“Unlocking” Patent Competition
According to web site KIPRIS run by the Korean Intellectual Property Office on March 13, Samsung Electronics was granted a patent for a “Method of unlocking mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal” (Serial No. 10-2012-0097132), which was first filed on Sept. 3, 2012. The method allows users to release a lock from a mobile terminal by drawing a touch input pattern through a touch-and-drag operation when the mobile terminal is in lock mode. It is similar to LG’s new “Knock Code” technology that enables users to turn the Home screen on or unlock the mobile terminal by tapping the screen when the smartphone is off.
Samsung’s patented method makes it easier to track the trajectory of a finger on the screen when a mobile terminal is in lock mode and to release the lock mode if one or more intersections occur on the trajectory. Hence, a touch input pattern for unlocking a lock mode is unlimited in terms of size, location, and pattern, so that users can freely touch the touch screen to release the lock mode.
The technique also makes it possible to load certain applications. For example, when an incoming call is received, users can select a call connection or rejection function, according to the number of intersections. The new method is a great improvement from the conventional way of drawing an unlock pattern or entering a password on the screen.
Korean companies are not alone in innovating their unlock methods. Sony featured “Tap-to-Wake” in its recently-released Xperia Z2, which is similar to LG’s “Knock On.”. In 2008, Nokia also introduced a similar function in its 6600 fold and slide models.
Currently, the most popular form of releasing a lock mode is fingerprint recognition. Apple’s fingerprint technology featured in the iPhone 5S was also used in the Galaxy S5, which will be officially introduced in April. Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC and Korean handset maker Pantech also applied fingerprint recognition functions to their latest devices.