Mobile Device Screen Unlock via Remote Terminal Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users of mobile devices often face issues when they forget their screen unlocking password, leading to the device being locked and unable to input any password, resulting in an inability to unlock the screen.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented where the device displays user-specific numbers, sends an unlocking request to a designated contact, and uses a verifying password to unlock the screen after verification by an operator, allowing the user to regain access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the screen locks after multiple wrong password inputs to prevent unauthorized access, then security is improved, but the user cannot input any password even when forgetting the correct password
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote terminal as an intermediary to mediate the unlocking process. When the screen is locked due to forgotten password, the user can send an unlocking request to a designated contact's terminal. The remote terminal receives the request, verifies it through communication (call or message), and then sends a control signal to unlock the screen. This intermediary mechanism resolves the contradiction by providing a security-approved bypass without compromising the original security protocol.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-designating trusted contacts and pre-configuring the unlocking request mechanism before the lockout situation occurs. The user sets up one or more trusted terminals in advance, and the system stores the correspondence between the mobile device and these trusted terminals. When password lockout happens, the pre-configured unlocking channel is already ready to use, eliminating the need for complex on-the-spot verification arrangements.
2Reliability
If the system requires exact password matching for screen unlocking, then security is improved, but users who forget their password are permanently locked out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the unlocking system flexible and adaptive based on the situation. The system dynamically switches between normal password verification mode and remote unlocking mode. When the correct password is provided, the standard verification process is used. When the password is forgotten, the system dynamically activates the alternative remote verification pathway, allowing the unlocking method to adapt to different user states while maintaining security through trusted contact verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the verification parameter from solely relying on the password string to including remote terminal verification as an alternative parameter. The system accepts two different verification parameters: the original password (for normal cases) and the remote terminal confirmation (for forgotten password cases). This parameter change allows the system to maintain strict verification standards while providing flexibility for different authentication scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for unlocking a screen of a mobile device, at least one user-specific number is set and stored into a storage unit of the mobile device. The user-specific number is read from the storage unit and displayed on the screen for selection by a user, when the screen is locked because of input of a wrong password. An unlocking request is transmitted to a terminal providing the selected user-specific number. The mobile device communicates with the terminal, and receives a confirmation message from the terminal, and the screen is unlocked according to the confirmation message.