The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 15, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 01, 2007
Harry Hong-lun Lai, Overland Park, KS (US);
Benjamin P. Blinn, Leawood, KS (US);
Mike T. Lundy, Olathe, KS (US);
Harry Hong-Lun Lai, Overland Park, KS (US);
Benjamin P. Blinn, Leawood, KS (US);
Mike T. Lundy, Olathe, KS (US);
Sprint Communications Company L.P., Overland Park, KS (US);
Abstract
A bio-presence based keyguard mechanism for a portable device detects a situation where both a bio-presence sensor and a pressure or displacement sensor are engaged, and then selectively removes an associated keypad from a locked state and places the keypad in an unlocked state. In accordance with one aspect, the keyguard mechanism employs a method for transforming the status of a portable device keypad from a locked state to an unlocked state. Within the method, a signal is received from a pressure or displacement sensor associated with a particular key of the keypad, when the keypad is in a locked state. It is then determined whether a signal is received from a bio-presence sensor associated with the particular key, or with a particular portion of the keypad, within an allotted time period, and if so, the status of the keypad is changed to an unlocked state.