Application Display on a Locked Device

• US 20110047368A1
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pengelly, Robert Charles Johnstone, Peev, Igor B., Sundaramurthy, Palani
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A user request to display an application while the device is locked is received. In response to this user request, one or more images generated by the application are obtained and displayed while the device is locked. Additionally, an indication of an application to be displayed upon resuming operation from a power-saving mode can be received, and an image generated by the application is displayed in response to resuming operation from the power-saving mode.

Claims

1. A method in a device, the method comprising:

receiving a user request to display an application while the device is locked; and

in response to the user request to display the application while the device is locked,

obtaining an image generated by the application while the device is locked, and

displaying the image generated by the application while the device is locked.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application is one of multiple applications running on the device, and the application is the top-level application of the multiple applications when the user request is received.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the user request comprises receiving a user selection of a menu item.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the user request comprises receiving a gesture entered by a user on a touchscreen of the device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising repeating the obtaining and displaying for multiple additional images generated by the application while the device is locked.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein repeating the obtaining and displaying for multiple additional images comprises selecting, at particular intervals, from multiple images generated by the application, and displaying the selected images.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein repeating the obtaining and displaying for multiple additional images comprises displaying multiple images generated by the application in a same manner as when the device is not locked.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the device to enter a power-saving mode in which a screen of the device is turned off; and

displaying an additional image generated by the application when the device resumes from the power-saving mode.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising exposing an application programming interface to the application, and wherein obtaining the image comprises obtaining the image provided by the application when the application invokes a method of the application programming interface.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a mobile communications device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising locking the device in response to the user request.

12. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive an indication of an application to be displayed upon resuming operation from a power-saving mode; and

display, in response to resuming operation from the power-saving mode, an image generated by the application after resuming from the power-saving mode.

13. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 12, wherein to display the images is to display the image generated by the application while the device is locked.

14. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 12, wherein the application is one of multiple applications, and wherein the application to be displayed upon resuming operation from the power-saving mode is identified in a user configuration setting of the device.

15. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a user request to display the application while the device is locked; and

in response to the user request to display the application while the device is locked and is not in the power-saving mode,

obtain additional images generated by the application, and

display the additional images generated by the application while the device is locked.

16. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein to obtain the additional images is to select, at particular intervals, images generated by the application while the device is locked, the selected images comprising the additional images.

17. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein to obtain and display the additional images is to obtain and display images generated by the application in a same manner as when the device is not locked.

18. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to expose an application programming interface, and wherein to obtain the additional images is to receive the images provided by the application when the application invokes a method of the application programming interface.

19. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 12, wherein the device comprises a mobile communications device.

20. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile communications device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a user input entered as a gesture on a touchscreen of the mobile communications device, the user input indicating a user request to display images generated by an application while the mobile communications device is locked, wherein the application is a top-level application of multiple applications running on the mobile communications device when the user input is entered; and

in response to the user input and while the mobile communications device is locked, repeatedly;

obtain an image generated by the application, and

display the image output by the application.