Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to electronic devices and a method applied thereto, more particularly relating to a portable electronic device with an authorization managing function and a method for managing authorization. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As mobile phones with a camera are prevalent today, people usually have numerous images stored in their mobile phones. However, invasions of privacy are becoming commonplace, and there is a high risk of personal private photos being seen by anyone having access to the mobile phone, which may cause distress and undesired consequences. Once the user of the phone has set a password under a traditional security system to try and protect those pictures, another problem is that other people may observe and use that password. Accordingly, a more secure way of protecting those photos is required. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments of the device. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a portable electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating the method for managing the authorization, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating an authorization managing interface according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating the method for managing the authorization, according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5A  is schematic diagrams illustrating an authorization managing interface according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5B  is schematic diagrams illustrating an authorization managing interface according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of a portable electronic device  1  of the present disclosure according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. The device  1  includes a storage unit  11 , a processor  12  and a display  13 . The storage unit  11  stores several folders  111  and one or more programs  112 , wherein each folder  111  contains several files  1111 , and the program  12  is to be executed by the processor  12 . The display  13  displays an authorization managing interface  131  while the device  1  is in an unauthorized state. While the device  1  is in the unauthorized state, a predefined set of actions are prohibited, for example, one of the prohibited actions is to access the folders  111 . 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a flowchart illustrating the method of the present disclosure and a schematic diagram illustrating an authorization managing interface  131 , both according to a first embodiment, are respectively shown. In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the files  1111  contained in the folders  111  are images files, which preferably are photo files. 
         [0014]    In step  101 , while the device  1  is in the unauthorized state, display the authorization managing interface  131 , which includes a plurality of numbered folder objects  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the folder objects  14  are graphical, interactive user-interface objects, while each of the folder objects  14  represents one of the folders  111  stored in the storage unit  11 . Each folder object  14  is shown as an image implying a “photo album”, which may be a representing photo on reduced scale (not shown in  FIG. 3 ). Meanwhile, each of the folder objects  14  is displayed with a corresponding serial number. 
         [0015]    In step  102 , the device  1  executes a predefined operation from a user, to operate at least two of the folder objects  14 . In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the predefined operation is to choose at least two of the folder objects  14  sequentially, through a predefined choosing operation. After the choosing actions are finished, the serial numbers corresponding to chosen folder objects  14  are detected by the processor  12 , in the chosen order, as step  103 . For example, the user chooses the folder object  14  numbered “2” (corresponding to the serial number “2”) at first, then chooses the folder object  14  numbered “5” (corresponding to the serial number “5”). As a result, the serial numbers “2” and “5” as two digits are sequentially detected by the processor  12 . 
         [0016]    In step  104 , the device  1  compares the detected serial numbers and a predetermined password to determine whether the detected serial numbers correspond to the password. If the detected serial numbers do not correspond to the password, the device  1  maintains in the unauthorized state. If the detected serial numbers, “2” and “5”, which will be combined by the processor  12  to be a sequence “25”, correspond to the password which is also“25”, the device  1  transits to an authorized state and above-mentioned predefined set of prohibited actions are not prohibited anymore, as step  105 . 
         [0017]    As a result, the user can authorize the device  1  in an unnoticeable way, without operating through a communicating window to input the password. Therefore, others may not know the authorization management is processing, and the embarrassment caused by is prevented. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart illustrating the method of the present disclosure according to a second embodiment is shown. Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , which are schematic diagrams illustrating an authorization managing interface according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the display  13  of the device  1  is a touch-sensitive display, and the predetermined password is composed of several sequences, for example, 2-4, 5-8 and 10-11. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 5A , in step  201 , while the device  1  is in the unauthorized status, the touch-sensitive display shows the authorization managing interface  131 , which includes a serial numbers portion  1311 , a sliding portion  1312  and an input portion  1313 . The folder objects  14  are placed in the sliding portion  1312 , and their corresponding serial numbers are placed in the serial numbers portion  1311 , wherein each folder object  14  has a positional correlation with its corresponding serial number . The input portion  1313  is to show the digits represent the detected serial numbers. 
         [0020]    In step  202 , The user touches the touch-sensitive display by a finger to contact with a selected one of the folder objects  14 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the user drags the touching folder object  14  from its original location shown in  FIG. 5A  to a replacing location shown in  FIG. 5B , through a continuous contact with the touch-sensitive display, as a predefined operation in the second embodiment. Thus, a position of the touching folder object  14  relative to an initial serial number, which is initially corresponding to the operated folder object  14 , is changed. Meanwhile, the touching folder object  14  now has a positional correlation with a designated serial number. 
         [0021]    In this embodiment, the initial serial number is “2” and the designated serial number is “4”. Through the above-mentioned operation, the initial serial number and the designated serial number are detected by the processor  12 , as step  203 . Thus, a sequence beginning from the initial serial number and ending at the designated serial number, which is the sequence “2, 3, 4”, is determined by the processor  12 . Then, such sequence is compared with the predetermined password, as step  204 . By repeating the above-mentioned operation, the user can “input” several sequences to the device  1  through means of detection and determining provided by the processor  12 . The device  1  transits to an authorized state if the sequences all correspond to the password, as step  205 . As a result, the user can authorize the device  1  in an unnoticeable way. 
         [0022]    Moreover, the user can input the desired sequence to the device  1  through the predetermined operation described above in such two ways, to set the password while the device  1  is in a password-setting status and to lock the device  1  from the authorized status back to the unauthorized status. Without displaying a communicating window, the present disclosure can make the authorization management performed in the unnoticeable ways, therefore prevent the possible embarrassments might happen. 
         [0023]    While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, this disclosure is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Technology Category: g