UNLOCKING A TOUCH SCREEN DEVICE

• US 20090006991A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Niemela, Sami Johannes, Lindberg, Phillip John
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A method for unlocking a touch screen device includes providing a touch screen device in an idle mode. An area or region displayed on a screen of the device in the idle mode is contacted or activated to reveal at least one application icon associated with an active/unlocked state of the device. The region is moved, expanded or dragged to an edge of the device to change a state of the device to an active/unlocked mode and activate the revealed application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a touch screen device in an idle mode;

contacting an icon displayed on a screen of the device in the idle mode and moving the icon on the screen to reveal at least one application icon associated with an active/unlocked state of the device; and

moving the icon to an unlock region of the device to change a state of the device to an active/unlocked mode and activate an application associated with the revealed application icon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the state of the device further requires, after moving the icon to an unlock region of the device, activating an unlock function of the device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after contacting the movable icon, expanding a size of the movable icon to reveal the active area below the idle mode screen where the at least one application icons are displayed.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising expanding the size of the movable icon in a direction of movement of the contact with the movable icon.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after moving the movable icon over an application icon, temporarily illuminating the application icon and temporarily displaying at least one attribute associated with an application corresponding to the illuminated application icon, while the device remains in the idle mode.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one attribute is a function of the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon is positioned in a central area of the touch screen and wherein moving the icon further comprises contacting an edge of the icon and moving toward an edge of the touch screen, wherein an area of the icon expands toward the edge.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the area of the icon expands proportionally in at least three directions.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the area encompassed by the expanded icon revealing an active/unlocked state of the device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting an application revealed by the expanded icon to unlock the device and activate the application.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, providing, in the idle mode:

at least one icon in a background area of the touch screen display, the at least one icon representing elements of an active/unlocked state of the device; and

wherein

the idle mode icon is configured to reveal, in a contrasting image, the elements in the background area, as the idle mode icon is expanded when contacted.

12. A user interface comprising:

at least one region that is non-active in a locked mode of a device;

a reduced active region on top of the at least one non-active region, the reduced active region being displayed in a contrasting manner relative to the non-active region;

the reduced active region being configured to be expanded to reveal the at least one region that is non-active in a locked mode;

the reduced active region being configured to transition a state of the device from an idle/locked state to a active/unlocked state as the reduced active region is expanded and reaches an edge of the user interface, wherein the user interface opens to a set of user elements corresponding to an application revealed by the expanded active region.

13. The user interface of claim 12 further comprising a limited active region, the limited active region being configured to temporarily display a function of the limited active region when selected.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface; and

a processor configured to display at least a reduced active region and a non-active region on the user interface when the apparatus is in a non-active mode, wherein the processor is further configured to;

illuminate at least one application icon associated with an active/unlocked state when the reduced active region is moved at least partially over the at least one application icon;

change a state of the apparatus from a locked/in-active mode to an active/unlocked mode when the reduced active region is moved into an unlock region of the user interface and the change is confirmed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to expand a size of the reduced active region to reveal regions below the reduced active region that are associated with applications.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the user interface is a touch screen display or a proximity screen display.

17. A computer program product stored in a memory comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to change a state of a device to an active/unlocked mode, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to move a reduced active area over at least one application icon associated with an active/unlocked state of the device while the device is in the non-active locked mode;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to highlight the at least one application icon;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to move the reduced active area to an unlock region on a display of the device; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to change the state of the device and open the highlighted application when the reduced active area is in the unlock region.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to temporarily illuminate an partially active application region on the display when the reduced active region encompasses at least a portion of the partially active application region;

and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to temporarily present a function of the illuminated partially active application area.

19. A device comprising:

means for moving a reduced active region on a display of a device in a non-active mode over at least one application region on the display;

means for moving the reduced active region to an unlocking region of the display of the device while the reduced active region is still at least partially over the at least one application region;

means for confirming that a state of the device is to be changed from the locked mode to the unlocked mode; and

means for unlocking the device from the locked mode when the reduced active region is in the unlocking region and the state change is confirmed.

20. The device of claim 19 further comprising means for expanding a size of the reduced active region as the reduced active region is moved away from a center area of a display of the device.