Abstract:
An electronic device includes an acceleration sensor and a rotation sensor, both being independently powered, in providing a method of unlocking when locked. An acceleration of the electronic device is detected using the acceleration sensor and a rotation angle of the electronic device is then detected using the rotation sensor. The electronic device is unlocked only if the acceleration of the electronic device exceeds the predetermined value and the electronic device is additionally rotated a predetermined angle within a predetermined time.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201310383584.0 filed on Aug. 29, 2013 in the China Intellectual Property Office, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to security of electronic devices. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Various kind of unlocking methods, such as unlocking by gestures, passwords, and patterns, are applied in electronic devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of an embodiment of an electronic device. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for unlocking the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  shows possible axes of orientation of the electronic device of  FIG. 1  in three-dimensional space. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  shows an acceleration sensor and a rotation sensor of the electronic device electrically coupled to a power pin of a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) of the electronic device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. 
         [0010]    The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. 
         [0011]    In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage devices. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable medium include CDs, DVDs, BLU-RAY, flash memory, and hard disk drives. 
         [0012]    The present disclosure is in relation to a method for unlocking an electronic device. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device  1 . The electronic device  1  includes an unlocking system  10 , a storage  11 , a processor  12 , a display  13 , an acceleration sensor  14 , and a rotation sensor  15 . In this embodiment, the electronic device  1  can be a smart phone, a mobile Internet device (MID), or a tablet computer. The electronic device  1  can include more or fewer components than those shown in the embodiment, or have a different configuration of the components. 
         [0014]    The unlocking system  10  can include a plurality of programs in the form of one or more computerized instructions stored in the storage  11  and executed by the processor  12  to perform operations of the electronic device  1 . In the embodiment, the unlocking system  10  can include an acceleration detection module  101 , a rotation detection module  102 , an unlocking module  103 , and a setting module  104 . The storage  11  can be an external or embedded non-transitory storage medium of the electronic device  1 , such as a secure digital memory (SD) card, a Trans Flash (TF) card, a compact flash (CF) card, or a smart media (SM) card. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates a flowchart of an example method within the disclosure. The method  2  is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The method  2  described below can be carried out using the functional modules of the unlocking system  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , for example, and various elements of this figure are referenced in explaining example method  2 . Each block shown in  FIG. 2  represents one or more processes, methods, or subroutines which are carried out in the example method  2 . Furthermore, the order of blocks is illustrative only and the order of the blocks can change. Additional blocks can be added or fewer blocks may be utilized without departing from this disclosure. The example method  2  can begin at block  21 . 
         [0016]    At block  21 , while the electronic device  1  is locked, the acceleration detection module  101  controls the acceleration sensor  14  to detect an acceleration of the electronic device  1  in real-time, and determines whether the sensed acceleration exceeds a predetermined value (e.g., 9.8 m/ŝ2). In this embodiment, when the electronic device  1  is locked, the electronic device  1  is in a locked state and the display  13  is turned off 
         [0017]    In at least one embodiment, the acceleration sensor  14  can be a G-sensor. The sensed acceleration is along a movement vector from a first orientation. The first orientation can be manually preset and stored in the storage  11 . In one example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a three-dimensional coordinate system having an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis is applied to the electronic device  1  to establish its orientation. The first orientation can be along the Z-axis, or along the X-axis, or along the Y-axis. 
         [0018]    At block  22 , when the sensed acceleration of the electronic device  1  exceeds the predetermined value, the rotation detection module  102  controls the rotation sensor  15  to detect whether the electronic device  1  is rotated a predetermined angle, within a predetermined time such as one, two, or three seconds. In at least one embodiment, the predetermined angle refers to an angle of rotation of the electronic device  1  about a second orientation which can be the same as or different from the first orientation. The rotation sensor  15  can be a gyroscope. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in at least one embodiment, when the sensed acceleration of the electronic device  1  exceeds the predetermined value, the acceleration sensor  14  generates a trigger signal to the rotation sensor  15  to activate the rotation sensor  15  to sense any rotation angle of the electronic device  1  about the second orientation. The acceleration sensor  14  can be coupled to the rotation sensor via an inter-integrated circuit (I 2 C) bus to transmit the trigger signal to the rotation sensor  15 . When the electronic device  1  is locked, the acceleration sensor  14  and the rotation sensor  15  continue to receive power from a power source. In one example, the electronic device  1  can further include a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM)  16  and a power supply  20  to power the SDRAM  16 . The acceleration sensor  14  and the rotation sensor  15  both are electrically coupled to a voltage pin (VDD) of the SDRAM  16 . The power supply  20  outputs power to the acceleration sensor  14  and the rotation sensor  15  via the VDD to power the functions of the acceleration sensor  14  and the rotation sensor  15 . Since the SDRAM  16  is powered by the power supply  20  even when the electronic device  1  is locked, the acceleration sensor  14  and the rotation sensor  15  can function when the electronic device  1  is locked. 
         [0020]    At block  23 , the unlocking module  103  unlocks the electronic device  1  if the electronic device  1  is rotated the predetermined angle within the predetermined time. 
         [0021]    In at least one embodiment, the first and second orientations, the predetermined value, and the predetermined angle can be preset and stored in the storage  11  by using the setting module  104  prior to block  21 . 
         [0022]    The unlocking method of electronic device  1  using the acceleration sensor  14  and the rotation sensor  15  to unlock the electronic device reduces unintended operations in unlocking the electronic device  1 . 
         [0023]    The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristic and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in particular matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.