Unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image

• US 20070150842A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Forstall, Scott, Anzures, Freddy, Lemay, Stephen, Os, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, comprising:

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

moving an image corresponding to a user-interface unlock state of the device in accordance with the contact;

transitioning the device to the user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture; and

maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to the predefined gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the device is in the user-interface lock state, preventing the device from performing a predefined set of actions in response to detecting any contact with the touch-sensitive display that does not correspond to the predefined gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the device is in the user-interface lock state, displaying on the touch-sensitive display one or more visual cues of the predefined gesture.

4. A method of controlling a device comprising a touch-sensitive display, comprising:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state,

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display;

transitioning the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image to a predefined location on the touch-sensitive display; and

maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to moving the image to the predefined location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, while the device is in the user-interface lock state, preventing the device from performing a predefined set of actions in response to detecting any contact with the touch-sensitive display that does not correspond to moving the image to the predefined location.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, while the device is in the user-interface lock state, displaying on the touch-sensitive display one or more visual cues of the predefined location.

7. A method of controlling a device comprising a touch-sensitive display, comprising:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display; and

transitioning the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image on the touch-sensitive display according to a predefined path on the touch-sensitive display; and

maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to moving the image according to the predefined path.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, while the device is in a user-interface lock state, preventing the device from performing a predefined set of actions in response to detecting any contact with the touch-sensitive display that does not correspond to moving the image according to the predefined path.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the detected contact corresponding to moving the image according the predefined path comprises contact corresponding to moving the image to an endpoint of the predefined path.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, while the device is in the user-interface lock state, displaying on the touch-sensitive display one or more visual cues of the predefined path.

11. A method of controlling a device comprising a touch-sensitive display, comprising:

displaying first and second images on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display;

transitioning the device to a first active state corresponding to the first image if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the first image; and

transitioning the device to a second active state distinct from the first active state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the second image.

12. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions;

to set the device to a user-interface lock state;

to display at least one image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in the user-interface lock state;

to detect contact with the touch-sensitive display; and

,

to transition the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the image.

13. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions;

to set the device to a user-interface lock state;

to display at least one image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in the user-interface lock state;

to detect contact with the touch-sensitive display; and

to transition the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image to a predefined location on the touch-sensitive display.

14. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions;

to set the device to a user-interface lock state;

to display at least one image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in the user-interface lock state;

to detect contact with the touch-sensitive display; and

to transition the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image on the touch-sensitive display according to a predefined path on the touch-sensitive display.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch sensitive display;

memory;

one or more processors;

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more processors including instructions;

to set the device to a user-interface lock state;

to display first and second images on the touch-sensitive display;

to detect contact with the touch-sensitive display;

to transition the device to a first active state corresponding to the first image if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the first image; and

to transition the device to a second active state distinct from the first active state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the second image.

16. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

means for detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

means for moving an image corresponding to a user-interface unlock state of the device in accordance with the contact;

means for transitioning the device to the user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture; and

means for maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to the predefined gesture.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

means for displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state,

means for detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display;

means for transitioning the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image to a predefined location on the touch-sensitive display; and

means for maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to moving the image to the predefined location.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

means for displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

means for detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display; and

means for transitioning the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image on the touch-sensitive display according to a predefined path on the touch-sensitive display; and

means for maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to moving the image according to the predefined path.

19. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

means for displaying first and second images on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

means for detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display;

means for transitioning the device to a first active state corresponding to the first image if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the first image; and

means for transitioning the device to a second active state distinct from the first active state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the second image.

20. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive display, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

moving an image corresponding to a user-interface unlock state of the device in accordance with the contact;

transitioning the device to the user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture; and

maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to the predefined gesture.

21. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive display, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state,

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display;

transitioning the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image to a predefined location on the touch-sensitive display; and

maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to moving the image to the predefined location.

22. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive display, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display; and

transitioning the device to a user-interface unlock state if the detected contact corresponds to moving the image on the touch-sensitive display according to a predefined path on the touch-sensitive display; and

maintaining the device in the user-interface lock state if the detected contact does not correspond to moving the image according to the predefined path.

23. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive display, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

displaying first and second images on the touch-sensitive display while the device is in a user-interface lock state;

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display;

transitioning the device to a first active state corresponding to the first image if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the first image; and

transitioning the device to a second active state distinct from the first active state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the second image.