KR101593660B1 - System and method for locking and unlocking application - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for locking and releasing an application and a method thereof. The system includes: a user′s smart device which receives setting data regarding the locking and releasing of the application from a server to lock and release the specific application according to the setting data; a manager′s smart device which access the server to submit the setting data in order to manage the locking and releasing of the application on the user′s smart device; and the server which receives the setting data from the manager′s smart device, stores the setting data in a database, and transmits the setting data to the user′s smart device in order to enable the manager′s smart device to manage the locking and releasing of the application on the user′s smart device. Accordingly, the system can efficiently manage the usage restriction of the user′s smart device.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING APPLICATION [0002]

The present invention relates to an application lock / unlock system and method, and more particularly, to an application lock / unlock system and method for receiving a lock / unlock application list or the like from a server to lock / unlock a specific application program in a smart device .

The hardware and software of the smartphone are developing rapidly, and by utilizing various applications, our life is diversified to a level that is hard to imagine. In addition to mobile phones, smart phones have many functions such as computers, mp3s, video players, and they are loved by modern people because of their advantages such as easy access to desired information anytime, anywhere, and entertainment.

However, as many researchers report in the report, the fact that smartphones have all the functions of mobile phones and the internet also implies the characteristics of addiction such as tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, difficulty in daily life, impulse control disorder, Is likely. The proliferation of smartphones has caused many adverse effects in addition to convenience of use of devices, and the seriousness of the problem has recently arisen due to the concept of 'smartphone addiction'.

In 2012, Korea Internet Development Agency reported that the smartphone addiction rate in Korea is 8.4%, which is higher than the internet addiction rate of 7.7%. Especially, since the addiction rate of teenagers and 20s is higher than that of 30 ~ 40s, it is thought that the problem will be worse in the future.

Today 's smartphone is one of the most important devices that give convenience to modern people and can not simply suppress its use. So it's a good idea to limit your time and space on your smartphone deliberately.

Accordingly, in the present invention, it is necessary to research and develop a technology capable of effectively limiting the use of a smart device while enjoying the convenience of the smart device.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0034009 (published on April 21, 2006)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for locking / unlocking a specific application program in a smart device by setting a lock / unlock application list or automatically determining an application by a server, And to provide an application lock / unlock system and method for releasing the application.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application locking / unlocking system, comprising: a smart device for a user who receives setting data for locking / unlocking an application from a server and executes locking / An administrator smart device and an administrator smart device for managing lock / unlock of an application of a user smart device by accessing a server and submitting the setting data to manage lock / unlock of an application of the user smart device, And receiving the setting data from the manager smart device, storing the setting data in the database, and transmitting the setting data to the user smart device.

Meanwhile, in the application lock / unlock method of the present invention, when the user smart device is turned on, the user smart device automatically accesses the server and displays a list of lock / unlock applications, a lock / unlock time, Receiving the setting data including the age, when the smart device for the user executes the application, the control unit of the smart device for the user determines whether the corresponding application corresponds to the lock / unlock application list, Wherein the lock / unlock unit of the user smart device is configured to lock the application if the application corresponds to the lock / unlock application, to determine whether the lock time of the user smart device has passed, If this is the case, A step of the control unit of the user smart device outputting a list of problems, a step of the input unit of the user smart device receiving a response to the question list, and a step of, when the received response satisfies a predetermined correct rate, And the control unit of the smart device adds the release time according to the correct answer rate.

As described above, according to the application lock / unlock system and method according to the present invention, the administrator sets the lock / unlock application list or the server automatically determines the application and lock / unlock a specific application program in the smart device, Smart device usage can be effectively limited and managed.

1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates the components of an application lock / unlock system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
2 illustrates a user smart device 1 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 illustrates an administrator smart device 2 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 illustrates a remote server 3 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A to 5H are exemplary diagrams for explaining a lock / unlock process of an application in the user smart device 1 and the administrator smart device 2 shown in FIG.
6 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an application lock / unlock process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an application lock / unlock system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In this specification, for convenience of explanation, the user smart device 1 uses a game application, and the administrator smart device 2 manages the lock / unlock of the game application executed in the user smart device 1 Will be exemplified.

Here, the user smart device 1 refers to a smart device possessed by a child, a student, or the like who uses a game application, and the administrator smart device 2 refers to a smart device possessed by a game parent, a teacher, or the like. And smart devices are smart phones, tablet PCs and so on.

1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates the overall configuration of an application lock / unlock system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

1, an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention receives setting data for lock / unlock of a specific application from the server 3, (1), a list of applications to be locked / unlocked, a lock / unlock time, and the like by accessing the server (3) The smart device 2 for management and the smart device 2 for managing the user can manage the lock / unlock of the specific application of the smart device 1 for the user. The application to be released, the lock / unlock time, the number of executions, and the like, stores it in the database 320, It comprises a remote server (server PC) 3 of transmitting.

2 illustrates a user smart device 1 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, a user smart device 1 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 110, an input unit 120, a storage unit 130, a lock / An output unit 140, an output unit 150, and a control unit 160.

The communication unit 110 is a collective term for communicating wireless communication and includes at least one antenna, an RF module, a baseband module, and a signal processing module for transmitting and receiving a radio frequency signal of a specific frequency band. And transmits the control result corresponding to the wireless communication among the various control results of the control unit through the wireless communication or receives the data from the remote server 3 via the wireless communication and transmits the control result to the control unit 160 , Wireless communication connection, registration, communication, and hand-off procedures.

The input unit 120 includes various input devices such as a keypad and a touch screen and an input module for driving the input unit 120. The input unit 120 is connected to the control unit 160 through a bus and inputs a command for commanding various control operations of the control unit, ) Is input.

The storage unit 130 stores programs and data necessary for controlling the operation and status of the smart device or the control unit 160 and may be an EPROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a flash memory memory) can be used. In particular, in the present invention, the storage unit 130 stores various application programs that are executed in the smart device, and these application programs can be downloaded and installed in the Internet, an application store, or the like. The storage unit 130 may receive and store a list of lock / unlock applications, a lock / unlock time, a problem list, and the like from the server 3 and may store the lock / List, lock / unlock time, trouble list, etc., can be updated and stored.

The lock / unlock unit 140 performs locking / unlocking of execution of the application stored in the smart device or the smart device. More specifically, the control unit 160 receives the setting data of the manager's smart device 2 from the remote server 3 and maintains the locked state of the specific application for the set lock time, When the lock time elapses, unlock the application. In addition, when the set release time, that is, the execution time, elapses after the application is executed, the corresponding application is locked again according to the command of the controller 160. [

The output unit 150 includes a screen output device (e.g., an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) device) and an output module for driving the output unit 150. The output unit 150 is connected to the control unit 160 through a bus, To the screen output device. In particular, the output unit 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention outputs the problem transmitted from the server 3 to the screen output device when the game application is executed while exceeding the allowable execution time and becomes locked.

The control unit 160 controls the overall operation and functions of the smart device. That is, the control unit 160 controls the operation of each component such as the communication unit 110, the input unit 120, the storage unit 130, the lock / unlock unit 140, and the output unit 150 of the manager smart device And may be configured to include some or all of the above elements. In particular, when the user smart device 1 is powered on, the controller 160 accesses the server 3 and displays a list of game applications to be locked / released from the server 3, / Release time and stores it in the storage unit 130. Then, the controller 140 controls the lock / unlock unit 140 to lock the applications included in the game application list and release the lock for the application when the lock condition is satisfied or the lock time elapses. In addition, when the set execution time, that is, the set time, elapses after the application is executed, the application is locked again.

At this time, the controller 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention receives the list of problems from the server 3 and inputs them to the storage unit 130. When the lock / unlock time of the game application exceeds a predetermined time, And outputs the list to the output unit 150. If the user's response received through the input unit 120 is determined, the lock / unlock unit 140 releases the lock of the game application or increases the execution time .

3 illustrates an administrator smart device 2 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, an administrator smart device 2 of an application lock / unlock system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 210, an input unit 220, a storage unit 230, a setting unit 240 An output unit 260, and a control unit 270. In addition, the monitoring unit 250 may be further included.

The communication unit 210 is a collective term for communicating wireless communication and includes at least one antenna, an RF module, a baseband module, and a signal processing module for transmitting / receiving a radio frequency signal of a specific frequency band. And transmits the control result corresponding to the wireless communication among the various control results of the control unit through the wireless communication or transmits the control result to the control unit 270 through the wireless communication, Maintain the procedure of handoff.

The input unit 220 is composed of various input devices such as a keypad and a touch screen and an input module for driving the input device. The input unit 220 is connected to the control unit 270 through a bus and inputs a command for commanding various control operations of the control unit, ) Is input.

The storage unit 230 stores programs and data necessary for controlling the operation and state of the smart device or the control unit 270 and may be an EPROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a flash memory memory) can be used. In particular, in the present invention, the storage unit 230 stores various application programs executed in a smart device, which can be downloaded and installed in the Internet, an application store, or the like.

The setting unit 240 includes a list of applications to be locked / unlocked among the applications stored in the user smart device 1 so as to manage the lock / unlock of a specific application stored in the user smart device 1, A list of problems that will act as a release condition, the age of the user, a password for performing an application lock, and the like are stored in the storage unit 230 and transmitted to the server 3 through the input unit 220.

The monitoring unit 250 may include a list of problems transmitted from the server 3 and output to the user smart device 1, a percentage of correct answers answered by the input unit 120 of the smart device 1 for the user in response to the list of problems, An incorrect answer list, and the time and number of times that the smart device 1 for the user has executed the game application stored in the device may be received from the server 3 and monitored.

The output unit 260 includes a screen output device (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) device) and an output module for driving the output unit 260. The output unit 260 is connected to the control unit 270 through a bus, To the screen output device.

The control unit 270 controls the overall operation and functions of the smart device. That is, the controller 270 controls the overall operation of the components of the manager smart device such as the communication unit 210, the input unit 220, the storage unit 230, the setting unit 240, and the output unit 260 And may be configured to include some or all of the above components.

4 illustrates a remote server 3 of an application lock / unlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, the server 3 of the application lock / unlock system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 310, a database 320, and an application automatic determination unit 330.

First, the communication unit 310 of the server 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a list of applications to be locked / unlocked from the smart device 2 for administrators, a list of problems to serve as a lock / The password for performing an application lock, and the like, and stores the received password in the database 320.

The database 320 stores a list of applications to be locked / unlocked received from the smart device 2 for management, a lock / unlock time, a list of problems to serve as a release condition, a user's age, Passwords to be executed, etc., and a list of problems according to the age of the user is stored in a database. In addition, the database 320 may update the list of applications to be locked / unlocked, the list of problems, and the like, and transmit them to the smart device 1 for user, thereby controlling the use of the smart device by the user more efficiently . Then, the database 320 converts the name of the company name among the information of the game application list received from the plurality of smart devices for administrators 2, and determines whether or not the specific application is a game application in the automatic application determination unit 330 As shown in Fig.

The application automatic determination unit 330 automatically determines whether the application stored in the user smart device 1 is a game application and stores the application in the database 320 as a list of applications to be locked / Specifically, the application automatic determination unit 330 detects a specific character pattern from package information (for example, a game name, a company name, a production code, and the like) written by an application producer at the time of application creation, extracts a company name, It inquires the database 320 whether the pattern corresponds to the company name of the game application stored in the database 320, determines whether the application is a game application, and stores it in the database 320, if applicable.

The process of locking / unlocking the application program by such a configuration will be described with reference to Figs. 5A to 5H.

5A to 5H are exemplary diagrams for explaining a lock / unlock process of an application in the user smart device 1 and the administrator smart device 2 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 5A, in order to restrict the execution of the game application of the user when the game application is executed in the user smart device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the application smart device 2 locks the application Set the password to be executed.

5B is a screen for activating the device manager in the smart device 2 for the administrator to prevent deletion of the application lock / unlock system of the user in the smart device 1 for the user.

5C is a screen for inputting the age of the user in the smart device 2 for the administrator. At this time, the degree of difficulty of the problem may be changed according to the age of the user. The figure shows 8 to 13 years old, but it is natural that you can set it to 7 years old or 14 years old.

5D is a screen for inputting the type of a problem to be output to the user smart device 1 in the smart device 2 for the administrator. In the drawing, for example, mathematics, English, Korean, and common sense types are provided. Parents can choose the type of problem they want their child to learn.

5E shows an example in which the administrator smart device 2 selects a basic game time to be allowed for the game application stored in the smart device 1 for the user. Thus, the user can execute only within the range of the basic game time allowed for the game application in the smart device 1 for the user.

FIG. 5F illustrates a screen in which the game application is executed in the smart device for user 1. At this time, the lock / unlock unit 140 of the smart device 1 for a user counts a time when the application is executed and outputs a specific signal to the controller 160 when the counted time reaches a preset reference time .

5G is a screen in which the list of problems received from the server 3 is output through the output unit 150 of the smart device 1 for the user. In the drawing, for example, a mathematical problem is provided. The user enters information including the correct answer to the problem. When the input of the user information is completed, the controller 160 of the user smart device 1 determines whether the inputted information satisfies the lock release condition of the preset application. At this time, the unlocking condition may be set to satisfy the unlocking condition of the application, for example, in the case of a mathematical problem with a correct answer rate of 70%.

FIG. 5H illustrates a screen in which the information inputted by the user satisfies the unlock condition. At this time, the control unit 160 may send a request to the lock / unlock unit 140 for a differential time according to the correct rate. For example, if the correct answer rate is 70%, 20 minutes and 80% if 30 minutes can be added. This motivates your child to learn.

When the allowable execution time of the game application is exceeded, the lock / unlock unit 140 locks the screen and the screen of FIG. 5G is output through the output unit 150 so that the user can solve the problem and satisfy the lock release condition do. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the lock / unlock unit 140 can not set the lock and execute the lock. This makes it possible to limit the use time of the application.

Hereinafter, an application locking / unlocking method of the present invention using the system configured as described above will be described.

6 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an application lock / unlock process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as a premise in an embodiment of the present invention, the server 3 obtains from the manager's smart device 2 a list of applications to manage lock / unlock, a lock / unlock time, a list of problems to act as a release condition, A password for performing an application lock, and the like, and stores it in the database 320.

6, when the user smart device 1 is turned on (S601), the user smart device 1 automatically accesses the server and displays a list of game applications whose lock / release is controlled from the server 3, / Cancel time, problem list, user age, and the like, and stores it in the storage unit 130 (S602). This process (S602) corresponds to the case where the application lock / unlock system of the present invention is installed in advance in the smart device 1 for the user. If such a system is not installed in the user smart device 1, a process of being downloaded and installed before step S602 may be added.

When the user of the user smart device 1 executes an arbitrary application, the control unit 160 checks whether the executed application is included in the application list to be managed for locking / unlocking stored in the storage unit 130 (S603 ). In particular, the server 3 can update the list of applications to be managed by the lock / unlock so as to be stored in a database, and transmit the database to the user smart device 1, thereby more effectively controlling the user's use of the smart device. In addition, the server 3 automatically determines whether the specific application among the applications stored in the user smart device 1 other than the list of applications to be managed by the application automatic determination unit 330 is a game application, , The application is stored in the database 320 as a list of applications to be locked / unlocked and transmitted to the user smart device 1, thereby more effectively controlling the user's use of the smart device.

If it is determined in step S603 that the application is a game application, the lock / unlock unit 140 of the user smart device 1 locks the applications (S604).

Thereafter, when the user re-executes the game application, the controller 160 determines whether the set lock time has elapsed in step S605. If the set lock time has not elapsed, the lock status of the application is maintained, Proceed to S606.

In step S606, the server 3 receives the correct answer from the input unit 120 of the user smart device 1 after outputting the problem list to the smart device 1 for user.

In step S607, the controller 160 determines whether the percentage of correct answers satisfies a predetermined application lock release condition. If the release rate is not satisfied, the control unit 160 maintains the lock status of the applications. If the answer is YES, the control unit 160 proceeds to step S608.

In step S608, the control unit 160 sets an additional allowable time according to the correct answer rate, stores it in the storage unit 130, and returns to step S604.

As described above, the problem list output after a predetermined period of time may act as a release or lock condition, respectively, when the game application is in the locked or unlocked state. In addition, in the present invention, the user may directly set the lock / unlock condition of the application program using the smart device 1 for the user as well as the smart device 2 for the administrator.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1: user smart device 110: communication unit
120: input unit 130: storage unit
140: lock / unlock part 150: output part
160: Control section 2: Smart device for administrators
210: communication unit 220: input unit
230: storage unit 240: setting unit
250: output unit 260:
3: server 310: database

Claims (6)

A smart device for a user who receives setting data for locking / unlocking of an application from a server and executes locking / unlocking of a specific application according to the setting data,
An administrator smart device for managing the lock / unlock of the application of the user smart device by accessing the server and submitting the setting data; and
The server for receiving the setting data from the smart device for management, storing it in the database, and transmitting the setting data to the smart device for user so that the manager smart device can manage the lock / unlock of the application of the user smart device In addition,
The smart device for users,
A communication unit for connecting to wireless communication,
An input unit for receiving various commands from a user,
A storage unit for storing the setting data including a plurality of applications and a list of lock / unlock applications received from the server, a lock / unlock time, a trouble list, and a user age,
A lock / unlock unit for performing lock / unlock of the application,
An output unit for outputting the list of problems according to the execution of the application;
When the power of the user smart device is turned on, causes the lock / unlock unit to lock / unlock an application included in the list of the lock / unlock application by connecting to the server and receiving the setting data and storing the stored data in the storage unit And causes the output unit to output a problem so that the execution time of the application is increased if the response received through the input unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined percentage correct rate.
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the manager smart device comprises:
A communication unit for connecting to wireless communication,
An input unit for receiving various commands from a user,
A storage for storing a plurality of said applications,
A setting unit for receiving the setting data including the lock / unlock application list, the lock / unlock time, and the trouble list from the manager and transmitting the setting data to the server,
An output unit for outputting the list of problems according to the execution of the application;
And a control unit for controlling overall operations and functions of the manager smart device.
The method according to claim 1,
The server comprises:
A communication unit that receives the setting data from the manager smart device,
A database for storing and updating the setting data and a manufacturer name of the application among the information of the lock / unlock application list,
Extracts a company name from an application stored in the smart device for users other than the lock / unlock application list, determines whether the company name corresponds to the company name stored in the database, and if the application name corresponds to the lock / uninstall application list And an application auto-determination unit for storing the application-lock /
When the smart device for the user is turned on, the smart device for the user automatically accesses the server and receives the setting data including the lock / unlock application list, the lock / unlock time, the trouble list, and the user age from the database of the server,
When the user smart device executes the application, the control unit of the user smart device determines whether the corresponding application corresponds to the lock / unlock application list,
When the executed application corresponds to the lock / unlock application, the lock / unlock unit of the user smart device executes a lock of the application,
Wherein the control unit of the user smart device determines whether a lock time has elapsed,
If the lock time has elapsed, the controller of the user smart device outputs a list of problems,
Wherein the input unit of the user smart device receives a response to the problem list,
And the control unit of the user smart device adds the release time according to the correct rate if the received response satisfies a predetermined correct rate.
The method according to claim 5,
Wherein the server is configured to update the lock / unlock application list, the problem list from time to time,
Automatically determining whether the application stored in the smart device for the user other than the lock / unlock application list corresponds to the game application, and storing the application in the database, if applicable; Way.

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