Automatic password handling
AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
InventorsPer Åstrand, Henrik Bengtsson, Aleksandar Rodzevski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A user of a cellular telephone also has a peripheral device, such as a wristlet or ring, for example, that is worn on, and contacts, the user's body. When the user depresses a user control, such as a power button or other control on the cellular telephone, a Body Area Network (BAN) communication link is established between the cellular telephone and the peripheral device. The BAN link utilizes the user's body as a transmission medium to carry data between the cellular telephone and the peripheral device. Additionally, a passcode stored at the peripheral device is sent to the cellular telephone over the BAN link. If the passcode is valid, the device will bypass a passcode entry screen and unlock the cellular telephone for the user.
Claims18
A method for unlocking a cellular telephone with a peripheral device using a Body Area Network (BAN), the method performed at the cellular telephone and comprising:
- establishing a wireless communications link with one or more remote communications devices via a wireless communications network, wherein the wireless communications link comprises an air interface;
- establishing a BAN link with a peripheral device in contact with a user's body responsive to the user actuating a user control on the cellular telephone, wherein the BAN link uses the user's body as a transmission medium;
- receiving a passcode from the peripheral device over the BAN link;
- determining whether the passcode received over the BAN link is valid;
- responsive to determining that the passcode received over the BAN link is not valid:
- invoking a passcode lock function on the cellular telephone that requires the user to manually enter the passcode;
- and
- maintaining the cellular telephone in a locked state to prevent the user from accessing the data stored on the cellular telephone until the user enters a valid passcode;
- and
- responsive to determining that the passcode received over the BAN link is valid:
- bypassing the passcode lock function on the cellular telephone that requires the user to manually enter the passcode to access the data stored on the cellular telephone;
- and
- unlocking the cellular telephone for the user, wherein unlocking the cellular telephone allows the user to access the data stored on the cellular telephone.
A cellular telephone comprising:
- a wireless transceiver configured to transmit signals to and receive signals from one or more remote communication devices over an air interface;
- a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver configured to communicate data with a peripheral device that is in contact with a user's body;
- a user control operatively connected to the BAN transceiver, and configured to be actuated by the user;
- and
- a processor circuit configured to:
- control the wireless transceiver to establish a wireless communications link with the one or more remote communication devices via a wireless communications network;
- control the BAN transceiver to establish a BAN link with the peripheral device responsive to the user actuating the user control, wherein the BAN link uses the user's body as a transmission medium;
- receive a passcode from the peripheral device over the BAN link;
- determine whether the passcode received over the BAN link is valid;
- responsive to determining that the passcode received over the BAN link is not valid:
- invoke a passcode lock function on the cellular telephone that requires the user to manually enter the passcode;
- and
- maintain the cellular telephone in a locked state to prevent the user from accessing the data stored on the cellular telephone until the user enters a valid passcode;
- and
- responsive to determining that the passcode received over the BAN link is valid:
- bypass the passcode lock function on the cellular telephone that requires the user to manually enter the passcode to access the data stored on the cellular telephone;
- and
- unlock the cellular telephone for the user, to allow the user to access the data stored on the cellular telephone.
A non-transitory computer readable medium for a cellular telephone, the computer readable medium configured to store a control program that, when executed by a processor circuit on the cellular telephone, controls the cellular telephone to:
- establish a wireless communications link with one or more remote communications devices via a wireless communications network, wherein the wireless communications link comprises an air interface;
- establish a Body Area Network (BAN) link with a peripheral device in contact with a user's body responsive to the user actuating a user control on the cellular telephone, wherein the BAN link uses the user's body as a transmission medium;
- receive a passcode from the peripheral device over the BAN link;
- and
- determine whether the passcode received over the BAN link is valid;
- responsive to determining that the passcode received over the BAN link is not valid:
- invoke a passcode lock function on the cellular telephone that requires the user to manually enter the passcode;
- and
- maintain the cellular telephone in a locked state to prevent the user from accessing the data stored on the cellular telephone until the user enters a valid passcode;
- and
- responsive to determining that the passcode received over the BAN link is valid:
- bypass the passcode lock function on the cellular telephone that requires the user to manually enter the passcode to access the data stored on the cellular telephone;
- and
- unlock the cellular telephone for the user to allow the user to access the data stored on the cellular telephone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.