USOO8660531B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,660,531 B2 Hymel (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 25, 2014 (54) ACCESS TO LOCKED FUNCTIONS 380/247 250; 382/118; 340/5.54,571; (75) Inventor: James Allen Hymel, Kitchener (CA) 3487 14.01, 222.1 (73) Assignee: BlackBerry Limited, Waterloo (CA) See application file for complete search history. (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this (56) References Cited patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 474 days. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (21) Appl. No.: 12/938,990 6,501,380 B1 12/2002 Jakobsson (22) Filed: Nov. 3, 2010 (Continued) (65) Prior Publication Data US 2012/0108166 A1 May 3, 2012 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (51) Int. Cl. EP 1914961 A1 4/2008 H04M I/66 (2006.01) (Continued) H04M I/68 (2006.01) OTHER PUBLICATIONS H04M 3/6 (2006.01) H04M 3/00 (2006.01) Examination Report mailed Jun. 22, 2012, in corresponding Euro H04M I/00 (2006.01) pean patent application No. 10189894.8. G05B 9/00 (2006.01) (Continued) G05B 23/00 (2006.01) G06F 7700 (2006.01) Primary Examiner — Yuwen Pan G06F 7/04 (2006.01) Assistant Examiner — Paul P Tran GSB 29/00 (2006.01) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Novak Druce Connolly ACCO 3.08: (57) ABSTRACT H04Q I/00 (2006.015 A mobile communications device Ca have a locked mode in H04Q 9/00 (2006.01) which the mobile communications device 1S protected against GOIS I.3/00 (2006.01) unauthorized use. A mobile communications device includes G06F 3/02 (2006.01) device applications implemented by a Software program or G09G 5/00 (200 6,015 firmware program that enables an application to be tempo rarily operable or operable under certain conditions when the G06F 3/04 (2006.01) mobile communications device is locked. Device applica H04N 7/4 (2006.01) tions can include a camera enabled for image data acquisition H04N 5/222 (2006.01) and a microphone or an audio recorder or a microphone and G06K 9/00 (2006.01) an audio recorder enabled for audio data acquisition. (52) U.S. Cl. Acquired image data and audio data can be stored locally to USPC ..... 455/411; 455/418; 455/550.1; 455/556.1: the mobile communications device or stored externally to the 455/575.3: 340/5.1: 341/22:345/168; 34.5/173; mobile communications device. The mobile communications 348/14.02: 348/333.01: 382/115; 382/118 device can be configured to operate applications under dif (58) Field of Classification Search ferent conditions. The mobile communications device can be USPC .......... 455/1, 26.1, 41.2, 58.2, 410,411,418, configured to display a message that applications have been 455/4.56.4, 550.1, 556.1, 565, 575..1, 575.3, operated while the mobile communications device was 455/628,456.1,566,341/22:345/155, 168, locked or in a locked mode. 345/172, 166, 173,418, 690: 379/62, 161; 13 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets 302 MANTANLOCKEDFUNCTION USAGEACCUMULATOR 304 RECEIVE INPUTTOPERFORM LOCKED FUNCTION 308 COMPAREACCUMULATORCURRENT WALUETOPREDETERMINEDLIMIT 308 PERFORMLOCKEDFUNCTION WHENACCUMULATORLESS THAN PREDETERMINEDLIMIT INCREMENT ACCUMULATORCURRENT WALUE UPONPERFORMING LOCKEDFUNCTION US 8,660,531 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited 2009/0316960 A1* 12/2009 Wang ............................ 382,115 2012/00098.96 A1* 1/2012 Bandyopadhyay et al. .. 455/411 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 7,394,347 B2 7/2008 Kady 7,415,416 B2 8, 2008 Rees WO O3075585 A1 9, 2003 2005.0003799 A1 1/2005 Kang WO 2010O37898 A1 4/2010 2005/01 16840 A1* 6/2005 Simelius ......................... 341 (22 2005. O1971.03 A1 9, 2005 Inoue OTHER PUBLICATIONS 2006/0189345 A1 8, 2006 Suzuki et al. .............. 455,550.1 2006/0284969 A1* 12, 2006 Kim et al. ...... 348, 14.01 Extended European Search report mailed May 20, 2011. In corre 2007,0009139 A1 1/2007 Landschaft et al. ... 382,115 sponding application No. 10189894.8. 2007/0167196 A1* 7, 2007 Yamashita et al. ......... 455,575..1 Nokia N79: Firmware Update auf v 11.049-Phone, Camera, Music, 2008/0254767 A1 10, 2008 Jin Video, Application. Dec. 23, 2008. 2009/014 1948 A1* 6/2009 Nakaoka et al. .............. 382,118 2009/0258676 A1* 10, 2009 Tanaka ....................... 455,556.1 * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 1 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 2 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 Izzº ezzº ºzzº 0824 zzzz! U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 3 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 300 302 MANTAIN LOCKED FUNCTION USAGE ACCUMULATOR 304 RECEIVE INPUT TO PERFORM LOCKED FUNCTION 306 COMPAREACCUMULATORCURRENT VALUE TO PREDETERMINED LIMIT 308 PERFORMLOCKED FUNCTION WHEN ACCUMULATOR LESS THAN PREDETERMINED LIMIT FIG. 3 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 4 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 302 MANTAIN LOCKED FUNCTION USAGEACCUMULATOR 304 RECEIVE INPUT TO PERFORM LOCKED FUNCTION 306 COMPAREACCUMULATOR CURRENT VALUE TO PREDETERMINED LIMIT 308 PERFORMLOCKED FUNCTION WHEN ACCUMULATOR LESS THAN PREDETERMINED LIMIT 410 INCREMENT ACCUMULATOR CURRENT VALUE UPON PERFORMING LOCKED FUNCTION FIG. 4 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 5 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 FIG. 5 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 6 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 601 601 601 FIG. 6 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 7 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 601 Emergency Call Cancel SAAC3 FIG. 7 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 8 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 1 222 CANADA 701 Unlock Camera Emergency Call Cancel FIG. 8 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 9 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 1 222 CANADA 901 Unlock Control w FIG. 9 U.S. Patent Feb. 25, 2014 Sheet 10 of 10 US 8,660,531 B2 1 222 Home SCreen 1001 Warning Camera has been USed. PhotoS have been Stored at LOCal Folder\PhotoS FIG. 10 US 8,660,531 B2 1. 2 ACCESS TO LOCKED FUNCTIONS cation system 100 may comprise a number of mobile com munications devices 103 that may be connected to the FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY remainder of system 100 in any of several different ways. Accordingly, several instances of mobile communications The present disclosure relates generally to mobile commu devices 103 are depicted in FIG. 1 employing different nications devices. More specifically, enabling implementa example ways of connecting to system 100. tions relate to mobile communications devices having a lock These figures are exemplary only, and those persons skilled mode that can be bypassed and incorporating a camera in the art will appreciate that additional elements and modi assembly. The technology provides means and methods fications may be necessary to make the communications whereby a camera assembly in a mobile communications 10 device, e.g., 103 operable in particular network environ device may be utilized under certain conditions without com ments. While in the illustrated implementations, the commu promising security of the mobile communications device. nication devices, e.g., 103 may comprise Smart phones, in The technology extends the functionality of device applica other implementations, the communications devices may tions in a secure manner. In at least one implementation, the comprise personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet computers, technology provides for the temporary utilization of one or 15 laptop computers, desktop computers, servers, or other com more mobile communication device applications without the munications devices capable of sending and receiving elec inputting of an otherwise required password. The technology tronic messages. can be customized dynamically on a per device basis. Mobile communications devices 103 are connected to a wireless network 101 that may comprise one or more of a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) 102 and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) 104 or other suitable network FIG. 1 illustrates a communication system including a arrangements. In some implementations, the mobile commu mobile communications device to which example implemen nications devices 103 are configured to communicate over tations of the technology can be applied. both the WWAN 102 and WLAN 104, and to roam between FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile communi 25 these networks. In some implementations, the wireless net cations device. work 101 may comprise multiple WWANs 102 and WLANs FIG. 3 illustrates the steps of an exemplary method within 104. the technology. The WWAN 102 may be implemented as any suitable FIG. 4 illustrates the steps of an exemplary method within wireless access network technology. By way of example, but the technology. 30 not limitation, the WWAN 102 may be implemented as a FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a mobile communications wireless network that includes a number of transceiver base device to which example implementations of the technology stations 108 where each of the base stations 108 provides can be applied. wireless Radio Frequency (RF) coverage to a corresponding FIG. 6 illustrates a rear view of a mobile communications area or cell. The WWAN 102 is typically operated by a mobile device to which example implementations of the technology 35 network service provider that provides Subscription packages can be applied. to users of the mobile communications devices 103. In some FIG. 7 illustrates an implementation of a front view of a implementations, the WWAN 102 conforms to one or more of mobile communications device with a display displaying the following wireless network types: Mobitex Radio Net device options. work, DataTAC, GSM (Global System for Mobile Commu FIG. 8 illustrates a first alternative implementation of a 40 nication), GPRS (General Packet Radio System), TDMA mobile communications device display displaying alternative (Time Division Multiple Access), CDMA (Code Division display options.