

15 . The mobile electronic device according to claim 14 , wherein the near field communication tag contains identification information of the mobile electronic device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053496/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2020
From: HOU, JIE
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 052935/0371 →